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Riley County Police Department reports staffing promotions, reviews responses and flags traffic concerns
Summary
The Riley County Police Department briefed commissioners on April 17 about victim‑services grant funding, promotions prompted by a lieutenant's retirement, a review of an April 9 demonstrator interaction and seasonal increases in traffic accidents tied to upcoming highway construction.
Riley County Police Department leaders told commissioners on April 17 that they are pursuing staff promotions, maintaining a grant‑funded victim advocate position and reviewing officer training after an April 9 interaction with a demonstrator.
Deputy Director Erin Friedline said the department’s victim advocate role is grant funded through VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) at an approximately 80/20 federal/state‑to‑local split; that position has helped detectives manage victim contact and wraparound services. Friedline said the department has applied for other grant funds that supported a reintegration coordinator to help inmates transition after release and that the county will seek continued selection for that position.
Friedline said Lt. Tim Shuck will retire later this month after almost 30 years; as a result the department plans internal promotions: Detective Jonathan Shepherd to corporal, Corporal Seth Covey to sergeant and Sergeant Dustin Weisbrod to lieutenant. The promotions will be recognized at the law board meeting next week and the department will present a first draft of its budget to the law board at that meeting.
Scott Hayek, patrol division commander, told commissioners that an April 9 incident involving officers and a high‑school demonstrator generated public comment; the department is reviewing the interaction and will use the case to identify any needed additional training. "There’s one trait that every single employee of our department shares and that is that they are human and sometimes humans don't operate in the way that maybe we wish they had in a situation," Hayek said.
Hayek also warned that spring weather and higher speeds increase crash severity and that upcoming construction on Highway 24 will likely divert more traffic through Manhattan — a change that could raise crash risk at higher speeds and in unfamiliar patterns. The department is evaluating whether a traffic unit focused on enforcement and education is feasible depending on staffing and call levels and will continue public education as part of Operation Arc.
Why it matters: the department’s staffing changes and training review affect public safety operations; the department recommended continued attention to traffic‑safety measures as construction changes travel patterns.
