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Commerce staff proposes police reorganization to make room for permanent chief amid staffing gaps
Summary
City staff told the council a reorganization that eliminates an administrative lieutenant (left unfunded) and shifts dispatch to fire frees budget to hire a market-rate police chief; staff also proposed pay bumps for lieutenants and outlined vacancies and training needs.
Presenter (unnamed city staff member) told the council the police department budget will absorb a roughly $36,000'$40,000 increase for one position only by restructuring command roles and shifting functions. "The only way we could fund that was then do a reorganization of the police department," the Presenter said. The proposal removes the funded administrative lieutenant slot and moves dispatch to report to the fire chief to free funds for a market-competitive police chief salary.
The Presenter gave department totals of $2,207,231 and a line-item breakdown that includes $1,699,738 for staffing and wages, $151,270 for supplies and $217,030 in other service charges. He noted 77% of the department budget is salaries and wages and emphasized the city does not run police enforcement as a revenue source: "We do not implement a quota of how many tickets they have to write," the Presenter said, adding traffic contacts are intended to reduce risk and create intervention opportunities.
Staff said Sergeant Wallace has been performing many of the administrative functions formerly assigned to the administrative lieutenant and will be named patrol lieutenant; Wallace "volunteered to do all of those administrative duties and do the patrol lieutenant as well," the Presenter reported. The Presenter said duties will be shared across the new chief, the patrol lieutenant, the investigative lieutenant and senior patrol sergeants so responsibilities are not dropped.
Councilmembers pressed staff on how long the chief search will take; the Presenter estimated 6 to 12 months to define qualifications, recruit and interview candidates. An interim chief, Mister Robinson, was introduced to begin evaluating staffing, policies and operations so the eventual permanent chief inherits an organized set of recommendations.
Staff also listed current gaps: a sergeant vacancy, a patrol vacancy (creating a net nine patrol officers when filled), an investigator vacancy in CID and at least one dispatcher vacancy. The Presenter said these staffing shortfalls informed the restructuring and compensation proposals, including proposed raises of 3% across most staff and a 2% raise for patrol that staff recommended adjusting to 3% if insurance costs allow.
The council did not take formal action at this workshop; staff said budget adoption and any personnel changes will return to the council for formal approval in later meetings.
