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With deputy chief retiring, police chief proposes lieutenant-level successor and job reorganization
Summary
Junction City’s police chief briefed the council on an upcoming deputy chief retirement and proposed replacing the role with a lower-cost administrative supervisory position (modeled on a lieutenant’s duties) to preserve essential functions, create succession and use salary savings for equipment and software needs.
The police chief told the council that the department’s deputy chief is slated to retire and recommended creating an administrative supervisory role—described in the packet as a lieutenant‑level job or an administrative sergeant—to preserve core duties while lowering payroll costs.
The chief said the change would keep sworn positions needed for patrol while shifting some administrative tasks to a role that could perform internal affairs and scheduling without the salary of a deputy chief. "That would be 1 additional pay stub maybe, and then it would be defined as this person would have responsibilities and duties that would control the other sergeant's schedules," the chief said while outlining the succession plan.
Councilors asked for job descriptions and external comparisons and recommended the city consider a lieutenant title because disciplining or investigating peers can create friction when ranks are equal. Several councilors also urged better nighttime coverage and suggested shifting sergeants to later shifts to increase overnight supervision.
Staff said the deputy chief’s salary savings—estimated in the presentation to yield roughly $80,000 annually when combined with other savings—could be used to fund technology needs such as an AXON contract and ease compaction between rank pay scales. The department will return with formal job descriptions and a hiring plan.
