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Interim chief proposes fourth sergeant; council moves staffing change after debate and committee referral
Summary
Interim Police Chief Tedrow asked the council to add a fourth sergeant to ensure each patrol shift has a ranked supervisor and to allow flexibility in a special-operations supervisor role; the council debated timing and funding, referred the matter to the Committee of the Whole, and ultimately approved the change.
Interim Police Chief Tedrow asked the Macomb City Council to amend the department's authorized staffing so each patrol shift is supervised by a sergeant, citing gaps and recurring overtime caused by a voluntary officer-in-charge structure. "I believe a fourth sergeant position should be added allowing for a hard rank supervisor to lead each patrol shift," Tedrow told the council.
Tedrow said the change would be handled through internal promotion and would not increase the department's authorized number of sworn officers, which he said would remain at 25. He also asked the council to allow flexibility in staffing the special operations supervisor role, so it could be filled by either a lieutenant or a sergeant.
During questioning, a council member asked whether the officer-in-charge (OIC) position would be eliminated; Tedrow replied it would not, but the proposed structure would create redundancy so supervisors could cover shifts without recurring overtime. Tedrow provided budget-related estimates: promoting an officer to sergeant would add roughly $9,000, while the overtime currently used to cover OIC absences costs "at a minimum" about $15,000 to $19,000 per year for that one shift.
Some council members urged delaying action until a permanent chief is hired so the incoming chief could shape the department's organization; a motion to table the item until a new chief is appointed failed for lack of a second. Another member moved to refer the matter to the Committee of the Whole for further review; that motion received a second and proceeded to a roll-call vote.
After the referral and subsequent discussion, the council voted to adopt the organizational amendments, with the motion carrying at the council meeting.
The council's action will allow internal promotions to create a fourth sergeant position and give the city manager/chief some discretion over whether the special operations supervisor is staffed as a sergeant or lieutenant. City staff said they expect the change to reduce overtime costs and provide more consistent supervision across patrol shifts.
