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Council to consult judge after debate over officers’ required presence in city court and overtime costs
Summary
Chief Wam and city staff told council that officers attend nearly all city-court sessions though only 2.8% of cases were contested since August 2023; the department seeks alternatives to cut overtime and redirect staffing. The mayor will meet the judge to discuss possible process adjustments.
Council members, the city attorney and Chief Wam discussed whether police officers must appear in city court for every citation they write and the budgetary effect of that practice. Chief Wam said the department wrote 1,925 citations and had 979 court dates since August 2023, with only 27 contested hearings (2.8%). He reported overtime costs over that period of about $11,376 in full‑time hours and $1,344 in part‑time pay for officers who attended court on days off, and said the department’s staffing and overtime could be put to other uses such as training and event coverage if unnecessary appearances were reduced.
Attorney Thompson and other staff emphasized the judge controls court procedure and that a city prosecutor can object to motions to dismiss for failure to prosecute, allowing a hearing to be continued rather than lost. Council member W said the goal is not to micromanage the judge but to ‘‘help the police department’’ reduce unnecessary overtime; the mayor agreed to meet with the judge to discuss possible process changes that preserve the court’s integrity while limiting overtime impacts. No formal policy change was adopted during the work session; staff will report back after that meeting.
