Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Staffing Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police chief outlines hiring progress, lieutenant to start Aug. 1; department upgrades near completion
Summary
Chief Waddell said the department completed a competitive lieutenant selection (projected start Aug. 1), is recruiting officers and reserves, and nearly finished facility upgrades including a laundry room, lactation/wellness room, a secure interview room and an armory; the chief also said the department will undertake an equipment inventory and consider less‑lethal options.
Police Chief Waddell told the council the department ran a competitive process for lieutenant, selected a candidate from Eugene and expects a projected start date of August 1. "We end up selecting a current lieutenant out of Eugene, and, hopefully, we're gonna work on getting their background done ... projected start date would be an August 1 start date," he said. The department currently had about "10 and 0.5" sworn officers on the payroll and is budgeted for 11.5 (chief's phrasing), and staff are recruiting for both lateral and entry‑level positions.
Waddell outlined facility improvements: an in‑house laundry room to handle gear, a lactation/wellness room for employees, a secure interview room, and an armory for secure weapons and ammo storage. He said the department will conduct an inventory of equipment and is exploring less‑lethal munitions and additional training for in‑house instructors; the chief said those items are part of an ongoing plan and will be reported back to council.
