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3 <br />street functions that may not have been as much a part of past regular duties. Currently, <br />most of the day shift hours do not have a patrol supervisor on duty, as the sergeants are <br />typically scheduled during the night shifts. A second in command can assume more of <br />these activities. However, most of the work and responsibilities will involve administrative <br />functions such as equipment and supply maintenance, oversight of scheduling and a <br />review and tracking of departmental training and timesheets. This position maintains a <br />schedule consistent with general office hours, ensuring the supervision of personnel and <br />availability to the public during regular business hours. <br /> <br />The position of patrol sergeant that is vacant is also a critical and essential position <br />requiring filling as soon as practical. A supervisor in place for the patrol officers can reduce <br />the potential liability with employees who remain unsupervised. The department currently <br />has 9 officers with 6 or less years experience. Providing proper supervision of employees is <br />an obligation the city must adhere to in order to reduce the risk and potential costs the city <br />may encounter. Having an experienced supervisor in place for as many of those hours as <br />possible was a goal enacted 5 years ago. <br /> <br />Presently our two sergeants work the majority of their shifts during the evening, but do <br />adjust their hours to fill holes in coverage when another officer is off for various reasons <br />(sick, training, approved vacation, etc.). The third sergeant enables a wider more complete <br />coverage of hours overall. <br /> <br />Both positions of Deputy Chief and sergeant can be filled from within the department by <br />conducting a promotion process similar to past procedures in conducting promotions. <br />There are qualified candidates employed by this department who would make excellent <br />supervisors. <br /> <br />A logical first step in accomplishing all of this is to compile an eligibility list for an entry level <br />police officer. Resolution 7634 was approved by the City Council on June 28, 2010, <br />authorizing to advertise and create an eligibility list for a police officer. This process has not <br />been initiated due to the uncertainty in whether a candidate would be hired from any list <br />established. <br /> <br />An internal promotion to fill the Deputy Chief position would essentially remove an officer <br />from a street patrol or other specialty assignment position. To avoid creating a gap in these <br />areas, it would be in the best interests for all to initially hire a replacement officer(s) before <br />this promotion would occur. However, the sergeant promotion process could essentially <br />begin prior to a new officer hire. This sergeant would still handle patrol duties so the <br />numbers of officers assigned to patrol would not decrease by promoting an officer to the <br />rank of sergeant. <br /> <br />Recommendation: <br /> <br />Staff seeks direction from the council for future action in filling vacant command positions <br />to include a Deputy Chief and patrol sergeant from within the police department. Staff also <br />seeks clarification on whether a candidate can be hired for the filling of a police officer <br />position from a yet to be created eligibility list. <br /> <br />Respectfully Submitted, <br /> <br /> <br />__________________ <br />Thomas Kinney <br />Chief of Police