The following post is a copy of a communication that is being distributed to town board members, Chief Jim Lewis, and the Police and Fire Commission.
TO: Town Board of Supervisors, Chief Jim Lewis, Police & Fire Commission
FROM: Travis Thyssen, Town Supervisor
DATE: October 25, 2007
RE: Police Department Issues
The retirement of Chief Ed Kopp, and Interim Chief Jim Lewis’ comments in the Post-Crescent article have brought the Grand Chute police department to the news forefront.
The ultimate outcome may be a referendum for additional staffing, however, it is critical the town board and administration look at ways to remedy problems within the department before we rely largely on the largesse of Grand Chute taxpayers.
Following are issues I have identified and respectfully suggest discussing with the interim and future chiefs:
Bring staffing levels up to the maximum police force allowed.
The police department is losing officers to other departments and replacements are not being hired quickly enough. The department has yet to run at full strength and officers are being forced to work excessive overtime. The department can have a more proactive approach in the hiring process, keeping a current pool of applicants available in case of personnel departures and retirements. Filling open positions needs to be expedited and should be the department's number one priority.
Utilize the experience of interim police chief, Jim Lewis.
Chief Lewis experience as a chief to departments much bigger than Grand Chute is invaluable. His insight to growing pain issues can be instrumental in selecting a future chief whose goals and personality will fit in well with the Grand Chute Police Department.
Make smarter hiring decisions.
Two months ago, I spoke with Administrator Rohloff regarding the department union's concerns about a new hire. As a 14-year law enforcement veteran, I felt the union's concerns were valid issues but was told I was getting too close to the situation. That officer has since failed to pass the probationary period and no longer works for the department resulting in loss of money through training and leaves an open shift, adding to overtime costs. The town should be more receptive when the union raises legitimate concerns.
Hire part time officers who have an understanding they will be next in line when a full time position becomes available.
There is a need to prevent part-time officers from seeking full time employment at other departments while working for Grand Chute. This may begin with a cooperative effort between new management and officers to view part-time positions with a career approach in mind. The department may wish to examine hiring applicants that work full-time for other departments and are seeking minimal additional hours. Such officers could fill overtime/sick shifts without calling in full-time officers.
Consider new shift rotations of a four on/four off schedule with a twelve hour shift.
This rotation will allow six patrol officers per shift instead of the current two or three. The current rotation of six on three off, leaves coverage weak if an officer calls in sick, forcing another officer to cover the vacancy, and is not conducive to an officer's mental well-being with the current staffing issues. Other shift scenarios can be examined as well, but the overall goal is to allow officers more time away from work and utilize the existing department force in a more efficient way.
Do not approve the full time deputy clerk and building inspector positions in this year's budget proposal.
Utilize budgeted money for a police officer hire instead. The workload of town clerk can be alleviated during election periods by hiring seasonal help. The building inspector can be kept at current part-time status. We cannot rely on taxpayers to fund our emergency services personnel without prioritizing new hires and making every effort to fill these positions ourselves.
Develop long range plan to add officers into each year's budget.
The town should recognize the town’s overall growth projections and the needs of increased service areas and start allocating positions into future budgets.
I conclusion, I believe it is possible to achieve a balance that supports the men and women serving on the Grand Chute Police Department and is fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Grand Chute. However, it will require commitment and team effort by the board, administration, and new chief. If we do not collectively make an effort to improve the current situation, we continue to fail the department and Grand Chute residents.
