Police Department Organizational Supervisoin RealignmentTO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Organizational Supervision Realignment
DATE: April 29, 2009
Chief of Police Kim Wadding is recommending an organizational supervision
realignment for the police department. Since this involves the creation and elimination
of some civil service positions, it requires City Council approval.
In December 2007, the City Council approved afive-year, 15 officer hiring plan to
increase the police department's sworn officer capacity. Currently, the police
department's sworn officer allocation is 103, with three approved for FY2010.
Additionally, due to the availability of a U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented
Policing (COP) grant, the City Council approved the submission of a grant application
for the remaining three officers of the 15 officer hiring plan and for an additional police
Corporal for the newly remodeled Multicultural Family Center.
If the grant is approved, the five-year hiring plan would be reduced to a three-year plan
with the police department's sworn officer allocation becoming 110 sworn officers.
The police department, over the past three years (2006), will increase its sworn officer
capacity from 93 to 110 or an 18% sworn officer increase. Along with increasing sworn
officer capacity, it becomes timely to reassess the command structure to ensure the
utmost in department effectiveness and efficiency.
This proposal includes the upgrade of three sworn officer positions to Lieutenant, with
the upgrade of two Corporal positions, one Police Officer position to the positions of
Crime Prevention/Public Information Lieutenant, Drug Task Force Lieutenant and a
Community Policing Lieutenant. This allows greater supervision within the Drug Task
Force, Crime Prevention/Public Information and Community Policing.
The $30,454.60 cost in FY2009-FY2010 to upgrade these positions is available due to
savings from position vacancies.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Kim B. Wadding, Chief of Police
THE CITY OF
DUB E MEMORANDUM
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
DATE: April 24, 2009
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen
City Manager
FROM: Kim B. Wadding
Police Chief
RE: Organizational Supervision Realignment
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to outline organizational supervisor realignment for
the police department.
BACKGROUND
In December 2007 the City Council approved afive-year, 15 officer hiring plan to
increase the police department's sworn officer capacity. Currently, the police
department's sworn officer allocation is 103, with three approved for FY2010.
Additionally, due to the availability of a U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented
Policing (COP) grant, the City Council approved the submission of a grant application
for the remaining three officers of the 15 officer hiring plan and for an additional police
Corporal for the newly remodeled Multicultural Family Center (MFC).
If the grant is approved, the five-year hiring plan would be reduced to a three-year plan
with the police department's sworn officer allocation becoming 110 sworn officers. As
shown by the tables below.
5-Year, 15 Officer Plan
FY2008 FY2009 FY2010 FY20'11 FY2012 TOTAL'
2 Patrol 1 Patrol 1 Patrol 1 Patrol 5
1 Patrol/Annex 1 Patrol/Annex 1 Patrol/Annex 1 Patrol/Annex 1 Patrol/Annex 5
1 Traffic/
COP Unit
2 Traffic/
COP Unit
1
SRO
4
1 Housin C I 1
5 4 3 2 1 15
COP Grant Aaproval -Three-Year. 16 Officer Plan
FY2008 -FY2009 FY2010 TOTAL-
2 Patrol 1 Patrol 2 Patrol 5
1 Patrol/Annex 1 Patrol/Annex 3 Patrol/Annex 5
1 Traffic/
COP Unit
2 Traffic/
COP Unit
1
SRO
4
1 Housin C I 1 MFC C I 2
5 4 7 16
DISCUSSION
Upon COP grant approval, the police department over the past three years (2006) will
increase its sworn officer capacity from 93 to 110 or an 18% sworn officer increase.
Along with increasing sworn officer capacity, it becomes timely to reassess the
command structure to ensure the utmost in department effectiveness and efficiency.
With additional personnel available, we are positioned to recommend three adjustments
to the command structure. As you are aware, the City Council approved the
restructuring of the Community Oriented Policing unit from a Corporal and three officers
to a Captain and four Corporals with the addition of a fifth Corporal assigned full-time to
City Housing regarding Section 8 housing investigations. Additionally, the COP unit is
adding athree-person traffic safety unit bringing the total unit capacity to eight officers.
The proposal is to add a COP Lieutenant along with moving the current three School
Resource Officers from Criminal Investigations to the Community Oriented Policing Unit.
The School Resource Officer (SRO) program was expanded in 2001 from one Corporal
to a Corporal and two officers in partnership with the Dubuque Community Schools.
Although the school resource officers serve a law enforcement role, their main focus in
partnership with the schools is prevention and intervention activities. This expansion
has proven to be very beneficial to both the schools and the police department as we
work to improve student relationships and behaviors. The original funding for the last
two school resource officers was through athree-year grant from the U.S. Department
of Justice Community Oriented Policing office. With the expansion of the COP unit,
coupled with the addition of a proposed COP Lieutenant, the movement of the school
resource officers to the COP unit can be completed.
The COP Lieutenant serves a dual purpose, as a supervisor for the COP unit and as a
staff person to the Assistant Chief as an independent investigator for internal
investigations. With the increase in sworn officer staff and the strong need for
department transparency, our ability to quickly respond and thoroughly investigate any
allegation of officer misconduct remains paramount. Working under the immediate
direction of the Assistant Chief, the assistance of another internal investigator through
the COP Lieutenant adds greater speed, efficiency, and oversight enhancing all aspects
of the internal investigation process allowing the continuation of a balanced and
objective analysis of the concern.
Communication remains the key factor to community understanding and support. The
second adjustment is to upgrade the Crime Prevention Corporal position to a Crime
Prevention and Public Information Officer (PIO) Lieutenant. Currently, the duties of the
Public Information Officer fall primarily to the Assistant Police Chief in major events, with
other police events handled by the daily shift patrol commander. Working under the
direction and guidance of the Assistant Chief, this Crime Prevention/Public Information
Lieutenant responds to various crime and accident scenes and assists patrol and
criminal investigations command with on scene media relations while assisting the
Assistant Chief with the preparation, research and distribution of media announcement
and inquiries.
The final command adjustment is the upgrade of a drug task force police officer to the
rank of Lieutenant. Currently, the Dubuque Drug Task Force is comprised of three
Dubuque Police Officers, three Dubuque County Sheriff's Deputies (Sergeant and two
deputies), and a clerical coordinator from the Dubuque County Attorney's Office. The
Dubuque Drug Task Force is located off-site of the Dubuque Law Enforcement Center
with police officer supervision conducted indirectly by the Criminal Investigations
Division supervisors. Through the upgrade, direct unit supervision increases operational
effectiveness and ensures day-to-day functionality and performance.
BUDGET IMPACT
In reviewing the budget impact, the upgrades occur through the upgrade of two current
Corporals and one police officer. The upgrade includes the replacement from a Crime
Prevention Corporal to Crime Prevention/Public Information Lieutenant, a Patrol
Corporal to COP Lieutenant, and a Task Force Officer to a Task Force Lieutenant.
If approved, the number of Corporals would go from 17 to 15 with the number of Lieutenants going from
nine to 12 and police officers from 72 to 71. From May 4, 2009 to July 1, 2009 this option has an
increased cost of $4, 359.26 and a total FY2010 cost of $26, 095.34 for an overall total of $30, 454.60.
FY2010 Officer Allocation Current Proposed l
Chief 1 1
Assistant Chief 1 1
Ca tain 6 6
Lieutenant 9 12
Cor orals 17 15
Police Officers 72 71
TOTAL 106 106
The cost of the upgrade for FY2009 and FY2010 would be made through salary savings
regarding current funded open positions due to the resignation of Officer Benji Young
12/08, Officer Jeff Reimer 05/01/09, and myself. If I am not replaced until December
2009, we project the salary savings to be $44,506.88.
RECOMMENDATION
With the upgrade of three sworn officer positions to Lieutenant, I recommend the
upgrade of two Corporals and one police officer to the positions of Crime Prevention/
Public Information Lieutenant, Drug Task Force Lieutenant, and a Community Policing
Lieutenant at an overall police department salary increase cost of $30,454.60.
:Lieutenant FY09 FY10 Lieutenant
Upgrade 05/04/09-07/01/09 07/0.1!09-Ofi/30/10 Upgrade Cost
3 U rade Cost U rade Cost TOTAL FY09/FY10
~ Two Corporals and Officer ~ $4,359.26 ~ $26,095.34 ~ $30,454.60 ~
ACTION REQUESTED
Action requested is consideration to upgrade three police department sworn officer
positions to the position of Lieutenant. This allows greater supervision within the
Dubuque Drug Task Force, Crime Prevention/Public Information and the Community
Policing Division at an overall police department salary increase cost of $30,454.60.
Cc: Randy Peck, Personnel Manager