Springfield Police Academy Begins

Hallelujah!

Police Academy Begins July 6

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What is Prompting Early Police and Firefighter Resignations?

It's the News Media

At Tuesday's City Council luncheon, City Manager Greg Burris presented a power point presentation, regarding his proposed general fund budget recommendations, to the City Council.

A full recommended budget must be presented to the City Council by May 1, 2009.

During the course of discussion, City Manager Greg Burris suggested negative publicity in "the newspaper" is driving earlier retirement resignations, among those eligible for retirement, in the police and fire departments.

"With all the negative media attention that the police/fire pension fund has been receiving," Burris said, "it's promoting that exodus because of all the uncertainty and the negativity within the community."

According to Mayor Jim O'Neal, Burris and he met with police officers and firefighters before the Council luncheon today.

Fire Chief Barry Rowell expanded on those sentiments at the luncheon meeting, after an introduction by Burris.

"The uncertainty over the future of the pension plan and the ongoing negative publicity has led to more resignations than we expected among those who have reached eligibility and are opting not to continue until their maximum age to retire," Rowell said.

O'Neal advised police and firefighters who were reaching retirement age not to be motivated out of misinformation or fear "coming from an unreliable source."

"I'd think twice about getting my advice from a newspaper editorial," O'Neal said.

The Mayor also said the police and firefighters should not be fearful that their retirement benefits are going to be cut.

Understaffing of Fire Department Addressed; Police Academy to be Reopened

The City Council were in consensus about allowing the City Manager to move forward with reopening the police training academy to train 10 officers and allowing for compensation of an additional 5 firefighters salaries in the upcoming fiscal budget.

The Police Department is currently 34 officers, or 10.4 percent, below budgeted strength and the Fire Department is expected to be 20 firefighters, or 9.4 percent, below budgeted strength by June 30.

Even with the addition of 5 firefighters to the Fire Department the City Manager is recommending the immediate start of a shut-down of one rotating fire unit.

The news release from Public Information Officer Louise Whall explained the changes this afternoon:

"The number of Springfield Fire Department vacancies expected this spring will require shutting down a unit on a rotating basis when staffing falls below certain levels effective April 27, 2009. For single-unit stations, this will mean shutting down that station for its 24-hour shift....

Burris said he plans to use additional savings from this year's budget to put about $150,000 in additional funding in the current fiscal year's Fire overtime budget. That funding is estimated to cover enough overtime to maintain at least a 48-person staffing level from mid May through June 30 in order to limit unit shutdowns to one at a time. A 48-person staffing level will require one unit to be taken out of service on a rotating basis among the City's 12 fire stations. Without the additional overtime funding, two or three units would need to be shut down on a consistent basis through June 30.

Four Fire Stations house two units, so one unit would remain in service. But when the rotation hits stations with only one unit, it will necessitate closing the station for that 24-hour shift. The Fire Department believes it is more equitable to all citizens to rotate the closure of one of the 16 units operating at all 12 stations during this period until June 30. This operational plan will be reviewed once the FY10 annual budget is approved.

When a unit shutdown requires a station closing, the information will be made public on the City's Web site, www.springfieldmo.gov, and signs will be posted at the stations with information to contact 911 or a non-emergency phone number. Each fire station has an emergency call phone located outside where walk-up visitors can call for emergency assistance.

Other procedures that will be followed when one unit is out of service and there is working fire include:

* The Department will reduce the number of vehicles sent initially to each type of call.

* The Department will not provide mutual aid to area departments.

* The Department will not respond to haz-mat or water-rescue calls outside of Springfield.

* If the Department has two working fires at once, it will limit the types of non-emergency calls it will respond to; respond only to EMS calls for cardiac or respiratory arrest; may make emergency personnel callbacks; and may request mutual-aid assistance from neighboring departments to cover in Springfield.

In addition to the operational plan, the Department is taking the following steps to address the staffing shortage:

* No overtime is being used to maintain minimum staffing levels for Haz Mat, Water Rescue or Technical Rescue. When incidents require these operations, the on-call Chief will determine emergency call-in or request mutual aid.

* Chief Officers will respond to calls during working hours and off hours to cover for Battalion Chiefs when on leave.

* All travel-related training is suspended so it does not contribute to decreased staffing levels."

The City's Web log, CityConnect, plans to make Burris' Power Point presentation available at their Web site later today.

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Stringing Together some Community Thought on Public Safety and Crime Issues

Wow. There are some striking similarities between conditions on the ground in St. Louis and in Springfield, Missouri as evidenced in this Springfield News-Leader article, Alderman encourages residents to arm.

Read in light of an article published in the current issue (out today) of the Community Free Press, it gives one pause. In "City Cop Shortage is ‘Dog Gone Cold’," Brian Brown wrote that based on advice from Springfield's new City Manager, Greg Burris, and according to "Springfield Police Chief Lynn Rowe, the department is short 25 officers, and staffing levels aren’t going to be addressed before the city stabilizes the department’s pension situation." Brown goes on, "Burris said it doesn’t make sense to bring in new officers right now because new hires would be Tier II employees under the current system, and the city is trying to get switched over to the state’s LAGERS system."

Personally, I'm thinking that sort of depends upon one's priority. If public safety is the number one priority, it certainly DOES make sense to bring in new officers right now but, one could determine, considering the City failed to adequately address the underfunded pension problem for many years, that even though it's been identified as such, public safety hasn't really been the number one priorty issue in our City for many years.

According to Brown's article, "“The [hiring] freeze will occur at least until February 3,” Burris said. “If the tax passes, then we can start new academies. If the tax does not pass, we will have to reassess, and figure out what we’re going to do.""

Some months ago, I believe during budget discussions, some members (at least one) of the City Council were questioning what exactly ARE core City services? Council woman Rushefsky was seeking definition of that term. They've spent some time since then trying to get a vision of the direction the City should go. City Manager Greg Burris has questioned individual members regarding what they'd like the City to look like in 15 years. He brought along a 1999 Council resolution to one of those luncheon meetings to outline, I guess, the most current resolution of the Council regarding priorities. Council Bill 1999-438 was filed on December 7, 1999. It can also be referenced by Resolution number 8721.

"REAFFIRMING City Council's six priorities of Public Safety, Transportation/Traffic, Quality of Life and Economic Development, Communication with Citizens, Center City Revitalization, and Long-Range Planning/Vision 20/20 for next year, as discussed at the City Council's annual workshop on November 20, 1999."

Public Safety was at the head of the list. Tom Finnie was City Manager at the time. Proposed Action Step Priorities, under the explanation to the bill, for the Public Safety category included, but weren't limited to, interestingly, an "Implementation of Law Enforcement Sales Tax for; Additional Officers (City committed to 60 new officers and 12 non-sworn staff. By July, 2000, 45 officers and 9 non-sworn personnel will be hired. All 60 officers and 12 staff personnel scheduled to be hired by July, 2001.); Space Needs; Mobile Data Terminals and; Records Management System." Another category of interest was: "Determine Action on Photo Red Light Enforcement."

Again, personally, I would have preferred to have seen more "long range planning" dedicated to public safety than to Vision 20/20 projects. But, that's just me.

This morning, Vince Jericho said, "Times of great stress and strain also provide times for great opportunity," before he brought up a struggle being faced due to crime on the west side of downtown Springfield. Jack Pugh, a renovation contractor, has redeveloped houses on the west side of town in an effort to revitalize the area. He said:

"I tell you, good things do not happen to people who come here, on the Vince Jericho Show, especially when they speak against the status quo and the good old boys and girls that like to run this town.

"Since I was here last, I've had one building put on the dangerous building list because I absolutely refused to, along with David, to put any more money in this house on South Main because crime is so bad out of control there and, we even have a building standing open down the block where all the vagrants are living in at night. We just can't put more money in this and have it torn out. It's boarded up, which is not in compliance with the City's ordinance simply because 3 of the windows have been broken out since we started working on it. So, we shut it down, we boarded it up hoping the City can get crime under control on that street again."

It gets even more interesting, if you can call it that, maybe "alarming" would be a better word. Listen to the podcast. They touch on the article I referenced from the News-Leader, too.

I'd like to see our City Council continue to make an effort to define what core city services are for our City. It's a basic thing. Sometimes I think the citizens of this City understand core services better than the Council or City officials. In my opinion, they seem to want to expand core City services into something not "core" at all.

A Council in 1999 listed public safety first when listing their 6 priorities. Whatever long range vision they have practiced apparently didn't extend to how to protect the public and provide for law enforcement. Hinging public safety issues to whether the tax payers are willing to pass a sales tax to fund the police and firefighter pension system doesn't strike me as the most well thought out plan.

In the meantime, I think, just as a citizen of Springfield, watching our City Manager lead our City Council through feel good discussions of what you'd like to see our City look like in 15 years or what kind of a catch phrase we could identify our City by seems a bit high schoolish in light of the serious issues facing us, and don't get me wrong, I understand the City cannot have tunnel vision and ignore every aspect of our City and its growth other than public safety. I understand they have to have peripheral vision but, I'd like to see them stop giving public safety lip service as the highest priority and actually make it the highest priority.

Stolen Peephole Mystery Solved?

I don't normally publish the City's news releases at JackeHammer because any one who is really interested in the City's news releases can sign up to receive them in their own email box at the City's Web site.

The news release below is an exception to the rule because I'm thrilled that an alleged serial rapist has been arrested and charged but the release below also clears up a mystery.

Some time ago, the police department issued an alert that hotels and motels were reporting the exterior portion of door peepholes were coming up missing. Police asked that the public be alert and notify police if they had any information regarding missing peepholes. It was a strange request to me and to most of the people who commented to me about it. Now, it appears the missing peepholes, at least in some cases, might have been related to these crimes. Anyway, here's the city's news release in its entirety:

Over time, law enforcement has seen many helpful advances in the use of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) as evidence, mostly due to the technological development of equipment used to gather DNA profiles. It is widely believed that DNA will continue to play an increasing role in the effort to bring suspects to justice. A recent case highlights this trend.

With information developed using DNA, the Springfield Police Department made an arrest Wednesday for a rape that happened in October of this year. After further investigation and interviews with the suspect, police now believe the same individual is responsible for at least five rapes that have occurred in Springfield since January of 2000.

Initially, just two assaults from January ‘07 and Mar ’08 appeared to share similar characteristics. The victims in each case reported similar details, however the suspect’s face was concealed in each incident. This combined with little recovered evidence left police few leads to follow, except for the fact that sometimes the victim’s front door was missing it’s peephole. At the time, at least 150 peepholes had been discovered missing at various locations throughout the city, so the police department issued an alert asking the public to be aware of the trend.

One more rape occurred in October ‘08 at 664 S. Kentwood. In this case, DNA evidence was seized from the crime scene.

Detectives checked the DNA sample against a statewide database and found it matched a DNA profile taken from an unsolved rape in Fulton, MO. This was the first solid piece of evidence that linked the rapist to more than one assault, but detectives still did not have a named suspect. Numerous persons of interest had been identified up to that point, however they had all been cleared through investigation.

After discovering the suspect had attacked a woman in Fulton, detectives matched their notes with details learned during that investigation. By combining the information and checking it against department resources, police were able to identify a possible suspect that could have been responsible for assaults in both cities.

Detectives identified a possible suspect and began performing surveillance. After recovering additional evidence, police took Bobbie Andrew McGhee of Springfield into custody on Wednesday morning. Later that day, detectives developed evidence that he was also responsible for two additional rapes, one from January ‘00 and the other, from July ’08.

McGhee, 46 years old, has since been charged with fifteen criminal counts including Forcible Rape, Forcible Sodomy and 1st Degree Burglary. There is no bond set for McGhee.

The following is a breakdown of incidents in which McGhee has been charged.
January 2000 - 1772 S. Glenstone – (Lamp Lighter Inn)
January 2007 - 1772 S. Glenstone – (Lamp Lighter Inn)
March 2008 - 2750 N. Glenstone (Hampton Inn)
July 2008 - 1364 E. McDaniel
October 2008 - 664 S. Kentwood

Police investigation is ongoing, and detectives are currently examining past unsolved sexual assaults to determine if any connection to McGhee exists. Anyone else with information about the incident is encouraged call 417-864-1810 or make an anonymous report at 417-869-TIPS (Crime Stoppers).

SPD Case Number: Assorted

Media Contact: Police Chief Lynn Rowe, phone: 417-864-1782; Release
authorized by: Major Kevin Routh

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City Government Growing, Police Department Faces Consolidation

Regarding City Council Bill 2007-225, written about here.

For clarification, Police Chief Lynn Rowe intimated at the last Council meeting (view here) that this was a change he had been contemplating and that with the loss of two Majors recently at the Police Department the consolidation of two divisions, in essence, puts two more officers on the streets of Springfield.

It's good management on the Chief's part.

My complaint is that it was necessary.

My complaint is that our community is in the position of losing officers and having to combine divisions to spread the resources of the department to better serve our community.

The Community Free Press - Midweek (CFP), July 4 issue, quotes Rowe as saying,

"“We may potentially be down 40 to 45 officers over the next six months or so.”" (Read here, page 4, CFP Midweek - Archive Issues)

In the same issue of CFP, Rowe is quoted as saying:

“I can’t say we haven’t had officers leaving our force and going there (St. Louis and Kansas City), because, typically, they pay more.”

and:

“We lose so many to other departments, the Highway Patrol, and federal agencies. Perhaps it would have made a difference were we able to pay them more.”

There is a reason we are losing officers and Rowe has been put in the position of needing to streamline the Springfield Police Department in an effort to reduce the Department's Personnel budget.

It just seems to me that we should be getting to the root of this problem. The City should remedy it before we find Rowe's department down another 40-45 officers six months from now.

If the City doesn't act soon I wonder which divisions will be consolidated next?

In 2006, City Manager Bob Cumley was paid $181,201.

Assistant City Manager, Evelyn Honea was paid $137,947.

Recently, though at least one council member questioned the necessity, another Assistant City Manager was added to the City's payroll.

Our City's governmental body seems to keep growing while our City's Police Department is facing reduction.

That's just something to think about. Isn't it?

City Council Agenda, item of interest

Council Bill 2007-225

Submitted by Police Chief Lynn Rowe, approved for Council action by Assistant City Manager Evelyn Honea (some paraphrasing):

Proposal to:

Section 1:

...delete one full time equivalent position of Police Major, LES-15; delete one full time equivalent position of Police Captain, LES-13, and add two full time equivalent positions of Police Lieutenant, LES-12.

Section 2:

...delete one full time equivalent position of Administrative Assistant, PAT-4, add one full time equivalent position of Office Administrator, PAT-5; delete one part time equivalent position of Office Specialist, PAT-4, add one full time equivalent position of Office Specialist, PAT, PAT-4.

Purpose:

...to improve efficiency in the Police Department.

Remarks:

...to better utilize budgeted salary resources, the Police Department is proposing to eliminate a Police Captain and a Police Major position and re-structure so that there will be three opperating divisions instead of four.

Those salary savings will fund two additional Lieutenant positions to be used ot provide additional field supervision. It will also allow an upgrade for one part time Office Specialist to a full time position...and upgrade one Administrative Assistant position to an Office Administrator position. Both of these non-sworn support positions will help the operation of the new Division that will be created as a result of the merge of the Administrative and Support Services Divisions.

These changes will result in a small savings in the Personnel Budget and can be accomplished within the Police Department Budget for fiscal year 2007-2008.

Okay, so the Chief of Police is proposing to consolidate and merge Administrative and Support Services Divisions so that a division can be cut and a small savings gained to stretch the Police Department's budget for the year.

What I find disturbing is that the Chief of Police is forced to juggle and eliminate a division, consolidating others, to save money in the Police Department's Personnel budget AFTER the City Manager's office insisted it had to fill another Assistant City Manager position when the budget for Springfield was being debated.

Meanwhile, Conrad Griggs wrote an editorial column for the Springfield News-Leader championing a 1% sales tax for funding a police/fire pension fund that he thinks should be discontinued after supporting it throughout his years on Council by voting it into its current underfunded condition.

AND, Vincent David Jericho is reporting this morning (July 12, 2007, KSGF Podcasts > ) that the City runs the garage responsible for police cruiser repairs and upkeep, collects a better than market price for providing the service to the police department and the revenue they make from the auto shop goes right back into Springfield's general revenue.

Wouldn't it be nice if the City of Springfield got its priorities straight?

Wouldn't it be nice if City Managers were as willing to tighten their belts and ferret out savings, making sacrifice if necessary as is the Chief of Police?

I don't know how Chief Rowe continues to manage such loyalty to a City which CLEARLY doesn't regard his department as a priority.

It isn't enough that the City failed the police and fire fighters by not funding their pensions, and I don't care how complicated the issue is, bottom line, we have a police department that ranks among the lowest in the nation on pay and benefits, has sacrificed raises to see the police/fire pension fund be funded and then it isn't funded anyway, THEN we find they are having to sacrifice a division at the department to make ends meet.

Oh, and of course, city staff recommends approval .

City of Springfield Council Bill 2007-147

On the: Upcoming Council Meeting Agenda:

Council Bill 2007-147:

Originating Department: Police

PURPOSE:

To amend Merit Rule 18.1(a) Entrance Salary Rate on Initial Employment, by allowing the Police Department to implement a lateral hiring program for police officers.

BACKGROUND:

The shortage of police officers here and nation wide has increased the need for a Lateral Transfer Program. The purpose of the program is to attract more qualified police officer candidates and shorten the training program. A lateral hiring program has been developed by the Police Department that would allow a police officer from another city or employees with prior law enforcement experience (with a minimum of 2 years experience and 600 hours of P.O.S.T. police certification to hire on at a beginning salary higher than the minimum rate. Because of prior training and experience, the Lateral Transfer Program consists of a shorter Academy (shortened to 30 days) and Field Training (shortened to 30 days), enabling the employee to be on the street working in a much shorter period of time. To attract recruits, they would be hired at a step higher than step 1.

REMARKS:

The Chief of Police, with the approval of the Director of Human Resources and the City Manager, will determine initial salary rates of lateral transfers based on program criteria.

This bill was submitted by Chief of Police, Lynn Rowe and approved by City Manager, Bob Cumley.