Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 16, 1994 TAG: 9408160077
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Five council members indicated their approval at a Personnel Committee meeting early Monday, and will recommend favorable action by the full eight-member governing body.
Police Chief Herb Cooley asked for the job reclassifications within his department after a month on the job. He said it is more of a "fine-tuning" than a reorganization but should make the department more flexible and allow lateral movement from one job to another as needs dictate.
The changes would eliminate the ranks of lieutenant and captain, replacing them with three division commanders who answer directly to the chief. The divisions will be investigations, patrol, and administration and support.
The present sergeant of investigations will head the department's narcotics unit and be its liaison with the multiagency Drug Task Force.
Cooley also will do away with the chain of command in which the corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and chief report only to the next official up the line. ``To me, that's too lengthy and too cumbersome and totally unnecessary,'' he said.
The new chain will be chief-division commander-sergeant-officer. The rank of corporal will be phased out as its positions become vacant, and be replaced by police officer first class.
The classification of detective also will be dropped, to allow more flexibility in moving people between divisions.
Cooley now has two investigators working temporarily in patrol, where there are three vacancies. He hoped to fill the vacancies in a few weeks. Some officers who had left the department are re-applying.
The 9-to-5 shift for detectives also will change in response to work loads; the division commander will set the hours.
``I'm not asking for any pay cuts for anybody. I'm not asking for any raises for anybody,'' Cooley said. But salary increases may be something council wants to consider in the future to keep from losing personnel to better-paying law enforcement agencies after training them, he said.
``Somewhere down the line, we've got to look at what's the most economical,'' he said.
He said he found none of the morale problems that he was told the department has had.
``I've talked to each person individually, I've talked to them as a group,'' he said. ``They have, to a man, told me they'd give 110 percent and they're ready to work.''
Cooley said he would like an increased police patrol presence on the street ``which is a good concept, except we'd need about twice the manpower we've got to put it in place.''
Although there should be four people on each patrol shift when all positions are filled, Cooley said, ``they're on paper but they're never really all there.'' Department personnel must constantly retrain and that always takes one person, he said, while vacations, sick days or leaves usually take another.
The Personnel Committee will also have a long-awaited smoking policy to recommend to council tonight.
It would be a resolution, rather than an ordinance, with no civil penalties for violations except to ask smokers to leave town property where smoking is not allowed. Those who refuse to do so could be charged with trespassing. Town employees who violate the resolution could be disciplined under town policies.
Smoking areas will be designated if the size and nature of the building allows. There will be no policy at this time affecting smoking in town vehicles. It will be made clear that the resolution is a first step toward an attempt by the town to eliminate smoking entirely on its properties.
Cooley has already taken care of that situation in the Police Department by banning smoking while officers are performing duties.
by CNB