WPD Restructuring Patrol Division; Morales Retiring
June 3, 2017 at 3:26 a.m.
By David [email protected]
Chief Scott Whitaker wasn’t able to be at the last meeting, when phase II was approved, so Mayor Joe Thallemer asked Whitaker on Friday to give reasoning for the restructuring and say which officers were effected.
Whitaker said the WPD has been working on the restructuring for a couple of years. The wages were approved by the city council in the 2017 budget.
The current structure, he said, is two corporals, a sergeant and a patrol lieutenant on each shift.
“It’s important to us that we have structure with corporals,” he said. “Corporals were established basically by seniority, and we want it to be based upon merit, and the rank being based on their success within the patrol division and board approved.
“So with that, we established the rank restructuring of corporal, sergeant and lieutenant on each shift, with the captain being overseeing a patrol division. In turn, that captain’s captain is over him,” Whitaker explained.
Phase I covered the elevation of the patrol lieutenants and the operations lieutenant to the rank of captain, which was done in 2016.
Warsaw Police’s three shift sergeants —Chuck Hodges, Steve Rockey and Clay Layne — are being elevated to the rank of lieutenant. A promotion board was conducted for the corporals to see who would be promoted to the rank of sergeant, and the board decided to promote Cpls. Gordon Allen and Lewis Fuller.
The rank restructuring accounted for an increase of $22,564 to the 2017 police budget, which the city council approved last year, Whitaker said.
Thallemer said the WPD patrol division restructuring might be similar to when the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory created the position of battalion chief a couple of years ago so that there was director supervisor chain on each shift.
Whitaker said officers have similar duties, but the three ranks have specific duties and are responsible for overseeing the patrol shift at the shift level every day.
Thallemer said Whitaker worked with Warsaw Human Resource Director Jennifer Whitaker on the job descriptions over the last couple of years.
Thallemer said Jennifer Whitaker has undertaken the entire city job description restructuring, which the WPD is a portion of, and it’s an overwhelming task. He said the concern is to make sure the city’s job descriptions match duties and standard operating procedure so the city doesn’t have an issues with employment.
Jennifer Whitaker said job descriptions give Chief Whitaker and his staff, as well as city employees, not only the expectation of their duties, but the city uses those job descriptions for evaluations and other legal purposes.
Fire and police department job descriptions have to go before the Board of Works, and she said she was working on the fire department’s as well as the WPD detective division’s job descriptions, which she wanted to present together at a later date.
“This is not going to happen overnight. This is going to take probably a couple more months just to move through them,” she said.
Later in the meeting, the Board of Works approved the restructuring promotions wage changes. Fuller will be paid $2,104.45 biweekly as sergeant for second shift; Allen, $2,031.33 biweekly, sergeant for third shift; Hodges, $2,414.35 biweekly, lieutenant first shift; Layne, $2,450.91 biweekly, lieutenant second shift; and Rockey, $2,432.63 biweekly, lieutenant third shift.
Another promotion approved was for Ryan Coble to second shift corporal at $1,872.78 biweekly. Jennifer Whitaker said there was a little “cause and effect” as to why that promotion was going through.
Chief Whitaker said he recently received a retirement letter from Morales, a 28-1/2-year police department veteran who has served as a school resource officer for the last 18 years, primarily at Warsaw Community High School. His retirement is effective July 22. Morales will be taking a position with Parkview Health police.
“With David leaving, we are making a transition at the high school, and that position will be filled by Cpl. Brandon Zartman. That opened up a position for a corporal,” Chief Whitaker said, and patrol officer Coble was selected for that position.
Zartman will assume his duties closer to the start of the 2017-18 school year, which was why the Board of Works didn’t have the information before them Friday, Jennifer said.
Thallemer said Morales is a humble guy who has meant a lot to the WPD and DARE program. “We’re all certainly very much appreciative of his service, but saddened by his leaving,” Thallemer said.
Chief Whitaker said Morales has been a big part of WPD’s field training program and is the department’s field training coordinator. Morales leaving is a “tremendous” loss to the school system and Warsaw Police Department, Whitaker said.
Councilman Jeff Grose said Morales has been at the high school almost as long as he’s been a teacher there. “Always willing to help, not only the students, but the administration, the teachers. He will be greatly missed,” Grose said.
Later, Jennifer Whitaker indicated Brandon Schmidt was leaving the fire territory Friday after 17-1/2 years to work in his family’s business. The fire department will be hiring to replace him.
Chief Whitaker added that the WPD will have two positions to fill, with the job openings posted on the city’s website under the human resources department.
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Chief Scott Whitaker wasn’t able to be at the last meeting, when phase II was approved, so Mayor Joe Thallemer asked Whitaker on Friday to give reasoning for the restructuring and say which officers were effected.
Whitaker said the WPD has been working on the restructuring for a couple of years. The wages were approved by the city council in the 2017 budget.
The current structure, he said, is two corporals, a sergeant and a patrol lieutenant on each shift.
“It’s important to us that we have structure with corporals,” he said. “Corporals were established basically by seniority, and we want it to be based upon merit, and the rank being based on their success within the patrol division and board approved.
“So with that, we established the rank restructuring of corporal, sergeant and lieutenant on each shift, with the captain being overseeing a patrol division. In turn, that captain’s captain is over him,” Whitaker explained.
Phase I covered the elevation of the patrol lieutenants and the operations lieutenant to the rank of captain, which was done in 2016.
Warsaw Police’s three shift sergeants —Chuck Hodges, Steve Rockey and Clay Layne — are being elevated to the rank of lieutenant. A promotion board was conducted for the corporals to see who would be promoted to the rank of sergeant, and the board decided to promote Cpls. Gordon Allen and Lewis Fuller.
The rank restructuring accounted for an increase of $22,564 to the 2017 police budget, which the city council approved last year, Whitaker said.
Thallemer said the WPD patrol division restructuring might be similar to when the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory created the position of battalion chief a couple of years ago so that there was director supervisor chain on each shift.
Whitaker said officers have similar duties, but the three ranks have specific duties and are responsible for overseeing the patrol shift at the shift level every day.
Thallemer said Whitaker worked with Warsaw Human Resource Director Jennifer Whitaker on the job descriptions over the last couple of years.
Thallemer said Jennifer Whitaker has undertaken the entire city job description restructuring, which the WPD is a portion of, and it’s an overwhelming task. He said the concern is to make sure the city’s job descriptions match duties and standard operating procedure so the city doesn’t have an issues with employment.
Jennifer Whitaker said job descriptions give Chief Whitaker and his staff, as well as city employees, not only the expectation of their duties, but the city uses those job descriptions for evaluations and other legal purposes.
Fire and police department job descriptions have to go before the Board of Works, and she said she was working on the fire department’s as well as the WPD detective division’s job descriptions, which she wanted to present together at a later date.
“This is not going to happen overnight. This is going to take probably a couple more months just to move through them,” she said.
Later in the meeting, the Board of Works approved the restructuring promotions wage changes. Fuller will be paid $2,104.45 biweekly as sergeant for second shift; Allen, $2,031.33 biweekly, sergeant for third shift; Hodges, $2,414.35 biweekly, lieutenant first shift; Layne, $2,450.91 biweekly, lieutenant second shift; and Rockey, $2,432.63 biweekly, lieutenant third shift.
Another promotion approved was for Ryan Coble to second shift corporal at $1,872.78 biweekly. Jennifer Whitaker said there was a little “cause and effect” as to why that promotion was going through.
Chief Whitaker said he recently received a retirement letter from Morales, a 28-1/2-year police department veteran who has served as a school resource officer for the last 18 years, primarily at Warsaw Community High School. His retirement is effective July 22. Morales will be taking a position with Parkview Health police.
“With David leaving, we are making a transition at the high school, and that position will be filled by Cpl. Brandon Zartman. That opened up a position for a corporal,” Chief Whitaker said, and patrol officer Coble was selected for that position.
Zartman will assume his duties closer to the start of the 2017-18 school year, which was why the Board of Works didn’t have the information before them Friday, Jennifer said.
Thallemer said Morales is a humble guy who has meant a lot to the WPD and DARE program. “We’re all certainly very much appreciative of his service, but saddened by his leaving,” Thallemer said.
Chief Whitaker said Morales has been a big part of WPD’s field training program and is the department’s field training coordinator. Morales leaving is a “tremendous” loss to the school system and Warsaw Police Department, Whitaker said.
Councilman Jeff Grose said Morales has been at the high school almost as long as he’s been a teacher there. “Always willing to help, not only the students, but the administration, the teachers. He will be greatly missed,” Grose said.
Later, Jennifer Whitaker indicated Brandon Schmidt was leaving the fire territory Friday after 17-1/2 years to work in his family’s business. The fire department will be hiring to replace him.
Chief Whitaker added that the WPD will have two positions to fill, with the job openings posted on the city’s website under the human resources department.
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