Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety Friday approved the resignation of a former Warsaw Police Department probationary officer and the hiring of two replacement probationary officers.
Board members Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins, Charlie Smith and Joe Thallemer unanimously approved a letter of resignation from former WPD probationary officer Joseph Klaehn.
The letter was submitted to Warsaw Human Resources Director Jennifer Whitaker Thursday. Klaehn's resignation was effective Friday.
Whitaker said Klaehn's vacancy is not expected to be filled until the end of this year.
Hunter told the Times-Union Oct. 23 that he fired Klaehn after Klaehn was booked into the Allen County Jail Oct. 23 and charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic battery. The Times-Union reported Oct. 29 that domestic battery charges against Klaehn were dropped by the Allen County Prosecutor's Office.
Wiggins said Wednesday afternoon that Hunter did not have the authority to fire Klaehn, but only to make a recommendation to the Board of Works. Hunter acknowledged his mistake Thursday, saying state statute wasn't followed.
Thallemer Friday said he had concerns with the way Klaehn's employment status was handled initially. However, Thallemer also said he found it regrettable the situation and the surrounding circumstances Klaehn put himself into as a probationary officer representing Warsaw.
"I have no hesitation in accepting this resignation," Thallemer said.
Klaehn subsequently had been placed on leave, suspended with pay, since Oct. 23 pending an investigation and Board of Works review of the matter.
Klaehn was hired March 23 and promoted from probationary patrol officer to the second stage of his probationary status Oct. 17. He was scheduled to attend the Indiana State Police Academy in January.
Also during Friday's meeting, the board approved a recommendation from Hunter for WPD Sgt. Robert Long's salary to be reduced 1 percent. Long has been shifted from the midnight shift to the day shift.
Hunter said the shift will better fit Long's social skills.
Long's salary will be reduced from $2,031.36 bi-weekly to $2,015.40 bi-weekly, Whitaker said.
With Long's transfer to days, Hunter said there is now one opening for a sergeant's position on the midnight shift and three patrol spots open.
The board Friday also unanimously approved hiring Lewis Fuller as a WPD probationary officer to replace former WPD officer Brian Martin, who resigned Oct. 2 and is now employed with the Carmel Police Department.
Ryan Moore also was approved as a WPD probationary officer to be hired to replace former WPD Officer Joe Stanley, who resigned Sept. 2 and moved to Florida.
Fuller's and Moore's employment will be effective Nov. 15, and they will serve as probationary patrol officers for one year before the board approves promotions, Whitaker said.
Fuller currently lives in the Milford area and his WPD salary will be $1,410.02 bi-weekly. He still needs to complete Indiana Law Enforcement Academy training and will be allowed to receive a pay increase after he completes ILEA training.
Moore is currently working in Muncie as a police officer at Ball State University, and his bi-weekly salary will be $1,545.50 bi-weekly because he has been through the ILEA.
Moore currently has family living in Kosciusko County and his wife is a school teacher at Warsaw Community Schools, and is living in Silver Lake, Whitaker said. She said Moore will be required to move to Kosciusko County, and Fuller already resides in Kosciusko County."We have had issues with residency of officers in the past and are sensitive to the issue," Wiggins said.
Wiggins said he wants to make sure procedures are put into place to make sure the rule that an officer needs to be a county resident or live in an adjacent county to serve is followed.
Whitaker said when the pension secretary completes paperwork Nov. 15 Moore must be a Kosciusko County resident by that date to serve as a WPD probationary officer.
"We will make sure Ryan has Kosciukso County residency before he writes his first traffic ticket," Hunter said.
Hunter said the residency issue is confirmed in state statute and he has talked to ILEA officials about the issue.
"For a police officer to be bonafide and do arrests he must reside in the county of where the city is located where he is employed or the county next to it," Hunter said.
"Obviously, when a person lives in another community it is difficult for them to get here at once, but we will get them here," Hunter said.
Hunter said he was unaware Klaehn was a Fort Wayne resident when Klaehn applied for the WPD position and still lived in Fort Wayne while serving.
