Police Commission Endorses

Police Department Reorganization

By Andrew Gorosko

Police Commission members have unanimously endorsed a reorganization of the police department that would increase the number of lieutenant positions from two to three, and decrease the number of sergeant positions from eight to seven.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe proposed the changes to the commission at a September 6 session. The police department is currently at its full complement of 46 sworn members.

The proposed changes are subject to review by the Newtown Police Union, which has a collective bargaining agreement with the town. The union represents 44 of the 46 police officers, with only the chief and the captain having separate labor pacts with the town.

Chief Kehoe told commission members that he and Captain Joe Rios have been considering such a department reorganization for a while. Noting that because one of the eight sergeant’s positions is currently vacant, it likely is an appropriate time for such changes, he said.

Such structural changes in the organization may be difficult for some officers to understand, but such changes are needed to improve the functioning of the unit, according to the police chief.

“It’s long overdue,” Chief Kehoe said, adding that sufficient funding is available for the changes.

Police Commission member Brian Budd, who is a police officer elsewhere, suggested that the police department have four lieutenants instead of the proposed three.

“It’s a step in the right direction. It’s long overdue,” Mr Budd said of a reorganization.

Of the proposed organizational changes, commission member Neil Randle said, “It’s simpler. It’s clearer.” Also, such changes would be beneficial for police officers’ career development paths, he said.

Chief Kehoe presented detailed charts to commission members depicting the current organizational structure and the proposed reorganization. The charts show lines of authority and command within the police department.

Police Union President Scott Ruszczyk said September 9 that the union’s executive board is negotiating certain specific aspects of the proposed reorganization with the chief and the captain. Such talks involve the particular effects that the proposed changes would have on union members, he said.

Officer Ruszczyk said he expects that the proposed reorganization will be endorsed by the union.

Organizational Changes

At the September 6 Police Commission session, Chief Kehoe said that adding a third lieutenant’s post is a major change for the police department.

Under the changes, the police detective unit would no longer be overseen by a sergeant, but instead be supervised by a lieutenant.

Under the proposal, an existing sergeant would be promoted to a lieutenant’s position. Also, a patrol officer would be promoted to the position of sergeant.

Also, one of the eight existing sergeant’s positions would be eliminated.

Currently, the two lieutenants are known as the administrative lieutenant and the operations lieutenant. Under a reorganization, the third lieutenant would be charge of technical services.

Basically, under a reorganization, the operations lieutenant would supervise patrol sergeants and patrol officers; the administrative lieutenant would supervise hiring, training, accreditation, and records; and the technical services lieutenant would oversee the detective unit, evidence, police department property, and crime prevention.

In a description of the need for organizational changes, Chief Kehoe wrote, in part, that, “Clearer lines of communication will develop from the [restructuring], along with the critical decisions being made at the command level. This will have a positive effect on the entire organization by equipping its leaders with the required authority to carry out the mission of the organization.”