North Adams Public Safety Structure Decision Expected Soon
Correction: Friday, February 10, 2012 at 1:17 p.m.: The first version of this story omitted the critical word "don't" in the paragraph regarding feedback Keith Bona received from residents, police officers and firefighters. The majority of them don't support the commissioner plan, he said. We regret the error and it has been fixed..jpg) Lisa Blackmer does not believe the city has looked into the structure enough and that there is not enough time to do the proper research. |
The Public Safety Committee again delayed a decision Thursday in order to further investigate the effects of a possible switch from a public safety commissioner to two chiefs — fire and police.
While Mayor Richard Alcombright is advocating for what he says is a lower-cost option in the straightforward replacement of retired Commissioner E. John Morrocco, the committee is using the opportunity to see if a structure change could put more officers on the street.
On Thursday, committee member Jennifer Breen Kirsch distributed staffing numbers for both the city's police department and Adams. The data includes the numbers of officers, arrests, calls and the breakdown of ranks. She believes the data shows a need for more officers on the street. She supports the mayor's proposal because the two-chief option would create more middle management positions and not enough patrolmen, she said.
"I don't think we save money either way," Breen Kirsch said and nearly made a motion to support the commissioner option. "I really think we need a leader soon."
Chairwoman Lisa Blackmer, though, said more research is needed and expressed disappointment that more work had not been done prior to the recent meetings. Blackmer said that in 2010, she suggested reviewing the position and having college students perform a study. Morrocco's retirement hastened the process and now the timeframe to do research is condensed.
"I think we have a responsibility to the voters to show that we've really looked into it," Blackmer said. "We don't have time to do the study."
Committee member Keith Bona also questioned if the two-chief model would put more officers on the street. The costs of each model would determine if more officers could be hired, he said, but if the costs even out, then the committee needs to look at which model puts the city in a better position to hire more officers.
"The dollar figure is important ... if cost wasn't a factor, we'd just hire more officers," Bona said.
.jpg) All of the committee members believe there is a need for more police officers, it is just how those additional officers will be managed that is being debated. |
The committee also debated how in depth this decision has to be. For example, Bona said going as far as reviewing the job descriptions was "clouding the issue" because that can change with a new hire at a later time. Now, it is more a matter of the management structure.
Alcombright said the number of officers and roles can change in the future and the commissioner, despite North Adams being only one of four in the state to have one, works here.
"It's unpopular," Alcombright said. "I would still, wholeheartedly recommend a commissioner structure."
The commissioner position, being higher paying than one chief, would also allow the city to put together a competitive compensation package and give multiple departments one point person.
The committee pushed the final decision back a week but members indicated that they intend to vote on it then.
Tags: public safety, public safety commissioner,
