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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2020-06-25 minutes 1 Public Safety Committee Meeting Call to Order The June 25, 2020, Public Safety Committee meeting convened at 7:31 a.m. by Councilman Graham. Attendance Present: Committee Members: Councilman Graham, Councilman Schreiber, Councilwoman Ward, Councilman Vogt and Councilman Hussey. Guests: Mayor Carrie Tergin, City Administrator Steve Crowell, Fire Chief Matt Schofield, Police Chief Roger Schroeder, Fraternal Order of Police President Officer Jerry Bowman, Fraternal Order of Police Executive Vice-President Detective Jason Ambler, members of the Police Personnel Board, and Fraternal Order of Police members. Approval of Minutes Councilman Hussey made a motion to approve the minutes of both the February 27, 2020 and June 15, 2020 meetings. Councilman Vogt seconded the motion. Minutes were approved, with Councilwoman Ward abstaining, citing her absence from the February 27th meeting. Discussion of Agenda Items OLD BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS Fraternal Order of Police Presentation Executive Vice-President Ambler gave a history of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), followed by a presentation by President Bowman. The main points of the presentation were: Salary, Turnover, Recruitment/Retention, and Crime/Violence in Jefferson City, with an emphasis on compression and salary disparity between police officers and other city employees in the same pay range and other mid-Missouri police departments. President Bowman stated he would provide an electronic version of his presentation to interested committee members. Councilman Graham offered his personal appreciation to the officers and to FOP President Bowman for his presentation. He stated the information presented was information all needed to hear. Councilwoman Ward also thanked officers and communications operators. She stated she sees incidents in her neighborhood and understands the communication gap. She has formed a Neighborhood Watch group and acknowledged the patience and respect officers display when responding to calls. Councilman Schreiber thanked FOP President Bowman for his presentation. He encouraged officers to reach out to the committee as individuals, and stated city government would work as a unit to solve the issues. 2 Mayor Tergin expressed her appreciation for the presentation, stating it contained very valuable information. Public Safety is a priority to ensure a safe community. She receives many compliments concerning the police department. She expressed it is extremely important for the community to have confidence in their police department. Councilman Graham asked President Bowman and Executive Vice-President Ambler to give their presentation to the City's Finance Committee. He stated compression and pay were issues the Finance Committee should hear. Acknowledging many budget issues within the City, he is focused on police officer salaries and pay concerns. He does not want the police department to be a training ground for officers to move on to other police departments. OTHER BUSINESS Councilman Graham stated a safety concern with the police department's stairwell to the secure area was discussed in a previous committee meeting. He asked for a tour of the area after the meeting. Chief Schroeder stated Captain Wilde would accompany Councilman Graham. Fire Department Update Chief Schofield stated during the COVID-19 response, the fire department has been involved in unified command, as well as decontamination efforts, medical responses, and training. These have been significant undertakings involving both City and County agencies. The Fire Department is conducting a firefighter hiring process. Chief Schofield noted the number of applicants has decreased. They received 158 applications, with 59 taking the exam and 40 being moved on to the interview process which will be completed in July. From those applicants, a two-year eligibility roster will be created. There is currently one position open. Because of COVID-19, department training has been delayed. There have been two recent promotions. With Captain Reuter's retirement, Matt Luebbert was promoted to Captain and Elizabeth Skinner was promoted to Fire Driver. Chief Schofield advised there was initially a reduction in medical calls due to COVID-19, but there has been a buildup of critical medical calls for service. Additionally, there has been an increase in fires, and a significant rise in fatalities due to fire. Four fatalities in the past six months is a significant increase and concerning despite quick fire suppression and effective rescue efforts. Fortunately during the same time automatic suppression devices installed under stove hoods in Housing Authority property and a private multi-family housing unit have proved to be effective. Councilwoman Ward commented with July 4th nearing, she has been hearing fireworks in her neighborhood. Chief Schofield stated it is difficult to enforce city ordinances pertaining to fireworks. Sky lanterns, which are illegal in the City limits, cause the most concern. Chief Schroeder stated the police department does not discourage calls pertaining to fireworks. Calls will be investigated. Chief Schofield stated the fire department is willing to work with the police department with educating the public on the dangers of fireworks. He advised he will be issuing a press release regarding fireworks next week. 3 In response to Councilman Graham's question, Chief Schofield stated the fire department, in conjunction with the American Red Cross, installs smoke detectors in residences without them. In addition to the installation, they engage in an educational process involving the family to create a safety and escape plan. Police Department Updates Chief Schroeder stated police cars are extremely important to the department. The department is in need of 16 cars, and the number continues to grow. Vehicles, which are approaching 150,000 miles, are a serious safety issue for the officers. Chief Schroeder stated, in addition to the information given in the FOP presentation, the officers provide excellent quality of service to the community regardless of pay. The police department is conducting a hiring process for three police officer, two communications operator and two animal control officer positions. Chief Schroeder stated the quality of applicants is not what it was five years ago, and even less than two years ago. He attributes the lack of quality to external factors regarding the profession. The police department will lose people that it cannot replace. Councilman Graham thanked the members of the Police Personnel Board for attending. He stated as a former member of the Police Personnel Board, he recognizes the low numbers of police officer applicants. Councilman Graham stated he is not for defunding the police department, which some cities have suggested, but increasing the funding. Adjourn Councilman Schreiber made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Councilwoman Ward seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 a.m.