The Chief of Police position in Three Rivers

There should be a promotion for the chief’s position in house. For one, LT. Bringman, although many people have there opinion about him, he is a very good at his job. He has personally handled some issues my wife and I have had with the police department. Not just a phone call but stopping by to make sure things are getting better. He showed us respect and concern over the issue. I have found that he has been a part of the city for almost 30 +/- years. Sounds like to me he enjoys working for the city if he has been involved that long. The offer should be giving to the next in line first before just deciding to look else where. If I was an employee somewhere waiting to make it to the top, and I was next in line, and my employer decides to look outside the department, tells me that there is no one good enough to fill the position in house. Talk about a kick in the pants.

Finally I read that you have something good to say for our local oficals, congrats.

I hope who ever is chosen, will push the department to be more friendly user. I have dealt with some caring and helpful local officiers and then again there are some who if you give them a friendly wave, they look at you like you committed a crime.


A chief that will get the officiers out there meeting the people and getting to know you. Someone that is strong enough to be able to disagree with the City Manager without repercussions, when it is something that he does not agree or is not in the best interest of the city. It could also be a she too.


Someone who is diverse, willing to take community input, and just an all good around guy or gal.

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

If they aren't replacing the Chief because of the budget, then how does that affect the number of officers out there? Summer is almost here and the natives are most definitely more active at this time.

Daryl, can give us some clarity on this issue?

I too, think the Lieutenant would be an excellent choice for the Chief. ;)

Ronda

"I never consider a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend." - Thomas Jefferson

Rhonda,

The proposal made to us included:

1. Hold off on a permanent Chief for the upcoming fiscal year (essentially till July of 07).
2. Not fill the one currently open officer vacancy.
3. The Lieutenant would fill the Chief duties in the interim.

Total savings would be approx $120,000

Again, this was a proposal. It would be fair to say it received a cool reception and there will be more discussions on this at upcoming meetings. I would be glad to discuss here but if any feels strongly one way or the other they need to contact commissioners and/or go to the meetings.

Daryl

"Suburbs are places where they cut down the trees and name streets after them", Unknown

This sounds like you're expecting the lieutenant to do the Chiefs job but just not pay him for it. If he's earned the position which it sounds like he has then treat him with the respect and honor he's earned and pay him for doing the job. If you think he has the ability to fill in for the Chief you must believe he is qualified. If he's qualified pay him to do the damb job. This type of thinking makes me sick! It's just another way of using someone like a tool and not treating them with the respect their many years of committment and service has earned. Here's another person expected to sacrifice for the city while the employee called city manager gets everything he wants. If Joes so set on saving money why not have him do his job for Loe Ann Moreds wage. It seems Joes always looking in other areas but his own to make cuts. This also looks like what was said in the beginning of this thread would be true. Joe would be overseeing the Police department and as Buck said This would be a desaster.This seems to be a fundamental flaw with this city manager,he seems to look at employees as tools to use at his will. Tools are something to use,people are something to care for,respect and honor.People will also do so much more when treated this way. There is a saying with many city employees and it go's like this. I will do my job well but I won't do one extra thing because of the way I'm treated. Treat Lt. Bringman with the respect he's earned, if he's going to fill in for the Chief pay him that wage until he's eather hired as Chief or someone else is hired for the job.

Before this goes a lot further I think we need to establish a few things.
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Who made the recommendation in the first place (was it Joe for sure?)

Would the acting "chief" get ANY compensation for his new duties?

Has the Lieutenant been consulted about this at all?

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With the information available here, so far anyway, I would agree with much of what vblainev has said. If you are not going to compensate him as a chief but make him do all the work of a chief then you (we) risk losing him to another city. What incentive is there for him to stay on here?

Also why are we not replacing the current vacancy? Is Three Rivers a "crime free" enough town that we can reduce an already skeleton crew without seeing any repercussions?

---

Laissez faire: leave the people alone, let them be, in their economic activities, in their religious affairs, in thought and culture, in the pursuit of fulfillment in their own lives.

Got Liberty? More at the Liberty1st Blog

Well, ultimately it came to us from Joe. As captain of the ship he is responsible for anything that comes to us. That being said I'm sure there was a great deal of discussions with finance and police staff regarding this. Who and exactly how much, I could not say. I am just indicating what was proposed for anyone interested in offering comment.

As to your last question, it was suggested to, not proposed, by me so I can't answer this. Again, if I wasn't clear, Joe believes he can make this work. I am not terribly in favor of accepting this proposal but I am willing to listen to complete details.

Daryl

Blaine and Buck I could not agree more with what both of you have said. Three Rivers is not crime free as far as I know. To waste a resource like the Lieutenant by not making him Chief and compensating him would be akin to cutting down the rain forest.

Maybe it is time that the city manager remind himself of the Golden Rule and how it pertains to him. I think that Mr. Bippus should not try to rule the police department from his roost.

Oh well, like I said, the rest of the city employees can eat cold oatmeal, the commission green eggs and ham, and Joe can have his steak and eggs.

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

It doesn't look like there is a whole lot of support for this, and I think it's a bad idea as well. But talk about a morale killer, this one takes the cake for the employees at the police department. The position of police chief is one of the more important roles in a community, and to say that it’s not important enough to permanently fill is a bad call in my opinion.

According to today's TR Commercial-News:

The City will still have 24-hour, seven-day-a-week police coverage, Bippus said. And as Bippus has previously been police chief, he can add administrative support as the need arises.

If this is the route the City Manager wants to go, why the heck not eliminate the lieutenant’s position and just hire him as your chief? Or is there some other issue that's not being brought to the table? More control? What?

It just seems that there are other less important areas where cuts could be made then at the P.D. These officers are stretched pretty thin and working their butts off right now as it is, and all it takes for someone to get injured or sick and then what?


The great thing about democracy is that it gives every voter a chance to do something stupid. - Art Spander

I could have told you without every knowing all the facts that this was a Joe's idea, If it sounds like a rat, smells like a rat and looks like a rat it doesn't take a genius to tell it's a rat.Tcintriplecreek one of your questions was,is there some other issue that's not being brought to the table ? More Control and more power would be my opinion. He saw another opportunity to gain both so he's trying to sell it anyway he can. I really don't care what type of package he puts it in, the results is the same. What's worst is,an employee who has put in his time,paid the price is the one AGAIN making the sacrifice. I can't think of a larger morale buster than this. What a sign to send to all Three Rivers employees.
One other issue Daryl is your statement that Joe is Captain of the Ship.The flow chart in this Government is Citizens, Commission and then the employee called city manager. You Commissioners are suppose to be his boss. Somethings wrong with the thinking,when Joe is continually refered to as Captain, Chief or any other referance to being the top Dog and that go's for Chief of Police even if it's just administrative support. Make Lt. Bringman Chief or fine another one but to let Joe oversee the Police Department would be for one,an imbalance of power and for two, unfair to employees who have earned it and three,The Chief of Police is a very important position and needs to be filled with a another Chief not a city manager !

I think perhaps it is six of one and half dozen of the other. It is insulting on one hand to be asked to fufill a job one is qualified for and not be compensated for it (in respect to title & compensation).

On the other end of the spectrum, we are in a budget crunch. Trying to find creative ways to save money is just good business sense. Most brainstorming sessions bring a number of ideas to the table. They need to be evaluated and either tossed or implemented.

Is Joe's offer to take on more responsibilty an effort to gain more control or a manager willing to go the extra mile in a time of need? Taking on even more work is certainly not something most people want to do. In a time of down-sizing many employees are having to do "double duty."

I think it is a bad idea not to replace an open position. Not having enough officers is going to get someone killed. I think we should have the Lieutenant assume the title of Chief. If he is qualified for the job then he deserves the respect of the title (in my humble opinon). Perhaps an alternative would be to (if he is willing) hold off on a raise until the next fiscal year. The city would still save money and we would have a Chief.

Ronda

"I never consider a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend." - Thomas Jefferson

What is more important Police staff or the funding of “another” study to figure out how the city should deal with an issue? Maybe the city can take another $12,000 and have someone else come up with the solution. I think the many projects in town should be put on hold first. The inter-workings of a city come first, i.e.: Police, Fire, DPW. Not sidewalks, parking lots, and city wide income taxes. It is just like a small-minded government not to give a damn about the important things until something bad happens. Then who is to blame?

Crosscross, This is probably getting a bit off topic but...What you are suggesting is what many people including myself criticized prior administrations for. I began watching the commission meeting in the early 90's and for most of that decade they did very little project work. Planning, especially long range, was nearly nonexistent and seemingly every issue coming up was government reactive instead of proactive. Every new vehicle purchased was an emergency budget hit because the last one died. Nothing was done to promote growth or benefit the citizens in fact services were slowly being phased out one by one. Remember Spring clean-up? Remember when a truck actually came by and crews picked the stuff up? Remember community policing? Remember the animals that used to be in Scidmore Park? All of these faded away because they concentrated on the here and now with no plans on how to improve.

I'm not saying we should put all our funds into developing new stuff at the expense of loosing police and fire protection. I am saying that I don't see it as a either/or. Local government has to do both in balance. Great police and fire protection aren't worth much and cannot be sustained if no one cares to live in the area. That stagnation was turned around and the growth some choose not to recognize has helped us defray the serious effects of extremely tough economic times. That is not going to be possible forever and Joe is charged with finding creative ways to deal with it. So, to bring it back on topic I am wary of this proposal but I give Joe credit for trying, for perhaps looking outside the box and I am willing to listen to what he and the lieutenant have to say. Again, I know this is an easy, comfortable place to voice opinions and it appears some other commissioners are returning. If you really feel strongly about this issue, pro or con, I would strongly urge you to go to contact a commissioner you haven't spoken with already or better yet go to the meeting.

Daryl

"Failure is not an option. It is a privilege reserved only for those who try.", Unknown

Commissioner Griffith~


What I am suggesting is when there is a budget crisis; the city should be putting the special projects, “studies”, ECT, on hold for an amount of time. I am not implying to nix the sidewalks, parking lot, and city income tax. The projects in town have made a great difference, nice sidewalks that most people are not walking on, and look we now have a beach right down town.

Quote ~ “Great police and fire protection aren't worth much and cannot be sustained if no one cares to live in the area.”~ Mr. Griffith.

That is true but would you also say if there isn’t at least “good” police protection that crime may deter citizens from living here?

It is also a hoot to read every time someone posts something negative on this blog, the same statement comes up. “Go to a meeting and speak your peace”, or “Run for a seat on the commission.” I have followed most of the broadcast of the meetings on local access channel, and I have to say, I am not very impressed with how the public are treated. I don't have specifics, it is a here and there short of thing. It seems when a negative issue has come up, the commission is short or don’t show respect or border-line rude to the citizen. That would just be a set-up for major problems if I spoke my peace if I received the same treatment. Daryl I am not implying you personally treat the public in that way, it is an overall feeling. This has gone off subject again, but it does have merit.