Ohio Criminal Justice Consulting conducted a comprehensive staffing evaluation to determine whether the Police Department’s staffing levels were sufficient to meet current operational demands and the evolving needs of the community. The assessment incorporated quantitative and qualitative data, including calls for service, enforcement activity, personnel assignments, employee availability, dispatch operations, overtime practices, comparable-agency data, departmental policies, and interviews with departmental leadership and dispatch personnel.

The evaluation found that the Police Department is a well-structured, professionally managed, and accredited law enforcement agency. Its leadership team demonstrates extensive operational knowledge, and the Department meets or exceeds applicable accreditation standards. Nevertheless, community growth, personnel availability, increasing service demands, and expanding operational responsibilities have created staffing and organizational challenges that should be addressed.

The community has experienced continued population and commercial growth. It also contains numerous businesses, schools, entertainment venues, and other facilities that generate demands for police services. Continued development is expected to increase traffic, theft reports, motor-vehicle crashes, lockouts, and other calls for service.

The number of officers employed by the Department does not always reflect the number available for full-duty assignments. Military leave, medical leave, and light-duty assignments regularly reduce the number of officers available for patrol. This effectively decreases staffing across shifts and limits the Department’s ability to maintain consistent coverage.

The Department assigns officers across day, afternoon, and night shifts with established minimum staffing requirements. However, many calls require two-officer responses, and officers spend a significant amount of time handling each incident. When multiple high-priority or two-officer calls occur simultaneously, existing staffing minimums may leave limited personnel available to handle additional calls, conduct proactive enforcement, or provide backup.

The review also identified overtime practices that contribute to staffing pressures. Existing procedures allow discretionary leave under certain circumstances even when the absence causes a shift to fall below minimum staffing and creates overtime. Although adding patrol personnel could reduce some overtime, the leave policy should also be revised to balance employee leave opportunities, minimum staffing requirements, and fiscal responsibility.

The Dispatch Center serves multiple public-safety agencies and manages a significant annual call volume. During hours when no dedicated dispatch supervisor is working, the on-duty patrol sergeant assumes responsibility for supervising the center. This divided responsibility may limit the sergeant’s ability to supervise patrol operations effectively. Additionally, reduced overnight staffing creates the potential for delays during periods of increased activity.

Based on these findings, the evaluation recommends that the City:

1. Add two patrol officers to improve shift coverage, accommodate community growth, prepare for increased service demands, and move staffing closer to comparable agencies.

2. Consider assigning the additional officers to a fourth platoon operating during peak evening and early-morning hours.

3. Revise the leave and overtime policy so discretionary leave does not routinely reduce a shift below minimum staffing.

4. Allow the secondary, lower-seniority sergeant to count toward patrol staffing when two sergeants are working and the shift would otherwise fall below minimum.

5. Convert one lieutenant position into a captain position outside the bargaining unit to strengthen executive continuity, command accountability, and the independence of internal investigations.

6. Maintain a minimum of at least three dispatchers during all operating hours.

7. Add a third-shift dispatch supervisor to provide dedicated oversight, relieve patrol sergeants of dispatch responsibilities, and assist with body-camera redaction and related records duties during off-peak periods.

8. Reevaluate agreements with the other jurisdictions served by the Dispatch Center to ensure participating communities contribute equitably toward staffing, equipment, technology upgrades, licensing, data storage, and other operating expenses.

9. Consider hiring or contracting with a grant writer to identify funding opportunities for personnel, technology, training, retention, and other public-safety initiatives.

Overall, the evaluation concluded that the Police Department has a strong organizational foundation and capable leadership. Implementing these recommendations would improve patrol availability, reduce operational vulnerabilities, strengthen supervision, distribute regional dispatch costs more equitably, and better position the Department to respond to continued community growth and future public-safety demands.