PRESS RELEASE May 30, 2002 Corvallis Police Officers Association view entire page
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City Manager Jon Nelson defended (Police Chief) Roskowski’s use of consultants in a memorandum to the Mayor and City Council. He listed five examples of consultants hired by Roskowski and although this list is not inclusive of all the studies, it illustrates her mismanagement and waste of tax dollars: Police Department Staffing and Strategic Planning Contracts – Total $73,080 City Manager Jon Nelson’s statement to the Mayor and City Council: “2000 Police Executive Research Forum $15,300 - Staffing Allocation Study. Independent analysis of police department workload and staffing needs. Recommendations reviewed and adopted by Community Policing Forum and incorporated into Seven Year Business Plans.” The reality: The 2000 Police Executive Research Forum, or PERF study, was a complete waste of money. A consulting firm (Technical Assistance Associates) had already completed a Management Audit in July 1999 which stated “There should be increased street officer staffing...These measures would enhance the Department’s ability to address crime, as well as social and community problems.” The PERF study also indicated patrol staffing should be increased. To this date, patrol officer staffing has not increased, although Roskowski received the same advice from two paid consultants. For years, patrol officers have been telling her more patrol staffing was needed. Even though the information was already available internally to Roskowski, she ignored it. She then hired outside agencies who gave her the same advice. She ignored it again. Furthermore, Roskowski said she was going to change the work hours of patrol officers because the PERF study suggested doing so. The sergeants examined the PERF study and pointed out that the study did not suggest changing work hours, but placing more officers on the street. The sergeants and officers who work on the street know the staffing needs and the most efficient work hours, but Roskowski would rather waste more city money than listen to her own employees. City Manager Jon Nelson’s statement to the Mayor and City Council: “1995 Police Executive Research Forum $17,000 - Five Year Staffing Allocation Study. Analysis of police department workload and five year staffing needs. Recommendations were evaluated and used as part of the budget process.” The reality: In one of the recent department meetings Nelson reminded employees that this study was used by Roskowski to add twelve sworn positions. Where are they? Roskowski has increased the size of her management staff, but the number of police officers and detectives responding to calls for service is virtually unchanged. Roskowski has continuously kept budgeted police officer positions unfilled in order to use the salary savings. The community has been paying for more patrol officers but have never received the services.
City Manager Jon Nelson’s memorandum to the Mayor and City Council: “1997-98 Sue Disciple $4,800 - Neighborhood Geographic Redeployment Plan - Facilitation of community-wide process to redesign patrol districts considering neighborhood identity, analysis of calls for service and geography. This resulted in identification of neighborhood zones and a patrol district deployment plan to better facilitate community policing goals.” The reality: The theory was to have officers from each shift assigned to one of six patrol sectors. The officers assigned to these sectors would get to know the citizens in these sectors and promote community policing. Theory does not meet reality because nothing has changed. Daily patrol shifts consist of a sergeant and five officers (often as few as a sergeant and three officers) and cannot cover six sectors. Officers are assigned to three districts: north, central and south. These districts have the same boundaries today as they did before this study. We do not have the staffing to assign an officer to each sector, nor the luxury to hold calls until the district officer is free. A call for service comes in and officers go where we are needed. City Manager Jon Nelson’s memorandum to the Mayor and City Council also lists the1993 and the 1999 University of Oregon Community Planning Workshops at costs of $9,580 and $26,400 respectively. During these workshops, police department employees made comments and suggestions which reflected many internal problems caused by Pam Roskowski. Nothing came of the comments and suggestions. Employees were asked for input, but again it was ignored. In addition to the U of O workshops, Roskowski has spent thousands more on other workshops and consultants designed to identify and mend the internal problems. Other consultants that have been used were Dr. Johnnie Cain (twice), GilMartin and Harris, and Technical Assistance Associates. In addition to the cost of the consultants, many employee work hours were wasted in department meetings going over the same issues. Roskowski’s use of outside consultants has been a waste of money as they have been contracted for simple decisions, the type of decisions line officers and sergeants can make. Police chiefs who cannot make these decisions on their own have no business being in charge. Additionally, Roskowski’s repeatedly ignored the consultants she contracted with to help her understand why there is so much internal strife in the department. Even though many of them contained the same advice, she chose to ignore it. The CPOA has asked for some of the consultants reports and was told the reports had been sent back because they were not right. Over her tenure, the same issues have been pointed out to Roskowski by numerous paid consultants. A competent chief would accept the consistent findings and make the necessary changes. (Apparently, Roskowski’s philosophy is if you don’t get the answer you want, you ask someone else.) What is not captured in dollars and cents is the human cost. Department morale has suffered and high quality employees have left the department due to frustration. How many times can input be ignored before those giving the input simply give up? A chief of police should have the ability to look at the available information and make sound decisions. Pam Roskowski lacks this ability. Direct questions to: Corvallis Police Officers Association President Dennis Carson 180 NW 5th Street Corvallis OR 97330 (541) 766-6924 ext 5127 email: corvallispoliceunion@hotmail.com www.cpdofficers.com