NILES Study recommends changes in police department

The report notes that the distrust and friction didn't occur overnight.
& lt;a href=mailto:slshaulis@vindy.com & gt;By SHERRI L. SHAULIS & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Severe changes are needed for the city police department to improve and thrive, consultants say.
In a report from the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police released this month, consultants said "internal distrust has evolved to a point that it cannot be fixed without outside assistance."
The report was jointly commissioned by the rank-and-file officers of the department and city officials to address problems of low morale, training concerns and allegations of fighting between union and management. Officers and the city shared the cost of the $10,000 study, which was primarily conducted during two days in late August.
The report, more than 180 pages, cites a need for immediate changes in areas such as routine training for officers, reassignment of duties performed by supervisors to patrolmen and development of a new policy-and-procedure manual.
The consultants -- retired Dublin Police Chief Rob Geis and retired Grove City Police Chief James R. McKean -- used anonymous surveys from residents, business owners, department employees, city employees and elected officials; personal interviews; reviews of department documents; and tours of the department to develop the report.
The report says that 37 surveys were returned and that every respondent felt morale in the department was at an all-time low and "distrust was running rampant throughout the agency."
It also said that the public was aware of the friction between Chief Bruce Simeone and the department and "recognized it is not good for the reputation and future operation of their city."
Some recommendations
In part, the study recommends:
*A major effort to attract qualified females and minorities to the department.
*A planned reduction in the ratio of supervisors to officers; currently, the department has a chief, six captains, three lieutenants and 25 patrol officers.
*Revision of the policy-and-procedure manual, which "is difficult, if not impossible, to reference."
*Possible exemption of at least one captain's position from the union to give Chief Bruce Simeone someone "he can discuss and confide in regarding management issues and union matters."
*Assignment of captains and lieutenants across all three shifts to ensure maximum supervisory coverage.
*Discontinuation of Simeone's micromanaging the department. He is "overly involved" in day-to-day operations that would be better handled by a first-line or midlevel manager. "While well-intentioned, micromanaging an entire organization long term has drastically negative consequences," the report says.
The report cites various factors that could contribute to the low morale, including the defacing of official documents on bulletin boards, the lack of specific mission and vision statements for the department, the assignment of investigations to supervisors rather than patrolmen and a lack of regular training for all officers as opposed to a select few.
The report notes that the issues, concerns and frustrations within the organization "did not magically occur overnight," and noted that "'blame' for the current problems ... is to be shared by many, both inside and outside the organization."
"It is imperative that each individual officer, from the chief to the officer with the least seniority, demonstrate a commitment to build morale with overt actions -- talk the talk and walk the walk," the report reads.
Though the study was commissioned by both city officials and department employees, the recommendations are not binding.
The consultants note that many of the recommended changes will not happen overnight but charged officers and city officials to hold "persons accountable for not utilizing this study, in whole or in part, to improve their police department."
& lt;a href=mailto:slshaulis@vindy.com & gt;slshaulis@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;