Warren panel OKs cutting police sergeant’s position

WARREN — The Warren Civil Service Commission has approved the elimination of one sergeant position in the Warren Police Department.

The reduction was requested by the city administration, which is hoping to reduce the number of management positions in the department by seven, all through attrition.

The department had a sergeant position come open in recent months by the promotion of Tim Bowers to chief, Joe Marhulik to captain and Martin Gargas to lieutenant.

Patrolman Joseph Kistler was next on the civil-service eligibility list to become sergeant. When he didn’t get the job, he and his union filed a mandamus action in the 11th District Court of Appeals last month asking the court to compel the city to give him the promotion.

The suit is pending.

But Gary Cicero, the city’s human-resources officer, and Capt. Tim Roberts, a representative for the union representing the ranking police officers, have said the union agreed more than a year ago to allow the number of sergeants to be reduced by five through attrition.

Kistler is represented by a union different from the ranking officers’.

Cicero said the contract with the management union, representing 22 officers, allowed the number of sergeants to be reduced from 15 to 10.

Cicero said the parties are in agreement that the number of lieutenants will drop from six to five and the number of captains will drop from three to two, though nothing is in writing on those reductions.

After laying off 20 patrol officers Jan. 1, 2009, because of budget problems, and with two officers leaving during 2009, the department now has 59 police officers, 22 of them supervisors.

Cicero told the civil service commission Wednesday that there is not enough work in the department for 15 sergeants.

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