Police Commission And Union Discuss Reorganization

 By Andrew Gorosko

Although the Newtown Police Union has concerns about the possible negative effects that a planned police department reorganization would have on several union members, it appears that the reorganization plans are proceeding.

Union President Scott Ruszczyk attended an October 4 Police Commission session to discuss the reorganization with commission members.

In September, the commission unanimously endorsed the reorganization plan, which would increase the number of police lieutenant positions from two to three, and also decrease the number of sergeant positions from eight to seven. The planned changes would shift the supervision of the detective division from a sergeant to a lieutenant. The police department has 46 sworn officers, 44 of whom are represented by the union.

Officer Ruszczyk told commission members that the union has various issues regarding the departmental reorganization.

The union president said that union members had held talks with Police Chief Michael Kehoe recently concerning the reorganization, which were unsuccessful.

“We’re unable to reach any kind of agreement,” Officer Ruszczyk said.

Chief Kehoe said that Officer Ruszczyk should consult with the union’s lawyer to learn how to proceed in view of the union’s concerns.

“There are different layers of issues,” Officer Ruszczyk said.

The union is seeking to protect the interests of the two officers who are now lieutenants and the sergeant who currently supervises the detective unit, he said.

In response, Police Commission Chairman Duane Guanine said that the commission’s awareness has been heightened.

In a statement on the situation issued on October 4 before the Police Commission session, Officer Ruszczyk said, in part, that Chief Kehoe had listened to the union’s concerns about the planned changes, but declined to make any accommodations.

In statement on October 5, Chief Kehoe said of the reorganization, “This is a work in progress… We are still in the planning stages, developing strategies and reviewing implementation plans.”

Following the October 4 commission meeting, Officer Ruszczyk said that he expects union members to discuss the planned reorganization. He said he expects that the reorganization will occur, and thus union members will deal with it.

Officer Ruszczyk said the union’s lawyer has advised him that the Police Commission was within its legal rights to approve a departmental reorganization.

Of the October 4 Police Commission session, Officer Ruszczyk said, “It was a good start.”

Currently, the two police lieutenants are known as the administrative lieutenant and the operations lieutenant. Under a reorganization, the third lieutenant would be charge of technical services.

Under a reorganization, the operations lieutenant would supervise patrol sergeants and patrol officers; the administrative lieutenant would supervise hiring, training, accreditation, and records; and the technical services lieutenant would oversee the detective unit, evidence, police department property, and crime prevention.

In a reorganization, a current sergeant would be promoted to a lieutenant’s post, and a current patrol officer would be promoted to a sergeancy.

In a description of the need for organizational changes, Chief Kehoe wrote, in part, that, “Clearer lines of communication will develop from the [restructuring], along with the critical decisions being made at the command level. This will have a positive effect on the entire organization by equipping its leaders with the required authority to carry out the mission of the organization.”