The Reading Police Department wants to add several full-time officers and civilian positions, including two social workers.
Capt. Cheryl Pentheny reviewed the proposed staff additions at a recent City Council committee-of-the-whole meeting.
The workshop focused on the department’s proposed staffing and budget for 2024.
The additional hires could cost the city nearly $ 1 million more next year.
The two full-time social workers would be civilian support staffers, Pentheny said, and would assist police in interactions with people in need of social or mental health services.
“That would definitely help with interactions between members of the police department and the public who are potentially experiencing mental health, addiction and crisis-related issues,” she said.
The city’s officers are trained in de-escalation techniques and working with people with special needs, she said, but the social workers, rather than the patrol officers, would connect residents to existing services.
The program would be geared toward city residents who do not need police assistance, but need other assistance, Pentheny said.
The number of non-crime related calls for service to which police officers currently respond delays officers from responding to legitimate calls and increases officer response time, she said.
The captain noted a similar social work program is used successfully in Lancaster.
In addition to the two social worker positions, Pentheny said, the department is seeking approval for a full-time technology specialist.
Although the city employs two internet technology specialists, she said, they serve all city departments, which means the police department must sometimes wait for service.
“We would like to have a dedicated person to help administer software and hardware needs specific to the police department,” Pentheny said. “We need to make sure that our downtime is extremely limited.”
A police tech specialist would work hand in hand with the city’s IT staff to increase the functionality and efficiency of the department, the captain said.
The police department employees 37 civilian staff members, including 27 full timers. There also are 10 part-time civilian positions, eight of which are vacant, Pentheny said.
The three requested positions would bring the number of civilian staff positions to 40.
In addition, the department is looking to make some changes to the sworn officer positions, including adding an assistant Police Academy director who would also function as the shooting range manager, Pentheny said.
Because of the high level of training available at the city’s academy, she said, departments from around the state sometimes send their officers to Reading for training, which is a source of income for the city.
A range manager/assistant director would help run the academy, oversee all those using the range and ensure that firearms are working properly, Pentheny said.
Another change would be the promotion of the department’s quartermaster position to the rank of lieutenant from sergeant.
A higher rank is appropriate due to the responsibilities of the position, she said.
“We would like to also add three investigator positions to our Criminal Investigations Division,” Pentheny said, “and add an extra officer to our evidence unit.”
The department also wants to add a fourth evidence technician due to the increase in types of electronic device evidence, including videos, she said.
Currently three evidence technicians work with a sergeant to handle electronic evidence.
Pentheny said the cost of adding one officer position and promoting the sergeant to lieutenant would be approximately $130,000.
The addition of three investigator positions and one officer position would be approximately $523,820.
The two full-time social worker positions would cost the city $185,500 to $235,000 depending on experience, and the full-time police technology specialist position would be $83,000 to $98,000.
Councilman Christopher Daubert said he understands the need for the new positions and supports the idea of hiring social workers. However, he said, there also is a need for more patrol officers.
“I know we’re having a difficult time filling positions,” he said, “but I think we need more people on the streets as well.”
Councilman O. Christopher Miller agreed with Daubert and noted the social worker positions are critical.
City Managing Director William Heim, a former Reading police chief, said adding the proposed positions will not reduce the number of officers on patrol.
The city has filled 157 of the 168 officer positions, he said, and is working to fill the open positions.
Heim noted the importance of looking ahead and planning for staffing needs to avoid future amendments to budget and position ordinances.
Source: Berkshire mont
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