Police and Fire Commission wants reasons for officers’ departures

By Dave Fidlin

Correspondent

It started with a conversation about sitting in on departing Whitewater police officers’ exit interviews but ended with a commitment to work more closely with the city’s human resources department.

Members of the city’s Police and Fire Commission recently discussed the recurring occurrence of sworn personnel joining the force and, at times, departing in short order.

Commissioner Dennis Knopp broached the prospect of having the city panel sit in on exit interviews during the appointed body’s quarterly meeting Aug. 9.

“I would like to see the commissioners in the exit interviews to find out why (officers) are leaving,” Knopp said.

The goal, Knopp said, is to get at the root cause — if one exists — and potentially make changes to city policies so sworn personnel stay on the force longer.

“We’re constantly interviewing somebody,” Knopp said, pointing out vacancies within the department have been commonplace throughout his time as a commissioner.

Knopp said he would like to know if such factors as compensation and benefits, personnel issues or working conditions within the department are playing a role in the reasons officers are leaving the Whitewater force in pursuit of work on another department.

“If it’s correctable, why not have the city correct it?” Knopp said.

However, commissioner Glenn Hayes cautioned against being an active part of the exit interview process, in part for legal reasons. He also cited a desire to maintain neutrality in specific personnel matters.

“Personally, for me, I wouldn’t want to be in that room,” said Hayes, who chairs the Police and Fire Commission. “I’d want to maintain that distance.”

Other commissioners echoed similar concerns to those Hayes raised but dually expressed interest in learning more about the reasons for the officers’ departures.

James Allen, who serves as the Common Council representative on the Whitewater PFC, said he shares Knopp’s concerns.

“I wholeheartedly believe there has been an issue,” Allen said.

At the conclusion of the recent discussion, commissioners unanimously agreed to direct Judy Atkinson, human resources coordinator, to compile a report about the reasons officers have given for leaving the department.

Allen said he believes collaboration with human resources personnel is the most prudent means of answering some of the looming questions.

“Once (exit interviews) are done, that information can be culled and shared with us,” Allen said.

As part of their recent directive, commissioners are asking Atkinson to comb through data from the exit interviews in recent years and compile the findings into a report.

Commissioners Jerry Grant and Beverly Stone said they wanted to get a full picture of the departures, including any positives departing officers have offered in the exit interviews of their time on the Whitewater Police Department.

Because it contains personnel-related matters, Hayes said the commission’s future review of the report likely will be reviewed behind closed doors.

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