By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A pilot project aimed at giving Whitewater’s police force more flexibility with shift scheduling has been scraped. But the head of the department said further tweaks could come down the road.
In June, Police Chief Lisa Otterbacher said the department “test rode” a 4-day work week schedule that called on officers to work 10-hour shifts. An almost even split within the department favored the change.
The pilot project saved on overtime, but will be scrapped by the end of the year, Otterbacher announced at a Police and Fire Commission meeting Nov. 13.
“It got really complicated,” Otterbacher said. “I think the concept was good. But implementing it in a department of our size was a challenge. We just didn’t have enough warm bodies to fill in some of the gaps.”
Otterbacher said some of Whitewater’s longtime officers found the new arrangement challenging, particularly when it came to family commitments. For this reason, the department is reverting back to its regular 8.25-hour shift scenario over a 5-day work week.
“When you impact people’s schedules, you impact their lives,” Otterbacher said.
In the new year, Otterbacher said she will continue to work with sworn personnel and attempt to find new, creative solutions to scheduling within the department.
In other recent business, the Police and Fire Commission:
• Hired Nicholas Borchardt for a vacant patrol officer position within the department. The hire was announced after commissioners discussed Borchardt’s candidacy in closed session.
• Received an update on the city’s soon-to-debut cadet program that is targeted toward university students studying criminal justice. From the onset, 12 students will have an opportunity to receive hands-on training.
The Whitewater Police Department has placed a series of requirements on applicants, including provisions applicants have no criminal history and the attainment of at least a 2.5 grade point average.
“We want to make sure they walk away with a quality, tangible education,” Otterbacher said. “We want to set the tone and standards (for police protocol) right away.”
Cadets will need to commit to participating in at least two special events within the city and take part in ride-alongs with sworn officers. The dozen students taking part in the program will be provided uniforms that distinguish them from members of the police force.
“It’s a pretty big commitment on their behalf,” Otterbacher said. “But we really think this would be a wonderful resume opportunity.”
Jan Bilgren, president of the Police and Fire Commission, agreed.
“I think it’s a great way for our department to recruit qualified applicants,” Bilgren said.
• Discussed the police department’s citizens academy, which is being resuscitated after a 5-year hiatus.
Patrol Officer Michele Martin will oversee the upcoming academy, which kicks off Jan. 21 and runs through March 4. Twelve residents are taking part in the program.
• Discussed a vacant part-time dispatcher position. As of mid-November, Otterbacher said the department had received 41 applications. As candidates are reviewed, Otterbacher said finalists will go through a series of tests, including one demonstrating the ability to multi-task.
“It’s a difficult position to fill,” Otterbacher said.
