By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Amid a series of staffing transitions, a Whitewater panel recently backed Police Chief Lisa Otterbacher’s request to promote a trio of sworn officers with the department.
The city Police and Fire Commission on Sept. 22 voted to appoint David Gempler, Daniel Meyer and Shawn Reif to lieutenant-level positions within the department. Meyer holds the position of detective lieutenant.
Prior to consummating the recent promotions, commissioners met behind closed doors with Otterbacher and discussed the proposal. After a discussion that spanned more than an hour, the appointed body returned and made its decisions.
The lieutenant promotions are a series of recent and upcoming staff changes that have included the recent departures of Captain Brian Uhl and Lieutenant Timothy Gray. Both departed Whitewater’s police force Aug. 21.
“We wish them well,” Otterbacher said. “They gave great leadership. They leave big voids.”
Other recent changes have included shifting Officer Justin Stuppy to a solo patrol shift.
Looking ahead, Otterbacher hinted more changes are afoot within the department. Otterbacher and other administrative-level staffers within the force are in the midst of fielding candidates for an open captain position.
At the most recent Police and Fire Commission meeting, Otterbacher indicated more details concerning the filling of the captain vacancy should be announced in late October. She indicated internal candidate interviews are scheduled to run through Nov. 17.
“I think we’ll need to meet some time later in November (to appoint the captain),” Otterbacher said. “I’m hoping by the time we meet in October, I’ll have a better handle on some of the staffing updates.”
The exact date and time of the Police and Fire Commission’s October meeting has not yet been set, due in part to meeting room availability and commissioners’ schedules.
The series of staffing changes come as a prelude to a larger-scale department reorganization that Otterbacher proposed recently.
While no firm decisions have been made, Otterbacher is suggesting a two-tiered change that would partially impact some of the members of the department’s sworn force.
The larger of Otterbacher’s two proposals includes whipping out sergeant positions and instead leaning more on lieutenants.
“We wouldn’t be creating any new positions,” Otterbacher said. “We would simply be taking the sergeants positions and making them lieutenants positions. I think it would provide better organizational flow within the department.”
During the recent discussion about the proposed organizational changes, Otterbacher pointed out they are not revolutionary in the region. Neighboring communities — including Fort Atkinson and Jefferson — have already done away with sergeant-level positions.
Otterbacher also is suggesting a series of changes be implemented at the communications center that houses the dispatchers who accept and route calls. If approved, personnel within the communications center would answer to a support services manager, rather than a supervisor-level sworn officer within the department.
“This is part of a larger trend for organizations,” Otterbacher said.
Further discussion about Otterbacher’s suggested changes are slated to take place in upcoming months.
