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“I’d like to know if we can do something better to improve the department,” Husmann said.
So he asked at the July 28 council meeting that a committee be formed — but as a member of the personnel committee, he didn’t think he should be sitting at the table.
“I thought it would be important to get a fresh set of eyes to look at things,” he said.
Two officers have left the department in the past two years, one to become chief deputy for the Houston County Sheriff’s Department in 2007, said City Administrator Bill Waller.
Police Chief Todd Nelson called the committee a good move. “I’m always looking for new ideas,” Nelson said.
He’s asked the council before for more help on his six-officer force, he said.
“I have no investigator, no sergeant, no assistant chief — nobody designated to be in charge when I’m gone,” Nelson said.
With little room for advancement in the department, it can be difficult to retain officers, Nelson said, noting they have to move on if they want better pay or position.
The salary range for a patrol officer is $34,091 to $46,072 a year, plus an 80 cent per hour increase for maintaining a First Responder and CPR certificate, said La Crescent’s Finance Director Debbie Shimshak.
Working night shift pays an additional $1.25 an hour, Shimshak said.
Although some officers might move on, that doesn’t always mean they stay away. Nelson pointed out two of his officers came back after leaving for jobs in other areas.
“Our turnover rate has been far less than it was 20 years ago,” he said.
Mayor Mike Poellinger said the new ad hoc committee would meet for maybe six months to a year, and likely would include two community members, perhaps two police officers and two council members. It would start work as soon as the committee is assembled.
“I think any time we can engage the public in assisting us in developing strategies, it’s a good thing,” Poellinger said.
The city has mutual assistance agreements with the La Crosse Police Department, as well as the Houston County Sheriff’s Department, he said. That helps keep taxes down while providing more help when needed.
“It’s easier for us to do our business because of the state line,” he said. “A lot of things start in the big city and end in the little city.”
Council members Joy Rockwell and Dale Williams have offered to serve on the new committee.
Though Rockwell thinks the department is “doing a fine job right now,” she said she’s aware of the many challenges facing the police, such as drugs among the youth.
“It’s 2008,” she said. “We’re seeing things come through we’ve never seen before. Let’s take a proactive approach to this.”
Husmann said he’d like to look into more officer training, more community involvement and a clearer chain of command within the department. An independent committee could ask those questions, he said.
Nelson said he would welcome any recommendations the committee might produce.
“We certainly like to know how we can serve the community,” he said. “After all, that’s who we work for.”
Ryan Stotts can be reached at (608) 791-8446 or ryan.stotts@lee.net.
