September 21, 2020
To: Village of Maple Bluff Residents
From: Police Committee
Subject: Village of Maple Bluff Referendum
As you may have read in the September Village of Maple Bluff Special Edition newsletter from Tim O’Brien, there will be a referendum question on the November 3rd ballot to increase funding for the Village. The intent is to ensure we maintain a high level of services to the residents of Maple Bluff. Given a significant portion of the increase is for our police department, I would like to provide some background information on the current situation and why this is being requested.
Historically, the Village of Maple Bluff Police Department has operated on a model of staffing one police officer on duty at a time. Since vacating one full-time position in 2014, this has been accomplished by utilizing five full-time officers while filling-in with many part-time officers and overtime – a model that has proven to be financially and operationally inefficient. There are significant challenges with being reliant on part-time availability, and the model creates unnecessary stress on full-time staff. As the demands on the police department have grown, the resources have not. We are now challenged to staff our officers 24 hours a day, maintain our current staffing model under an existing underfunded budget, and will struggle to meet the community’s expectations with confidence. The compounding effects of COVID-19, increase of violent crime in our area, as well as ongoing administrative and training needs have stressed our department.
After a review of the department’s staffing needs, it was determined we need to reinstate a previously vacated full-time supervisor position and add another full-time patrol officer. This will allow us to reduce our dependence on part-time officers, and ensure two officer coverage for approximately 65% of any given day. When multiple officers respond to a situation, they have more options for de-escalation and lower-level use of force alternatives to choose from; thus, increasing safety for the subject, the officer and the community. Our staffing model has gotten us by in the past, however, it will not work in the future. The increase would eliminate a critical staffing shortfall, mitigate officer safety issues, and improve overall outcomes for our department as well as the community.
The Police Committee unanimously voted to support the request to reinstate one vacated position and add one full time officer. You can find more information about the referendum here on the village website. We ask that you become informed and exercise your right and responsibility on November 3rd.
Best Regards,
Jim Yeager
Police Commissioner/Chair Police Committee
