Leavenworth Police Department to reorganize

Having a good relationship with the community is important as part of the Leavenworth Police Department’s community policing philosophy, according to the city’s top law enforcement officer.

Police Chief Pat Kitchens said he would like for each patrol officer to work in the same area of the city as much as possible.

And changing the schedule officers follow will make it easier, he said.

Kitchens said the Leavenworth Police Department soon will be abandoning its eight-hour schedule.

“We are going to a 12-hour schedule,” Kitchens said.

He said there will be other changes as well, including the elimination of corporal positions and an increase in the number of sergeants and detectives.

Kitchens said the department also will change a long-standing policy that restricts police officers from working as private security guards during their off-duty hours.

The chief said he does not know exactly when the changes will be made. He said they probably will occur “sometime around January.”

“We are not in a hurry,” Kitchens said. “This is a substantive change to the Police Department.”

Kitchens said he wants officers to become familiar with the areas to which they’re assigned. He said this will help them identify possible problems.

And Kitchens wants residents to be familiar with the officers who patrol their neighborhoods. The chief said he wants there to be an effective working relationship.

He said two to three officers generally have the day off at any given time. But the 12-hour schedule will allow officers to consistently work together in the same squad.

“They’re all on duty at the same time,” he said.

He said this also will allow each officer to more consistently work in the same area of the city.

Kitchens also thinks the change in the scheduling structure will benefit the health and welfare of officers.

With the eight-hour shift schedule, officers work 10 out of every 14 days. With 12-hour shifts, they will work only seven out of 14 days, he said.

The chief acknowledged officers will have longer workdays, but he said they will have more opportunities to be away from their police duties.

Kitchens said it may take time to make a physical adjustment to working 12-hour shifts, but he believes the change will lead to officers who are more rested.

Kitchens also believes the opportunity for more days off from work will benefit in the recruiting and retention of officers.

He said the schedule may be attractive to officers who want to have secondary employment. He said this is why he is advocating a change in the policy that restricts officers from working as security guards.

The chief also plans to eliminate the Police Department’s four corporal positions.

“People aren’t being let go,” he said.

He said new positions will be created.

Kitchens said corporals serve as assistant supervisors for sergeants who work on the road.

“We can put these people to better use,” he said.

Kitchens said he wants to add three sergeants to the department. He said an additional patrol sergeant is needed for the new 12-hour shift schedule.

Another sergeant will be assigned to fugitive apprehension and arrest warrant service. Kitchens said Leavenworth police aren’t proactive about searching for people who have outstanding warrants.

“We don’t do that currently and I think we should be,” he said.

He said another sergeant will serve as supervisor of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program and evidence.

He said this duty is currently handled by a corporal. But it should be a sergeant because of the importance of evidence.

Kitchens also wants to add another detective to the Police Department.

Kitchens said, as far as he can tell, the Leavenworth Police Department has had only four detectives for 32 years.

He said the police have seen an increase in Internet and financial crimes particularly in the last 10 years. He said this warrants a new detective position.

Kitchens said city commissioners voiced support for the changes during a recent meeting. He said there were questions about liability in regards to changing the policy that restricts officers from working as security guards, but those will be worked through.