Chief Asks Council For Help in Filling Open Positions In O'Fallon Police Department

Editor's Note: This story was last modified at 4:45 p.m. on Friday. A previous version stated that the ordinance to amend the budget would receive a second reading at the next meeting. 

O’Fallon Police asked the city council for help in filling two open positions at the police department.

This past year the has operated with 107 officers instead of the 109 authorized staffing level, Joachimstaler said at Thursday night’s council workshop.

The chief said he made the decision to reduce the two positions to help fund city employee step increases in the 2011 budget. 

In December, the council passed an $87.6-million budget that maintained a hiring freeze for a second year in a row and did not include a cost of living increase for city employees. It did, however, make employees who have not reached the top of the pay scale eligible to receive merit raises. Employees did not receive step increases in 2010.

“We did that with the belief that those positions would be restored when the budget would allow,” Joachimstaler said at Thursday night’s council workshop. “In order to keep the same amount of uniformed officers in our neighborhoods, I made the conscious decision at that time to reduce by one the detective in our bureau and regional drug task force.”

But Joachimstaler said his decision has resulted in some disturbing trends this past year, including a decline in the ability to further investigate drug cases in the city.

He said with nearly 600 active drug investigations this year, the O'Fallon Drug Task Force is at a disadvantage with only one detective. 

The chief told the council he’s seen a dramatic decrease in the department's ability to further investigate a number of other crime categories.

Joachimstaler said through May of this year, he’s seen 13-percent decrease in the amount of larceny cases and a  21-percent decrease in burglaries that the O’Fallon Police Department have been able to clear.

During the same time period, there has been a reported increase in number of meth labs discovered in the area, in addition to a growing heroin epidemic in the St. Louis metro area, he said. 

“My plea tonight is to ask for your help in restoring these positions, in order to provide the services that our community and frankly everyone in this room expects and really deserve,” Joachimstaler said addressing the council. 

Mayor Bill Hennessy and Ward 4 Councilman Jeff Schwentker asked Joachimstaler how he planned to fill the positions. Joachimstaler said he would hire two new patrolman and promote two O'Fallon officers to detectives. He said he did not have anyone in mind for the positions, but they would be posted, so those officers interested could apply. 

Managing Director of Finance Vicki Boschert said there are sufficient funds this year in the operating fund to cover the positions. 

Director of Public Relations Tom Drabelle said the two positions will be added to a proposed budget amendment and be given a first reading at the next council meeting on July 28. Drabelle said if the council approves the amendment, they will then start the hiring process.