Managerial Structure:  The Administrative Division Manager at the Police Department is retiring, and has prompted an evaluation of how to best fill the position.  The closest positions reporting to the Administrative Division Manager currently are working supervisors in the Records Section and working supervisors in the Communications Section. These positions are expected to perform a significant portion of the division’s daily duties. As a result of the heavy reliance on these individuals as working supervisors, there has not been the opportunity to fully prepare the employees to perform in the role of Administrative Division Manager.   For example, supervisors from Communications have not had the opportunity to cross train with the Records Supervisor nor have Records trained with Communications.  To solve this problem in the future, the Police Department recommends creating a manager level between the current high-level Administration Division Manager and the working supervisor positions in both the Communication’s Division and the Records Division.

Changes Prompted by Nevada Law:  Senate Bill 176 was passed in the last legislative session, which amends NRS 289.830 to mandate the implementation of body-worn cameras.

Senate Bill 176 was adopted during the 2017 Nevada Legislative session.  This Bill amended NRS 289.830; requiring body worn recording devices on all sworn Nevada Peace Officers while in uniform and contacting the public, no later than July 1, 2018.  The law previously required only officers of the Nevada Department of Public Safety to wear cameras.  In addition, the law granted each law enforcement agency the ability to utilize the funding to install vehicle-mounted cameras, which Sparks Police is installing.

Managerial Structure:  The Sparks Police has recognized the operational need for mid-management supervision within both the Records and Communications Section.    The Administration Division Manager oversees eight (8) working supervisors and a total of 38 of the 47 non-sworn employees, including the Information Technology and Terminal Agency Coordinator functions.   Adding the two positions of Police Services Manager will allow proper span of control for operations such as the daily delivery of services to community and staff.

The Police Service Managers will be cross-trained between the Communications and Records functions of the Sparks Police.  This will allow for functional control during planned or emergency absences from work, provide for promotional opportunities within the department and a proper career path to the executive level.  The mid-management level of supervision is also in line with the overall organizational chart and chain-of-command structure within the Sparks Police.

The Higher-level duties of the Administration Division Manager, as well as, the supervisory responsibilities for the IT Division and the Police Records Supervisors will be transferred to the Deputy Police Chiefs on a temporary basis until the Administrative Division Manager position is eventually filled.  The long-term goal is to provide promotional opportunity within the department to re-establish an Administrative Division Manager and retain the intermediary level to eliminate the gap in the management structure.

Below is the proposed complement for the new management structure, with the requested positions in Bold/Italics:

This cost is not currently in the budget.  The estimated financial impact is $2,000 in the remaining months of fiscal year 2018.  In fiscal year 2019, the estimated financial impact is $8,300.

Offsetting the fiscal impact of these changes is a vacancy assumption.  The Administrative Division Manager’s position will be vacant approximately the first week of April 2018 due to retirement.  The Police Department plans to maintain the vacancy in this position for the period of time that it takes to grow the Police Service Managers such that they could promote into the role.

Changes Prompted by Nevada Law:  The new law on body cameras and vehicle cameras for sworn police personnel comes with a significant burden on the IT at the Police Department.  For this reason, the new IT function in the complement is recommended.

Specifically, an IT Support Specialist I/II is requested.  The volume of data collected from the devices and required to be downloaded will exceed the capabilities of the current network for the city.  This will require the installation of a dedicated network to the police department to meet these needs.  Current police IT staffing is insufficient to handle the new IT support necessary for this change.  A new IT position is recommended to be dedicated to implementation of the system.

This is a new cost, not budgeted for in fiscal year 2018.  It is proposed moving forward.  The estimated cost for fiscal year 2018 is $22,000 and for fiscal year 2019, $87,000.

Below is the proposed complement addition:

Below are the final position addition counts proposed in the Police Department.

1. The City Council may approve the personnel complement changes.
2. The City Council may not approve the personnel complement changes.
3. The City Council may choose not to approve the personnel complement changes, but may provide other direction to the City Manager.

I move to approve the personnel complement changes to add three additional positions in the Police Department, two Police Service Managers and one IT Support Specialist I/II, with an estimated fiscal impact of $24,000 for fiscal year 2018 and $95,300 for fiscal year 2019.