Sparks City Charter Section 1.080 states “except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, the City Manager shall appoint heads of each department.”  The City Manager has selected Chris Crawforth, for the executive position of Chief of Police, which makes him the department head over the Sparks Police Department.  The department he will run has 183 full time positions, with 123 of those being sworn positions.  The Sparks Police Department’s motto is, “Where Community Comes First,” and Mr. Crawforth is dedicated to that commitment. 

After graduating from Reed High School in Sparks, Mr. Crawforth went on to attend the University of Nevada Reno where he was awarded a bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology. Mr. Crawforth then went on to work for the State of Arizona as a Wildlife Manager from 2000-2004. In 2004, he returned to Sparks and began his career with the City of Sparks’ Police Department. During his tenure with the Sparks Police Department, he has worked as a Field Training Officer and Detective and has promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant both, more specifically he has been Lieutenant with Internal Affairs and the Detective’s unit as well. Mr. Crawforth currently holds the role of Deputy Chief.

In addition to his earlier studies, Mr. Crawforth went onto to pursue graduate education and was awarded a master’s degree from Columbia Southern University in Public Administration. 

Mr. Crawforth’s breath of work in the department, his bachelor’s degree in the field of science, and his graduate studies in leadership and administration in a public agency make him an excellent candidate for this position.

Following is a summary of the Agreement reached between the parties.  This summary outlines portions of the negotiated contract. The full proposed Agreement between the City of Sparks and Chris Crawforth is attached.

The term of the agreement begins November 9, 2020 and the initial expiration date is July 30, 2022.  The agreement may be renewed before and at that point the agreement may become year to year with the contract year beginning July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.  The Parties intend this Agreement to be an automatically renewing two-year agreement after the initial term, tied to the end of the City’s fiscal year. However, the City Manager may limit the contract term to the upcoming fiscal year.

The Council adopted a classification system and compensation program which is used to determine base pay.  Korn Ferry Hay Group, an international leader in this type of work, set the level for the Chief of Police at twenty-two.  The proposed salary of $199,056.00 is within the pay range. Mr. Crawforth would be eligible for merit increases until his pay reaches the maximum of the pay range.

Benefits includes but are not limited to health insurance, deferred compensation, annual leave, sick leave, and long-term disability.  The entirely of benefits can be found in the attached contract. 

There is no financial impact.  Budget impacts were presented as part of the City Manager’s budget recommendations for FY21 and included budgetary funds for a police chief.

1. The Council may choose to approve the Employment Agreement between the City of Sparks and Chris Crawforth for the position of Chief of Police.
2. The Council may choose not to approve the Employment Agreement between the City of Sparks and Chris Crawforth for the position of Chief of Police.
3. The Council may choose not to approve the Employment Agreement and direct the City Manager toward another alternative.

I move to approve the employment agreement (AC-5706) with Chris Crawforth for the position of Chief of Police, effective November 9. 2020 with a yearly salary of $199,056 plus benefits.