Public Safety Committee in advisory role for setup of city police department

Maricopa is looking for a police chief. The recruitment for that position began on March 10 with applications due on April 21, 2006. The salary, according to the job description posted on the city’s web site under employment, will be in the $90,000 to $115,000 range.

City Manger Rick Buss has asked the Public Safety Advisory Committee to offer recommendations for the police chief job description. “One thing we don’t want,” explained chairman Brent Murphree, “is someone who thinks this will be a retirement position. There’s a lot to do.”

In fact the police chief, who will report to the City Manager, will be charged with developing, organizing, equipping and staffing the city’s police department in the first year. When the city’s contract with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department ends on July 1, 2007, city police will be in a service delivery phase from then on.

Carroll Buracker & Associates, who did the police services study, has been hired by the City of Maricopa to come up with a pool of applicants. “Then,” said Murphree, “we’re going to look at that pool.”

Public Safety Committee members (left to right) Joe Trujillo, Cindy Inskeep, Arb Campbell and chairman Brent Murphree discuss the job description for Maricopa’s police chief.

Questions arose among committee members as to the testing that candidates should and could undergo, including written, oral, psychological and aptitude tests. The current job description lists a background investigation, drug and alcohol screening and a physical exam. “The cart is way ahead of the horse here,” indicated committee member Arb Campbell, former police chief in Newport Beach, California. He suggested that the job description needed to be refined and a testing process as well as potential testing sources indicated.

“You’re setting precedent by how you do this,” noted Shana Kerr, whose mother is the Chandler Police Chief. She also questioned having only a bachelor’s degree required while a graduate degree, according to the job description, “is desirable, but not required.”

The police chief “must reside with the City of Maricopa within four months after employment,” according to the posted job description. “That’s not enough time to sell your house,” said Kerr. “Surely that could be worked out.”

Campbell suggested the need for an advisory committee “to iron things out.” He volunteered to participate on such a committee to review the police chief’s job description. Lt. Scott Elliott also agreed to be part of that group. Murphree will forward the committee’s recommendations to city staff.

Ordinances
Both the alarm ordinance and the motorized scooter ordinance are in the hands of the city attorney. The City of Maricopa’s emergency / disaster plan is being completed. The committee will do a final review of the parking ordinance at its next meeting.

Reports from Agencies
Brian Duncan, formerly of the Apache Junction Police Department, has been hired as the code enforcement officer in Maricopa.

Parks, Recreation and Libraries Director Marty McDonald is the contact person for Animal Control issues. He can be reached at (520) 568-9098, Ext. 204.

Cindy Inskeep, EMS Coordinator for Maricopa Fire, reported that firefighters had answered 101 calls in February, compared to 37 in February 2005. Of those calls, 78 were for emergency services, eight for public assistance, five were false alarms. One structure fire and five other fires occurred last month.

Chief of Operations Dan Ashton indicated that by July 1 the fire department would be adding 24 additional personnel. Three new captains and three battalion chiefs will be named in September.

Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputies from the Maricopa substation answered 586 calls last month. During February 2005 there were 269 calls, according to Lt. Elliott. Traffic stops accounted for 260 of last month’s calls. There were 108 citations and 50 arrests, including six felony, 44 misdeameanor and 10 juvenile arrests. Detectives are working on 15 active cases.

The Public Safety committee’s next meeting will be held at City Hall on Monday, April 17.