While the state approved the plan of the Green/Robinson-Briggs administration to eliminate Plainfield Police Chief Ed Santiago's position, the administration now finds itself in a curious position.
Rather like the old joke about the dog that caught the car, the question is: What does the Administration do next?
While it supposedly will submit an ordinance to the City Council to eliminate the position, it is not at all clear what its next steps are.
Both the Courier and the Ledger quote "local officials" with regard to the replacement of Santiago. The Courier, in a Thursday article, said --
City Council members have said they will pass an ordinance to formally eliminate the post and clear the way for the appointment of a civilian police director -- also described as an executive officer -- who would oversee day-to-day operations of the Police Division. The person would report to the mayor, city administrator and Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig, local officials have said. (Emphasis added.)In its Friday article, the Ledger said --
The state has approved Plainfield's plan to eliminate the position of police chief and replace it with a civilian police director, clearing the way for the city council to create an ordinance adopting the measure. (Emphasis added.)And this is where the confusion begins.
This does NOT appear to be what the Green/Robinson-Briggs administration proposed last summer, when Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig made a presentation of the proposed reorganization of the Police Division to the City Council.
Here are some slides from that presentation --
Reorganized chain of command - slide 41.
Reorganized chain of command - Detail from slide 41.
Reorganization proposal - slide 40.
So, the questions that the Green/Robinson-Briggs administration must now answer to the public's satisfaction are: Has the plan been changed? Is there to be a Captain in charge of the day-to-day operations as proposed by Hellwig last summer? Or is there to be a NEW, CIVILIAN POSITION -- that is a new hire, an additional personnel position -- to run the day-to-day operations?
If it is a NEW, CIVILIAN POSITION, how could the City justify to the state that this was "to improve 'economy and efficiency' within the Police Division" as the Courier cites the administration's layoff plan?
If it is to be an ALREADY-ON-THE-PAYROLL CAPTAIN, a sworn police officer, as originally proposed, why sow all the confusion in the media and in the public's mind?
Maybe the Green/Robinson-Briggs administration should just stick to chasing cars and not catching them?
Robinson-Briggs layoff plan for Chief Santiago --
- Courier: "State responds to city's plan to eliminate chief" -- archived here.
- Ledger: "Plan to ax police chief post OK'd" -- archived here.
- Robinson-Briggs Police Reorganization Plan: "Director Hellwig's complete presentation"
-- Dan Damon
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