Augustine Needs to "Man Up" About Community Aide Position

At the first work session to discuss City Manager Rich Rising’s budget proposal, held October 4th, the big talking point was Rising’s surprise addition of a new position, something called a “Community Aide,” for the police department. In his budget message, Rising states that the Community Aide “will assume many civilian responsibilities in the department. This will allow uniformed officers to spend more time on direct police matters [and] will also give the department the opportunity to increase the diversity of the staff.”

Let’s think about what Rising is actually saying. First, the diversity issue. He says the position will allow him to diversify the department. Interesting. Would he, otherwise, not diversify the department? Must we create a non-police position in order to diversify our police force? If so, would that still be diversifying the police force? We thought the point of diversifying the police force was to diversify the police force itself!

Rising and Police Chief Pane have told Council that diversifying the police force is difficult because women, people of color, and Spanish-speaking candidates are simply not taking the civil service exam. But this non-uniformed ‘officer’ would still be a civil service position. That position would still require a test. That position would still belong to the union. If the test has been barrier, how is this position an improvement when it requires a test?

Second, what’s this about “civilian responsibilities”? Augustine questioned Rising about the specific components of the new position. What would this person actually do? She asked what specific “civilian responsibilities” would be performed by this new person that aren’t being performed by now by the existing administrative (non-uniformed) staff. Rising responded that the job description has not yet been determined. Huh? How do we get to the point of adding a position without knowing what purpose the position will serve?

Chief Pane said that duties might include:
Fingerprinting
Logging Evidence
Monitoring Special Events
“Public Information Officer”
Assisting School Resource officers
Grant writing
Serving as a Court Officer
Checking in on Sex Offenders
Filing Paperwork related to Accreditation
Attending Neighborhood Watch Meetings.

Rising emphasized the last item, that this ‘officer’ would be a consistent link between Neighborhood Watch groups and the police department. Councilor Paul D’Amico, who chaired the Safety Task Force and seemed to have information about the position not given to other Councilors, said that this position was important to get the police and the community working together more closely. Augustine responded that the way to get the police and the community working together is to get the police and the community working together! Creating a new position as a ‘go-between’ doesn’t seem like the right answer.

There’s additional background to this discussion, going back to this past summer when City Council requested a memo from the police department with suggestions from the officers on the street for ways improve public safety. Another youth officer was one of the suggestions coming directly from the officers themselves. That shows up in the budget proposal. Filling of existing vacancies in a more timely manner was another suggestions made by officers. That’s being done. Nowhere in the police department’s own report does it suggest a ‘community aide.'

So, as Augustine made clear at the meeting, she’s “not sold on the idea.” She also asked why another police officer wasn’t being added. After all, the salary for the aide is close to the starting salary for a uniformed officer. As for benefits, Rising said that the aide would be a bargaining unit position, so benefits would have to be factored into the equation, and there’s still that civil service test to be passed.

Augustine said that she couldn’t support a position that doesn’t even have job description. Curiously, D’Amico said Augustine should come up with one herself. Let’s see. A position is proposed, without a job description. When that’s questioned, he says why don’t you come up with your own description? We call that going in circles. Augustine, who is constantly trying to bring more accountability to city government, could not bring herself to approve a new position without the necessary details, without the input of the department, and without a clear purpose. Do you blame her? Besides, for close to the same money, we could add another police officer and we know exactly what that means for public safety. That’s what Capraro and Augustine would agree to.