Mayor lays down the law for police

Flint Mayor Don Williamson releases 26-point list

 By Joel Feick

FLINT (WJRT)  

(09/28/06) -- These points were transcribed from a release provided by Mayor Don Williamson's office.

 Restructuring of the Flint Police Department

There are many fantastic Flint police officers.

The citizens of the city of Flint need an entire team effort from every Flint city police officer.

1. Flint police officers will not be allowed to work four (4) ten (10) hour shifts.

2. Police officers will not be allowed to retire after eighteen (18) years with a full pension. The union and I are in disagreement concerning these changes.

3. All officers will be requires to test for promotions. Promotions will be given by the proper procedures for advancement unless Keith Speer, the president of the Flint Police Officers Association, agrees to waive this procedure. Then promotions will be given by the mayor.

4. One-half of all sergeants, lieutenants and captains will be put back on patrol.

5. I will immediately institute a policy that every police officer in each department will change positions every six (6) months until all positions have been completely recycled. All juvenile, school and patrol officers will be in the same category.

6. Effective immediately, all police officers, while on duty, will not be parked within 1,000 feet of each other's on-duty police vehicle, whether marked or unmarked, by a restaurant, body shop, pawn shop, coffee shop, gas station, business establishment or residential home, unless they are responding to a documented 911 call or complaint. City vehicles will not be used for any personal business under any circumstances.

7. I will do away with FANG officers and the officers working with the sheriff's department narcotics team and put these officers back on the roads of the city of Flint where they belong.

8. Under no circumstances will police officers be allowed to take their marked police vehicles home. All marked police vehicles shall stay within the limits of the city of Flint unless the officer has approval from the chief of police.

9. After each shift, the officer shall fill up the police vehicle with gas and check the oil. They will indicate the number of miles each vehicle travels on each shift and the gallons of gas used per day, per shift. Forms will be provided. These completed forms shall be delivered to the mayor's office and the chief of police.

10. All sergeants, lieutenants and captains will take 911 calls.

11. Any officer associating with persons convicted of a violent crime against women or children will be fired immediately.

12. Police officers working any other jobs other than with the Flint Police Department must have approval in writing by the chief of police every November 1st and May 1st. If there is not approval, they will not be allowed to work outside the scope of the Flint Police Department.

13. No police officer shall perform personal business on city time in a Flint police vehicle.

14. All police cars are to be "one-man cars."

15. No police cars are to be driven home. We will give them plain cars, but the officers must be in full uniform when driving these cars-if not in full uniform, call 766-7346 (mayor's office).

16. All police officers will be in uniform, except narcotics officers. Also, all police officers, excepting narcotics officers. will be driving marked police cars which will include lights and lettering.

17. There will be no police dogs-they will be laid off.

18. There will be a special shift working from 7:30 p.m. to 4 a.m.

19. Performance evaluation audit to be conducted by an outside audit form for all officers.

20. Mandatory shift rotations.

21. Satellite tracking system on police cars. This will ensure that officers respond promptly to calls and do not waste time while on duty.

22. Response time audit to ensure officers are responding to calls promptly.

23. Audit of time spent on calls to ensure officers are not wasting time.

24. Officers in a stationary position for more than 5 minutes when they are no on a call will have to leave a report as to why they were not patrolling the streets protecting the citizens of Flint.

25. Inactivity of officers while on duty will be scrutinized very closely.

26. These measures are being put in place to ensure that the citizens of Flint get the productivity and protection that they deserve.

These changes will give us 49 new patrol officers to answer 911 calls.

There are a few officers who think they are above responsibility to the citizens of this great city. If those officers are so smart and continue to follow their own agenda, then I suggest that this city will no longer tolerate their attitude-they should look for another job!!

Police officers are not above the law-even if they think they are.

I shall form a citizens investigative committee that will provide the city of Flint with license plate and vehicle numbers of police vehicles and city cars that may be in violation of the above enumerated subject matters.

Let's keep striving to provide great police work to eradicate the crime we are facing.

Employee discharges by Chief Hagler