BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2024 November 12, Tuesday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
blairtoday@mail.com – Facebook
The Blair Police Department has initiated a comprehensive staffing study to evaluate its current manpower needs as the city continues to experience significant growth. The study, conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), comes at a time when the department faces increasing demands on its services.
Captain Travis Lyon of the Blair Police Department addressed several key aspects of the department’s current staffing situation. When asked if Blair needs additional officers, he was direct:
“In my opinion, yes, we would need more officers. When we consider, officers on military leave, sick leave, vacation leave, and the time it takes a new officer from when they are hired, complete the basic academy, FTO training, and finally on their own it takes about 9 months. We must make sure we have coverage for when the officers use the time off. Additional officers would allow us to have more officers to help cover so it’s not the same officers being scheduled to work and getting burned out.”
The department’s staffing levels have remained relatively static despite community growth. “Pre-covid we were authorized to have 18 officers; however, I believe we had 16-maybe 17 officers working for the department at the time. Which our current number of officers that we have is 16 officers, but we are in the process of trying to hire officers. We have basically maintained having around 16 officers for several years now,” Lyon explains.
Recent developments have increased demands on the department. “We have increased vehicle traffic, with the addition of Angel Shares now having residents and just the population of Blair growing in general, we deal with more traffic and more people living in the city of Blair now,” notes Lyon.
To address coverage gaps, the department relies on scheduling adjustments. “We will schedule overtime for officers to help with coverage, so the department has adequate coverage,” Lyon says.
The IACP study, which typically takes about seven months to complete, will provide an independent, data-driven assessment of the department’s staffing needs. When asked about metrics to determine proper staffing levels, Lyon simply stated, “That is where the study is being conducted to determine the number of officers.”
The evaluation will include:
- Comprehensive analysis of patrol operations and staffing levels
- Review of service calls and response times
- Assessment of current workload distribution
- Evaluation of the department’s organizational structure
- Analysis of coverage patterns across different shifts
The study will involve multiple phases, including:
- Data collection through documents and surveys
- Interviews with stakeholders
- Analysis of current operations
- Development of specific recommendations
The IACP brings significant expertise to this evaluation, with over 34,000 members across 177 countries and a track record of conducting similar assessments for law enforcement agencies nationwide. Their approach combines quantitative analysis with qualitative assessment of department operations.
The final report, expected to include specific recommendations for staffing levels and resource allocation, will be presented to city officials upon completion. This assessment will provide valuable guidance for ensuring the Blair Police Department can continue to effectively serve and protect the community as it grows.
