Columbus is proposing changes to its take-home vehicle policy for police officers in order to remain competitive with other area law enforcement agencies in recruiting and retention.
Columbus City Council gave initial approval last week in a 6-0 vote to expand an ordinance that allows officers to take marked and unmarked police vehicles home with them.
The request was made as the police department continues to struggle with recruiting and retaining applicants, Police Chief Jon Rohde said. The department looked at take-home vehicle policies of other nearby law enforcement agencies, such as Seymour and Franklin, is crafting its request, he said.
The number of police officer applicants applying for jobs in Columbus has been trending downward since 2013, Rohde said. Even though the department has hired three new officers in the past month, it is still down four positions, he said.
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Besides being able to drive marked or unmarked vehicles for personal use in Bartholomew County, the proposed changes would also allow officers to use their vehicles for personal reasons in counties contiguous to Bartholomew County — Jackson, Jennings, Brown, Johnson, Shelby and Decatur — and other areas if approved by the police chief or deputy chief.
The city refuels its police vehicles at the city garage, but officers who choose to get gas at a different location are responsible for picking up the expense themselves, Rohde said.
The police department requires officers to live in the county where they serve or a contiguous county, which is based on state statute, Rohde said.
With this change, however, off-duty officers would also be able to respond to emergency situations in situations that might arise such as a SWAT team being called out, Rohde said. The department has six police officers who reside outside Bartholomew County — four in Johnson County, one in Jackson County and another in Jennings County.
City Councilman Tom Dell said the amended ordinance will allow the department to remain competitive with nearby police departments.
If approved by the council during a second reading scheduled for July 17, the ordinance would take effect immediately.
The Columbus Board of Works will also be required to approve changes to a police general order, which governs related policies, said Mary Ferdon, executive director of administration and community development.
Other steps in place
Columbus also hopes to improve recruitment and retention of police officers in the department through recent salary changes. City leaders passed a salary ordinance in May that provides salary ranges for city positions using minimum, midpoint and maximum levels, which will be advertised to the public.
The implementation of the new salary ordinance, which takes effect July 1, was recommended by McCordsville-based Total Reward Solutions, which was paid more than $72,000 to evaluate city workers’ pay.
The city also intends to begin phasing in performance-based increases to get employees to the midpoint level beginning in the 2019 budget year, Ferdon said. Columbus officials will focus on getting public safety workers to the midpoint over the next two years, she said.
Dell also said that will also help with recruitment and retention efforts in the police department. He favors having salary studies done every few years to ensure that employees’ salaries still reflect the jobs they are performing, he said.
“We’re in a lot better shape than we were,” Dell said. “We have to stay competitive.”
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Columbus City Council will consider a final reading of an ordinance amending its police vehicle take home policy during its 6 p.m. meeting July 17.
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