GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Changes are coming at the top of the Green Bay Police Department.
After a more than 20-year break, the department will once again have sergeants.
With adding the sergeant position to the Green Bay Police Department, there will gradually be fewer lieutenants and captains.
As the Green Bay Police Department changes its organizational structure, residents should start seeing officers on the streets more often.
Chief Andrew Smith tells FOX 11….
“I always use the old military term, more teeth than tail. More people out in the field, more people doing the work, fewer people behind desks, fewer people doing administrative duties.”
Right now, Chief Smith has two commanders, six captains, and 22 lieutenants below him. Gradually, the department will shift to having two commanders, three or four captains, 13 lieutenants, and 12 sergeants.
“Lieutenants are busy and they do a lot of work, don’t get me wrong, but a sergeant can actually respond to radio calls, can take traffic reports, can do all the things that a police officer could do and can supervise the other police officers that are out there.”.
Smith says lieutenants contractually cannot perform those tasks.
Alderman Bill Galvin, who is retired from the department, says Chief Jim Lewis removed the sergeant classification in 1997.
“He thought it would be more effective to remove the sergeants and create more lieutenants and set a real definitive line between the rank and file officers and the supervisors.”
Galvin was actually one of the last sergeants the department had. He brought pictures, his ID, and badge to Tuesday’s personnel committee meeting as proof.
“At that time I thought it was one of the best jobs in the world. It was fun. It was rewarding. It was exciting. You were kind of a supervisor, but still kind of a patrolman.”
Galvin believes bringing back the position could boost department morale. Chief Smith agrees….
“I think having a seasoned, mature, sergeant in the field is going to do a lot to make sure our officers on their calls are doing the things that they need to do.”
The personnel committee agreed to the police department’s restructuring during its Tuesday evening meeting.
The city council will vote on the matter next week.
The department currently has 11 people applying to be a sergeant. There are four openings.
An officer must be with the department seven years before he can accept a sergeant appointment.
