In the past few months, major changes have been taking place in the Elkins Police Department. These have included the establishment of a competitive pay scale, the addition of more ranks, active recruitment of additional officers, enactment of a higher recruitment bonus for recently certified officers and the implementation of a "take-home" cruiser policy which is in the process of being introduced. The changes are intended to make the department more streamlined, efficient and effective in support of its aim to provide the professional police services necessary for the protection and security of our citizens.

Probably the biggest change has been the establishment of a competitive pay scale. Over the last several years, the pay scale of the Elkins Police Department, which a couple of decades ago was very competitive, has declined in relative terms to the point that it was among the lowest in the area. Virtually every other city and county police force had higher salaries and benefits. The consequence of this was that officers frequently left the department for positions elsewhere. In the past six years, a total of nine officers have left the force for other employment. Each of them gave the same rationale: that is, a non-competitive pay scale.

It costs approximately $40,000 to recruit a new officer, provide training at the West Virginia State Police Academy and get him through the "ride along" period so that he may become an independently functioning police officer. A loss of nine trained officers over a six-year period thus equates to approximately $360,000. The cost of implementing the competitive pay scale is in the range of $180,000 to $200,000. Assuming the estimates are the same in the future as in the last six years that is a real net savings of almost half the cost for recruitment and training that we have experienced over the last several years. In addition, there should be significantly improved morale and greater scheduling efficiencies with a more stable work force.

The city is also in the process of introducing a "take home" cruiser policy. Most departments in the area, including the Randolph County Sheriff's Department, have such a policy already in place. With it, each fully vetted officer is assigned his own cruiser and he is responsible for ensuring its maintenance and upkeep. This has several advantages. One is a police presence in areas other than in the immediate area of the police department itself. This practice has proven to reduce crime. Another advantage is greater life expectancy for vehicles because the same individual is operating the vehicle at all times. This reduces wear and tear from constantly changing adjustments to accommodate the current officer driving the car. Additionally, the officer will take better care of a vehicle when he knows it is specifically identified with him. Yet another advantage is a quicker response time in emergencies.

The city has also undertaken an accelerated recruitment program to hire new officers. Additional sources for advertising have included active recruitment with placement officers and job fairs on college campuses and the West Virginia Job Service. In addition, a bonus of $7,500 has been authorized to recruit officers that are already certified in West Virginia. This bonus will be paid with the first pay period after the certified officer has begun work. In light of the current cost for training an officer this makes good fiscal sense. The city is also making a special effort to attract female police officers.

A number of other changes in the Elkins Police Department are under consideration. They stem, in part, from an extensive self-study and planning document directed by Lt. H.R. White of the Elkins Police Department. The aim of the study was to evaluate measures to enhance the ability of the city to provide the highest quality of police services to the residents of Elkins. It is anticipated that as a result of the changes identified in the study, the city will be able to improve enforcement of speeding laws, especially in high-pedestrian areas such as Randolph Avenue and Railroad Avenue, to provide quicker response time in emergencies, to service the many new areas that have petitioned to become part of the municipality, to provide more public information and police services, especially in the schools, and to make our city a more attractive place to live and do business.

Financing for the changes is coming from anticipated improvement in the officer retention rate, from the imposition of additional fees for those who have been found guilty of breaking the law and from the expanded number of successfully funded grant applications that are being realized as a result of the City's recently implemented Grants Protocol.