Quincy to hire police captain

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved recreating the position of police captain, authorizing the hiring of a new captain sometime around the first of the year.

The vote was taken following the recommendation of Interim Police Chief William Larson, who told the council the position was necessary in order to ensure the department functions “efficiently, effectively, and professionally.”

Larson, whose contract as interim chief is set to expire at the end of November, said the Quincy Police Department’s current structure — a chief, three sergeants, and 17 officers and detectives — leaves an administrative gap at the top.

The position is needed, Larson said, to relieve the sergeants of a number of administrative duties — such as heading up special projects, handling personnel matters, acquiring vehicles and equipment — as well as creating a permanent level of middle management in the police department that will free the police chief as well.

“The chief cannot get down in the weeds,” Larson said. “The chief needs to oversee the budget, outline the mission of the department, and represent the department to community leaders. That’s the role of a chief that will make an agency successful.”

“Officers need fully engaged leadership from sergeants, and sergeants need fully engaged leadership, and that cannot always come from the chief,” he added.

When asked if he had anyone in mind for the position, Larson said he is “looking to the future” of the department, and expects the next police chief will hire the captain.

“Where I see this going is the right chief selects the right captain, and eventually officers are trained and mentored to want to rise through the ranks,” Larson said. “The initial captain may not come from within, but I hope to make that eventually a mark of a successful agency.”

The captain position, with salary and benefits, is slated to cost the city around $100,000 per year.

According to Mayor Jim Hemberry, the police department last had a captain four years ago, and when he left, the council decided not to replace him.

The city council also unanimously approved a $5,000 incentive bonus — half paid up front and half paid after the completion of a year of service — for trained and sworn police officers “willing to transfer to Quincy” from another department.

“How do we attract and recruit veteran, high-quality officers?” Larson said. “Moses Lake has had some success with this.”

Larson said it takes about $20,000 to train a new officer, and this would be one way to keep those costs down.