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Assistant chief dropped in police reorganization
(by Sue Reid - March 11, 2011)
Assistant chief dropped in police reorganization
By SUE REID
The position of assistant chief in the Solon Police Department has been eliminated.
Solon City Council approved an ordinance Monday amending the administration code to revise the composition of the police department to provide for an additional sergeant.
It's the result of a reorganization of the command staff in which the position of assistant chief was eliminated, and a sergeant's position is being added, Police Chief Christopher P. Viland said. Former Assistant Chief Raymond J. Tittl retired last year.
Mr. Viland became the city's fifth police chief in January, following the retirement of Wayne Godzich, who had been chief since 1996.
"Trends in organizational management over the next decade have been to flatten out organizational structures," Mr. Viland said, or removing levels of hierarchy where possible.
"We looked at functions of the police department with that in mind and felt that it would streamline the organization to remove one of the levels of command, which was the assistant chief position," he said.
The change would result in a roughly $20,000 cost savings to the city annually, Mr. Viland said.
Originally a captain's position before evolving into assistant chief, the position has been in place for roughly 20 years, he said.
In the past, the police department had an assistant chief, four lieutenants and seven sergeants. With the reorganization, there will be four lieutenants and sergeants. Mr. Viland said the responsibilities under the role of assistant chief have been split up among himself and the four lieutenants.
The reorganization was an administrative decision, Mayor Susan A. Drucker said Tuesday. "This is something the chief and I came to a conclusion of after lengthy discussion of what would be best for the department," she said. "Times change, and where you are today does not reflect where the city may or may not have been 10, 15 years ago."
Mrs. Drucker said, when opportunities for change occur, "you need to look at the situation, assess it and look at what's best for the department and the city today and the future as we see it."
Mr. Viland said the department has four "extremely talented" lieutenants. Following the recent appointment of Rick Tonelli as lieutenant, officer David Pershinske was promoted to sergeant and will be in charge of the detective bureau.
"We are dividing the administrative roles among the four lieutenants, and I think it will work out extremely well for the department and the city," Mr. Viland said.
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