SPRINGDALE -- The well-being of its officers will be the top priority for the Police Department in 2021, Chief Mike Peters told the City Council on Wednesday.
Peters presented a $20 million budget for next year, which included adding a wellness coordinator to the department.
Several police officers each year leave the department for other careers because of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, Peters said. The past year has been hard on the department, with covid-19 and reports of protesting against and physical threats to police officers nationwide.
"Their family members want them to leave law enforcement and put them under tremendous pressure," Peters said.
The proposed budget includes a salary and benefits package for the wellness coordinator position at $30,000 for six months. City officials expect a candidate search, background check and hiring to take six months before the person starts the job.
Peters also included in the budget two part-time social work interns from the University of Arkansas to help families in crisis and help officers respond to residents who present emotional issues. The interns' pay together would total $10,000 for the year.
Peters also requested $70,000 to buy tactical equipment for 30 officers to respond to protests, $155,000 to buy new patrol weapons with an advanced red-dot sighting system and $15,000 to add another dog to the team, making a dog available to each patrol shift.
The person hired for the coordinator job will be a licensed counselor, Peters insisted. The person must be ingrained in police culture to understand the trauma and the officers. "Or one guy will go and tell his friends the program is no good," Peters said.
The coordinator must gain the trust of the officers so they can feel free to share their problems, Peters said. "They need to see him around, get used to him shooting bull with them."
Police officers face a stigma they can't come forward and show weakness or say a fellow officer is struggling, Peters said.
The coordinator will monitor reports to identify officers who present early warning signs of problems. For example, an officer files three use-of-force reports, Peters said. The coordinator would ensure the use of force fell within department policy and if issues on or off duty were taking a toll.
"We want to put officers out there who are not angry at the way society treats them," Peters said.
The coordinator also will be a member of the department's management team. "That way, if an officer needs counseling, he can say, 'You're going,'" Peters said.
The wellness coordinator would work to improve the Employee Assistance Program, which includes peer support, family services, the department's chaplaincy program, critical incident counseling and in-service training with topics such as resiliency and self-care, Peters reported.
"They can have one traumatic event, or it can build up over time," Peters continued. "You can go to only so many dead baby calls."
Peters referenced national studies reporting the life span 0f police officers at 15 to 20 years less than other professions and higher rates of suicide and heart attacks.
"We've got to take care of our guys," he said.
In other business, Patsy Christie, director of planning, included in her budget a request for a planning technician position added to the department. The person would serve as an inspector of development plans, ensuring the plans are complete and meet the city's design standards, landscaping requirements and more. The position will pay a salary of $36,354.
The Planning Department's total proposed budget is $500,000.
Laurinda Joenks can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWALaurinda.