The leaders of the Clarksdale Police Department have put together their wish list and it appears the city’s elected representatives are willing to grant those wishes.
In its meeting Monday afternoon, Dec. 10, the Clarksdale Mayor of Board and Commissioners agreed to hire four more officers, giving the department 27 patrolmen among its 38-person unit.
Also on Monday, the city council voted to advertise for five more patrol officers in addition to the assistant police chief’s slot they are currently seeking to fill.
If those positions are filled, then the department would have 32 patrol officers. And that number would allow Police Chief Sandra Williams to meet her goal of having four different eight-member teams to work 12-hour shifts patrolling the city.
Williams submitted a wish list to city leaders Monday asking for 11 more officers to its current 38-member unit.
In addition to the five more patrol officers and an assistant chief, Williams said the department is also in need of another investigator and four officers to man a now-vacant narcotics/special ops unit.
Mayor Chuck Espy said the city is willing to spend to make the necessary improvements.
“We are well within our budget constraints to hire these additional officers,” Espy said.
He noted that during his first fiscal year overseeing the city budget the city was able to save an estimated $1.4 million through competitive bidding and 10 percent cuts across the board.
“That goodwill has paid off,” Espy said. “Now we have to invest heavily on law enforcement.”
The personnel request was part of a three-month process in which Williams and Assistant Chief Vincent Ramirez assessed their current operation and compiled crime reports. It is their estimation that, based on Clarksdale’s crime rate and population, there is a need for 49 officers on the Clarksdale Police Department.
Williams said the department is committed to giving 110 percent.
“Everybody that lives in this city deserves to feel safe in their homes, going out into their communities and just walking about,” Williams said. “I think, collectively, with all us working together…. I believe in my heart that the city of Clarksdale is going to be a much better place for all of us to live.”
The one-year assessment was presented during Monday’s meeting. It included details on where are Clarksdale’s high-crime areas, what agencies the CPD is partnering with, what corrective actions/plans they will put in place to deter crime, and what disciplinary action will be handed out to those employees who fail to meet those policies.
The assessment states the “goal is to make the Clarksdale Police Department an effective agency through training, community policing, holding officers accountable, and abiding by policies and laws.”
Espy was pleased with the assessment and said the corrective action plan serves as a blueprint for those working in a profession that he says “is very difficult.”
“I am just hoping and praying that in the next six months the public sees the fruit of our labor,” Espy said.
Fernando Harris has been serving as a consultant for the CPD and he also played a part in developing the strategic plan for the police department.
Harris, 50, grew up in Clarksdale and graduated from Clarksdale High School. He has 24 years in law enforcement and spent 10 years (1990-2000) working for the CPD, where he eventually became an investigator.
The Austin, Texas, resident spent the past two years working for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he handled officer training for FEMA before opting for retirement.
As part of his consulting work in Clarksdale, Harris was able to have one-on-one confidential meetings with more than half of the city’s police officers.
“I was expecting to hear lots of complaints about the chief, but I did not hear that,” Harris said. “I heard a lot of complaints of officer vs. officer. Officers not doing their jobs. Officers not following the chain of command.”
He said it’s important that the CPD fix its internal bickering.
“If we don’t get the police department internal correct, the outside is not going to work,” Harris said. “We have to start there first, get the officers on the same page, doing the same job. It’s a hard job, but it can be done.”
Harris also stressed the importance of community policing.
“Communities play a very strong part in police work, whether they know it or not,” Harris said. “If you don’t have the community involved and have a strong bond, then you’re fighting a losing battle.”
He said Clarksdale has to get back to “trusting the police department,” while officers should realize they are “officers 24-7” with the public constantly watching their actions.
