New chief wants to add staff

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department soon could be open for business on Saturdays if the Coeur d’Alene City Council approves Chief Wayne Longo’s proposal for additional staffing.

Using $252,000 the City Council budgeted for new personnel, Longo hopes to add two officers and the equivalent of 2 1/2 additional full-time positions in other areas.

Longo, on the job for three weeks, said customer service is one of his priorities – not only for residents but also for the people who work in the Police Department.

He wants to add a half-time position in the records department and bring a half-time administrative assistant to full time. As crimes have grown in the community, so have demands on the records department, Longo said.

The additional positions would mean faster turnaround for public requests and information sought by detectives investigating cases, he said.

Adding a half-time position in the property department at the police station would allow the lone property officer to take vacation time in weeklong chunks, Longo said.

“Right now to have just one person working in property; to say she’s overwhelmed is an understatement,” he said.

With the added staff, Longo said, he’d like to open the Police Department on Saturdays for two hours or more to better serve residents who work weekdays.

The proposal goes before the city’s general services committee at 4 p.m. Monday and could be presented to the City Council on Oct. 16.