The new chief for the Ypsilanti Police Department is addressing staffing and morale issues in his first few weeks on the job.
The department’s morale issues have been well-documented in recent years, and, according to Chief Kirk Moore, much of that is tied to staffing shortages.
The department is budgeted for 32 officers, and there are currently seven vacancies. But Chief Moore says progress is being made with two officers in field training and another will graduate from the academy soon.
Moore says retaining good officers is as much of a priority as attracting new ones. He hopes an increase in compensation that puts the YPD on par with other nearby jurisdictions will help that cause.
“We’re getting the message out there that the organization is evolving. It’s changing. Everybody knows in the profession that policing in the city of Ypsilanti can sometimes be challenging, however, the reward is, that you get a great experience in terms of policing.”
Chief Moore says part of the culture change starts at the top. In his first three weeks in charge, he has been going on a listening tour where he is working to speak with every employee in the department.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
