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The Springfield Police Department reportedly is facing staffing shortages. 
SBJ file 
The Springfield Police Department reportedly is facing staffing shortages. 

Council considers issues of crime, staffing 

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The public comment portion of Monday’s Springfield City Council meeting brought issues of policing in the city front and center. 

Council has previously addressed the fact that the Springfield Police Department is said to be down 70 officers, though the SPD annual report for 2020 reports that there are 335 sworn officers in the department, and its website states it has an authorized workforce level of 362. 

Crime also is high in the city, as compared with national statistics. SPD’s 2020 Crime Report, based on numbers from the FBI’s National Incident Based Reporting System, showed 25,458 total offenses, including 5,840 crimes against persons16,861 crimes against property and 2,757 crimes against society. In 2020, the city experienced 15,043 of these types of crimes for every 100,000 in population. 

Ben Brown introduced himself to council as a manager of an apartment complex on East Norton Road, located in north Springfield. According to Brown, officers want residents to intercede on their behalf with council. 

Brown said an officer told him, "The only way you’re going to change it is don’t talk to anybody in the Police Department – go straight to City Council.” 

Brown described conversations with officers and detectives and also offered what he said were direct quotes from officers stating that they don’t have the manpower to address crime. 

“There is some disconnect between the police officers and the top brass because they’re saying that to citizens, and if they’re saying that to citizens, to me, that’s a cry for help,” Brown said. “They’re basically begging guys like me to go to City Council and say, ‘Hey, help us out.’” 

Brown said police do not respond to minor violations like car break-ins, trash bin diving, illegal dumping and similar crimes.  

“You’re told to file a report online,” he said. 

Brown directly blamed Chief Paul Williams, who has been at the helm of SPD since 2010, for the problems he described. He quoted an unnamed detective who allegedly advised him, “Talking to anybody at the Police Department won’t help. You need to talk to City Council. Until we get rid of Chief Hug-a-Thug, nothing will change.” 

Councilperson Richard Ollis acknowledged that there is a problem with crime.  

“It’s an issue we have to try to get our arms around,” he said. 

Councilperson Craig Hosmer agreed.  

“I think that most Springfield police officers are trying to do the best job that they can. I know that they’re understaffed, and I think that they do a pretty good job under trying circumstances,” he said. 

He suggested having police officers address council to describe the tools they need to address the problems. 

“If we’re not doing something right,” Hosmer said, “we’ve got to be doing something differently.” 

He added that he had been hearing the same problems for the eight years he has served on council.  

“We are losing control of the city, and I think we’ve got to do a better job,” he said, adding that he’s getting tired of having people come to us every week and saying that’s not the city we want to live in.” 

City Manager Jason Gage said in an upcoming study session, council will have a chance to look at statistics for up to 20 years of crime in the city. 

“I think what you’re going to find is that your increase isn’t quite what you think it might be,” he said. “There’s been quite a lot of crime for quite a few many years. Now with that said, it’s unacceptable.” 

Gage pushed back against Hosmer’s suggestion that council invite officers to present their views. 

“You have a chief, hierarchy,” Gage said. “You would expect to hear from those individuals more so than front-line officers in a formal report to the council.” 

Hosmer asked if Gage thought it would not be appropriate to have officers appear. 

“No, in an open forum I do not,” Gage said. “I think it puts an officer on the spot in a way that’s not appropriate for them.” 

Councilperson Abe McGull pointed out that the problem has been going on for some time. 

“We didn’t just wake up this morning and find out that we had a shortage of 70 officers,” he said. “This has been a problem that has been growing. In fact, if we had been down 10 officers, I think it should have been brought to council’s attention – it should have been brought to the city manager’s attention – that we should address this. 

Gage said the force had been operating without adequate jail space for a long time, and that impacted enforcement strategies. He said the Police Department had not had full access to a jail for two decades, and their hands were tied for enforcement. 

“That changes completely how an officer can respond to a particular crime,” he said. 

A new jail is under construction, with estimated completion in 2022. That facility will have the capacity to house 1,244 inmates, up from 709 currently. 

McGull requested a report at every council meeting about how jail space is used.  

“Are we filling those spaces up or are we not?” he said. 

Hosmer suggested the city hire a consultant to advise on the issues SPD is facing, and Gage replied that the key is to find one with the right experience and knowledge. 

“That’s something we’ve talked about internally,” he said. 

Ollis asked Gage if police were investigating less serious crimes. 

“My understanding was that we had communicated and decided that we were going to enforce these lower-level types of crimes that were being brought to our attention,” Ollis said. 

Gage clarified that there is no edict that says police will not investigate property crimes or other less serious offenses. 

No one from the SPD spoke at the meeting. 

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