Police, fire chiefs update city council on staffing and scheduling changes
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Wednesday, April 11, 2018 — For the first time in many months, the Bardstown Police Department is fully staffed. That was the report from Police Chief Kim Kraeszig to the Bardstown City Council at Tuesday’s council meeting.
CHIEF KIM KRAESZIG
The police department has positions for 27 officers, and as of Tuesday, all those spots were filled. The department also has three civilian employees for a total of 30.
The police department was short six officers when she arrived in September. She told the council she was waiting on getting the newest hire’s paperwork complete and approved, which she expected to happen later this week.
Kraeszig also reported that she has changed the police department’s schedules from 12-hour shifts to 10-hour shifts. The change not only reduces the amount of overtime officers work, but also gives officers better quality of life and time with their families.
Officers are divided into three platoons to insure the city has officers on the street 24/7. Day shift officers work 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Second platoon officers work from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., and the third platoon works 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The four-hour overlap between the second and third platoon shifts is intentional, Kraeszig explained.
“We are doing some proactive policing” with the new schedule.
Every day during that four-hour overlap, we have officers on detail, from foot patrol to traffic to hot-spot policing of areas considered high-crime areas.
“It allows us to use our resources more effectively without costing the department a lot of money,” she said.
FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING. Bardstown Fire Chief Billy Mattingly provided the council a review of the fire department’s structure and operation under his command.
The firefighters are divided into three platoons with five firefighters in each platoon. With the use of part-time firefighters, the plan is to roll three fire apparatus on every call, which he said will be a big help on the city’s next ISO fire protection survey.
Mattingly said he plans to do more to bring in junior firefighters, who are young people who have expressed an interest in becoming volunteer or fulltime firefighters.
The junior firefighter program helps to recruit volunteers, he said.
“If they start out when they’re 16, when they turn 18 they can roll over into a trained volunteer position,” he said.
COUNCILMAN BILL SHECKLES
KBC-LEO. The council approved appropriating $1,000 to help fund the costs of a evening reception for the Spring Summit of the Kentucky Black Caucus for Local Elected Officials, an event that Bardstown is hosting April 27-28, 2018.
The council voted to approve a $500 donation from the council’s contingency fund, while the mayor will provide an additional $500 donation from the mayor’s contingency fund.
In other business, the council:
— approved Resolution 2018-05 that was required for the city’s agreement with the Kentucky infrastructure Authority for a loan to fund the chloramine water treatment upgrade at the city’s water treatment plant.
— approved Resolution 2018-06 that directs funds from the Lincoln Trail Area Development District to pay for most of a new “Welcome to Bardstown” sign that will be built on state right-of-way on Louisville Road across the road from Olde Delaney’s store.
NEXT UP. The council’s next regular meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, 2018.
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