At the meeting last Thursday morning Council approved increasing the number of officers by adding two to the full time ranks. Armed with facts & figures WPD Chief Joe Scarabino presented a convincing argument showing Council members that with the recently awarded COPS grant and with savings over the next three years the Village could afford the additions.
The $134,310 COPS grant was awarded to the Village to cover the cost of adding one full time officer to the force for a three year period. Grant provisions state that the Village must keep the additional officer for a fourth year at Village expense. The grant is in effect as soon as the new officers start. Scarabino showed Council calculations that he & Fiscal Officer Dale Davis had worked out that the grant would be enough to pay for not one but two full time officers. Savings accumulated by eliminating two part time positions, with the changes in insurance rates and with anticipated retirements would make up the difference and provide enough funding to cover the fourth year. The two officers selected for the full time positions are presently part-time members of the WPD. Consequently no lay-offs will be necessary.
Effective September 13 Officers Joe Rayle & Glenn LaClair will be promoted to full time. Shown here at the swearing in ceremony, from the left is Rayle's mother Darlene, Officer Joe Rayle, a happy Chief Joe Scarabino, Officer Glenn LaClair, and Mrs. Beth LaClair. Mayor Joe Surace is conducting the swearing in. Both Rayle & LaClair are graduates of the Jeff Tech Police Training. According to the newspapers LaClair will resign as a full-time officer of the Salineville PD.
After the meeting a very happy Chief Scarabino remarked that it has been a long time coming. The number of full time officers were reduced by one back in 1999 when the Village was in fiscal emergency.
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2 comments:
Both of these officers are good guys and fine additions to the force. Congratulations ! Stay safe !
While Scarabino has secured two full time officers, good men at that, I hope he realizes he now has 9 full timers, including himself. He stated in the past that his full time officers needed a raise and his part timers are making $9 per hour. Some of his full time officers work other jobs, so maybe he can cut back on the part timers and give his full timers a little overtime.
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