Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Times
Saturday, January 15, 1977, page 4 (of 24)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
Survey recommends 12 percent reduction of police manpower
From Page 1 salaries alone. During the past 10 years the population of the Gables has grown 17 per cent, while the police department has increased in size by 75 per cent. In the past four years, the cost of operating the department has increased by 40 per cent. The reports state that under the "unusually lengthy leadership" of former Coral Gables Police Chief William G. Kimbrough, the department has established itself as one which responds quickly and almost without questions to virtually every request of Coral Gables citizens. "On the surface it would appear that the management of the department is lodged firmly in the hands of its long-term chief. However, closer inspection of the department's operations reveals that management of the department is not lodged firuly with anyone." The report goes on to say that the department is a "loosely managed organization whose direction is influenced largely by the relative and sometimes shifting strengths of senior staff officers." Kimbrough was asked to retire on Dec. 31 by City Manager J. Martin Gainer, before the results of the survey were made public. Aside from the high level of service and low response time on four calls by the police department, other strengths mentioned in the report are the high educational level of the personnel and the effectiveness of the organization's community relations. The inefficiencies of the department, however, outnumber the strengths, according to the report. The management of the department is poorly organized and the decision making process at the upper levels is impaired by lack of information flowing upward. Some ranking officers seem unfamiliar with the activities they supervise, the survey states. There is an absence of administrative controls, lack of inservice training, lack of personnel rating system, and poor and unjustified staffing. Senior staff members "sorely" lack management training, the report goes on to say. One of the major problems cited is the lack of supervision of the patrol division of the department, which has resulted in "officers sleeping in their cars while on duty, carrying on other improper activities in their patrol cars and leaving their cars in and out of their zones for unauthorized purposes." The following are among the recommendations made by the consulting firm and the approximate time which they should be implemented: Reorganize the department to provide for improved management, supervision and operations, and to introduce necessary functional activities which are now absent or weak by April 1977. All present senior officers in the department should be evaluated as to their performance and capabilities, and management and other types of training should be provided as deemed appropriate by April 1977. Manpower levels reduced by 12 per cent eliminating a captain, four sergeants, 14 patrolmen, three civilians and adding two lieutenants by April. Abolishing the 10 hour, four-day plan and returning work schedules of five day week, eight hours a day by April 1977. Lieutenants should be assigned permanent shifts in patrol and not be permitted to rotate immediately. Immediately realign present patrol zones. Increase Planning and Research Unit by one member immediately. Strengthen field supervision of patrolmen by February. Eliminate holiday pay excess by the end of this month.
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