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Police Department <br /> Chief Kaucheck <br /> Officer Ron Bunner of FOP Lodge 25 <br /> Chief Kaucheck reviewed the Police Department's staffing, noting that 17 officers were recently <br /> hired and that 91 out of 94 positions are filled. Several of the new hires discontinued their <br /> employment for a variety of reasons. The city is set to offer a new civil service test in January <br /> and is hoping to extend additional employment offers by mid-February 2022. <br /> Chief Kaucheck gave updates on departmental efforts in recruitment, facilities updates, and <br /> community outreach. Lakewood Police has expanded its network of universities at which their <br /> patrol officer exam is announced, along with civil service rules to better accommodate lateral <br /> transfers into the department. LPD secured the perimeter of the jail, allowing improved <br /> compliance with state law, and is looking to upgrade officer quarters to improve morale. He <br /> indicated that 2 neighborhood police officers were added in 2021 and that two more are in the <br /> process of being trained, meaning each ward should have its own neighborhood officer by the <br /> first quarter of 2022. The Coffee with a Cop Program was also re-instituted after the initial Covid <br /> pandemic and there have been increased bike patrols to improve community relations and make <br /> officers more approachable. <br /> Lakewood Police have utilized grant funding to attract minority applicants to the department. <br /> Chief Kaucheck suggested increasing the authorized staffing of the department in the future to <br /> make sure LPD has an ample number of officers, as the city continues to operate in a tight job <br /> market for the next several years. <br /> Efforts were made in 2021 to revamp the auxiliary police unit and parking enforcement in an <br /> effort to improve safety. The auxiliary police volunteers were transitioned into community <br /> ambassador roles and were given new uniforms, along with parking enforcement staff, to further <br /> differentiate them from police. <br /> Chief Kaucheck further expounded upon necessary building updates. He indicated that the men's <br /> locker room is 50 years old and is in desperate need of an upgrade. New flooring and furniture is <br /> needed in the dispatch center, which is used 24/7 365 days a year. The police training room is <br /> also in need of remodeling. All of these updates are being requested with an eye towards officer <br /> retention and to improve employee morale. Chief Kaucheck concluded with the notion that the <br /> city may have to look at giving signing bonuses in order to recruit new officers. He added that <br /> Lakewood Police are highly trained, which makes them even more recruitable to other <br /> communities looking to siphon talent. <br /> Investigator Ron Bunner of Lakewood FOP Lodge 25 stated that Chief Kaucheck's leadership <br /> has been a breath of fresh air, and that training/morale have improved. He added that the Chief <br /> encourages officers to engage with the community. <br /> Mr. Bunner indicated that morale in policing has been a big problem. He stated a need for <br /> policing as an industry to find ways to attract young talent. He highlighted how locker room <br /> 6 <br />