Park Ridge police chief says rank restructuring reflects leaner force

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Updated: March 24, 2012 8:35AM

A plan to restructure the leadership ranks within the Park Ridge Police Department will save the city $22,400 in the coming year, according to Police Chief Frank Kaminski.

Beginning May 1, the classification of police lieutenant will be eliminated and the department’s current lieutenants will take on the title of commander, Kaminski said. Two of the department’s three commanders would then have the title of deputy police chief under Kaminski’s proposal.

The Police Department has not had a deputy police chief since 2009.

The new titles will reflect the officers’ actual responsibilities, Kaminski told the Park Ridge City Council on Feb. 15.

“We have downsized the organization so their workloads have increased and their responsibilities have increased,” he said.

The cost savings will come from cutting one commander position and replacing it with a lower-paying sergeant position.

“I’m not losing any positions, it’s just retitling and restructuring,” Kaminski said.

One commander could be demoted under the proposal unless a retirement occurs, the chief acknowledged. Kaminski said he believes a retirement is a possibility, but added that he will “have to make some tough decisions” if that does not occur.

Kaminski’s restructuring plan does not require action by the Park Ridge City Council, but aldermen were told of the proposal and on Feb. 15 reached a “consensus” to support it. Voting against the plan was 3rd Ward Alderman Jim Smith.

Smith called the administrative-services department “top heavy” and suggested eliminating the position of commander for that department.

Kaminski said he would not be in favor of Smith’s suggestion, as it would further reduce the number of department supervisors available during cases of illness, injury and time off.

“You have to have somebody who is trained to be backup, and that is needed in this organization,” he said.

Kaminski said he has been making changes to the department structure “systematically and methodically” over time.

“This is as lean as you can find an organization,” he told the City Council.