Full Notification

In November, a referendum question will be on the ballot asking the voters to decide whether the Village can exceed the state-mandated levy limit by $400,000. Part of this request involves funding for an additional full-time police officer to replace the use of part-time officers. Below is a summary of Chief Pharo’s memo with a link to the full memo provided to the Board in April 2022. An additional Q&A on this specific issue was developed in response to some questions during the public information meetings (see attached). Please review the information and feel free to reach out with any questions about the referendum by emailing [email protected]. Don’t forget to vote on November 8!
 
From Chief Pharo:
Historically, the SHPD has staffed the department with just the number of full-time officers to fill the shifts, with one officer on duty 24 hours a day. When an officer is on vacation, family leave, ill, injured, at training, or on other days off, the department has relied on part-time officers to fill in. That staffing model no longer works. Our roster of part-time officers is dwindling, and there is virtually no part-time candidate pool. Our full-time officers and command staff are having to work mandatory 12-hour shifts on a regular basis, and our ability to deliver service is suffering. When staffing is critically low, our administrative duties and patrol functions all compete for time, and each is impacted. Police officer applicants in general are at an all-time low, and competition between agencies is high. Police departments need to offer a stable workplace with good pay and benefits, and a commitment to officer safety, health, and wellness to attract and retain good officers.
 
Our current budget for part-time officers is the equivalent of one half-time employee, and we cannot even fill that number of shifts with our part-time personnel. In 4 recent recruiting efforts for part-time officers, we have not found a single qualified applicant. With another full-time officer added to our authorized strength, we can fill open shifts and rotations with a dedicated SHPD officer that works in our community every shift and is committed to our agency and values. This addition should bring overtime reductions, consistent and full staffing, increased officer visibility, increased supervisory presence, better recruitment and retention, increased officer safety, and better employee health and wellness. With that, the SHPD will continue to provide exceptional service to the Village of Shorewood Hills.
 
The Chief’s full memo can be viewed by clicking here. Additional information is posted and will be posted on the Village’s website at www.shorewood-hills.org/referendum.
 
Sharon Eveland
Shorewood Hills Village Administrator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
810 Shorewood Blvd
Shorewood Hills, WI 53705
(608)267-2680