Downey PD proposes adding third police captain

DOWNEY — The Downey Police Department is seeking to add a third police captain to its ranks, a request that will be considered by the City Council on Tuesday.

The department had three police captains until 2013, when one of the positions was eliminated as part of budget cuts.

At the time, each captain supervised their own department: Administration, Detectives and Field Operations.

When the department was downsized, the captain overseeing the Detectives Bureau also took over Administration.

In a memo to the City Council, interim city manager Mark Scott said it’s time to restore the captain position, citing an increase in duties due to new state mandates.

“Additionally, the Bureau has seen the scope of its responsibilities expand in relation to data reporting, grant management, audit requirements, trainings, and implementation of additional de-escalation techniques,” Scott wrote in the memo.

“Further, with a dedicated Captain to the Administration Bureau, it will allow the other two Police Captains to focus on the Detectives and Operations Bureaus, and not have to supplement the Administration Bureau,” Scott added. “This is particularly crucial as the Department has seen crime rates rise across the region as well as an expanded scope of responsibilities in relation to homelessness and mental health issues; i.e. crime, clean-ups and outreach.”

The cost to add a third captain for the remainder of the fiscal year is $129,278. It’s unclear how the position would be funded in future budgets.