West Des Moines Police Restructuring to Make Department More Economical, Efficient

The West Des Moines police department plans to add two new officers and implement longer shifts, a change the police chief says will make the department more effective.

The restructuring of the department will be in place by early July, Police Chief Shaun LaDue told the Des Moines Register. As well as the addition of officers and required 10-hour shifts for all positions, five officers were promoted to higher-ranking positions.

The full restructuring was approved by the City Council with a 4-1 vote last month, the article said. Councilman Kevin Trevilyan opposed the resolution.

LaDue told the Register the change will make operations more effective, efficient and economical, saving the department approximately $82,000.

The new structure saves money by using less overtime pay, not replacing a couple of retiring, higher-ranked officers and improving management systems, the article said.