Royal Oak Police Chief Presents New Organization Chart for Department

Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue has a plan to restructure his department, but it would cost the city about $2 million and take "some guts" to implement.

In a special work session with the City Commision on Monday night, O’Donohue supplied the city manager and commissioners with a proposed new organization chart for the that includes hiring additional sworn officers and civilian personnel.

The chief's organization chart was a blend of suggestions in a Police Operations Analysis prepared by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), a nonprofit public safety consultant, and the chief’s own recommendations.

Some of the ideas included in the  in February included adding officers and civilians, restructuring the department and adding a Central Business District enforcement unit. That unit would focus on downtown incidents to relieve the burden on patrol officers.

O’Donohue included a CBD unit in his proposal. “I think that is something that would be really good for the city,” he said. “I think a CBD unit can really help us.”

The chief spent nearly two hours with commissioners laying out his vision for everything from animal patrol to the criminal investigation division.

Mayor Jim Ellison asked O’Donohue and City Manager Don Johnson to prepare a plan for how the restructuring would be implemented and what the public safety benefits would be to residents. The mayor said it was going to take “some guts” on the part of commissioners to execute the chief's proposal — including supporting a millage to fund it.

Commissioners scheduled another work session at 6 p.m. March 26 in Room 309 at to discuss the Fire Department report prepared by ICMA.