Police Chief Controversy

The recent decision by the La Verkin Chief of Police to move his family out of the City of La Verkin has created a lot of discussion and frustration both within the City Council and the community at large.  I consider Chief Watkins and his wife dear friends and while as a resident of the community I do not agree with his decision, as a friend, I understand the reasoning behind this choice.

That said, I feel strongly that the Chief of Police should reside within the community he or she oversees.  If a determination is made by the City Council that the Chief of Police may be exempt from living within the community, it is still critical that he or she lives within a radius where response during an emergency may be made within the response time outlined in City Policy.  It is my understanding that this time frame currently is 20 minutes for an On-Call employee.  The council has also determined that the Director of Operations and the Chief of Police are exempt from the guidelines of the vehicle use policy as they are determined to be on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I know there are many derogatory comparisons to Southern Utah towns and the iconic community of Mayberry, but one thing I remember from my childhood watching this show: You could trust that Sheriff Taylor would make everything okay.  He presence alone could bring calm to an otherwise chaotic situation.  His sure guidance helped his deputies better perform their jobs and gave reassurance to the characters that populated this fictional community.  While Mayberry is a fictional community, it is enduring in Americana because it showcases basic truths that we do want to see in our own Police Chief: a calming presence during a crisis and sure leadership for the officers under him or her.

Currently, La Verkin does not have a mechanism to require the Police Chief to reside in the community.  Neither the current employee contract or La Verkin Code contain a residency requirement for the Chief of Police.  I have never understood why the La Verkin Code requires a contract for the Chief of Police.  La Verkin Code defines the Chief of Police as an at-will employee of the municipality, appointed by the mayor with the approval of the council.  As an at-will employee, the Chief of Police could be removed from his position without cause by a vote of the council.  Currently, the La Verkin Code additionally provides that compensation for the Chief of Police will be established by contract.  That contract currently allows for a severance package of three months salary if termination is prior to the end of the contractual period and without cause.  It is my understanding that in Washington County a contract for the police chief is unusual, especially in a community the size of ours.

Furthermore, Utah State Code allows for the establishment of residency requirements for all appointed officers of the municipality.

In my opinion, it would be in the best interest of the residents of La Verkin to implement the following:

• The current municipal code be amended removing the requirement of a contract for the chief of police and allowing compensation to be established as part of the budgeting process.
• The City Council should look at establishing by ordinance residency requirements for its appointed officers.
• The vehicle use policy should apply to all City employees who have been assigned a City vehicle.  City vehicles should be for the use of the employee in doing their job and not for personal use.
• The City should review its on-call procedures and establish a policy for those times when a director will not be able to meet the response requirements as outlined, to include appointment of a designee to respond in emergencies with the authority to make decisions.  

View current La Verkin Code regarding the Chief of Police by clicking HERE.
View State Code regarding residency requirements by clicking HERE.
View other State Code regarding appointment of employees by clicking HERE.