FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- Considering earlier this year the Fairview Park Police Department restructured its daily schedule from three eight-hour shifts to two 12-hour shifts, city council recently approved a reorganization of leadership to three lieutenants and four sergeants.
“The rank and file in the police department had been lobbying for quite some time to switch to 12-hour shifts,” Fairview Park Police Department Chief of Police Erich Upperman said. “It was getting to the point where some of our good officers started taking entrance exams for other departments that already had 12-hour shifts.”
Last year the chief tasked the officers with creating a 12-hour schedule that would adhere to the Fairview Park Police Department’s minimum manpower levels without increasing costs and causing overtime.
The new schedule -- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. -- was instituted as a one-year trial earlier this year. The officers were told if the change was made permanent a restructuring of the ranking positions would be required. The police union agreed.
“When we had three, 8-hour shifts it made sense to have four lieutenants and three sergeants,” Upperman said. “One lieutenant was the executive officer in an administrative role and one lieutenant to command each of the three shifts with a sergeant on each shift as a first line supervisor.
“Upon switching to 12-hour shifts, there will still be a lieutenant as an executive officer, but there are only two shifts consisting of two platoons of one sergeant and four patrol officers. We’re basically trading a lieutenant for a sergeant position.”
Fairview Park Mayor Patrick Cooney was in favor of the 12-hour shifts, which he said is a trend in law enforcement.
“Their schedules are a little more manageable personally and professionally as a result of the switch,” Cooney said. “The officers seem to be very pleased with the change. We haven’t had any issues from a safety standpoint with coverage, so really it’s been somewhat of a seamless change for the residents.”
The decision to make the 12-hour shifts permanent was made by Fairview Park Police Lt. Paul Shepard, who was recently named as the next police chief following Upperman’s October retirement.
“I have the utmost faith that Paul Shepard will do what is best for the citizens of Fairview Park and for all the members of the department,” Upperman said.
“He’s a decorated officer, known all over Northeast Ohio not only for his work here in Fairview Park, but also for his roles as a critical incident peer counselor, hostage negotiator, police instructor and assistant commander at the Polaris Police Academy.”
The police chief said he chose Shepard to be his second in command nearly six years ago based on his decision-making skills, trustworthiness, honesty, hard-working attitude and love of the community.
“We’ve worked closely together as a team, always with the goal of bettering our agency and providing exemplary service to the residents,” Upperman said. “It makes it easier to hand the reins over to someone who cares about the department and the city as deeply as I do.
“I wish him continued success as he takes on this new role in the vocation and department to which he has dedicated his life.”
As for the outgoing Upperman, Cooney said he’ll be missed, but his retirement is well deserved.
“Chief Upperman has been a leader since he’s been on the force as a patrol officer,” Cooney said. “We’re going to miss his leadership, but with any good leader he’s leaving us in good hands.
“I’ve had an opportunity the last couple of years to become familiar with a lot of our younger officers and witnessed the work they’ve done. We have a very good crop of new officers. A number of them were hired by Chief Upperman, so he’s leaving us in good hands.”
Read more news from the Sun Post Herald here.
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August 27, 2020 at 07:07PM
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