HomeMy WebLinkAbout20220207 - CC Workshop MinutesHastings, Minnesota
City Council Workshop
February 7, 2022
The City Council of the City of Hastings, Minnesota met in a workshop on Monday,
February 7, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Hastings City Hall, 101 East 4th
Street, Hastings, Minnesota.
Members Present: Mayor Fasbender, Councilmembers Braucks, Folch, Fox, Lund, Vaughan
Members Absent: Councilmember Leifeld
Staff Present: City Administrator Dan Wietecha
Assistant City Administrator Kelly Murtaugh
Police Chief Bryan Schafer
Deputy Chief Dave Wilske
Guests: Members of PSAC
Mayor Fasbender called the workshop to order at 5:35 p.m.
Mayor Fasbender invited Chief Schafer and Deputy Chief Wilske to present to the Council on
the Police Department. Chief Schafer welcomed the Council and PSAC members in attendance.
Chief Schafer summarized what the Police Department has accomplished in the last 8 years:
Increased professionalism, accountability, transparency; enhanced community engagement; and
equipping the agency for tomorrow. He then outlined what’s ahead: changing environment
(internally/externally), increasing demands from the public (high speed due to social media),
maintain the high functionality of the department, and future remodel of the facility.
There are 30 sworn staff and 6 full-time non-sworn staff. The City is divided into 4 sectors for
patrol to provide for accountability and coverage. There were nearly 24,000 calls for service in
2021. Majority of the crimes in the City are property crimes (68%). In 2021, there were no
officer discipline cases and no complaints. The Records staff are working a hybrid schedule that
has improved efficiencies.
There are many areas were improvements in staffing may be needed. There are a high number of
investigations. Investigators are appointed to a 3-year cycle, but it takes 18 months to become
comfortable in the role. There may be need for an additional School Resource Officer as our
current officer is at the Middle and High School. The Community Engagement Officer has
accomplished a lot, but there are many areas that still need attention. Officers manage a number
of areas that could be addressed differently: animal control, equipment service or deployment,
crisis transports and medical calls.
Other areas of concern include:
• Training—increases in policy and licensing mandates; mental health and crisis response;
virtual and scenario-based training; professional development
• Officer retention—HPD morale is high; PTSD is an increasing concern in the law
enforcement field; many departments are offering recruitment or retention bonuses
Future challenges: population growth, recruitment of patrol officers, collaboration costs with a
number of entities, crisis mental health response, equity and inclusion, and emergency
management.
Council discussion on the types of cases handled by the Police Department and how they
compare to other Cities in Dakota County. Questions about School Resource Officer funding.
Council discussed recruitment and what impacts attracting new officers. Discussion on
prioritizing the needs for staffing and the expectations of the department. Council requested time
to digest the information, develop questions and meet with the Police Department again.
ADJOURNMENT
The workshop adjourned at 6:57 p.m.
____________________________ ______________________________
Mary D. Fasbender, Mayor Kelly Murtaugh, City Clerk