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Pay cited most often as reason for ORPD turnover, low morale, MTAS report says

Posted at 8:05 pm October 15, 2015
By John Huotari 23 Comments

Margaret Norris and Rex Barton of MTAS on Oct. 15, 2015

Margaret Norris, left, and Rex Barton of the Municipal Technical Advisory Service at the University of Tennessee deliver the results of a six-month review of the Oak Ridge Police Department to City Council on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12 p.m. Oct. 16.

It probably wasn’t the explanation that many expected, but pay was cited most often as the reason for turnover and low morale in the Oak Ridge Police Department, according to a report released Thursday.

Some have pinned most of the blame for the department’s woes—or perceived woes, depending upon your perspective—on Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi, and they had called for an investigation of the chief earlier this year on several different fronts.

Among those pressing for an investigation was Oak Ridge City Council member Trina Baughn. She and others had raised questions about the chief’s temperament, including whether he has outbursts and is vindictive, and what Baughn suggested is a high turnover rate.

But the City Council instead approved a review of the ORPD that focused on morale, turnover, and administrative policies. In March, Council hired the Municipal Technical Advisory Service at the University of Tennessee to conduct the six-month review, which was first proposed by Council member Kelly Callison. MTAS presented its findings in a 20-page report presented to the Oak Ridge City Council in a special work session on Thursday.

The report identified a primary culprit familiar to many workers: pay. But as officers have pointed out, they, unlike most other workers, face danger on a daily basis.

Most of those interviewed by MTAS thought that ORPD salaries are not suitable for retaining good employees, MTAS consultant Rex Barton told Council members Thursday. Whatever raises have been given in the past few years have been outstripped by the rise in the cost of benefits, Barton said.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: administrative policies, Charlie Hensley, City Council, Jack Mansfield, Jim Akagi, John Criswell, Kelly Callison, Margaret Norris, morale, MTAS, Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, Rex Barton, Tasha Blakney, Trina Baughn, turnover, University of Tennessee, UT

MTAS review of ORPD could cost $26,200

Posted at 11:19 am May 20, 2015
By John Huotari 7 Comments

Oak Ridge Police Department Cars

Note: This story was last updated at 12:08 p.m.

A review of the Oak Ridge Police Department by a University of Tennessee agency could cost $26,200.

The Oak Ridge City Council has asked the Municipal Technical Advisory Service at UT to review the ORPD, with a particular focus on turnover, morale, and administrative policies.

The initial 30-day review approved during a March 27 special meeting was going to be free. But an uproar ensued after the initial list of employees to be interviewed was sent to the police chief, city manager, and all Police Department employees, raising concerns about the confidentiality and impartiality of the review.

The City Council then expanded the scope of the inquiry. During an April 21 special meeting, members asked MTAS to interview all ORPD employees and try to interview former workers who have left in the roughly four years since Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi started. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Meetings and Events, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: administrative policies, interviews, Jim Akagi, Jim Thomas, morale, MTAS, MTAS review, Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Personnel Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, ORPD review, request for qualifications, review, RFQ, special meeting, Trina Baughn, turnover, Warren Gooch

The numbers: ORPD turnover 2007-2015

Posted at 9:26 am May 4, 2015
By John Huotari 9 Comments

James T. Akagi

James T. Akagi

Turnover in the Oak Ridge Police Department is one of several issues at the heart of a contentious debate over the ORPD and its chief, James T. Akagi.

But since the debate started in late January, there hasn’t been much public discussion of how the turnover rate compares, in either numbers or percentages, to the rate before Akagi started on July 1, 2011.

Information requested by Oak Ridge Today and provided by the Oak Ridge Personnel Department and Personnel Director Penny Sissom sheds some light. That data goes back more than eight years, starting in Calendar Year 2007. That’s roughly 4.5 years before Akagi started and more than 3.5 years since.

Oak Ridge Today analyzed the data by calendar year (January-December) and fiscal year (July 1-June 30). The data shows that ORPD turnover ebbs and flows from year to year, with a high of 19 and a low of one.

Oak Ridge Police Department Turnover (2007-2015)

Here are the numbers by calendar year (CY), from January to December, based on city data: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: administrative policies, blue flu, Clinton Police Department, CPD, Darrell DeBusk, David H. Beams, James T. Akagi, Jim Akagi, John Thomas, Kelly Callison, Knoxville Police Department, KPD, Kyle Scott, Mark Watson, morale, MTAS, Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Personnel Department, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, ORPD turnover, Penny Sissom, review, Rick Scarbrough, Trina Baughn, University of Tennessee, UT

MTAS seeks more info on ORPD review, could charge city $50 per hour

Posted at 7:27 pm May 1, 2015
By John Huotari 15 Comments

The University of Tennessee agency asked to review the Oak Ridge Police Department has questions about the expanded scope of the inquiry—it could now include all current employees and some former employees—and the Municipal Technical Advisory Service at UT could charge the city $50 per hour for its work on the project.

MTAS had initially proposed a free limited review of turnover, morale, and administrative policies in the Oak Ridge Police Department. That review, which would have interviewed a random sample or cross-section of ORPD employees, was approved by the Oak Ridge City Council during a March 27 special meeting.

But the City Council asked to start over after the initial list of employees to be interviewed was sent to the police chief, city manager, and all Police Department employees, raising concerns about the confidentiality and impartiality of the review.

During an April 21 special meeting, City Council agreed 5-2 to start over by asking MTAS to interview all employees and try to interview former employees who have left since Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi started on July 1, 2011. But that meant the city’s contract with MTAS, which had already started the initial review, had to be renegotiated. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Meetings and Events, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: administrative policies, Ellen Smith, human resources, Jim Akagi, Jim Thomas, Mark Watson, morale, MTAS, Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Police Department, ORPD, ORPD review, Penny Sissom, Rex Barton, turnover, University of Tennessee, Warren Gooch, work session

ORPD review expanded to include all employees, some former workers

Posted at 11:18 am April 23, 2015
By John Huotari 18 Comments

Oak Ridge Police Department Cars

But MTAS will have to agree to changes

The review of the Oak Ridge Police Department has been expanded to include interviews with all employees. The review could also include interviews with former employees who have left the Police Department since Police Chief Jim Akagi started almost four years ago.

Initial plans had called for a limited review of the Oak Ridge Police Department and interviews of a random sample or cross-section of employees.

But the Oak Ridge City Council expanded the review during a special meeting on Tuesday. That special meeting was called after concerns were raised about the initial list of randomly selected interviewees being sent to the police chief, city manager, and all Police Department employees, which raised questions about the impartiality and confidentiality of the review.

By one estimate, the expanded review could include interviews with more than 100 people. And it’s not clear if the Municipal Technical Advisory Service at the University of Tennessee will agree to the expanded review, or if they might charge the city.

The City Council agreed to expand the review during a three-hour special meeting on Tuesday that included criticism of MTAS, accusations of collusion between Council members, and an attempt by Council member Trina Baughn to have resident Joe Lee, one of her chief critics, stop taking pictures during a public comment session. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police, Police and Fire, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: administrative policies, Charlie Hensley, Chuck Hope, City Charter, David Beams, Ellen Smith, Jim Akagi, Joe Lee, John Criswell, Kelly Callison, Ken Krushenski, Margaret Norris, Mark Watson, morale, MTAS, MTAS review, Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Police Department, Open Records, ORPD, ORPD review, review, Rex Barton, Rick Chinn, Trina Baughn, turnover, University of Tennessee, Warren Gooch

Council considers ORPD review proposal, ORHS stoplight, amendment for Main Street project

Posted at 10:37 am March 9, 2015
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Oak Ridge City Council on Feb. 9, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, Feb. 9, agreed to a third-party review of turnover and morale in the Oak Ridge Police Department but rejected requests for two other probes. On Monday, March 9, the Council will consider a proposal from the Municipal Technical Advisory Service to conduct the review, which will also include administrative policies. (File photo)

 

Note: This story was updated at 1:10 p.m.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday night will consider a proposal to use the Municipal Technical Advisory Service to review turnover, morale, and administrative policies in the Oak Ridge Police Department.

The Council will also consider a contract to install a stoplight on Oak Ridge Turnpike in front of the Oak Ridge High School.

Also on tonight’s agenda is a resolution to appoint members of a joint city-school committee that will study options for repairing, replacing, or moving the Oak Ridge Preschool.

And Council members will consider a zoning ordinance amendment that could help the Main Street Oak Ridge project, which will redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, Front Page News, Government, K-12, Meetings and Events, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: administrative policies, Janice McGinnis, Jim Akagi, Jon Hetrick, Kelly Callison, Main Street—Oak Ridge, Mark Watson, morale, Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge Mall, Oak Ridge Municipal Building, Oak Ridge Police Department, Oak Ridge Preschool, Oak Ridge Turnpike, Pat Fallon, Rex Barton, stoplight, Trina Baughn, turnover

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Classifieds

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AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

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