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Coffee Conversation |
Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals was on the Chief’s mind the morning he and I had our coffee chat. He had a double reason for hoping the series would end that night; his department and several cooperating police departments were ready for the expected downtown celebrations. As I write this, his worst fear is coming true. The final game will be in Detroit on Friday. “That means, the usual Friday night crowd will be joined by the hockey crowd. And we have to set up for the next day’s Clay, Glass, and Metal Festival.” More seriously, I had asked Jahnke whether the police chief’s job description mandates his sitting through CITCOM meetings. “No, but attending those meetings gives me a sense of what’s happening throughout the city and the other departments. And, listening to Public Comment alerts us to matters which might need our attention. If one person comes forward to report a concern, it is likely that others share that concern.” Disturbingly, later that day, a VersagiVoice reader found occasion to ask me, “Does the Chief carry his firearm when he’s sitting there?” I formally alerted Jahnke to the purported reason for the concern, about which VersagiVoice may or may not write further. His reply: “As a certified Royal Oak Officer, I am always armed while on duty, and I am on duty at the City Commission meetings.” During his 19 years in the department, Chris has served under four police chiefs: Ball, Kemp, Johnson, and Quisenberry. His management mindset immediately kicked in when I asked why the department was “in trouble” before Quisenberry came on-board. (Disclosure: My wife served on the first Police Oversight Committee which reviewed those troubles and made recommendations.) “Mel [Johnson] was promoted over others, and did not have the complete support from Command Staff. One result was that people were not held accountable for performance or non-performance. It was difficult to know what the rules were.” Speaking of rules, Jahnke joins those department heads who question the wisdom of elected officials attempting to micromanage the professionals, adding, “CITCOM has the daunting task of balancing the budget and the duty to make sure that every penny is spent wisely and, in essence, holding each department head accountable.” He saw it as appropriate, for example, for CITCOM to direct him to investigate the feasibility of moving to 10- or 12-hour shifts. Jahnke walked me through how the staffing of each shift would be distorted by any move away from the existing 8-hour shift, repeating the details which had convinced CITCOM to retain the current practice. Relatedly, when Chris and I were discussing the concerns of those neighborhood spokespersons who are uneasy with Royal Oak’s success as an entertainment venue, part of his reply dealt with how changes in shifts would adversely affect the ability of Road Patrols to respond to neighborhood requests for service. Day-shift staffing differs, for example, Monday-through-Friday, Thursday-Friday-Saturday, and weekends. Having followed Quisenberry as Chief, what does Jahnke see as changes which might be needed in the department? Here Chris applied a business model, after stating, “Unlike the situation that Ted inherited, there is no need for structural change. What we have now is the need for each worker in a diminished staff to do more.” The business model of “Price, Selection, and Services” applies here, he told me. As departmental staffing dropped – from 104 in 2003 to today’s 81 – the loss of one Deputy Chief inevitably affected administrative operations. More apparent to the public has been the shutdown of Traffic Safety with its subsequent reduction in Road Patrols. No car seat inspections and aid. Fewer investigations of hit-and-run fender-bender accidents. The department now refers all those cases to the insurance company. Intersections are not as frequently monitored. Fewer follow-ups of complaints about drivers who speed or run Stop signs. “Traffic control is a crime prevention measure. It isn’t rare for a traffic stop to lead to an arrest for a non-traffic offense.” Investigations formerly conducted by the Detective Bureau are now limited to felonies. Chris recalled that as lead investigator into the Japanese Sauna problem he was able to devote months to the task. “We can’t do that today. There’s no staff, no time.” I hit Jahnke with the chronic complaint of some neighborhood spokespersons: “All the police efforts are downtown. Neighborhoods suffer. How do we benefit from a thriving downtown?” The Chief was ready. “Homeowners must recognize that their real estate values rose more rapidly than in other cities in the area. Even in these hard times, Royal Oak home values have not dropped as much as much as elsewhere. “It helps that EPSN broadcasts from Main Street, and that it is generally understood by regional and national media that Royal Oak is where the action is after the Stanley Cup Finals.” Hailing from Ann Arbor, he compares Royal Oak favorably with the university town. Students aside, “We are seen as the center of Southeastern Michigan.” I asked Jahnke how he approaches management and what he does to maintain morale in his financially and operationally stressed department. He ticked off his approach: Monthly meetings . . . Come in early . . . Communicate, keep everyone in the loop . . . Stepping up to problems . . . Management by walking around . . . Respect the line officers. The goal of all this? “We must not lose public trust.” How does the police department interact with other city departments? “Stay in touch. Get issues out front.” I asked the Chief if he is in favor of a dedicated millage. “Of course. A consistent income would make it possible to provide consistent services.” Before the financial crisis, “We were considered the model police department in the region. While the department remains respected, we were more effectively responsive before the cuts.” He returned to his price-selection-services model: “Each budget-caused staff reduction forces internal adjustments about which services to maintain and how to maintain them. “For the residents, the choice is price. They must select which services they are willing to downsize or to live without. “ Jahnke, 48, is married to Kate (17 years and counting) and they have two wonderful children, Kelly Ann, 12, and Benjamin, 11. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a Masters degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Quantico, Virginia. During his tenure at the Royal Oak Police Department, he has worked as a Police Officer, Detective, Shift Sergeant, Traffic Safety Sergeant, with the last four years as Deputy Chief. As the Chief and I left Jimi’s it was fun introducing him to former mayor Bob Stocker, and as a cluster of us lined up to pay our tab, to announce, “I’ve just bribed the Chief of Police!” -- 16 Jun 09 |
