BRENHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT CHANGING ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The Brenham Police Department is undergoing a major shift in its structure.
Brenham Police Chief Ron Parker told the city council today (Thursday) that due to loss of staffing and struggles with recruiting, the police department has adjusted its organizational chart to be “more streamlined and trimmed down.”
Parker said the department has lost almost 18 percent of its total workforce, including both civilian and sworn personnel, and almost 20 percent of its licensed police officers. He called the reasons for this “multi-faceted.”
Parker said attempts to bring in new employees have not been very successful thus far, in no small part due to the other agencies Brenham is competing with.
Parker said these staffing challenges go beyond the police department, extending across the city and to other law enforcement agencies.
Part of the organizational shift of the department includes the reduction from two police captains to one, that being Captain Lloyd Powell, with the second captain’s position being transitioned into one of a patrol officer. The other captain was longtime officer and former interim police chief Dant Lange, who is no longer with the department. KWHI asked the city about Lange’s departure, but the city declined to comment. KWHI has reached out to Parker and filed a public information request for details on if Lange’s exit was part of the restructuring plan or if it was due to other factors.
In addition, Parker said many of the department’s previous standalone units or sections, like the Crime Reduction Unit, have been blended into the Criminal Investigations Unit. A reason for that, he said, is because the department has “lost half of our detectives.” One of those is another officer who had been with the department for a number of years, Jared Campbell. Other personnel have been transferred to patrols, where Parker said the bulk of the department’s needs are.
Parker called the new organizational make-up “more hybrid and fluid,” able to flex and change based on daily needs, and more focused on “the basic priorities for our citizens.” He said a side effect is that the department’s community services and outreach programs will take a hit, namely due to the community resource officer position now sitting vacant. He also expects that for the foreseeable future, crime rates may grow and response times to certain categories will creep up as officers “become more tied down with investigations, reports, and just simply being overworked.”
Despite the staff shortages, Parker believes this is an opportunity for the department to improve its services and become leaner and more efficient.
Also at today’s meeting, the council:
- Held an executive session regarding the lease between the city and Washington County for the communications facility at 301 North Baylor Street. Afterwards, the council voted unanimously to approve a second extension of the lease agreement.
- Heard a presentation on the city’s Public Infrastructure Design Manual.
- Approved an ordinance on its first reading amending the Fiscal Year 2021-22 adopted budget.
- Received the Fiscal Year 2021-22 third quarter financial report.
I support the police department 100% and they like other first responders are underpaid. But what is the real reason for the restructuring, why is the city so hush hush about the termination of a Captain (Dant Lang)? It must be pretty bad if they don’t want to release the reason for his termination. The citizens deserve to know who is protecting them………
supporter of law enforcement
The citizens of Brenham need to pray for and back our law enforcement officers. They need to be respected and paid well for their service. They constantly put themselves in harms way and need ample compensation for doing a job that no one else wants to do
.LET’S PRAY FOR THEM AND COMPENSATE THEM WELL.
So do teachers in this day and time! Teachers are neither respected nor paid well for what they contribute to their community. Teaching is the profession that produces all other professions. Ask Uvalde citizens if teachers are apt to lose their lives during an active shooter situation. ???
Yes, these are very troubling times. All Law Officers used to be respected & looked up to but no longer are. What has happened to our world to make it how it is now? I think one reason is God has been taken out of everything.
Amen to that!! God is the reason we even exist.
God cannot be taken out of a person’s heart nor life once HE is ACTUALLY there! If, as you say, God has been taken out of everything; who took HIM out and why did you (we) allow it to happen? Perhaps it it that this generation chooses not to honor nor remember nor retain in their memory any mention of God. Don’t let anyone take GOD from you!
Pray for our Sheepdogs.
Troubled times.
Walk Heavy.
Keep your doors locked and your guns loaded is kinda what the Chief is getting to in a round about way. That is the picture that was painted for me. Since the police departments staff is short can we expect a decrease in taxes?
Why would they do that? They should increase police officer pay to attract more candidates. I can’t think of a better use for tax money.
Nope, your taxes, gas and fuel and food steady going up two income family can barely make it with both parents working and now you have less law enforcement to protect you because when the economy goes up the crime rate goes up. Stay vigilant sheepdogs.
I agree with that we do need to increase officers pay but my suspicious mind makes me think there is more to this story than compensation. Since Rex Phelps left Capitan Dan Lange was the glue that kept BPD together and when he left now we have a multi faceted reason seasoned trained officers leaving? Maybe we have a city council problem playing politics with the PD. Good people don’t just up and leave unless they are pushed out. Hope someone in the know can find out why Capt. Lange left the force?