A new position in the Macomb Police Department will focus on diversifying the department's workforce. The person hired will also serve as a liaison between people in need and the community's social service agencies.
"We see what’s going on in our city and across the United States, and we’re doing a lot of things to improve relationships and diversity and help our citizens. This is just one part of it," said City Administrator Scott Coker.
"The mayor and I have been talking about something similar to this for probably at least a year if not a year-and-a-half."
Coker said the person hired for the Community Service, Diversity, Recruitment position will not be a sworn officer in the department.
The current breakdown in the Macomb Police Department:
- 25 sworn officers: 23 white males, 1 Latinx female, 1 white female
- 1 records clerk: a white female
- 1 community service officer: a white male
Coker said the new position will initially be advertised within city government. It will be advertised more widely if the city does not end up hiring from within.
In conjunction with creation of the new position, the city will eliminate the job of deputy police chief. Dave Burnham currently serves in that capacity. Burnham said he will retire from the Macomb Police Department early next year and take a job with the McDonough County Sheriff's Department.
Coker said Macomb eliminated the deputy chief position in the fire department about a year ago and spread those duties among other positions. He said the city has planned since then to do the same at the police department. The moves will save money for the city, which expects the census to show a population decline in Macomb. That will result in a decrease in state and federal funding.
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