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m Lm Sgt. Daniel Kinnerk, center standing, addresses a joint meeting of city policemen, the City Council and Police commission, held last week Wednesday night. The meeting was called by the Council for officers to voice their grievances. Most of those pictured above are police personnel. STAFF PHOTO-BARBARA GILPIN McHENRY POLICE "CLEAR AIR"IN GRIEVANCE MEETING (Continued From Page 1) large amounts of money to the bank, standing by while businesses with late closing hours dismiss their employees (hospital, bank, stores, etc.,) assisting county deputies when requested to do so, handle bicycle registrations, answer all burglar alarms, respond to rescue squad calls when an inhalator is needed until the squad arrives at the scene, handle animal complaints and investigate burglaries and thefts. Most of these activities require written reports and much of the policemen's time is spent doing paper work. This is time consuming and takes a man off the street. Espey informed the Council that the manpower shortage has prevented him from scheduling the men for advanced schooling. When Alderman George Harker asked how many men had training beyond the six- weeks basic patrolmen's school, no one answered. The Council appeared shocked. Lt. Robert Kranz said that Sergeants Burg and Kinnerk had attended one week of breathalizer school in order to learn how to operate the machine for DWI offenders. "I have been here ten years and have never been to school. I would like to go," Lt. Kranz told the Council. He completed six ten-week training courses on his own time at the Chicago Police academy but has never been sent to advanced school while on the department. In comparison, Kranz related that Lt. Zimmerman of the Crystal Lake Police department told him he had been on that department three years and had just completed his fourteenth school. He is already enrolled in another advanced school at Northwestern. "Crystal Lake has twelve men trained as breathalizer operators and three more will be going to school," Kranz said. "Our department has two," he concluded. Espey also reported that because of the manpower shortage, Officer Robert Zujewski, who was appointed as Police Community Relations man, has not been able to carry out his duties. He is needed to handle regular services in the city. Sgt. Gregory Burg informed the Council that 90 percent of all offenses occurring in the city are committed by persons living outside the city limits. He stressed that the police department is required to service other communities as well as McHenry when these people come into the city. Pepping remarked that when these facts are considered, "activity is more meaningful than population." It was reported that Lt. Kranz, Sgt Burg and Patrolman Kenneth Kunzer handle juvenile cases for the department. An average of sixty juvenile cases a month are processed. Each case demands at least two appointments or contacts. If one of the juvenile officers is not on duty, he must be called into the station, resulting in more overtime. Espey noted that the addition of four men would free one man for full time juvenile work, one for detective work and one for police relations work. Blum also mentioned that since the patrolmen would be going on a forty-hour week instead of forty-four hours, the force would be overloaded even more. An additional sixty-four hours will need to be filled Mayor Stanek said these facts indicated to him that there is definitely a shortage and something should be done. He asked City Clerk Earl Walsh the financial state of the city at the present time. Walsh replied that the city's financial condition is bad right now because tax money has not come in and federal and state grants have not been received on sewer projects. Money was advanced from other funds to cover sewer project payments that were due. "I do not question in any way that the police department needs more help," Walsh said. However, he warned the Council it would have to curtail itself on other programs because there wouldn't be enough money to do everything members wanted to do. He emphasized that "we are squeezing for money", but anticipates that tax money would be coming in around the end of September. Alderman Bolger suggested that revenue sharing funds be used to aid the police department. Some aldermen didn't agree with him but Walsh said he would check with state officials to find out what could be done about changing revenue sharing assignments made previously. Earl Murray, chairman of the Police commission, said it would be two weeks before the new men could be hired because they would have to give \their present employers notice\ The commission has screened numerous men and "we could hire seven men tomorrow", it assured the Council. Mayor Stanek commended Earl Murray, James Blum and Anthony Pintozzi of the Police commission for the "immeasurable man hours" they have spent seeking advice and information and compiling reports and recommendations for police department personnel and equipment. After voting on when to hire the new men, Stanek asked for comments from police officers present in the audience. Lt. Kranz said, "I feel we need a lot more schooling." Sgt. Robert Michelsen commented he had been in the department five years. "I am a shift commander and I am supposed to train men. Give me gome schooling, please," he emphasized. Sgt. Gregory Bliznick said more manpower would alleviate most of the problems. "Schooling was my main concern," he remarked. Sgt. Burg agreed with Bliznick and added that the way laws are changing, schooling is very necessary. Sgt. Daniel Kinnerk felt new patrolmen should be placed on one-year probation. He felt it is important that new men become familiar with the town, get to know the people and learn the area. He believes this much time is necessary to judge how a man is working out and whether or not he is reliable It was noted that everyone in the department who went through probation, passed. However, twelve out of the fourteen men who left the department in the past three years, quit after the probation period Patrolmen James Molnar then spoke to the Council on behalf of patrolmen and asked that an informal meeting be arranged between the Council and members of the Combined Counties Police Association (CCPA). Molnar said recognition of the association was one problem not touched on thus far in the meeting. He said their members were told that if they had their own local organization, the Council would listen to them. Molnar said their association would like to sit down and informally discuss the matter. He insisted that the city would be dealing with the men on the local level. The only time the union would be called in would be to check contracts. "We do not want immediate changes," Molnar said. "What we want is written contracts with benefits recorded and signed," he explained. "We are the second or third highest paid police department in the county and we are grateful for that but other things need to be talked out," he said. Mayor Stanek asked that patrolmen contact him again in about three weeks and a date will be set for a special meeting. Molnar asked that only CCPA members be present at this meeting. Ruth Glowe, secretary to Chief Espey, and Patricia Burke, records clerk, complained that they were promised part-time help several months ago but had received none as yet. Since more men on the force would mean more reports, they wondered when they could expect help. Espey said he intended to hire an additional desk communication worker who would also work part-time with record keeping. However, recently two communications women have left and he has been unable to get them the help they were promised. He said they would receive the help they were promised as soon as he can hire more personnel. Discussion then turned to the request for re-establishment of a Police Advisory committee comprised of three aldermen. Alderman Donald Howard made this suggestion several weeks ago and many aldermen agreed with him. Stanek said he had done some research since the last meeting. He has been laboring with the thought of appointing such a committee and delegating responsibilities to it. He believes there are areas in PAGE 15 - PLAINDEALER - the police department where aldermen should not interfere. Many aldermen felt the Police commission should act only to "hire, fire and discipline". They expressed the opinion that police department grievances should be handled by a Police Advisory committee, not the Police commission. Alderman Jerome Rogers thought it was an oversight to do away with the previous advisory committee. He felt the Council "assumed" that the Police commission had more power than it did and it "assumed" the commission was "taking care of our house". Some of the problems experienced by the police department shouldn't have been solved by the commission, according to Rogers. "We should take care of them ourselves," he said. Earl Murray told the Council the Police commission would be happy to get rid of the Grievance committee job. He said the commission had put in over 300 hours on such matters and they have enough to do. Alderman Harker warned that certain safeguards should be incorporated into the advisory committee. WEDNESDAY,AUGUST at, 1974 "Political interference wit^. the police department can be very serious," he emphasized. In dosing the meeting, SUnek told officers, "We have had problems in the department and presently have problems. 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