SPRUCE PINE — The Spruce Pine Police Department is getting some significant upgrades to incentivize employees to stay with the department.
At the Spruce Pine Town Council’s regular session on Monday, Nov. 9, the town unanimously approved the purchase of two more vehicles so the department can begin having assigned vehicles for each officer.
The two cars, which will cost $86,714, will be the second round of new vehicles purchased for the police department this year. Two other cars were purchased earlier this year for the same price.
The topic of assigned vehicles was first brought up at the town council’s regular session on Oct. 12, where Police Chief Bill Summerlin approached the council with the plea.
“People have been trying to scoop up my officers,” he said. “I’ve got a good crew and I don’t want to lose my officers. There’s absolutely nothing I can do to prevent other departments from coming into my department trying to steal away my officers. But, it’s kind of unsettling.”
Summerlin said he asked his officers what they could be doing differently to incentivize them to stay with the department and they said assigned cars.
“One thing that a lot of officers have said would be a huge difference in staying or leaving would be a take-home car,” he said. “An assigned, take-home car. I know that is something that Spruce Pine’s never done.”
Councilman Rocky Buchanan immediately voiced his opposition, saying he was “100 percent against it.”
Town Manager Richard Canipe, who said this was the first time this had been brought up to him, suggested the town take time and research the topic before making a decision.
“We need to do some investigation into this and determine what’s available, what it’s going to cost, how many we’re going to need, how they’re going to be handed out and how they’re going to be monitored,” Canipe said.
At the meeting on Nov. 9, Canipe and Town Clerk Darlene Butler presented their research to the board.
“We’ve proposed assigned cars that stay here,” Canipe said. “But, the road officers would have an assigned vehicle. Someone, as we discussed, would inspect those on at least a quarterly basis and make sure it doesn’t look like animals have been living in it just because no one else consistently drives it.”
Canipe added that officers would need to share vehicles if another is broken down and would be responsible for maintenance on their assigned vehicles.
In addition to assigned cars, officers will now be paid for their 30-minute meal breaks, as well.
“We feel like that would be a reasonable benefit for them since they are not guaranteed they’ll get to sit through their lunch,” Butler said.
Now, instead of working 80 and a half hours every two week period, officers will work 84 hours per two week period with paid lunches included in that time.
In the past, any amount of time worked over 80 and a half hours would be overtime. Now, time worked over 84 hours will result in overtime.
The cost of this change will be an additional $18,230 in payroll expenses.
According to Town Finance Manager Crystal Young, because the town has been using COVID-19 relief money to pay for the police department’s payroll, the department is under budget by approximately $160,000. Therefore, the cost of the two new cars and the payroll expenses will not be taken from the town’s fund balance.
Summerlin said he was satisfied with both decisions the town made for the police department.
“I knew I blew everybody’s socks out with my request, and by all means, I didn’t mean to offend,” he said. “I’m just doing everything I can to make sure that folks are happy. We don’t want to lose any more people to anymore departments. It’s a really good incentive for my folks. A really good incentive.”