SPD scores high marks in KLC Safety and Liability Review
John Clark, law enforcement consultant for KLC, presented SPD Chief Josh Wesley with a plaque in commemoration of the department scoring 100% during a Safety and Liability Review of the department.
The presentation took place during Monday's City Council meeting.
Clark told the council that the review examines 60 areas for SPD personnel, such as driving, firearms training, response to resistance, and keeping track of evidence.
'That is a comprehensive look at an agency's leadership, training, policies, and best practices for law enforcement to see how they're doing. It's almost kind of like a report card that goes back to the League of Cities,' Clark said.
The areas looked at are related to situations that could either get officers hurt or get the department sued—both of which could cause insurance premiums to rise.
And because the city is insured through KLC, there is an incentive for both the city and KLC to measure law enforcement liability.
A high score during this review translates into lower insurance premiums, Clark said, which means the city spends less money to insure the department.
'KLC, as you can imagine, has extremely high standards when it comes to these reviews,' Clark said. 'But the Somerset Police Department has demonstrated a 100% score in all of those areas. And that doesn't happen very often. They exceed professional standards in every area that we measured.
'… This is an accomplishment for the police department, but it's also an accomplishment for the city and for you all,' he said to council members, 'because as you all are well aware, these things are not cheap. These things are not just put forth by effort, but many times they have to come to you all, and you have to fund the very things that keep them on the cutting edge of what keeps law enforcement and your community safe.'
Somerset Mayor Alan Keck said that he believed this was only the second time the city has received this distinction.
'Chief Wesley, we're grateful for you and your team for your continued hard work,' Keck said.
Also, at Monday's meeting, the council approved an ordinance that would update the city's tourism tax requirements to include short-term rental operators, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, to pay the same 4% transient tax that hotels and motels pay.
Keck explained in a previous meeting – and City Attorney John Adams reiterated for the second reading – that when the original ordinance was passed in 2013, brand-name house rental services weren't as prevalent in the market as they are now. Therefore, short-term rentals weren't covered in the language used in that 2013 ordinance.
The new ordinance will also place short-term rental operators in a category for membership in the local Tourism Commission.
Council members also heard the first reading for two new ordinances. One would bring three new streets into the city street system: Innovation Avenue, United Drive, and Progress Lane.
These three streets are part of the SPEDA Commerce Park industrial development area, located in the Barnesburg area.
The second first reading was for a potential zone change for 100 Mardis St. The owner has requested a change from an industrial designation to Residential-3, or a multi-family residential area.
Both items will receive a second reading and vote at a later date.
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