Wichita police chief’s goals include more officers

With violent crimes and police response times up last year, and officer staffing and community trust lacking, Wichitans had steep expectations for new Police Chief Gordon Ramsay even before his arrival.

His eventful first few weeks, including a January rash of armed robberies of businesses and the Feb. 27 shooting of four people in Old Town, only increased the pressure on Ramsay to demonstrate leadership and counter concerns about public safety.

So far Ramsay looks to be hands-on, high-profile, responsive and decisive, moving quickly to meet with community constituencies and empower department supervisors, and handling media questions and stakeholder discussions after the Old Town violence.

An experienced administrator as well as law enforcer who served as Duluth, Minn., police chief for a decade, Ramsay already has identified the most pressing needs of the Wichita Police Department, some of which he discussed with The Eagle editorial board last week.

A lot of it stems from staffing, which is 30 officers short of the budgeted level of about 650 and down from 700 officers a decade ago. Even recruitment is understaffed, he said, noting his goals of hiring experienced officers from other agencies and drawing more second-career candidates.

Officers now go from one call to another throughout their shifts, he said, leaving no time for his high priority of increasing community policing. The staffing shortage also drives up response times, frustrating citizens and risking more volatile encounters once police arrive.

Ramsay said he didn’t think entry-level pay was an issue in hiring, but that required fitness standards might be too rigorous. Easing the hiring of people who’ve had minor past legal problems would require changes in state law, he said – and perhaps preclude a repeat of the troubling recent revelations about officers labeled as having credibility issues.

As for last year’s double-digit increases in violent crimes: Ramsay pointed to the high clearance rates, including of 30 of Wichita’s 31 homicides in 2015, and said he’s been “blown away at the caliber” of detectives and other staff. His warning to would-be criminals: “Odds are you’re going to get caught.”

Acknowledging “there’s a serious distrust issue,” Ramsay has taken action to meet with leaders and members of Wichita’s communities of color. In the process, he said, he’s been amazed by the strong support for the Police Department – a contrast to the raw emotions aired at the #NoFergusonHere forums in 2014, after a series of deadly encounters between police and citizens in Wichita.

He will need to keep up the engagement and communication as he follows through on equipping all patrol officers with body cameras in the wake of the recent receipt of a $250,000 federal grant. To his credit, Ramsay also has resolved to improve the department’s technology and ability to do data-driven crime fighting. He said Old Town needs not only good cooperation between club owners and police but also more lighting: “Brighten it up.”

Some of what he wants to do will take more money, which will be a challenge in these lean budget times. Fortunately, the community’s goodwill also can serve Ramsay’s goals and chances of success.

This story was originally published March 12, 2016 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Wichita police chief’s goals include more officers."