Mentone Town Council Monday approved a police policy.
The council has been working on a police policy for the past year that it has not had before. The policy will go into effect by March 15.
Jill Gross, council president, made the motion to approve the policy, seconded by Shelly Krueger, council member.
The purpose of the 58-page policy states policies, standard procedures, rules and regulations are for the expressed purpose of providing members of the Mentone Police Department with administrative interpretation of policy matters of general nature and to provide uniform guidelines and rules for handling these matters in a more specific manner.
The policy has a section about disciplinary rules and procedures that states in the event of a formal citizen complaint the town marshal, deputy marshal, reserve officers and Mentone Town Board will provide the citizen with a complaint form; the town marshal should be notified; the town marshal shall notify the town board in the event of a formal complaint; and the town marshal shall notify the accused officer concerning the complaint.
The accused officer must provide a written statement of their account of the incident within five days.
After an evaluation of the formal complaint, the town board may meet in executive session with the town marshal concerning the formal complaint. If the formal complaint is against the town marshal, the Mentone Board may meet in executive session without the town marshal.
A complaint form, with the accused officer’s written statement of the incident, will be put in the officer’s personnel file and copies given to the town marshal and Mentone Town Board members.
If necessary, an outside source may need to be hired to investigate a complaint or complaints against the accused officer. A decision will be based on the above information on disciplinary action to be taken; and for some violations, it may be appropriate to use remedial training or counseling services as non-punitive sanctions.
If any complaint is received by any above members, the town marshal shall be notified.
Disciplinary charges that may be filed against officers include, but are not limited to, conviction of any criminal offense in any court, neglect of duty, violation of any policy of the Mentone Police Department, neglect or disobedience of orders, incapability, absence without leave, immoral conduct, conduct injurious to the public peace and welfare, conduct unbecoming an officer and breach of discipline.
In other business, the council approved board representatives for four-year terms including: Gross, council president, fire control president and EMS board member; cemetery sexton Josh Shepherd, and cemetery board members Gross, Jack Simpson and Cambi Reed; park board, Eric Carlin, chair, and members Jim Eads, Krueger and Shepherd; plan commission, chair Gross and members Travina Pettit, Darrel Miller and Kent Ganshorn; and zoning board, Chair Richard Webb and members Jerry Zolman, Harold Carlin and Doug Miller.
The council also approved Eads, town marshal, continuing with the physical aptitude interview process for a new deputy to replace Terry Engstrand, who previously resigned.
In other business, the board approved purchasing a $99 recorder from Best Buy to record meeting minutes.
Croy informed the board the wheels on the cannon in the cemetery have been restored, and the Burket Boy Scout Troop will clean the cannon in the spring.
Eads informed the council he will attend a four-hour Civilian Response To Active Shooter class in Indianapolis Feb. 10.
Shepherd informed the council Joe Good, part-time mowing employee, retired in November and a new employee will need to be hired in the spring.
(Story By The Times Union)
