Police group head says things have to change at WFPD
The head of the Wichita Falls Police Officers Association took his concerns about keeping an adequate number of officers on duty to the City Council Tuesday.
Officer Steve Ginger said it was the first time in five years his group has come before the council asking for help.
He said in the past year the department lost 25 officers for a variety of reasons, and 30 officers are eligible for retirement. He said only four new officers came out of the most recent police academy.
“It’s very concerning,” Ginger said.
He said out-of-town agencies are coming to Wichita Falls to try to lure officers away from the department.
“I’m worried that if we stay on this track, services may have to be cut. It not only affects the citizens who live here but also affects the morale of the officers who work for this department,” he said.
He urged councilors to consider improvements in police pay or benefits.
“Things have to change, and they have to be pretty drastic,” Ginger said. “Please don’t ignore this.”
Mayor Tim Short also addressed an incident at an April 16 council meeting when he stopped a Burkburnett resident from speaking to the council on an agenda item.
“I’ve been married for 33 years to the same woman who usually lets me know when I don’t get things quite right, like a couple of weeks ago my friend from Burkburnett, Mr. Gray," Short said. "We met, we talked and he and anybody else who wants to can have their time right up here."
David Gray thanked Short for the opportunity to speak.
“I’m just a guy who reads your-alls’ stuff and I have questions. I’m not the enemy," Gray said.
He said he had wanted to ask about overbilling for 54 million gallons of water in 2023 as shown on the city’s water conservation plan.
“Your explanation was that it was a mistake,” he told Short. “It seems like that should have been corrected.”
Councilors approved spending $745,000 of the money the city received in COVID-19 relief money for lights and light poles for the downtown area. The award went to Elliott Electric Supply Company.
City Transportation Director John Burrus said he has heard a lot of complaints about downtown lighting.
The lighting is part of a larger plan to install electrical service underground, preserve downtown trees, increase Wi-Fi access, install phone charging outlets and electrical outlets, and reduce the number of vehicles downtown.
The money comes from the $29.1 million the city got as part of the American Rescue Plan Act.
Burrus said the projects qualify under ARPA as economic development.
In other business, councilors:
Appropriated $13,977 from a state grant for the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, “Click It or Ticket."
Appropriated a grant from The Priddy Foundation for the replacement and addition of several technology products and services at the Wichita Falls Public Library in the amount of $285,824.
Bought 75 Zebra Electronic Ticket Writers and 75 Zebra Thermal Printers for $190,234.
Applied for a catalytic converter grant for $137,300.
Appointed members to the Central Wichita Falls Revitalization Area Committee.
Awarded a bid for airfield striping services at Kickapoo Downtown Airport to CKS Runway Services for $74,737.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Police group head says things have to change at WFPD
