City of Cortland police chief Paul Sandy spoke at the Common Council meeting on April 18. (Photo provided by Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
Cortland police chief Paul Sandy recently provided details on the future outlook of the sergeant positions in his department.
Melissa Taylor, part of the city police department, was promoted to a sergeant position in the middle of May. She is currently shadowing Sgt. Seth Rowland, who plans to retire in July.
Once Rowland officially retires, Taylor will be part of a fleet that includes a total of four sergeants, Sandy said. The chief added there were originally five sergeants, but one was moved to the bureau division due to its “busy schedule.”
Taylor’s month of training in her position will “give her time to get acclimated,” Sandy said.
Sandy noted at last Thursday’s Police Commission meeting that interviews for a fifth sergeant will begin in the fall. The additional sergeant position received authorization from the Cortland Common Council at its April 18 meeting.
Having five sergeants, Sandy said, will give city police to “cover far more of the shifts and allow for time off.”
Sandy mentioned at the April 18 Common Council meeting his plan to request a sixth sergeant position in the future. If the move is made, he added, it will allow the department to have two sergeants per shift for around-the-clock coverage.
