Kalispell City Council to review Police Department audit

Kalispell City Council will review the findings and recommendations of a third-party audit of the municipality’s Police Department during a work session Monday.

The 135-page report was issued by the Center for Public Safety Management, a Washington D.C.-based consulting group that works with police and fire departments across the country. The report makes over 70 recommendations for the Kalispell Police Department, including calling for the hiring of five additional officers, modernizing equipment and processes, and increased accountability, mental health care and reporting.

According to the report, “overall staffing, workload and supervision is a concern that was often raised by employees” at the department.

Council meets at City Hall, 201 First Ave. E., at 7 p.m. The meeting can also be attended virtually via Zoom.

As part of its recommendations, the consulting group called for a “long-term improvement plan,” but described the force as a “fine department,” and said that the recommendations are similar to those issued to many other agencies.

“It is important that we emphasize that this list of recommendations, though lengthy, is common in our operational assessments of agencies around the country,” reads the report.

In completing the report, the consultants interviewed department leadership and reviewed data including those tracking crime statistics, response time and staffing data, among others.

The firm has conducted 400 similar studies in 46 states and provinces and more than 275 communities, according to the report.

The report comes on the heels of a change in leadership at the law enforcement agency. Chief Jordan Venezio stepped into the top job on July 1 following the retirement of former Chief Doug Overman earlier this year.

Venezio told the Inter lake last month that modernizing the department was among his priorities upon taking the reins.

COUNCIL ALSO will be briefed on potential funding mechanisms for expanding and upgrading the city’s pedestrian and bicycle path system, as outlined in the previously adopted transportation plan.

“This would be a preliminary discussion to discuss the general areas that would be funded, the levy process, timelines, etc., and to ultimately provide direction to staff for these respective areas and future discussions,” wrote City Manager Doug Russell in a memo to Council.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at 758-4407 or aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.

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