CROSS PLAINS - Police Chief Tony Ruesga is reluctantly asking to hire part time officers to partly replenish department ranks and reduce overtime costs.
“I don’t like part timers, but we’re at that spot unless board willing to invest significant money that we don’t have,” he told the Village Board Monday night.
Hiring a new full-time officer costs an estimated $80,000 annually which Ruesga said he’d like but realizes it’s not financially prudent to do so at this time.
The village’s current population warrants having an additional officer and the department will be losing one due to a retirement in January, with more retirements expected in the next few years, Ruesga said.
Hiring an officer part-time shortens the time involved in hiring a full-time officer by months and allows for more flexible scheduling, he said.
It could also save money compared to overtime costs as the position would pay $30 an hour without benefits.