Overtime Pay, State Certification For Manchester Police

UPDATED: 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5-

Overtime

At Monday night’s board of aldermen meeting, the Manchester Board of Aldermen approved transferring $17,000 from the city's general fund to the for payment of overtime within the department. Although it was the first time the board discussed this issue, emergency legislation was requested and the request was voted on Monday night. Aldermen Paul Hamill tells Patch the $17,000 will actually be reimbursed to the city from various grants.

"The bill that was introduced was done so as an opportunity for the City to take advantage of various grants that are currently being offered and to provide additional police services to our residents without a real expenditure of City funds," Hamill stated in an email to Patch.

Currently the city has a lawsuit filed against it from a former police clerk regarding overtime pay from the Manchester Police Department, but Monday's approval of additional overtime funds is not related to that lawsuit. Check back to Town and Country - Manchester Patch for more on details on this suit.

State Certification

The Manchester Police Department wants to seek state certification from the Missouri Police Chief's Association.

"We're trying to provide a better product to the people who live in this community and I think this will help us do that," Manchester Police Chief Tim Walsh explained to the board of aldermen Monday night. "Then we've met the highest standard that is provided in this state."

Walsh said the certification will cause some changes in policy and procedure as the police department makes changes to meet certain state requirements. 

"That applies to training, equipment and how we go about our business," Walsh said. He said there are 14 basic standards that the department would need to meet. "We certainly meet the overwhelming majority of them now."

Walsh said the entire certification process would take three years. It would cost the department $500 for the initial application process and an additional $4,500 over the next three years for the remaining certification process which would come out of the 2013 budget, Walsh explained.

All aldermen and Mayor David Willson supported the idea and unanimously voted to pass the resolution for the police department to seek certification.

"We think it will provide the public with additional confidence in their police department and it will make us more capable to put out crime alert policies," Walsh said. "We'd formalize our process and standards and have others come in and oversee how the department is meeting certain requirements."

Walsh said Missouri police departments currently certified by the Missouri Police Chief's Association are Olivette, Maryland Heights, Sullivan and Bellefontaine Neighbors.

New Manchester Police Officer

Manchester Police Chief Tim Walsh introduced Officer John Coyle as the newest member of the department. Coyle grew up in St. Peters and lives in St. Peters with his wife who is a deputy with the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office. Coyle has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in psychology with a minor in business. He ran a residential care facilitiy in St. Charles County and was a corrections officer prior to joining the