By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend Police Department has an authorized strength of 33 men and women, and the department is nearly fully staffed right now. Police Chief Steve Haulmark sat down with Brant Daughtry on Wednesday's "City Edition" on 1590 KVGB/95.5M. Haulmark said it's not always about the numbers, but the variety of experience on the force right now.
"I have a patrol sergeant who is from Los Angeles and loves it here," Haulmark said. "One of my patrol corporals is from Buffalo, N.Y. One of my other sergeants is from Jacksonville, Fla. People come here. They like this community, and they end up staying. Those guys are out there working 12-hour shifts, answering calls from a cow at large to domestic batteries. They're prepared to go to any and all of the calls."
The GBPD chain of command includes Haulmark at the top, then three lieutenants under him. One lieutenant is in charge of records technology and training, another of investigations, and the third is in charge of patrol operations.
"That lieutenant, the patrol lieutenant, has the largest span of control on the PD," Haulmark said, "because he has the patrolmen and the sergeants and corporals, but he's also supervising the school resources officers, of which we have two, and we also have two dedicated K9 officers."
The department also employs four civilians, including Haulmark's secretary, two records clerks who are the face of the department when the public enters the building, and an evidence technician.