Creston Police promotes two to Lieutenant

Tuesday, the Creston City Council unanimously approved promoting Jared Auten and Shannon Arends of the Creston Police Department from sergeant to the rank of lieutenant, a new position created by Creston Police Chief Paul Ver Meer.

Since Ver Meer has been in his position, they’ve only ever had sergeants, but in the past, there was an assistant chief and a captain position.

“The police department never had lieutenants, they had captain positions,” Ver Meer explained. “According to the contract they worked out, the captain made 10 cents more an hour than a sergeant did. I was not going to promote somebody to a captain position to make 10 cents more an hour. I created these lieutenant positions to offer them a salary increase to go with the responsibilities they’re going to have.”

In the existing structure, the police department has a chief, three sergeants and eight patrol officers, though all officers patrol as a part of their job. The new structure will have a chief, two lieutenants, a sergeant and eight patrol officers. No comment was made on whether or not any of the sergeant positions would be backfilled with existing officers.

Auten would take on the duties of a day-shift lieutenant.

“It will be one lieutenant working with me on days,” Ver Meer said. “It’s basically an administrative supervisor for investigations, paperwork, if someone reports to the state for crime investigations."

Arends would be on duty as the night-shift lieutenant.

“He will be the night supervisor over the sergeant currently there and the patrol officers,” Ver Meer said. “He will be in charge of their investigations.”

The pay increase to lieutenant is $5,000 per year per officer.

“So this is basically $416 a month each,” Councilman Steve Wintermute questioned. “Is this in the budget?”

Ver Meer confirmed the positions were budgeted as a part of last year’s fiscal budget. In addition, the roles are non-bargaining, positions not covered under the union.

Councilwoman Kiki Scarberry asked if Auten and Arends are already doing the tasks of a lieutenant.

“They have no idea what’s coming at them,” Ver Meer answered. “They’re going to be doing a lot more stuff.”

As chief, Ver Meer runs dispatch, submits monthly crime reports, manages the budgets, approves purchasing and more. He said the lieutenant positions will help free him up to administrate the police department more effectively.

In addition, he said the added advancement opportunity should help with officer retention and prepare the department for his retirement.

“I’m not going to be here forever,” he said. “I want to at least give you two options of local officers that have been with the city for quite a while, as possible replacements. You don’t have to go with them, but at least they’ll have the experience budgetary-wise and purchase-wise to at least be a possibility.”

Auten has been with the department for approximately 13 years, 11 of those being a sergeant. Arends spent many years in law enforcement with Ringgold County, but has been with Creston for approximately 10 years and has been a sergeant for nearly three.

“I appreciate you guys budgeting for these positions — I know money’s tight,” Ver Meer said. “I believe these positions will make the police department better, and allow us to conduct better investigations and help the citizens of Creston in a lot more progressive manner.”