La Cygne police chief to add new full-time officer, adds new vehicle to fleet

The La Cygne Police Department added this SUV to its fleet earlier this month. (La Cygne Police Department Facebook)

By Roger Sims, Journal staff

linncountyjournal@icloud.com

LA CYGNE – The La Cygne City Council was not exactly unanimous in supporting a plan earlier this month by Police Chief Zachary Mathies, who asked to add another full-time policeman to his force. 

Frustrated by the inability of the department to hire someone qualified to be the “Community Development Officer” after several months of trying, Mathies suggested that he take over that role and hire another full-time officer instead. That would mean adding zoning administrator to his job description.

The police chief pointed out that, with feedback from City Attorney Jeffrey Deane, he had been writing updated city codes for several areas, most recently codes for food trucks and parks.

But Kent Wade was skeptical of the change. He told Mathies that he should be seen as the city’s representative for law enforcement in the community and wanted him to continue in his role in being visible in the community.

Mathies told the council at the meeting that he had discussed transitioning more duties to the full-time officers and that they were onboard with the change. He also suggested that a new officer could be transitioned into the community development post as that person gained experience.

The police chief has envisioned the community development officer as a step above a codes officer, including taking on some fairly simple inspections for those who applied for building permits, and while he had one candidate who had the qualifications and seemed ready to take the job, that person backed out.

At the council’s meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 18, Mathies said that he had three qualified candidates for the police officer position, including one officer who is now working part-time for the city.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Mathies said that he and another officer had driven to Greeley, Colo., to pick up the city’s new police vehicle, a 2019 Chevy Tahoe. He told council members that the vehicle was parked outside City Hall for their inspection.

Mathies told the council that Colorado State University had too many of the SUVs that were outfitted with lights, sirens and grill bars and other needed equipment. Had the city purchased a car not with the equipment, it would have cost more than $15,000 to add on to the $24,400 purchase price. Instead, the only add-on for the La Cygne department to put the vehicle into use were decals and a radio.

However, as the department gained one vehicle, it lost another. Mathies reported to the council that a lift had gone bad in its 2016 Dodge pickup and drained oil revealed a considerable amount of metal fragments. The Tahoe was meant to replace the pickup for every day use, but it was planned for the pickup to remain on the department’s inventory.

The estimate from the Paola Dodge dealer to replace the engine was more than $10,600, and the cost for the dealership to perform the diagnostics was $900. 

Faced with the option of replacing the engine, driving the pickup until it no longer runs or selling as-is, the council’s consensus was to bring it back to La Cygne to get a bid from a local mechanic to install a rebuilt engine as well as making repairs to the front end. The vehicle has 124,000 miles on it.