Council approves ordinance to add sergeants and form criminal-interdiction unit

The Greenwood Common Council voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2609, which increases the number of sergeant positions and first-class patrol officers and establishes a criminal-interdiction unit in the police department.

"We are creating ... a criminal interdiction unit," Chief Jim Austin said, describing the unit as "one sergeant and three patrol officers that are all highly proactive" with a primary focus on the busiest times and locations and on "retargeting guns, drugs" and related investigations. Austin told the council the change would not require an additional appropriation.

Council members moved to suspend the rules to expedite the ordinance’s readings. The council recorded a roll-call vote to suspend the rules and later passed the ordinance on second reading by an 8-0 vote. The chair announced the ordinance "passes second reading" with an 8-0 vote.

The ordinance sponsor, Hills, requested the personnel changes to align supervision of the night shift with the new unit. Council members asked whether a sergeant was already available; Austin said there was not a sergeant already promoted for the role but staff will fill the position.

The ordinance was approved without a recorded amendment; no additional appropriation was required, according to the chief. The council did not schedule further action in this transcript segment.