The Jamestown Police Department has some restructuring following the retirement of Captain Bob Samuelson.
Samuelson retired earlier this month following 30 years of service in the department. The Jamestown Post-Journal reported Samuelson graduated from the police academy in 1992. He joined the
Jamestown Police Department as a patrolman in 1994. Samuelson served as a Sergeant from 2000 to 2004; a Lieutenant from 2004 to 2009; and Captain from 2009 up until his retirement.
Mayor Kim Ecklund said changes were made in staffing at the top in order to keep the Police Department from being too “top heavy,” “And the option that we chose to do with Mr. Samuelson retiring is taking the chance, if you will, and this is going back to the days when we had a Chief and a Deputy Chief. So, the current Captain Scott Forster will become the Deputy Chief. He has to serve as acting until he tests. That is a civil service testable position.”
Ecklund said Lt. Greg Wozneak, who was part of the Drug Task Force, will now oversee the Investigative Division. She said this will result in another Police Officer being hired in order to maintain staffing levels.
Ecklund said there are cost savings that will come out of this, “We’ve eliminated a car. We’ve eliminated that higher salary. We unfortunately, just because of the duties of the Captain, can’t go to a Lieutenant, unit-wise, so we have to pay some stipends to the Chief and Captain, and the Admin Assistant in the department to absorb some of that but the rest should be a cost savings.”
Captain Scott Forster had previously been commander of the Operations Division.
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