A takeover?

Here's a topic that's been tossed around and rumored about for years, but won't happen in the foreseeable future: The takeover of OEMC by the police department.

For those not in the know, OEMC (or OEC as it was called at the time) was originally a part of the police department. It separated and became its own entity in 1997. Since then, its perceived (obvious?) downward tumble into disarray has inspired many PCOs to kick around the idea of being taken back over by the police department, having sworn sergeants supervise.

We don't see it. For a few reasons.

The police department is short enough on manpower as it is, and is doing its best to cover it up.

OEMC being a section of CPD would mean that any blame that CPD tried to push off on OEMC for calls-gone-wrong, would still fall back on CPD. And they can't give up a separate scapegoat organization.

Clout-heaviness within OEMC.

Loss of "federal" funds.

The redrafting of the organization to encompass all current employees as civilian police department employees, which the city may decide requires new hiring guidelines (including new background checks and drug tests for current employees). Or if that weren't done:

The city would have a major class-action labor lawsuit on its hands if it suddenly phased out unionized PCOI, PCOII, and SPCO positions.

We would have added that such a move would cut down on opportunities for nepotism, but that's laughable - it's still part of the city, and we have plenty of employees whose relatives and spouses are/were sworn officers.

But the bottom line is, that ain't happening, either.