Springfield, IL (WAND) – It has been just over a month since Joseph Behl took over as Chief of the Springfield Police Department. Behl has worked at the department for 18 years, working his way up from a patrol officer to the assistant chief, to now the Chief.
Behl says, like any law enforcement official, his top priority is public safety. As part of this, Behl is prioritizing filling all available positions within the department.
“We are aggressively recruiting and trying to get the right folks into the Springfield Police Department,” said Behl. “We are about 10% down from our authorized rank, which is better than most law enforcement nationwide.”
Right now, there are 245 positions filled of the 269 the department is authorized to have.
Behl said he is also focusing on prioritizing the wellness of the officers he does have. He says that with all the trauma officers can encounter while on the job, it is important to make sure they have the right support and resources.
“Police officers are exposed to trauma throughout their entire career, and it’s a very stressful job,” said Behl. “Supporting that and ensuring that they have the things that they need to not only survive this job, but to thrive not only at work, but at home is very important to me.”
The new chief says another key priority is ensuring a healthy relationship with the community.
In a city of 114,000 people and 245 officers, Behl said it is crucial for citizens to trust the department. He acknowledged he is taking the helm at a time when trust in law enforcement is low.
“If we don’t know where we were, how do we get past that and move on to the future?” said Behl. “We have to understand the history of policing in Springfield, the problems and challenges we’ve had in the recent past, in the far past, and then combat those by building those relationships with our community members. And that’s the only way to get past some of those feelings that have been around for hundreds of years.”
Behl said he is interested to see the way technology continues to adapt and how it helps the police department. He has plans to use new products to help the department be more efficient and effective.
