Cheyenne Council Approves New Requirement for Top Level Cops

Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozak says a change requiring lieutenants and captains to have bachelor's degrees will ensure his department is prepared for the future.

The Cheyenne City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Monday night redefining the terms and conditions of employment for sworn officers.

"We're developing our employees so that they can take the helm in the future," said Kozak. "If you can bring them up from inside the agency I think it's the best policy."

Even though the change won't take effect until January 1, 2019, Kozak says existing lieutenants and the captain will see pay increases starting this February.

"When there was a potential there'd be openings in our department, we didn't have people stepping forward because actually it was a pay decrease to take a leadership role," said Kozak. "So this fixed that and it puts our top level management positions average with what other law enforcement professionals are in the state."

Kozak says the pay scale adjustment will not affect the department's budget either.

"We switched positions around and eliminated some," said Kozak. "So actually we're going to have a savings to the city when it's all said and done."