Police department disbands robbery squad

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - The City of Dayton is disbanding the robbery squad as it is known and sending the detectives into various districts. The police department says the reorganization makes sense but the FOP calls it a travesty and the worst decision the current administration has ever made.

Local FOP President Randy Beane singled out two areas that he says will  be left more vulnerable due to the move, one around the University of Dayton and the other,  the central business district where there tends to be bank robberies.

Beane says he's looking at filing complaints, and a federal lawsuit is not out of the question.

"What this means to the public is if you are robbed, your investigation may be handled by a person that knows nothing about robberies. They may be very good at metal theft investigations, theft, forgeries but they have absolutely no investigative experience with robberies, Beane told 2 NEWS.

Major Chris Williams of the Dayton Police Department commented this way, "Now we're moving forward with the robbery assignments and those functions being placed in patrol operations divisions which gives the patrol commanders flexibility in addressing neighborhood problem solving along with enhancing those type of investigations."

Also upsetting to the FOP is the fact that a sergeant with more than 30-years experience handling robberies will be made a street sergeant.  The union is also claiming age discrimination.

The police department says data analysis is behind the move and a look at the city of Tampa and its policing.