UPD Joins Critical Response Team

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The Ulysses Police Department entered into a memorandum of Understanding at its May 14 council meeting with the Southwest Kansas Critical Response team. The multi-agency team consists of officers from Grant County Sheriff’s Department, as well as sheriff’s departments in Seward, Meade, Stanton, and Haskell Counties.

Ulysses is the only city police department involved.

“We have officers who try out for it,” said Ulysses Police Chief Ron Vagher. “They go through a selection process and we all together form, in layman’s terms, a SWAT team for high-risk situations.”

The chief said this area is limited on that type of response.

“So, having us be with this group is definitely a benefit to the city,” Vagher added. “It allows us to also work closely with the agencies around us.”

Vagher said two UPD officers are currently going through the selection process, with possibly a third officer joining the process.

“As time goes on we get newer officers, if they want to try for it, I would then approach the captain who's in charge of this group to see if they need any more personnel and give anybody the opportunity who would want to,” Vagher said.

Councilman Mark Diaz asked Vagher what the cost to the city is, and he replied it would be based on uniform differences.

“They would need a different style vest carrier and then the different uniform,” Vagher said. “Other than that, it’s what we pay (officers) to go to trainings, we would pay them to go to call-outs, just as other agencies would take care of situations that might be here.”

Diaz asked about weaponry and Vagher said the officers would use the weapons they already have. He also said the Southwest Kansas Critical Response Team has used grants to acquire other equipment.

City Attorney Lynn Koehn said the CRT has deployed recently to Sublette and Satanta.

“It’s utilized and it’s needed,” Koehn said. “Because those guys have specialized training to handle that.”

Vagher said since 2018, Ulysses has requested Garden City’s team twice and actually deployed on one, and the Kansas Highway Patrol’s team once.

The chief added that staffing-wise, the department is in better shape than it has been since 2012, with one opening and one officer currently in the Police Academy.

An additional cost is once the officer’s are SWAT certified, they get a pay raise, but that’s already built into the department’s budget.

“The training these guys will receive and the things this team can handle and deal with is outside the realm of what a standard patrol officer has the ability and training to deal with.”

Diaz asked what the cost per officer is by the time they’re trained and Vagher said the cost would be $1,500 for the vest, $150 for the uniforms and the pay increase, which Vagher said is hard to calculate. But he said the cost could possibly be $5,000 per officer once pay is figured in.

“The SWAT class through KHP, which is really where I want to send them, it’s a two-week course and it’s very intense with a lot of hours,” Vagher added. “Then they have mandatory monthly training as a team we have to send them to, then they have a secondary day of training that’s optional, and if they’re off, I allow them to go.”

Vagher said the team opens the door for the UPD to work with surrounding agencies, as well as the Southwest Kansas Drug Task Force out of Liberal, and any department in the area as requested.

“They also train with the KHP some and they’ve trained with the Garden City team, as well,” Vagher added. “So, it’s not like just our small group are the only ones doing something, they are actively doing other things with other groups.”

Diaz said it unifies the sheriff's department and the police department.

“It’s good involvement for both agencies to be there, because if it’s going on in our town, Ron needs to be aware of what is happening, as the chief of police. Jim Biddle needs to be aware of what’s going on, as the sheriff’s department,” Diaz said. “So, I think that’s gonna draw it together so that some other agency can’t come in and (take over).”

Councilman Caleb Woods moved to approve the MOU and Diaz seconded the motion, and it was approved 5-0, with Terry Maas absent.