Back to full strength: QPD up to 73 sworn officers

QUINCY — After Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates finished swearing in three new QPD officers, Mayor Mike Troup asked the chief about the department’s manpower status.

“This swearing in and these three officers puts us at 73 sworn officers in the Quincy Police Department, which for us is full-staff, which we haven’t been at in almost three years,” Yates said.

That brought a round of applause from the packed house in the City Council Chambers, which had many police officers in attendance to witness the swearing in of Elijah Kurfman, Jordan Haag and Devin Neally as well as a presentation to announce the promotion of Detective Jessica Hollensteiner to Sergeant.

Yates pointed out that Haag, who lives in Missouri, was considering choosing between the Hannibal and Quincy police departments. The City Council changed the residency requirements last August to allow Missouri residents to join QPD in an effort to alleviate the manpower shortage.

The staffing status now allows QPD to reinstate its Street Crimes Unit, although it is being converted to a Special Investigations Unit.

While the department is at full-staff on street officers, there are still two vacant detective positions within the department.