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Greene County chief detective transitioned from full-time to ‘casual’ work

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Greene County’s chief detective was transferred from full-time to a “casual” detective position during a Thursday salary board meeting.

The transfer for Zachary Sams went into effect on July 1, according to Chief Clerk Jeffrey Marshall, who said a casual position is a part-time position. Marshall said the move was made due to a reduction in the number of hours Sams worked, and indicated that the transfer to fewer hours was not the result of an issue at work, nor was it any form of disciplinary action.

As part of the move from full-time, Sams’ pay was reduced from $20.11 per hour to $19.60 per hour. He is also no longer eligible to receive health or retirement benefits from the county.

It was not immediately clear why Sams was working fewer hours, nor how many hours he had been working prior to the transfer.

County Commissioners Betsy McClure and Blair Zimmerman, both salary board members, voted for the reduction in hours. Commissioner Mike Belding was absent during the salary board meeting.

In other business, the commissioners approved an increase in pay for Richard Policz, the full-time director of emergency services for Greene County.

Effective May 1, Policz received a 5% pay increase and will earn $58,986 yearly.

Policz was one of three emergency services officials in the county charged last year for allegedly withholding relevant documents from investigators looking into why a 911 operator refused to send an ambulance to help a Sycamore woman who died hours later.

Marshall said the pay increase is in accordance with a county policy that gives anyone who completes a year in a management position a bump in pay.

Policz is currently awaiting trial on charges of tampering with/fabricating physical evidence, obstruction of the administration of law/other government functions and tampering with public records/information. An additional charge of tampering with public records/information as well as three conspiracy charges were dismissed in lower court.

He has a pre-trial hearing set for Aug. 22, and he is currently free on $25,000 unsecured bond.

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