In an effort to solve some of the problems hindering the efficiency of the Nelsonville Police Department, Mark Hall, the Nelsonville acting-city manager, flipped the upper echelon of the department upside down.

After an executive session meeting with the Nelsonville City Council on Sept. 28, Hall recommended acting-Police Chief John Wagner be returned to his previous position as captain of the police force.

In addition, Hall recommended acting-Captain Ed Kurtz be returned to his former position of sergeant, and Sergeant Duane Covert be promoted to the position of acting-police chief.

"There has been an increasing dissatisfaction with the operation and morale of the (Nelsonville) police department," Hall said in a Sept. 29 news release.

The city council members addressed the department's problems during an executive session meeting in early September, according to the news release from Hall's office.

"The department's problems came to light several months ago," said Bill Wend, Nelsonville city councilman.

At the Sept. 28 meeting, Wagner was given one week to improve the department's situation, according to the release.

The issue was addressed again during an executive session Sept. 24, when the council's members asked for an updated assessment of the department's situation, according to the release.

Based on the acting-city manager's investigation, which included discussions with Wagner and most of the NPD's employees, Hall concluded the department "was not operating efficiently and that morale was low," according to the release.