Labor is the most significant cost for law enforcement. What thoughts do you have on restructuring the organization, to reduce administrative cost, and using non-sworn personnel to perform tasks at a lower cost?
Restructuring a police department is a complex endeavor and can best be addressed through a comprehensive survey of the management and operations. The survey should aim to determine whether a department is operating cost-effectively, complies with professional police standards, and satisfies the crime control and service requirements of the citizens it serves. Civilianization is a strategy commonly considered to cut labor costs. The problem: civilian positions are being eliminated as a first resort and these functions are often then covered by sworn personnel.
To promote successful implementation of recommendations, IACP provides an extensive series of products, services and training: click here.
We spend a ton of money on recruitment and retention. I think the profile of the ideal officer has and is changing. How does IACP fit into helping us through research into what makes up a candidate that will stay with us, will further our goals and mission and will do so with the best interests of our communities in mind?
To meet their policing missions, many agencies today hire in the spirit of service. Agencies are looking for individuals who are drawn to and exhibit characteristics in line with the service elements of policing. The U.S. Department of Justice-funded research project focusing on the Hiring In The Spirit of Service initiative identified the following as core competencies for law enforcement officers:
- Ability to use good judgment and to problem solve
- Capacity for empathy and compassion
- Capacity for multi-tasking
- Ability to demonstrate courage and to take responsibility
- Ability to be resourceful and show initiative
- Demonstrating assertiveness
- Possess and demonstrate integrity
- Capacity for engaging in teamwork and ability to collaborate
Additionally, the following psychological competencies were also identified.
- Teamwork
- Adaptability / flexibility
- Conscientiousness / Dependability
- Impulse control / Attention to safety
- Integrity / Ethics
- Emotional regulation and stress tolerance
- Decision making and judgment
- Assertiveness / Persuasiveness
- Avoiding substance abuse and other risk taking behavior
- Commitment to service / Social concern
While different agencies look for different skills and abilities, applicants with the above traits may find themselves well suited for a career in policing, particularly in an agency that subscribes to the community policing model.
We spend a considerable amount of time marketing the good things that we are doing in the community, thru social networks. The media often will only show the negative side of our job but we must do a better job of marketing the good things that we are doing and can be lost by the budget cuts. We need to educate the public better. Do you see ways in which we could increase our outreach and communication with our communities?
When law enforcement is experiencing harsh economic times, Community Oriented Policing, including community outreach, is vital so that we do not revert back to reactive policing. Maintaining relationships with local media is one of the easiest ways to accomplish good community outreach. Invite reporters to the station to showcase the good things your department does—that way you know who to call to run a positive story about the department. Hold press conferences or community events and attend existing community events and invite the media. Send the media every positive thing your department does and ask them to publish your good story.
Additionally, an easy and free way to communicate with your community is through the use of social media, and two of the most popular outlets are Facebook and Twitter. The IACP Center for Social Media, a grant funding initiative, can help your agency set up and maintain your social media, increase your followers and aid in effective messaging. www.IACPSocialMedia.org.
What is the future role for women in policing?
Many agencies are cutting back on hiring. Even under these conditions, the profession needs to retain a focus on maintaining a diverse and representative workforce. Here are some statistics regarding female representation from the Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, Women in Law Enforcement, 1987 – 2008:
- The percent of female officers in local police departments increased steadily between 1987 and 2007, from 7.6% in 1987 to nearly 12% in 2007.
- In 2007, the Detroit Police Department had the highest percentage (27%) of female officers among the largest police departments, followed by Philadelphia (25%), DC (23%) and Chicago (23%).
The profession has shown progress but there is still much room for improvement. Women are often deterred from applying to police departments by the perceived physical demands of the job. While fitness is important, the belief that policing is about force and strength is an old-fashioned notion. Modern policing requires critical thinking, problem solving skills, and a strong desire to make a difference – characteristics that defy traditional gender stereotypes.
For those seasoned officers who are retiring, how can you use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer?
Building a legacy strengthens the capacity of individual leaders and organizations. IACP’s BJA-funded Leading by Legacy program offers a variety of tools for succession planning and legacy building. A Leading by Legacy CD toolkit is available upon request. The Toolkit is organized into three resource areas: individual, organization, and community. Please click here to submit an electronic request form
Many agencies have leveraged the experience of retired agency members by developing a volunteer program that brings this valuable resource back to the department. IACP’s Volunteers in Police Service offers the tools to create such a program: www.policevolunteers.org.
I think one of the things agencies within their local area need to do is see what services are being duplicated and how they can join forces to cross jurisdictional lines in order to continue some of this community policing and other special concepts that may be duplicated. Showing the community the agencies are working together will help build that trust.
In the current economic environment, it is important to look at all potential cost-savings, including either consolidation or regionalization. First it’s important to clarify these terms. Regionalization describes agencies working to formalizing their collaboration on service delivery, for example SWAT or task force approaches. Consolidation refers to the operational joining of either functions (for example, combined dispatch serving multiple agencies) or agencies (for example 4 smaller agencies consolidating into one new larger agency). IACP cautions that either approach should be principally considered as to how it will increase effective delivery of service. Research on each does not yield conclusive data that cost savings result either in the short or long term. For more information on how to assess the potential for any functional or agency level consolidation, see IACP’s Guide to Consolidation report click here.
How will Public and Private Sector partnerships be a force multiplier in difficult times?
It is absolutely critical that agencies rely on the private sector, especially in critical times, to accomplish what agencies cannot do alone. Partnerships allow both groups to leverage their respective strengths in order to maximize returns on investments of staffing, time and money. For instance, working with private security can be beneficial to law enforcement agencies: “private security” consists of corporate security departments, guard companies, armored car businesses, investigative firms, security equipment manufacturers, and others. There are an estimated 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, employing approximately 800,000 law enforcement officers. Studies on private security suggest there may be as many as 90,000 private security organizations employing roughly 2 million security officers and other practitioners in the United States.
For more information, see the IACP’s Policy Paper: Private Security/Public Policing Partnerships.
Public safety agencies have been asked to do more with less for many years, forcing agencies to seek partnerships in order to accomplish their missions. Since 911, there has been increased cooperation among public safety agencies, not only among law enforcement organizations, but cooperation and collaboration between police, fire and EMS providers as well in the area of Incident Command. With respect to SAR Suspicious Activity Reporting, do you see the involvement of fire and EMS providers as additional eyes and ears in the community to help combat crime and terrorism?
The increased and more effective collaboration among police, fire and EMS staff since 9-11 is documented and certainly adds to effective service delivery for all organizations. With respect to suspicious activity reporting (SAR), police have the clear lead here given their patrol, community policing, and other observational duties. However, fire and EMS staff can and should play a key role as well. Given their constant presence in the community to educate citizens on safety, and to monitor and inspect facilities for safety, fire and EMS staff have a significant opportunity to observe and report suspicious activity. To reinforce this point, EMS and fire professionals are now part of the staffing of a number of fusion centers.
What are your suggestions for recruiting/retaining quality people when retirement packages are no longer as attractive as they once were due to state budgets?
The economic downturn is hitting all aspects of employment, not just government and policing. Accordingly, the pay, benefits, and security offered in the law enforcement profession still compare very favorably to other available options. Even more relevant is what the job itself offers potential recruits. Few careers offer more opportunities for self-fulfillment than service as a law enforcement officer. Sworn officers play a vital role in maintaining safety and welfare at all levels of government and across the country, but policing is a service career at its core. Policing is as much about helping people and maintaining community quality of life as it is about enforcing laws and apprehending criminals. Making potential recruits aware of the unique rewards intrinsic to the profession is our most powerful recruiting tool. IACP’s Discover Policing initiative focuses on providing a positive, realistic picture of policing to potential candidates: www.discoverpolicing.org.
With less funding available for all the requirements of managing a law enforcement agency, what impact, if any, will government budgetary cuts have on the ability of the IACP to address the future needs of law enforcement executives?
For more than 100 years, the IACP has been launching historically acclaimed programs, conducting ground-breaking research and providing exemplary programs and services to our membership across the globe. IACP will continue to identify emerging issues of importance to the law enforcement community and to develop and promote innovative solutions and best practices. To this end, IACP will continue to work with a wide variety of partners, including the federal government, the private sector and other non-profit organizations.
Should the state or federal government set the standards for technology? Should the state develop a standard Records Management System and CAD?
The federal government has developed functional specifications for Records Management and CAD systems, with the active participation of major law enforcement organizations. These functional standards (developed through a collaborative effort of the IACP, National Sheriffs Association, PERF, and NOBLE—the Law Enforcement Information Technology Standards Council) are available from the IACP at this website: www.theiacp.org/CADRMS. In addition to these functional specifications, information sharing standards (most notably the National Information Exchange Model—NIEM) are also being developed and supported through a collaborative effort involving the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. More information about NIEM can be found on their website: www.niem.gov. Other standard-setting efforts are supported by the National Institute of Justice (www.nij.gov) and by the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (www.it.ojp.gov). Collectively these standards help agencies identify critical functions and capabilities for systems they procure or build, and they assist developers in building systems to meet the operational needs of law enforcement agencies. The Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N-DEx) program collects incident and case reports from law enforcement agencies throughout the nation (together with booking and incarceration data, and parole and probation information) and provides analytic capabilities to “connect the dots” between data that is not apparently related. More information is available at: www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/n-dex.
As we attempt to compete in a global economy and recognize that salaries will ultimately have to be adjusted downward in all professions, what is IACP's recommendation for chiefs on how to take the lead on this provocative issue when city management comes to us to act?
The best approach to any budgeting issue is thorough and detailed preparation. An understanding of appropriate salary levels can be gained by conducting a salary survey of relevant comparable agencies. This study should include other law enforcement agencies in your region, but you may also wish to examine salaries in public and private sector jobs which may be alternatives that applicants to your department would consider. A carefully conducted, current salary survey can give the chief and city management a good understanding of the pay levels in comparable agencies, and provide a foundation for evidence-based action.
Regionalization of policing service is a reality in most other countries and jurisdictions of the world. Can IACP play a role in helping communities of America consider regionalization, by bringing lessons of the world for consideration?
IACP has been directly involved in supporting and researching regional approaches in law enforcement – including increased collaboration, cooperation, and, in select cases, regionalization of certain services. Staff of the IACP regularly provide educational information on the topic, and explore the concept in person through various training and technical assistance programs. Our international scope allows us in many cases to utilize our links to the international community, through our International Division, to identify lessons learned or innovative approaches to regionalized approaches that can work in US law enforcement. Please click here to see IACP’s report.
Does the IACP have specific committees or initiatives that deal with the growing issue of the aged as victims of crime, or perhaps more accurately the fear of crime among our ageing populations?
The IACP has a number of committees that deal with the issue of the aged as victims of crime--Crime Prevention Committee, Community Policing Committee, and the Victim Services Committee to name a few. These committees focus on the broader issues of preventing crimes against the elderly as well as looking at the direct impact of crime to its victims. Additionally, the IACP has three grant-funded projects focused on Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patients Initiatives that will produce a toolkit and video to enhance law enforcement’s understanding of and response to persons with Alzheimer’s disease.
Do you see regionalization and shared services with information technology as the future of policing in this current depressed economy?
There is no doubt that regionalization and shared services, including in some cases functional (dispatch, information systems) or even multi-agency consolidation are worth exploring in the current economy. IACP cautions however, that agencies considering any such options conduct thorough cost- benefit analyses to ensure that the new service delivery model will be more effective than the existing model and more cost-effective as well. Absent these benefits, movement in this direction does not seem beneficial. At a minimum, agencies should look to leverage available technologies, CAD or RMS to maximize their ability to share information across agencies while minimizing the demands on staff to do so.
What impact do you feel the budget cutbacks will have on the tremendous reduction in traffic crash fatalities we have had in recent times?
Unfortunately, traffic enforcement and highway safety programs, like all other aspects of law enforcement, are subject to resource cutbacks. However, it is imperative that police executives and community leaders will recognize the value that preventing traffic crashes provides to a community and continue enforcement programs. The costs in terms of human suffering, medical expenses and lost productivity are too great for us to lose the gains we have made over the last decade.
In this new model of policing do you see greater opportunities to partner with the private sector, and if so how?
There is definitely a great opportunity to partner with the private sector and the benefits for both parties are greater now than ever. Currently, public–private cooperation takes many forms, ranging from national-level, mainly information-sharing programs (such as the federal Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) to local-level, operational partnerships (such as the nation’s approximately 1,200 business improvement districts). Building relationships with your community’s private sector is a key element of community policing.
For more information, see the IACP’s Policy Paper: Private Security/Public Policing Partnerships.
In the State of New Jersey retirements of senior law enforcement officials, chiefs, deputy chiefs, etc. has increased in 2011 by 67% as a result of changes and anticipated changes to the pension system. How do agencies deal with the long term negative ramifications of this loss of experience, knowledge and leadership?
Increased turnover and retirements are among many challenging problems facing agencies under the new economic conditions. Some of the answers to these challenges are in the hands of elected officials. As a profession we must make the case for policing clear to the public and to elected officials. Policing is not just about fighting crime but about quality of life, community policing, crime prevention, homeland security and a wide variety of other emerging roles. In the coming weeks and months, IACP will offer practical tools to assist police administrators deal with these challenges through our Policing in the 21st Century website and Police Chief Magazine.
Do you have any recommendations to justify IT investments for policing?
Measuring performance and documenting the return on investment (ROI) for information technology and other programs requires careful planning and research. Review publications such as “The Business of Policing: Managing for Value” in the June 2010 issue of Police Chief magazine, and Law Enforcement Tech Guide for Creating Performance Measures That Work: A Guide for Executive and Managers, published by the COPS Office, for guidance on how to develop performance measures and a performance management plan.
I am a chief in the state of Alabama and our prison system will be releasing a large amount of inmates back into the community very soon. Can you give any answers to law enforcement on ways of combating and dealing with this exodus, with limited funding and cut backs?
With BJA, the IACP has examined the potential for intensified law enforcement involvement in offender reentry efforts. The IACP hopes to reduce recidivism, disorder and victimization through increased law enforcement participation in offender reentry programs. By taking an active role in offender reentry, police agencies can ensure that law enforcement concerns are reflected in an effective and structured reentry process. An offender reentry DVD and resource guide are available: click here.
90% of agencies are small and or rural. They have developed models of policing driven by historically low funding. Can IACP facilitate research that would help determine if these models are transferable to the mid and large agency? Historically we only look in reverse. What is transferable from the larger agency?
IACP long ago realized that best practices—regardless of whether designed by smaller, midsize or major law enforcement agencies—contain key elements useful to all agencies regardless of size or mission. And the transfer of this knowledge, in the new 21st Century policing model described by President Marshal, becomes easier through emerging electronic, online resources. A good example of how best practices are shared across all sizes of agencies comes from two IACP initiatives supporting smaller and midsize agencies. In each of these initiatives, learning from the smaller and/ or midsize agencies has been found to apply to major agencies as well. For example, when IACP released it’s Police Chief Desk Reference (PCDR) targeting the over 15,000 smaller agencies to support administration and leadership, any number of midsize and major city chiefs asked to receive a copy.