Proposal for establishing the Macomb Police Department

police dept.

Proposal for City Police Department (State of Florida)

The objective of this proposal is to establish a Police Department, Macomb Police Department and employ the number of personnel needed to deliver professional and competent police services to the citizens of this city. A determination has been made that there will be 175 sworn officers and 50 civilian or non-sworn officers. Standards of hiring will be established in this proposal with identification of the choice of state police standards meeting or exceeding those already established. Job descriptions in addition to salaries will be included in the proposal.

Mission Statement

The proposed Macomb Police Department states its mission as being 'to serve the public through community-based law enforcement practices while reducing crime, promoting safety and improving quality of life through our core values.

Core Values

Core values stated by the Macomb Police Department include the following

(1) A commitment to follow our moral compass, the inner voice, the voice of self-control and the basis for the trust imperative within our community.

(2) We are committed…to do follow the rule of law even if the personal cost is high.

(3) We are committed… to not behave in a ways that would bring discredit upon ourselves, our organization or to the community that we serve.

Service Before Self

We are committed… that our professional duties take precedence over our personal desires in service to our community.

We are committed…to respect our fellow citizen and that they possess a fundamental worth as human beings.

Excellence in all that we do

We are committed… to develop a sustained passion for continuous improvement

We are committed…to provide services and products that fully respond to the needs of our community.

We are committed… to our community: free from fear and that preserves individual self-worth.

Background

The incorporated city is comprised by fifty (50) square land miles within ten (10) square miles of navigable waterways. The permanent population of the city is one hundred thousand (100,000) with an additional daily population of approximately twenty-five thousand (25,000). The racial make-up of the permanent population is 80% white, 14% black and 6% other. The population median age if forty-three (43) years of age. The unemployment rate is 5.6%. Within the city there is a school enrollment of eleven thousand (11,000) students.

During the incorporation process an agreement was reached with the Sheriff to obtain the building his agency used as a precinct to service the area currently within the city. The building is in satisfactory condition for housing the new Police Department for several years to come. The building also contains a functional communication center with adequate equipment to include portable radios for all police officers.

Fully equipped police cruisers, both marked and unmarked were also obtained from the Sheriff.

For informational purposes, last year within the area incorporated into the city, the Sheriff's Office handled 175,000 calls for service. Deputies wrote 41,000 original reports and 21,300 supplemental reports. They investigated 3,021 automobile accidents and wrote 63,099 traffic citations. Deputies made 9,128 criminal arrests including 501 arrests for DUI. They also responded to 5,318 burglary and robbery alarms.

As a newly created Police Department, you do not have a police union involved.

The legal environment within which the police department functions includes the following:

(1) Florida State Law and Federal Law;

(2) Florida Department of Law Enforcement;

(3) FOP Contract

(4) FOPA Contract

(5) Task Force Agreements

(6) Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation

(7) Town Ordinances/Code

I. Assets

Assets in the Police Department profile include a centrally located Police Administration Building that will be utilized as a headquarters. The Police Administration Building is equipped with a fully functioning emergency communication center, fleet maintenance facility, and office space sufficient for administrative, investigative, and support staff components of the agency. With the exception of one division, the Patrol Operations Bureau will also utilize the Police Administration Building as a base of operations. A substation will be established on the west side of the city to serve a patrol substation. The Police Department fleet is comprised of 298 vehicles and 3 vessels with trailers. The vehicles include 177 patrol cars of which 48 are unmarked, 72 administrative vehicles, 23 vans, 17 sport utility vehicles, and 9 trucks.

Chief of Police

Duties include management of day-to-day operations of the entire Department, which includes all the assigned divisions in the Police Department and the lives and property in the community, and directions of all policing functions, which includes patrol, investigations and enforcement.

Police Major

Responsible for supervision of subordinates and personnel activities, Participates in department planning and department goals and objectives. In absence of Chief of Police, Police major assumes Police Chief duties. Responsibilities include collaboration with Chief of Police to improve Department Efficiency.

Police Lieutenant

Supervision of large staff of personnel engaged in traffic or patrol activities including scheduling, assignment and order communication, policies, procedures and other administrative directives to subordinate personnel, field operations inspections, first line superior advisement in training methods and procedures. Development of improved methods and procedures in relation to assigned functions and assists superior officer in policy, plan and program formulation and in coordination of activities with other departments units and other agencies including local, state and regional. Provides assistance in preparing annual department budget proposal as well as preparing resolutions to authorize special purchases and is responsible for recommending all purchases, equipment replacement, and overtime associated with shift or unit operations.

Police Sergeant

Responsibilities include observing, supervising and instructing subordinate officers and responding to major incidents and incidents that are in process. Supervises and is a participant in general patrol, traffic operations, and investigation or special duties. Recommends training programs and develops subordinate personnel; conducts periodic inspections of subordinates, and police vehicles and equipment; maintains disciplinary control of subordinates. May appear before citizens and community groups to explain and demonstrate Police Department policies, procedures and methods in order to cultivate favorable public relations.

Police Officer

Police Officers patrol designated areas in cars that are radio-equipped for the purpose of preserving law and order and to prevent and discover crimes that are committed as well as enforcing motor vehicle operation, traffic and parking regulations and state statutes as well as county and town ordinances. Police officers answer calls and complaints concerning vehicle accidents, fires, nuisances, assaults, robberies and other felonies as well as misdemeanors. The officer additionally administers first aid, makes arrests and testifies in court. The officer is responsible for making written incident reports. The office is responsible for demonstrating sound judgment in all duties and to act in accordance with the departmental policies and procedures.

Others

Other police department employees include: (1) police service aide; (2) dispatcher; (3) dispatcher supervisor; (4) human resources coordinator; (5) police programs specialist; (6) administrative aide; (7) crime scene technician; (8) Finance Clerk; (8) Administrative Secretary; and (9) Code Compliance Inspector.

Organizational Flow Chart

Organizational Chart

Hierarchal Command

Internal Affairs

Administrative Division

Operations Division

Salaries/Leave / Benefits & Other

Salaries and Benefits 1,299,990

Overtime and other wages 550,000

Supplies 154,000

Motor Fuels 220,222

Other services and charges 149,000

Fleet Services 255,000

Total 2,628,212

IV. Community Policing

The Bureau of Justice Assistance work entitled "Understanding Community Policing: A Framework for Action" reports that community policing "…encompasses a variety of philosophical and practical approaches and is still evolving rapidly. Community policing strategies vary depending on the needs and responses of the communities involved; however, certain basic principles and considerations are common to all community policing efforts." (1994) Community policing has as its goal the enhancement of safety in the community and it is reported that a pressing need exists to "curb the crises in many communities. (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994, p.9)

The goal of community policing is stated to be that of enhancing community safety, security and well-being and it is agreed upon among practitioners "that there is a pressing need for innovation to curb the crises in many communities." (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994,p.9) There are presently many communities that are facing challenges relating to "illegal drugs, gang violence, murders, muggings and burglaries." (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994, p.10)

Leaders in community government are acknowledging that responsibility for keeping neighborhoods safe belongs to them as well as to the police department and that it is necessary that communities "…take a unified stand against crime, violence, and disregard for the law." (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994, p. 10)

The Bureau of Justice Assistance defines community policing as "democracy in action" because community policies makes a requirement of the local government, civic and business leaders, public and private agency participation in the policing effort in the community. (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994, p. 12) There are necessary fundamental structural and managerial changes take place in the police organization when community policing is implemented. Specifically stated by the Bureau of Justice Assistance is the following: "While crime control and prevention remain central priorities, community policing strategies use a wide variety of methods to address these goals. The police and the community become partners in addressing problems of disorder and neglect (e.g., gang activity, abandoned cars, and broken windows) that, although perhaps not criminal, can eventually lead to serious crime. As links between the police and the community are strengthened over time, the ensuing partnership will be better able to pinpoint and mitigate the underlying causes of crime." (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994, p.12)

Effective community policing is stated to be dependent upon the optimization of "positive contact between patrol officers and community members. Patrol cars are only one method of conveying police services. Police departments may supplement automobile patrols with foot, bicycle, scooter, and horseback patrols, as well as adding "mini-stations" to bring police closer to the community." (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994, p.13) It is reported that regular community meetings and community forums enable the police and members of the community with a much needed opportunity to "…air concerns and find ways to address them. Officers working long-term assignments on the same shift and beat will become familiar figures to community members and will become aware of the day-to-day workings of the community. This increased police presence is an initial move in establishing trust and serves to reduce fear of crime among community members, which, in turn, helps create neighborhood security." (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994, p. 14)

The concerns and priorities of different communities are diverse in nature. The changing demographics in some cities and communities has resulted in intracommunity conflict and it is reported that these "…multiple and sometimes conflicting interests require patrol officers to function not only as preservers of law and order, but also as skillful mediators." (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994, p. 14)

Problem-Oriented Policing

Problem oriented policing involves the components of (1) scanning; (2) analysis; (3) response; and (4) assessment. City of San Diego Police Department, 2011)

Scanning involves the identification of problems.

Analysis, involves asking questions to become informed about the problem.

Response is based on analysis, which results in a custom-made solution addressing the problem.

Assessment involves the evaluation of the response to gauge the effectiveness of that response. (City of San Diego Police Department, 2011)

Differential Police Response

Differential Police Response' (DPR )was implemented in the early 1980s for the purpose of maintaining "an optimum balance between too many requests for police services and too few resources." (Forst, 2000) DPR is inclusive of the following characteristics:

(1) the decrease of operating costs;

(2) the decrease of the ratio of patrol officers to citizen-initiated calls;

(3) the decrease of the speed of response time due to a strong system of internal processing, dispatch and deployment;

(4) decrease in the number of calls needing an immediate response; and (5) increase in availability of time for community policing and crime prevention. (Telemasp Bulletin, 2006)

This involves those who take the calls or 'call-takers' classifying calls and them employing discretion concerning the appropriate classification of calls.

Civilians "…have been found to be a source of lower costs primarily through lower pay, reduced training requirements, and smaller overhead requirements." (Forst, 2000)