Strategic Plan

Shepherdsville Assessment Final Report

Prepared for: Shepherdsville Police Department

Chief Doug Puckett

Prepared by Jeffrey S. Magers, Ed.D.

Site Visit Date: March 7, 2008

Report Date: June 26, 2009

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 4

AGENCY PROFILE .................................................................................................................................. 5

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITY POLICING ....................................................................................... 13

ORGANIZATIONAL UNIVERSE ......................................................................................................... 14

I. ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES........................................................................................................... 14 I. ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES........................................................................................................... 15 II. ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS ........................................................................................................ 15 III. STRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................ 15 IV. CLIMATE .................................................................................................................................... 15 V. COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................ 16 I. VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES OF THE ORGANIZATION............................................................ 17

CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 68

RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................ 71

APPENDIX I: PROGRAM EXAMPLES .............................................................................................. 72

COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY POLICING .............................................................................................. 72 DIVERSION .............................................................................................................................................. 73 GANG PREVENTION AND ELIMINATION .................................................................................................. 74 NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED CRIME PREVENTION ........................................................................................ 75 SAFETY EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN....................................................................................................... 75 SENIOR SERVICE ..................................................................................................................................... 76 YOUTH PROGRAMS ................................................................................................................................. 76 CHILD ABUSE .......................................................................................................................................... 77

APPENDIX II: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.......................................................................................... 79

APPENDIX III: HELENA, MT.............................................................................................................. 82

APPENDIX IV: SUPERVISOR AND MANAGER ROLES ............................................................... 84

APPENDIX V: COMMUNITY COURTS............................................................................................. 85

APPENDIX VI: INTEGRITY AND ETHICS TOOL .......................................................................... 88

APPENDIX VII: COMMUNITY POLICING: PRINCIPLES & ELEMENTS …………………….89

Shepherdsville Assessment Final Report 1

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INTRODUCTION

This report is the result of a request by Chief Doug Puckett for an Onsite Assessment sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Public Safety and conducted by the Kentucky Regional Community Policing Institute (Kentucky RCPI). The department requested an Onsite Assessment related to community policing and was interested in an independent examination of the organization and community to assess organizational readiness and to identify strategic community-based recommendations toward the implementation of community policing. The Onsite Assessment Process has been adapted from the Western Regional Institute for Community Oriented Public Safety (WRICOPS) Leadership Cadre Organization Assessment Program. The Onsite Assessment Process provides organizational development and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and their communities through a trained Assessment Team. The Assessment Team consists of current and former law enforcement executives, community-policing and organizational experts, and community members. The Assessment Team visits the requesting agency, conducts and assessment, and delivers a report of their findings and strategic recommendations for further strategic implementation of community policing. The Onsite Assessment Process seeks to identify the current status of community policing within the department and assess the level of understanding and support of community policing of local government and community members. Information was assembled by Assessment Team members through meetings, surveys, interviews, observations, and document review. RCPI staff scheduling the Onsite Assessment worked closely with the department to set up suitable experiences for the Assessment Team. The department provided the Assessment Team access to all relevant records and set up interviews with a cross-section of the agency and the community. This information was then organized into this comprehensive written report, which provides strategic recommendations and ideas for implementation or enhancement of community policing. The Assessment Team examined all aspects of the organization related to community policing. This report provides the Chief of Police and the members of the department with information to assist them in becoming more responsive and service-based in community policing. This report discusses many aspects of the organization, including values, goals, structure, and the internal and external environments. Strategic recommendations provided for each topic area, designed to move the agency toward department-wide community policing, do not imply problems or errors, but rather offer a path for change. The suggestions are purposely not always specific, as there is no easy “cookbook recipe” for the difficult challenge of implementing comprehensive organization change. The purpose of the recommendations is to stimulate discussion, self-examination, and critical thinking. For long-term effectiveness and success, department members should address the political ramifications, pros and cons of the proposed actions, the potential impact of changes, and how best to implement these changes within the agency. Without such active participation and reflection, this report becomes just another document by “some consultants” that finds its place in the department’s archives only to be later viewed in the context of when it can be legally destroyed. This report is neither a management audit nor an accreditation assessment; it is not meant to criticize personalities, views, or management styles of any department members. Management styles that work very effectively in a traditional law enforcement agency may create barriers in a community policing environment that encourage decentralized operations and decision making, creativity and innovation, partnerships, and problem solving. This report provides recommendations for change to help the department assess its readiness and commitment to community policing and problem solving.

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The Conclusion at the end of this report provides a “snapshot” of the principle issues and themes discovered in this assessment. A more comprehensive discussion of our findings and strategic recommendations are found throughout this report. A number of strategic recommendations, set forth throughout the document, may be repeated in different sections. This redundancy is by design and demonstrates how each area of the organization examined (assessed) is integrally related to other areas and how making changes in one area may impact several others. Should the decision be made for the agency to move further towards a community oriented policing philosophy, being aware that these recommendations are at times redundant in themselves can greatly assist those who design the strategic plan and timetable. Individuals acting as change agents may well implement one or two strategies that will impact a number of areas of the organization and its effectiveness.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Onsite Assessment Team would like to thank each and every member of the Shepherdsville Police Department and the City of Shepherdsville as a whole for the warm welcome and kindly assistance throughout the assessment process. Without this cooperation and assistance, the assessment would not have been possible. We would particularly like to thank Sergeant Ken Bernardi for his personal assistance in setting up interviews, preparing materials for the assessment team, and help in our transportation needs throughout the week. We would also like to acknowledge the RCPI Director Cindy Shain, and RCPI instructors Ed Brodt, and Tracy Schiller.

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AGENCY PROFILE

Department: The Shepherdsville Police Department is staffed with 23 sworn personnel. The department is structured into two divisions; Patrol Division and Support Services. Shepherdsville Police provide basic patrol services as well as traffic and criminal investigative services. The patrol function is supported by the use of canine. Population: The total population of Shepherdsville, as of 2007, is approximately 9,035 people. This represents an 8.41% increase since 2000. Shepherdsville is located in Bullitt County and as of 2004 has a population of approximately 66,645 people. This is an 8.83% increase since the 2000 census. Both numbers are reflective of the census taken in the year 2000.

Calls for Service: The Shepherdsville police department is dispatched by a central 911 dispatch center that uses a CAD system that is relatively new. The technology appears to exist that would allow analysis of data; however, at this time there does not appear to be any analysis of calls for service as to hot spots or repeat users of the system. There is currently no way for the police department to view or analyze calls for service data remotely. All requests for reports etc. must be submitted to dispatch management personnel. CAD data for the last several years is included in the report.

Other Information: The median home cost in Shepherdsville is $198,000. Home appreciation the last year has been 4.27 percent. Compared to the rest of the country, Shepherdsville's cost of living is 14.69% lower than the U.S. average. Shepherdsville public schools spend $5,463 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about 20 students per teacher in Shepherdsville. The unemployment rate in Shepherdsville is 4.90 percent (U.S. avg. is 4.60%). Recent job growth is Positive. Shepherdsville jobs have increased by 2.16 percent.

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The mission of the Kentucky Regional Community Policing Institute at Eastern Kentucky University is to encourage and enhance the implementation of community policing in Kentucky in order to create safer communities through training and technical assistance. Training is centered on the development and delivery of quality community policing training for police agencies and citizens throughout the state of Kentucky.

INTRODUCTION OF KENTUCKY REGIONAL COMMUNITY POLICING INSTITUTE (Kentucky RCPI)

The Kentucky Regional Community Policing Institute (Kentucky RCPI) is one of a network of 27 regional community policing institutes strategically located across the nation and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The Kentucky RCPI provides technical assistance and training on community oriented policing and problem-solving throughout our defined service region - the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Instruction is provided on a variety of topics related to community policing. Technical assistance is designed to help Kentucky law enforcement agencies identify strategies to implement community policing philosophies, and build trusting relationships with their respective communities. Therefore, the mission of Kentucky RCPI is to encourage and enhance the implementation of community policing in Kentucky in order to create safer communities through training and technical assistance. Training is centered on the development and delivery of quality community policing instruction for police agencies and citizens throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

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ASSESSMENT TEAM MEMBERS The Kentucky RCPI staff would like to acknowledge and thank each of the following Onsite Assessment Team members involved in this effort: Tracy Schiller, Richmond, Kentucky; Ed Brodt, Richmond, Kentucky; Jim Griffiths, Louisville, Kentucky; Chief Randy Bratton, Paducah Police Department, Paducah, Kentucky; Assistant Director Jeff Martin, Northern Kentucky University Department of Public safety, Highland Heights; Kentucky; Lieutenant Mark Filburn, Louisville Metro Police Department, Louisville, Kentucky; and Assistant Professor Brian Williams, Department of Public Administration and Policy, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. The following describes the background of each Assessment Team Member. Jeffrey S. Magers, Ed.D Team Leader Dr. Magers is currently an Assistant Professor of the Law and Public Policy Program of the California University of Pennsylvania. He teaches full-time in the graduate programs in law, public policy and homeland security. This program examines legal and policy issues related to law enforcement, criminal justice, and homeland security. His courses include U.S. Homeland Security; Law and Criminal Conduct, Terrorism; Threat and Vulnerability Analysis and Protection; and Intelligence Practice in Homeland Security. He retired as a Captain from the Jefferson County Police Department with 21 years of service. He is a graduate of the 87th Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute and the 183rd Session of the FBI national Academy Ed Brodt Assessor Ed Brodt is currently the Associate Director with the Kentucky RCPI, where he has been a consultant/trainer since its inception in 1996. He served as Chief of Police in Anchorage Kentucky from July 1994 through July 1997. He retired as a Captain from the Jefferson County Police Department after twenty (20) years of service to accept the chief’s job in Anchorage (KY). He holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Police Administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He is also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville. Ed has served as adjunct faculty at the University of Louisville where he taught Police Administration and Police Management. He has been a Department of Criminal Justice Training certified instructor for twenty (20) years. In addition, he served a term on the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council in 1995. Ed has conducted presentations to numerous groups including the International Association of Police Planners annual convention and the Kentucky Municipal Risk Managers Association annual meeting. Tracy A. Schiller Assessor Tracy Schiller currently serves as Training Specialist for the Kentucky RCPI located at Eastern Kentucky University. He assumed this position full-time in 2004. Prior to this, he contracted with the Kentucky RCPI as a consultant/trainer on a number of projects. From 1982 to 1989, Tracy served with the Shelbyville Police Department, Shelbyville, KY, where he moved from the rank of Patrolman to Captain and served as the Assistant Chief. From 1989 to 2003, he served with the Louisville Division of Police, Louisville, KY, where he retired as Major and Assistant Chief. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville and is a graduate of the 65th Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute. He is also a graduate of the 200th Session of the FBI National Academy. Tracy has trained internationally on the topic of domestic violence.

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Stephen R. Boven Assessor Stephen R. Boven is currently serving his 15th year as the Chief of Police in Wilmore, Kentucky. He has been committed to the citizens of Wilmore, since 1990. Prior to moving to Kentucky, he worked for Corporate and Financial Investigations at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan. Chief Boven also served the State of Michigan as a Michigan State Trooper and Detective Sergeant for fourteen years. Following his strong faith, Chief Boven attended Asbury Theological Seminary and received his Masters of Divinity. His Bachelors of Science Degree in Education was received from Central Michigan University, where he majored in Sociology and minored in Psychology.

Chief Boven has served on several Boards during his career in law enforcement. He organized and served as Chairman of the Jessamine County Board of Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy. He was also a part of the Kentucky Law Enforcement Issues Consortium, after being appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. The Kentucky Regional Community Policing Institute Board has Chief Boven as an acting member of their Board. He is an active advocate and teacher for the D.A.R.E. Program, holding memberships both for the National D.A.R.E. Officers Association and the Kentucky D.A.R.E. Association (KDA). He has served in several positions in the KDA board of directors, including president. He currently serves as Sergeant at Arms for the KDA. Chief Boven has presented at workshops for small police departments at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conferences. Other memberships currently held by Chief Boven include the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Lions Club and Southland Christian Church. Mary Harris Assessor Mari Harris served with the Bowling Green Police where she moved from the rank of Patrol Officer to Deputy Chief of Field Operations. During her 27-year law enforcement career, Mari served as Detective, Sergeant of the Community Relations Unit, Patrol Captain, and Captain of Professional Standards Unit, retiring in the position of Deputy Chief of Field Operations in 2005. During this assignment, she was responsible for supervision of the Uniformed Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Communications Division and the Critical Response Team. Following her retirement, Mari was appointed as the Executive Deputy Director for the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, where she was responsible for oversight of the Operations, Prevention and Preparedness Division. This unit provided supervision over the Intelligence Fusion Center, Critical Infrastructure and the state’s exercise and training programs. Currently, Mari serves as an adjunct instructor for the Sociology Department of Western Kentucky University.

Mari holds a Master‘s Degree from Eastern Kentucky University. She is a graduate of the United States War College, National Security Seminar; the Senior Executive Institute, University of Virginia; National Crime Prevention Institute; FBI National Academy; and the Southern Police Institute, Administrative Officers Course. Mari is a certified Franklin Covey trainer for "Seven Habits for Law Enforcement Professionals."

Roy McFadden Assessor Roy McFadden is a retired corporate executive. He served for 15 years as the General Manager of National Account Sales for the General Electric Company (Appliance Division). Prior to that, he was employed by the RCA Corporation as Director of Marketing. Roy is currently starting a new business in support of cable broadband Internet service providers.

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Marianna Perry Assessor Marianna Perry was recently appointed as Director of the National Crime Prevention Institute at the University of Louisville, where she is an instructor and also conducts Physical Security Assessments. She is a former trooper and detective with the Kentucky State Police and served as general manager for one of the region's largest private security companies. She has provided loss control services to Fortune 500 companies and insurance underwriters. Marianna is also is a consultant and operates her own company, Loss Prevention and Safety Management, LLC. Marianna has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Bellarmine University and a Master of Science Degree in Loss Prevention and Safety from Eastern Kentucky University. She is a member of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) where she is a member of the Commercial Real Estate Council. Marianna has earned the title of Certified Protection Professional (CPP), which is the preeminent designation through ASIS that is awarded to board certified individuals whose primary responsibilities are in security management and who have demonstrated advanced knowledge in security solutions and best business practices. Tracie Shugart Assessor Tracie is currently a Lieutenant with the Louisville Metro Police Department, Fourth Division. She began her career in law enforcement by joining the Louisville Division of Police in 1995. Since then she has served in a number of units and positions. These include the following: Patrol Officer in several police districts, Detective in the Domestic Violence/Sex Crimes Squad, Administrative Assistant to the Associate Chief of Administration, Robbery Squad Sergeant, Fourth District Detective Sergeant and Sex Crimes Squad Sergeant. In 2000 she received a Meritorious Unit Citation for her role while in the Domestic Violence/ Sex Crimes Squad. In 2007 she again received a Meritorious Unit Citation for her work with the Sex Crimes Squad.

J. R. Wilkins Assessor Maj. (Ret.) J.R. Wilkins retired from the Bowling Green, KY Police Department. During his career he served as Assistant Chief in charge of Special Operations (Crime Analysis and Community Relations), Acting Deputy Chief of Police for Field Operations (Operations, Administrative, Investigations, Communications, Crisis Response Team), and Assistant Chief in charge of Patrol Operations. He is a graduate of the 110th Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute, University of Louisville, and is currently enrolled at Western Kentucky University majoring in Sociology with a minor in Criminology.

ONSITE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The Onsite Assessment Process provides technical assistance to police agencies, sheriff’s departments, and their communities, through the use of a trained Onsite Assessment Team. The Assessment Team consists of loaned police executives, community-policing experts, community members, as well as elected and appointed government officials. The Assessment Team visits the requesting agency, conducts an assessment, and delivers a report of their findings and strategic recommendations for further strategic implementation of community policing. The Assessment Team provides assistance with the implementation and institutionalization of community policing and problem solving. By developing an

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Assessment Team acting as consultants, many pitfalls associated with organizational change are avoided; thereby enhancing innovative community policing strategies within the department. The Onsite Assessment Process seeks to identify the current status of community policing within the department, assess the level of understanding and support of community policing shown by the local government, and determine prevailing attitudes about community policing expressed by community members. The Onsite Assessment Process identifies barriers to community policing and available implementation strategies. Information assembled by Assessment Team members through meetings, surveys, interviews, observations, and document review and then organized into a comprehensive written report provides strategic recommendations to assist the department in the enhancement of community policing efforts. This report serves as a useful tool for direction and assistance in transitioning or advancing community policing efforts in a community. It also provides baseline information for use by the department in developing its community policing efforts. The Onsite Assessment builds a comprehensive and accurate picture of the community policing efforts of the department and provides insight into the attitudes, perspectives, and expectations of department personnel, local government officials, community leaders, citizens, and volunteers. Activities during the Onsite Assessment may include interviews, ride-alongs, observations, document/records’ review, and meetings. RCPI staff scheduling the Onsite Assessment work closely with the department to set up suitable experiences for the Assessment Team. The department provides the Assessment Team access to all relevant records and sets up interviews with appropriate persons. Three different interview questionnaires provide a guide to initiate discussion during the Onsite Assessment. Although confidential and conducted in private areas, the interviews do not assure anonymity. Typical stakeholders interviewed include:

 CEO, all ranks and divisions, support personnel (records, dispatch, etc.), and volunteers of the department

 Other law enforcement agencies  Citizens, business owners, education, media, non-profits, professional, religious, youth, and other

civic representatives

 Judicial, social service, city/county administrators, and elected officials  Randomly selected, pre-identified community members Whenever available, the Assessment Team also reviews the following items provided by the department:

 Organization chart  Policies and procedures manuals  Annual reports  Planning documents  Budget documents  Demographics

 Surveys  Newspaper articles  Maps  Existing partnerships  Community policing strategies

This Onsite Assessment Process uses three types of questionnaires for conducting interviews—law enforcement, local government, and community members. These questionnaires serve as guides to ensure that the interviews cover important topic areas, including the following:

 Understanding of community policing  Vision/mission of the organization

 Ethical and integrity issues  Organizational structure

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 Calls-for-service management  Management and planning services  Human resources  Resistance or barriers to change  Organizational communication patterns  Issues of power and control  Financial management  Community Issues  Community partnerships  Role of local government, media, and

community groups  Internal and external relations  Social capital  Roles of the chief executive, command staff,

and first-line supervisors

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The Assessment Team conducted over 163 interviews during the week long assessment process. Interviews were held with approximately 15 law enforcement officers and command staff from the department and neighboring law enforcement agencies, and 40 local government officials. Along with city council members, county commissioners, judges, and prosecutors, the remaining interviews included residents, school officials, school board members, neighborhood members, community representatives, businesspeople, and civic organization leaders.

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ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITY POLICING

Community policing measures its success as a philosophy and approach to policing that promotes the formation of partnerships among law enforcement, the public, and non-profit agencies. Activities associated with these partnerships actively engage law enforcement with citizens to address community issues and promote proactive problem solving to address the causes of crime and reduce the fear of becoming a victim of crime. Within the community policing philosophy, the three interrelated, equally important core components of partnerships, problem solving, and organizational structure/leadership give life to community policing principles. Partnerships. As a key feature of community policing, partnership means working with community members and other governmental entities to identify problems and formulate practical solutions to those problems (problem solving). Community policing recognizes that crime is not exclusively a police problem, but more accurately constitutes a community problem. Long-term, effective solutions require involvement by many parties—community members, and local government officials and agencies, schools, community and neighborhood groups, and law enforcement. Partnership building is not a "community relations effort," but rather represents an authentic effort of achieve engagement with the community on the part of the police. Problem Solving. As a structured process for identifying and analyzing problems, developing solutions, and assessing the impact of those solutions, problem solving is most effective when all major stakeholders work together for problem resolution. Public safety problems often require solutions not traditionally associated with law enforcement agencies, and typically involve other city, county, and non- profit agencies. Community-based problem solving calls upon officers to make innovative decisions in the field. When an organization embraces the management philosophy of community policing, agency personnel adopt a customer service orientation. Organizational Structure. Community partnerships and proactive problem solving cannot be effective, however, unless the structure, policies, culture, values, and character of ethical leadership of the organization support and reinforce such activities. Line officers need enhanced decision-making authority to work with their community to help define and find solutions to localized problems. Community policing officers often feel constrained in their work by the existing hierarchical structure, policies, and procedures that keep decision-making authority at the top, limit the amount and type of information disbursed, and require virtually all actions to go through the “chain of command.” These disparate organizational motivations can cause internal conflict between expected outcomes of community policing law enforcement actions and the type of decision-making permitted via a command and control system. Distrust of change, lack of confidence in management, and cynicism with respect to changing reward systems typically restrict the timely implementation of community policing.

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ORGANIZATIONAL UNIVERSE

The Organizational Universe: Organizational Structure and Change (Jones, 1981). Inconsistencies between values and organizational processes contribute to the organizational conflict often experienced in implementing community policing, and ultimately bring about attempts at organizational change. Law enforcement agencies attempting to implement a planned change need to examine their “Organizational Universe” (Jones, 1981). The Organizational Universe enables the department to view the entire organization and perceive its web of relationships both within and outside the department by providing an overview of the system in which police managers adopting community policing are working. The Organizational Universe includes values, goals, organizational structure, internal climate, and external stakeholders. Key to success in the implementation of an organization-wide change such as that required by community policing is the examination of the congruency between each of the elements. When such congruency exists, the organization is most effective.

Openness to Input from Outside

Accountability

COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT

Competing Departments

Citizens

City/County Elected Officials

STRUCTURE

GOALS

VALUES

Training

Shift Assignments

Decision Making

Reporting Communications

Rewards

Trust Among Managers & Employees

Government Agencies

Perceptions of Support

from Outside

Community Organizations

Political Groups

Freedom to Exercise Discretion

Level of Stress

Tolerance of Risk Taking

Contract Cities

Funding

Cooperating Departments

Business Community

Media

Crime Analysis

Planning

Power & Control

Human Resources

Mgt. Of Calls for Service

Department- Wide Philosophy

Ethical Expectations

Role

Resistance to Change

Role Clarification

Tribal Council

CLIMATE

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I. ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES

At the core of the organization is a set of values or an underlying philosophy that defines the organization’s reason for existence. It is through these values that members understand what actions are expected and considered ethical within the organizational structure. The culture of the department comes to reflect these values in the structure and management practices of the agency. Values look to the future and are not necessarily driven by the past, the system, or rules. Values define organizational goals without regard to the specific means to achieve those goals. Consensus among managers, especially on the core values, creates sensible, legitimate, and coordinated management decisions directed toward common goals. Changes occurring in law enforcement’s external environment necessitate a vision that incorporates values to ensure appropriate policing behavior. The vision and changed behavior required entail embracing a management and organizational philosophy that empowers virtually all members of the organization to meet community needs. The values of community policing—including problem solving, community partnerships, officer discretion, ethical behaviors, creativity, continuous improvement, and customer service—must drive the organization. It is through these values that members understand what actions are expected and considered ethical within the organizational structure. The culture of the department comes to reflect these values in the structure and management of the department.

II. ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS

Organizational goals are derived from the articulation of the department’s values. Goals describe what concrete outcomes the department is striving for, and how it will actualize its values. Goals explain how organizational values will be implemented within the organization, and as a consequence, they must be substantially outcome-based guides to action. Goal setting is the mechanism for connecting organizational values with observable outcomes. As a process, goals translate the organization’s vision, mission, and values into a framework of actions and objectives. Goals provide a standard against which budgeting, planning, human resources, structure, and other elements are tested. The goal setting process, if inclusive, strengthens the relationship between the community and the agency and develops long-term support for changes made as a result of the planning effort. Goals should articulate organizational values in terms of outcome-based guides for action, and be used to hold senior managers accountable for achieving these outcomes. Command staff must agree on how they will show personal commitment to community policing, how they will allocate resources to support it, and what evaluation processes they will use to gauge progress toward community policing adoption.

III. STRUCTURE

Structure involves much more than the ubiquitous organizational chart, which depicts the formal mechanisms and relationships that enable the implementation of values and goals. Elements within the structure include manager roles; communication and decision-making procedures; human resource policies; training; accountability and commitment provisions; promotion and reward systems; crime analysis;, and calls for service management. Each element requires congruency among the values, goals, and organizational structure elements. Congruency in this context means the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures support the departmental implementation of the values, mission, and goals.

IV. CLIMATE

Climate is the language of the organization expressed through words, gestures, situations, interpersonal relations, and unwritten rules of behavior. The culture exists first and foremost as a result of the interpretation of managerial behaviors. The organizational climate depicts the atmosphere that results from the implementation of the structure. Trust, risk-taking, support, competition, freedom, clarity of roles, stress, and conflict resolution are all elements of the climate. Plummeted workforce morale, strained trust in the system, openly competitive relationships, and lack of innovation result from

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incongruence among the values, goals, and structure of an organization. Organizational climate elements often determine the extent and success of a change process.

V. COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT

The community environment describes the influences that affect the organization’s ability to accomplish its goals. Organizations without a well-developed value system are at the virtual mercy of a changing environment. The community environment can have an impact upon an organization by altering goals based on partial information. Employees in these organizations tend to value stability within the workplace, and to distrust new “initiatives” or “directives out of the blue,” believing that within a relatively short time priorities will change again without much warning. Effective organizations learn to connect to their environments in appropriate and useful ways. Citizen groups, local interests, and politicians can be involved in building workable partnerships, engaging in problem solving, and promoting crime prevention. Collaborative interactions within jurisdictions and among the police, elected officials, and the media reflect the extent of community-based problem solving and the success of community policing efforts. The “community” in community policing is made up of the stakeholders that must work together to ensure the success of any community policing effort. The Organizational Universe provides a template for the comprehensive assessment of an organization, and lends structure to the report of findings and recommendations. It is adopted for those purposes in this report.

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FINDINGS AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS

I. VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES OF THE ORGANIZATION

The values of an organization determine its ability to adapt to outside influences, infuse new ideas into traditional systems, and incorporate changing paradigms. It is the responsibility of top management to explicitly share and model organizational values. A written mission statement, helpful when addressing fundamental change within an organization, becomes one mechanism for employees and community members to understand the values of the department. Top management reinforces the statement by articulating a clear, powerful, consistent vision describing the kind of department expected from community policing implementation. Managers are often good at championing change by others, but rather poor at changing their own behavior. Culture, established by employees observing what happens to them and then drawing conclusions about their organization’s priorities, set their own priorities accordingly (Schneider et al., 1994). It is for this reason that it is so important that senior managers address the implications of a community policing philosophy for their own work.

Findings

The department has a well-written mission statement that reflects the philosophy of community policing. The mission statement is posted in various places throughout the department and is accessible to the employees of the department. The Mission and Values Statements of the Shepherdsville Police Department are:

MISSION STATEMENT

SPD provides the highest quality service, preserving human rights, lives, and property, while striving to achieve the goals of the Department, the City, and the community. We are committed to the highest professional standards, working in partnership with our citizens to problem solve and meet the challenges of reducing crime, creating a safer environment, and improving our quality of life.

VALUES & VISION

There were no separate written or articulated vision or values statements within the department. It should be noted that the following section speaks to the mission, values and community policing almost interchangeably and in a connected manner. This should assist the reader in comprehending the intimate relation each should have to the other. Although the department mission statement is posted and readily available for employees to read and review, the members of the community that were interviewed were not familiar with the department’s mission statement. Since the mission statement reflects elements of community policing those interviewed were asked to describe what community policing meant to them. They made statements such as, “being more involved in the community,” “combine the police department and the community in a way to keep the community safe,” “being a more visible police force, where the members of the community can see officers out of the (police) vehicle and know who they are when they are not on a call.” During these interviews and by way of the question concerning community policing, one theme resonated. It was to live up to the motto of “Protect and Serve.”

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The citizens, elected and community members want a professional police department. By and large, the citizens view the SPD as being professional. They want the officers to meet the needs of the community. One community member said he expects excellent service -- efficient, friendly, productive and professional.” This person specifically added, “I see that in the SPD.” Another major theme coming from the interviews was that of deterring and investigating crime. The views differed somewhat from person to person. Some saw deterring crimes only as being visible to the citizens, while others saw it as involving the public in helping to deter and fight crime. For instance, one community member said it is “most important to maintain law and order. Informing the public, giving information to the citizens will help enable the citizens to help enforce the laws. The citizens have a responsibility to help. The PD is a tool to keep law and order.” All of this considered, it appears that the perceived mission of the department is to provide the best possible police service to the community. When speaking to the police chief he did not use the terms “Problem Solving” or Partnership Building,” in describing community policing efforts. He said community policing is “interaction with people in the community to gain confidence of the people.” He described the mission of the department is to provide the best possible police service to the community. He also described community policing as crime prevention. His intention is to dedicate one officer to community policing and crime prevention duties. His emphasis would be to work with citizens group, neighborhood watches, more interaction with the citizens and personally calling on businesses. When asked about the values and mission statement of the department, officers replied with the basic goals of prevent crime and keep the community safe. Most stated they felt the main goal was to strive to be the best, most professional police department in the county. Due to the recent change in leadership of the department, there does not appear to be as yet a clear understanding of the mission and vision of the department. They knew there was a mission statement, but couldn't really explain what it was. This same was found when asked about the goals of the department. They knew they wanted to grow and add more officers, but there were no clearly established vision for these changes. When asked about the vision of the police department officer reaction was varied; some officers stated “Be the best we can be” and “Be progressive.” This belief may be somewhat supported by statements made by officers “If you can prove a need to the chief he will support you.” During interviews members of the police department demonstrated a reasonable understanding of the community policing philosophy and were able to give examples of what was being done in the community. However, some community members had a limited understanding of community policing while others had no understanding of the concepts of community policing. The Officers interviewed had various definitions of community policing. They all expressed it to be more than just patrolling their assigned area and to involve the community. One officer defined it as, “Being vested in the community.” It was further stated that community policing involves giving the best police service to everyone no matter who they are. They expressed it to be a way to get the community actively involved in the police department’s efforts to provide safety. They stated it was getting to know “who your nosy neighbors are because they will help provide information to you.” When asked, the department members interviewed felt the department practiced community policing. Shepherdsville Police officers had various perceptions of community policing in general and how it applied to their police department. The comments included the following:

 Community policing is “getting out there and meeting people—a lot of PR.”

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 Community policing is walking around and talking to people and establishing a rapport with them like with Crime Prevention and Block Watch Programs.

 Police shouldn’t “run over” people, but talk with them.  Community policing is “doing things that don’t just address legal problems. You have to know

people in order to fix their problems.”  The PD wants to become “a part of the community and meet their needs—not just their law

enforcement needs. Nobody makes us attend community meetings and be involved.” Elected officials provided the following information concerning the relationship of community policing efforts to the departmental mission and values:

 "We want police officers to be with us face to face rather than insulated from the public.” One official said,

 "We expect to have the officers’ present dealing with issues of the community in the community as well as establishing relationships with people, out of their cars."

 In regards to explaining COP, one appointed official said, “Officers are public servants first and foremost, then law enforcers. COP receives input and assistance from the public to help them do their jobs. It is breaking down barriers resulting in police helping the community and the community helping the police.”

 The police department is better now than it was a year and a half ago. It is one of the 3 best law enforcement agencies in the county along with the KSP and the Sheriff’s Office.

Interviews with city and county governmental officials included the following comments:

 Community policing is the community working with the police officer. The community expects help and protection from the police department so the communities are safe.

 Community policing is assuring that the safety needs of the community are met by developing relationships with citizens and other agencies.

 The police department meets expectations and since Doug has been chief there has been a “marked improvement in the relationship between CPS (Child Protective Services) and the police department.” There was a perceived “strained relationship” before and a sense that the former chief was not approachable. Anyone can call Doug direct whenever they need help and CPS is getting more referrals from the police department.

 The ethical values of the police department are “putting other people above yourself and being honest and trustworthy.”

Interviews with community members included the following comments.

 The expectation from the public is the police will provide excellent services, help educate the public, fight crime, be fair and honest, efficient but friendly, productive and professional. One community member said that the police department’s role in the community is “to provide safety and security, be available to be active for programs and consulting, and be part of solving problems.”

 The expectation of policing in the community was also very evident. The community expects the department to serve the needs of the community by providing a timely and efficient response to calls for service, to treat the citizens in a friendly and professional manner, to be approachable, to be a role model for the rest of the community, to be a positive influence for youth and have more interaction with them, and to be good community partners.

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 The public views the members of the department as highly ethical, professional, of good reputation, high caliber and high class of officers. The public has been impressed by the way the department personnel have handled people and issues.

 Without exception, all were highly supportive and would like to see the Shepherdsville Police Department promote and expand Community Policing.

Members of the community expressed a general understanding of community policing focusing on the positive interaction of the police with the community and effective responsiveness to community issues. Some specific quotes from community members included the following.  Community policing is “all law enforcement agencies working together to provide the best

services possible.”  Community policing means “doing more than just police work—participate with the

community in fairs, DARE and local festivals.”  I expect the police department to “develop positive relationships in the community.”

Values and Ethics When speaking about the ethical principles of the police department, members of the community overall had a positive opinion. A few people interviewed stated that there were a small number of officers who did not live up to these ideals; but, overall, their opinion was they were an ethical department. It is evident Chief Puckett expects his officers to be honest, maintain high morals, have a high degree of integrity, have a good work ethic, and show compassion when appropriate. The vast majority of those interviewed regarded the members of the Shepherdsville Police Department as highly ethically and honest. An elected official stated, “when people come to our office to complain about a ticket, I can look at the issuing department and often times I know the citizen may be right; however, I have never doubted the Shepherdsville police.” The same elected official stated he had observed Shepherdsville Police testify in court and was so impressed with their testimony he went and found out their names. An additional individual interviewed that the Shepherdsville Police Department “goes the extra mile.”

Elected and business members had the same reaction to gratuities as sworn officers, “always be prepared to pay.” “If officers come to expect it, than it could be a problem.” However two individuals stated that in a small town it could lead to problems. Everyone knows each other and the officer may be expected to give the business/citizen a break.

Strategic Recommendations

 The City of Shepherdsville should develop a strategic plan to implement Community Oriented Policing that meets the needs of the citizens of Shepherdsville by establishing a citizen advisory board and police officer working groups.

 The department should establish departmental wide policies and programs for the officers to be proactive in partnerships with groups and organizations. The policies and programs should

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provide rewards for the officers for their partnerships involvement and problem solving incentives.

 Develop a structure that encourages officers to get out of their cars and engage in non-

enforcement positive interactions with members of the community to build trust and open communication.

 Implement a training program for creating a better understanding of community policing in order

to provide officers and civilian employees with the ability to take specific actions in their everyday work environment that supports a community policing partnership with the community. This training can be obtained through the services provided by the RCPI.

 Develop and clearly articulate the values, vision and mission of the department and get a

complete commitment of support of the city government. These become the foundation from which goals are established. The chief should make a specific effort to communicate with the various branches of city government and the community at large to make sure his message about community partnerships and problem solving are understood and supported.

 Educate police officers about community policing and ensure that they are aware of what is

expected of them. Train them to educate the citizens in the community when they are asked questions about the department.

 Develop specific goals for the department as a whole and for each individual police officer.

The goals should be both long-term and short-term and address specifically how the PD will get from point A to Point B.

 To further aid in engraining the mission of the police department among the employees, the

department should have the mission statement printed on the back of their business cards. This provides an opportunity for officers to share the statement with colleagues outside the department and community as well. Officers should carry a laminated pocket sized copy for reference as well. The mission statement should also have a prominent place on the department’s home webpage so the community can view it. Accountability to the public for achieving the mission and being committed to it is important.

 Have conversations with employees that center upon the mission and values of the

organization. The idea is for everyone in the agency to understand what these mean in a uniform and consistent manner. Interpretation to what these mean should not be left to the individual, they should be clear and specific to the meaning given when drafted by the agency.

II. GOALS

“If you don’t know where you want to go, any road with take you there.” Goal setting is a mechanism for connecting organizational values with observable outcomes. As a process, goals translate the organization’s vision, mission, and values into a framework of actions and objectives. Goals provide a standard against which budgeting, planning, human resources, structure, and other elements are tested. The goal setting process, if inclusive, strengthens the relationship between the community and the agency and develops long-term support for changes made as a result of the planning effort. Members of the organization should know the overall goals for the department. It is also important that the agency be open to inside and outside input when constructing their goals. If the agency wishes to truly reflect a community policing philosophy, it must develop goals with the community as well as members of the law

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enforcement agency. These goals should reflect those critical areas identified by the agency and the community that should be addressed by the police agency. These goals should contain a proactive approach. Findings There are no written goals and objectives for the Shepherdsville Police Department; however, Chief Puckett stated the department was in the process of developing them. No draft was available for viewing at the time of the assessment team visit. It was the belief of the officers, city officials, and members of the community that city and police department informal goals and objectives were compatible under the current city administration and the leadership of Chief Puckett. Although no written goals existed, Chief Puckett, his commanders, and the police officers generally articulated goals that included: 1) “Making the Shepherdsville PD the best department possible,” 2) “getting the job done,” 3) “Protecting and serving the community,” 4) “Being open and meeting the needs of the community.” 5) “Working together for the good of the community.” 6) “Getting criminals off the street,” 7) “Growing bigger to meet the needs of economic growth in the community, 8) “Improve the public’s perception of the department,” 9) “Maintaining high morale within the police department,” 10) “To become KACP accredited.” These unwritten, informal goals are certainly consistent with community policing principles, but do not fully reflect the range of necessary goals and objectives that would reflect a community policing organizational mindset. Strategic Recommendations

 Embark in a formalized process for establishing short and long range goals with corresponding supporting objectives. These goals and objectives should reflect the needs of the city as a community at large, city government, and the police department.

 The goals and objectives should be consistent with the vision, mission, and organizational values

of the police department. Each of these components must be compatible with the corresponding elements developed the city. Restated, this means the vision, mission, values, goals and objectives of the city and the police department while certainly different must be complimentary to form a common direction where the department and city government are synchronized. All evidence indicates this exists informally; however, the process must be formalized through process designed to create a stable, ongoing effort by the police department to continually strive to fully adopt community policing principles and methodically achieve goals and objectives that will meet that end.

 The development of goals and objectives must be accomplished through an open process where

police officers, community members and city officials have input so as to fully consider the needs of all constituencies. One recommendation for accomplishing this is to schedule an off-site “weekend retreat.” Here key members of the police department, consisting of the various elements of the agency, meet with selected community members who represent various key constituencies along with key city government officials. Such a meeting can provide the openness needed to gather information that will assist in developing goals and objectives that will create a greater opportunity for future acceptance and contribution to the success in achieving goals and objectives.

 Once goals and objectives are created they should be combined with the newly developed vision,

mission statement, and organizational values to create what essentially is a 3-5 year strategic

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planning document. Strategic planning is a critical leadership tool to meet current and long range challenges in a growing community. These challenges require long-term planning and the cooperation of the community and city officials. Strategic planning provides a unique opportunity for achieving success in achieving goals and objectives using a community policing philosophy using sound management principles through intentional strategic actions to meet the needs of the community the police department serves.

 Setting goals and objectives means little to an organization unless the members of the

organization understand how they fit into the process for achieving those goals. It starts with knowing the goals and objectives and then becoming actively involved in achieving them. This is especially achievable in a small department where teamwork is more easily achieved due to familiarity and unity of effort. Members of the police department must become fully aware not just of the words contained in goals and objectives but they must understand intent and have knowledge and involvement of achievement of goals and objectives. If members of the police department know and live the mission, vision, and organizational values, they understand the direction they are going as an organizational as actions are taken to achieve goals and objectives. The chief and his staff must keep these management tools in the minds and hearts of all employees through ever-present leadership.

 The community and city administration must be kept fully aware of the progress made in

developing the goals and objectives but in their achievement. Goals and objectives should be posted in the newspaper and promoted during community events where the police department participates.

 Town Hall meeting could be a tool used to develop an involvement of the community in

developing goals and objectives as well as celebrating achievements of the police department when significant goals are achieved.

 In preparation for developing goals and objectives members of the police department might

benefit from a community policing training update to re-familiarize them with community policing principles. Familiarization training could be offered to city official s and community members who wished to participate in the strategic planning process.

 The chief may consider the development of a citizen advisory board consisting of key community

members representing various community constituencies that will assist in an ongoing process of the development, adjustment, and assessment of the achievement of goals and objectives

III. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Key to department success is a congruency between the mission, goals, and organizational structure. The structure affects the definition of the organizational vision, the setting of goals, decision making, performance appraisals, and training. It is important that all members of the organization understand their role within the larger context of the system. CEOs and command staff members are critical to the successful implementation of community policing. The role of the police manager includes ensuring meaningful participation in the implementation of the values, goals, and objectives of community policing. Virtually all members of the law enforcement agency must be committed to the values of crime prevention, policy innovation, continuous improvement, customer service, collaborative problem solving, ethical behavior, and community partnerships.

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Findings The Shepherdsville Police Department organizational structure has taken the form of a centralized chain of command. The agency has a flat organizational structure, with officers of the rank of sergeant being the only commanding officers between the chief and line officers. Shepherdsville police officers understand the concept of community and when situations arise for positive interaction with the community they seize upon these opportunities. Because Shepherdsville is a small tight-knit community the many citizens know the chief, sergeants and the officers and they have a good reputation in the community, especially since the tenure of Chief Puckett. Chief Puckett and his officers have the reputation of being approachable, and earnest in providing quality police services to the community. While this goodwill toward the chief and department provide the opportunity for community policing activities, it is not alone reflective of a community policing organization. The desire for achieving department-wide community policing as a philosophy and as a reality in the deliverance of police service is the goal of Chief Puckett. The opportunity to leverage the community’s willingness to work with the police department only needs to be seized upon while relationships with the community are at a starting point very good. Strategic Recommendations The strategic recommendations contained in this report, if implemented, will in many ways fundamentally change the nature of the organization that will require a reassessment of the organizational structure as it exists. It is recommended that Chief Puckett review the organizational structure for consideration of changes necessary to implement these strategic recommendations.

 Some changes in organizational structure relate to other parts of this report. For example, contained in the organizational roles is a recommendation related to one such change.

A. Organizational Roles

1. Chief Executive

It is important that all members of the organization understand their roles within the larger context of the system. CEOs and command staff members are critical to the successful implementation of community policing. The role of the police manager includes ensuring meaningful participation in the implementation of the values, goals, and objectives of community policing. Virtually all members of the law enforcement agency must be committed to the values of crime prevention, policy innovation, continuous improvement, customer service, collaborative problem solving, ethical behavior, and community partnerships. Traditional “permission giving” roles, based on “need to know” information and hierarchical power bases are destructive within a culture that seeks to build accountability and reward independent innovative and creative actions. Resentment, confusion, and lack of consistency usually result from mixed or unclear organizational roles. In some organizations the role of the middle manager has shifted from “permission giver” to “problem solver.” If managers view this shift as a loss of power, they may very well sabotage the change efforts. Command staff, left out of the information loop, may resent this relationship and thwart community policing efforts by adding additional procedures or paperwork, transferring officers, or making certain that the rest of the agency knows he or she is not a part of the exclusive “in-group.” Is the officer told to make decisions based on his/her assessment of community needs, but then held accountable to a bureaucracy that demands that rules be closely adhered to? Are there some officers who have a different relationship, a more privileged role, as a community policing officer? Chief Executive

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Findings At the time of the assessment Chief Puckett has been in the position of Chief of Police for just a few months. Regardless, his presence is widely felt and highly respected within the community. He is valued and respected by business leaders, government officials and community residents. Examples of those qualities used to describe him are highly ethical, friendly, professional, involved, unflappable, dependable, responsive, high work ethic, authoritative, honest and outstanding integrity. One city council member exclaimed, “The best chief Shepherdsville has ever had…Stands out in a crowd.” Another stated, “Strong leadership with a willingness to listen and take action when required.” Chief Puckett is well known throughout the community. He exhibits strong personality traits – he is perceived as being very approachable, he interacts with the public as a “regular” guy even while he is in uniform, and his good relationship with the public extends to elected officials within city government as well. He presents himself in a positive and confident manner, and most people feel as if they can call on him directly if they have a question or a problem. The community and those within the department said that he is fair and treats everyone equal. He displays strong leadership skills, is experienced, does not “just sit behind a desk,” and makes it known that he values and demands integrity in the department. He values others input. It was said that Chief Puckett is “sincerely concerned and will find answers to problems.” “He wants to meet the needs of the community.” Most of the elected officials know the chief. Again, it is evident the chief has a good working relationship with elected officials and law enforcement community in Bullitt County. The elected officials who know the chief were very positive in their comments. One person described his strengths as “experienced, good leadership ability and approachable.” The chief is seen as approachable and friendly. The city officials interviewed had very positive remarks regarding Chief Puckett. One City Council member felt he projects an exceptional outlook for the community and for the department and does so with confidence. They stated he was open-minded and the officers showed a tremendous amount of respect for him. The Mayor described him as one of the most professional Chief's in the state. One city official described Chief Puckett as a chief who wants the police officers to be “open, easy to communicate with, laid back and not jump to conclusions.” Another said, the chief is “likeable, experienced and educated.” He is “people friendly” and is open to suggestions….” While the Chief is still continuing to build his reputation with his officers, city commissioners, city/county officials and the community, no one interviewed expressed anything negative about the Chief. It was stated several times that he appears to be open minded and has actively solicited input from various people both internal and external to the department. It was mentioned that the last Chief did a lot to advance the department and many felt they could go even further under Chief Puckett's command. The officers interviewed described the Chief as “willing to listen” and “genuinely cares about his people.” One officer interviewed described the Chief as being “open to new ideas.” Another commented, “The chief is “always open for suggestions, either from individual police officers or the community.” They feel the Chief has a lot of knowledge and experience and will take the department in the right direction. He was considered by officers as a “people chief”, a “people person” and is an “all-around good fella.” The community and city/county employees have high hopes for Chief Puckett. Many were impressed with the assessment and felt it was a tremendous step toward improving relations and being more approachable. He is described as a strong leader who is open minded and wanting to bring the department forward. It was stated that he is looking to improve the department and that will go a long way to improving morale. The image of the PD is positive with Doug Puckett as chief. One community member said, “The chief is “professional, friendly, outgoing and approachable.” Another person noted,

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“Doug always wears a uniform and he will go out and talk to people. On Halloween, Doug went out in uniform in his police car and handed out candy in the neighborhoods.” Still another community member stated, “Doug presents himself as professional, but personable and interacts well with people.”

The only significant area of communication identified by citizens was the police report viewed in the newspaper. Most speculated that Chief Puckett probably did the majority of his communication at city council meetings. Without exception there was a strong feeling that they would like to see a higher level of communication. The most frequently identified method was city hall community meetings that would be posted in advance and neighborhood meetings. The city web site was also identified as an option; however, it was also believed that the exposure would be much lower. It should be noted that one method currently being used is a web-based list used periodically by the police for special alerts. Those that were aware of it give it high marks. The problem with it is that the E-mail Alert Systems availability is not well known yet. Chief Puckett was known by most of the people interviewed. He has been directly involved with several community activities. One person described him as being congenial to work with. He “works well with the sheriff, KSP and other law enforcement agencies in the county.” This person viewed the chief as “organized, thorough, above and beyond in police work.” Those who have met him are impressed with his openness and friendliness. One official said, “The chief is very interested in learning how our community operates." Another official, “He is starting in a positive manner." Strategic Recommendations

 Chief Puckett should continue to actively get out in the community and meet people. The effort he has made so far has made a significant effect on the positive remarks and support from the community. This type of interaction develops the perception and the reality of agency openness to the businesses and citizens. An excellent method for reaching out to the community is to actively seek invitations to attend community organization meetings and church groups willing to have the chief participate in their events. This does not necessarily mean he must be the focus of the meetings or make formal presentations. Attendance and participation in these meetings presents opportunities for informal interaction where openness of dialogue is most important.

 Consider having open weekly meetings in which anyone from the department is able to attend.

This meeting will allow the exchange of information between different members within the department.

 Create a Chief's Advisory Board with members from various organizations and residential areas.

Meet with them once a month, or every other month or quarterly depending on how well you believe the message of community policing is being interpreted. This meeting will allow time for quality input and brainstorming from this committee with the chief. The chief can use the advisory board as a barometer of community support for various community policing initiatives and as a gateway into various parts of the community for positive interaction with the various constituencies in the community.

 The most effective way to initiate lasting change toward a community policing mindset is to

practice the art and science of community policing principles and become a vocal advocate of these principles. Modeling the behavior of a community policing chief will provide the example police officers, city officials, and community members need to become fully accepting of this philosophy of operation.

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2. Command Staff

Findings The Shepherdsville Police Department has no middle management command staff. The day shift sergeant commands the day shift patrol officers but also functions in the role as the de facto assistant chief. Many of the administrative duties associated with a second in command are delegated to him because he is available during the day shift. The division of his time between patrol supervisor and principal assistant to the chief creates an overload with a critical dissonance in the accomplishment of the tasks of the two positions, one administrative, one operational. With the resignation of the DARE officer, this sergeant has also filled in to meet those responsibilities. The potential for conflict exists when a sergeant must assume the duties of a senior administrator when having to deal with directives to supervisors of equal rank. Although nothing specific was noted in this assessment that was identified as a serious conflict, the issue was noted. Strategic Recommendations

 Consider creating the position of assistant chief at the rank of Lieutenant. The day shift sergeant would then be free to supervise patrol operations of the day shift platoon.

 An assistant chief, if the position is created, should assume the role in the organization of supervising patrol operations, community policing activities, and administrative tasks of the department, as well as acting chief in the absence of the chief of police. This is an essential position in an organization. Although community policing organizations tend to be flat organizations, making organizations too flat results in critical tasks being overlooked, understaffed, or minimized to the point of loss of effectiveness. The chief needs a person in a supervisory role to oversee the civilian employees of the agency without over-burdening the day shift sergeant or the chief by the direct supervision of civilian employees engaged in administrative services.

3. First-Line Supervisors

In many respects, the first-line supervisors are the “gate-keepers” to the successful implementation of community policing.

Findings

The sergeants assigned to supervise patrol understand the concepts of community policing and support the involvement of the department in community policing. The face of community policing in Shepherdsville tends to be the chief and the day shift sergeant. Community outreach by other members of the department tends to be on an individual basis rather than an organized attempt to more actively engage sergeants and officers in community policing activities.

It was observed that SPD has a very flat organizational structure. As such, the chief’s command staff is the first line supervisors doing double duty as shift supervisors. However, it was noted by one assessor that only one person interviewed knew any of the sergeants besides Sgt. Bernardi, the day shift supervisor. Sgt. Bernardi is a one-man show. Everyone knows him because he is involved in all areas of the community. He is Mr. PR for the SPD. He is the go-to person for most things to be done.

The command staff supports community policing by making sure that the patrol officers have the training they need to “get out and meet people” and know what the department expects. Commanders support the patrol officers 100% and they support them in their community policing effort. They are “very

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knowledgeable” and have many contacts. The command staff “understands that community policing is what you’re supposed to do.” It was noted by one of the officers that the sergeants “like us to get out and talk to people and patrol in neighborhoods.” Overall, the Sergeants are liked and respected by the officers, city leaders, and community members. Many felt Sgt. Bernardi was more visible then the others and was described as a “one man PR operation.” They stated a desire to get to know some of the other supervisors. From the officer interviews there were mixed reviews of supervisory style. They felt extremely comfortable with some supervisors and felt there was open communication and encouragement while others preferred to remain “hands off.” Therefore, there is perceived inconsistency among the first-line supervisors. Some are formal in the corrective process, while others are informal. There is also a sense that information coming from the top sometimes gets filtered before it reaches the officers. Their roles and expectations appear to be unclear to both the supervisor and the officer. There needs to be clear cut roles and expectations outlined for first line supervisors. First line supervisors believe that community policing is supported by the way they interact with the public. Members of the department are starting an Explorer Program and eight officers have volunteered to be advisors. The supervisors can support modifying schedules and free up officers to further support community policing efforts, if / when staffing numbers allow. Strategic Recommendations

 Require each of the sergeants to become involved in the community on duty, and recognize them for any off-duty community involvement that provides recognition to the agency.

 Be intentional in having commanders become more involved in the community by attending community meetings, council meeting, schools events, and the news media. For instance, have the paper run a special section for a few weeks featuring one sergeant at a time. It might be entitled “The Sergeant of the Week, or getting to know Sergeant _______.” Each Sergeant takes turns in writing a column in the paper.

 Have all members of the command staff be more involved in community affairs so one person is not viewed as the only “Spokesman.” Encourage staff to join community organizations to achieve balance.

 First-line supervisors would benefit from the three-week DOCJT Supervisor Academy and the Situational Leadership Course if not already being pursued as well as the SPI Administrative Officers Course.

4. Line Level Personnel

Findings The morale within the department is good and was reported to be at an all time high. The officers are personable and give the community “a personal touch.” The work group relations overall are good - they work well together and offer each other suggestions on situations or problems. At times there are personality clashes, but officers disagree in private and work together as a team in public to get the job done. The officers demonstrate good morals, demonstrate ethical values, tend to be independent thinkers and have a genuinely polite manner.

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One example of giving the “personal touch” involved a stranded, out-of-town motorist who was passing through Shepherdsville. An officer went to aid the stranded person, then went back to their home, retrieved the needed parts, returned to the scene and helped get the motorist back on the road using the officer’s personally owned vehicle parts. Members of the department are involved in activities such as Kids Fest, Halloween events, Christmas shopping with the kids, the local emergency planning commission, Partners in Prevention and are assisting with a Discipline Code Handbook in partnership with the schools. The officers interviewed felt there was strong buy in for community policing from the patrol officers and they were already actively engaging in community policing. One officer did state that there are some who still feel their job is strictly to enforce the law and prevent and solve crime. This seemed to be attached more to the younger officers. A number interviewed felt they had a preconceived notion of what police should be and it was more of a “keep the peace” mentality than a focus on serving the community. Some elected officials stated they occasionally saw patrol officers driving around but did not know their names and stated they never failed to wave in acknowledgment. While many others interviewed stated they had seen officers at community events or patrolling the area, most did not know them personally. A large percentage of community members interviewed do not know any officers of SPD. The opposite was true with the elected officials. However, almost no one knows much about the officers and their involvement in the community. One community member knows officers only because they were called to his business to take reports or make arrests. One person said, “I may know their face but there is not a lot of interaction with them”. Strategic Recommendations

 Establish department-wide policies and programs mandating officers to become more proactive in

partnerships with citizen groups and organizations. These policies and programs should recognition and reward officers who demonstrate excellent work in developing partnerships and engaging in problem solving.

 Develop policies and supervisory oversight to mandate more intentionally developed contacts

with members of the community for the purpose of engaging the community crime and disorder problem solving efforts.

 Define roles of officers in the policy manual and include elements of service, problem-solving,

and resource management as aspects of that job. Tie the values of the organization directly to each role defined.

 Beat ownership should be established. Currently there is no consistency in how beat assignments

are arranged. Giving officers ownership of a particular area allows for greater citizen involvement and interaction and provides a sense of pride for the officer to take care of his/her assigned area. One of the tenets of community policing is geographical focus. Patrol officers need to identify with a specific area in the community where they are responsible for: developing community engagement and problem solving; and, addressing crime and disorder issues. All of which should be driven by crime analysis and community interaction.

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B. Management of Calls for Service

Studies indicate that as few as one in ten crimes result in an arrest as a consequence of rapid police response. In a traditional police organization, calls for service may dictate how patrol and dispatchers spend time. Many calls do not necessitate a rapid patrol response; rather 50-90% of dispatched calls are not relating to criminal activity. Community policing policies require examining calls for service management methods to move the agency beyond the traditional 911-initiated system of police-citizen contact. Differential response systems allow patrol officers discretionary time to engage in problem solving and building partnerships. Advancing community problem solving through differential response systems and dispatch policy modifications assists with the resource obstacles and time constraints often cited as roadblocks to the effective implementation of community policing. Findings It appears the Shepherdsville Police Department can adequately handle the current level of calls for service. Their internal data indicates a leveling off of reports since 2005. The population has increased about 8% from 2000 through 2006. The yearly report comparison only provides a partial picture of the agency workload. The call for service data is another component of the workload that should be considered. There are many calls that the police are sent to that do not generate a report.

Yearly Report Comparison

2001 2002 2003

2004

2005 2006

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Overall, the public understands the need to respond first to higher priority calls for service. Community members do not seem to be in favor of officers taking report (non-emergency) calls over the telephone. They prefer the officers to respond to every call for service regardless of the type of call. If a call for service is made, they expect a timely response and view the call as an opportunity for the officer to interact with the public. Most people felt that if they were to take calls over the telephone it could cause a degree of separation between them and the citizens. As one person noted, the public expects a uniformed police officer to respond to all calls for service. Regardless of the nature of the call, “it’s an emergency to them” (the caller) and when police officers are “not on a run, they are to be visible, drive through neighborhoods or stop in businesses.” Police officers are expected to be visible in the subdivisions when they are not on a call.

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Follow-up investigations are conducted when officers are not responding to calls. The officers have ten days to conduct face-to-face follow-ups on all reports. Officers are encouraged to get out of their cars and visit during down times. However, they are also expected to conduct house watches, patrol the parks, and participate in directed patrols – essentially, whatever the needs of the community may be at the given time. It was stated that officers conducted a neighborhood canvas after completing an interview with the victim of a minor theft from a vehicle. This had a very positive impact not only with the victim but with those they interviewed trying to gather information for any possible suspect information. Most officers felt the public expected uniformed officers to respond to every call. The officers felt the department could possibly get around this through properly educating the public. The officers manage their own time in between runs. Usually officers use that time to “set up on problem areas” or ride area businesses. They did not feel calls for service or response time were a problem. The elected officials did not like the idea of trained civilian personnel taking basic reports or reports being taken over the phone. They felt, while it may be a great use of resources, the community expected and deserved uniformed officers. None felt response time was an issue. If a police officer is not busy with calls and there is a Crime Prevention issue that needs to be taken care of, the officer can check with the sergeant and see how many other officers are out and then work with people in that neighborhood to get “to the bottom of a problem.” Calls for service are answered right away regardless of the type of call. They frequently have “see the subject calls, funeral details and school assignments.” Normally reports are taken at the complainant’s home or at the PD. There are no volunteers that take reports. They are almost always taken by a sworn police officer. Civilian clerks may take a report by phone for drive-offs from a gas station, theft of mail or possibly criminal mischief. For instance once a woman had a camera that was stolen from her home and she called from work to report it. The report was taken over the phone.

About half the community members felt a concern about a trained non-sworn person taking non-serious reports. The input received was that a uniformed officer would be preferred. On the other hand, elected officials did not see it a problem for a trained non-sworn person taking non-serious reports in order to free officers to stay on the road and handle more serious situations. Patrol officers are allowed to patrol wherever they want when they are not taking calls. There are no assigned areas. They are expected to “be visible” and drive around. However, if they call out of the car in order to talk to citizens, no one would object. This doesn’t seem to happen often. All activity, including these types of contacts, are logged into their Daily Activity Report and stapled to the Daily Run Report at the end of each shift. This is then given to the chief to review each day.

Strategic Recommendations

 Conduct an analysis of calls for service data and compare previous years alongside the yearly report comparison.

 Examine calls for service data by type, day of week, time of day for patterns

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 A community promotion program could be initiated to introduce to the public the concept of someone other than a police officer taking specific, non-emergency, less-serious, complaints. There are considerable benefits from a limited tele-serve operation but this must be handled with sensitivity since many people in the community want to see officers for every complaint. Using a tele-serve for less serious reports can be beneficial for a police agency with limited number of officers on the street at any one time. The idea is to maximize the time available for officers to respond to more serious incidents, engage in problem solving activities, and focus on neighborhood problems. Police officers’ increased engagement in these activities should produce positive reaction from the community, thus off-setting any resistance to telephone reports for non- serious incidents.  

 Police officers should be assigned geographic patrol areas of which they are responsible when they are not answering calls. This is done so they can take ownership in a portion of the community in order to engage in: problem solving; community meetings; and, on-going interaction with community organizations and businesses. Less time should be devoted to random, so-called routine patrol. Instead they would focus on specific crime and neighborhood problems. Dr. Gary Cordner refers to this as geographical focus. When assigned a specific geographical area, an officer takes ownership in that area and provides a more community oriented response to crime and disorder problems within his/her assigned area.

C. Human Resources

Commitment to change exists as a result of ownership to the community policing values and goals. Meaningful participation in the implementation of these values and goals is essential. All members of the department must be committed to the values of crime prevention, innovation, continuous improvement, customer service, collaborative problem solving, ethical behaviors, and community partnerships. Human resource procedures often determine the level of accountability and acceptance of change. If an individual is held accountable only for following the rules or engaging in a set of established activities rather than for the outcomes of their actions, there is little incentive to take risks, especially if the outcomes are not assured. Why risk interaction with the community, attempt new crime prevention tactics, or initiate partnership efforts with other agencies when the organizational rewards are based primarily on the number of citations issued and/or number of arrests made? What are measured and rewarded through performance appraisal policies often determine the limits of effective implementation of community policing, as do hiring and promotion decisions. Recruitment and Hiring: Critical to successful long-term change is the recruitment of personnel who are able to fulfill the essential job requirements of the community policing officer.

1. Recruiting and Hiring

Essential to long-term change, recruitment of community policing personnel who are able to fulfill the essential job requirements must include characteristics identified by the community and law enforcement agency. Often this means seeking recruits with superior communication skills, empathy, and sensitivity to ethnic, racial, sexual preference, and cultural differences.

Findings

The officers all indicated a need to improve in this area. Many stated there needs to be more of a concerted effort to recruit, particularly in the Shepherdsville area. They felt the hiring criteria were sufficient. It was also stated there were too many laterals being brought in. This brought some sense of

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resentment from both within and outside the department. Many felt these officers were not vested in the community or vested in the department. A city council person felt it was unfair these officers made more money coming onto the department than local officers who had been on for several years due to the longevity pay. While it was appreciated that these officers had experience and additional training, it was felt there needed to be more balance between seasoned veterans and local new hires. Chief Puckett indicated the department is now in a position where certified police officers from other agencies want to come to the department, so advertisement of vacancies has not recently been necessary. However, some officers were concerned that too many Louisville Metro Police Department officers were being hired and not enough opportunities were being offered to local residents. There is a process for new hires that consists of a written examination and an interview. Various individuals, including the mayor and the city civil service board, review these applicants. In most cases the individual with the best scores will be hired unless there is some specific reason to go with a different candidate. It should be noted that those interviewed for this assessment did not feel as if the job description reflects the community policing philosophy. Strategic Recommendations

 Implement a formalized recruitment plan. Recruitment efforts should be the job of every Shepherdsville Police Officer, although one individual should be developed as a point of contact for those interested in applying. Since the department has not really developed a formal recruitment program, they have a great opportunity to seek information about other agencies that have such programs. Consider networking with other agencies to gain ideas and information prior to developing a written recruitment plan. This effort could be assisted by the RCPI.

 Place information on the application process on both the City of Shepherdsville web site and also

the Shepherdsville Police website.

 Develop an Explorer Post, a cadet program, and a college intern program. These programs give the department an opportunity to actively provide young men and women an opportunity to see if they might want to consider law enforcement as a career. These programs not only assist in recruitment of young men and women from the community to become Shepherdsville Police Department officers, it also provides a source of potential officers who are not lateral appointments from other departments. They can also be utilized as a resource by assisting with special details, parking enforcement, and other community engagement activities. Even if the people involved in these programs do not become police officers, they may later become citizens of the community with a better understanding of the police department, which may lead to them becoming involved in activities that support the department and their engagement in community partnerships.

 Develop a job description for each position in the police department reflecting a community

policing mission.

 Establish methods to measure hiring and retention rates and conduct exit interviews. This type of process can be of great assistance in understanding hiring and retention trends.

 Speak to community groups about recruiting individuals from the area. This provides people in

the community information about the department efforts to hire at least a portion of future new hires locally and, at the same time, you let them know the characteristics you are looking for in

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police recruits. This results in increased awareness of the need, and the quality person the police department is seeking.

 A staff member could be assigned to visit prospective recruits and provide information on the

department and the hiring process. Consider recruiting locally when possible. This strategy may help keep employee turnover rates low as well as increasing the officers’ feelings of ownership toward the community.

2. Promotion.

The promotion process is another method that identifies what is important within the organization and should reflect the agency’s vision, mission, and values as well as the principles and activities associated with community policing. Findings The perception is the promotional process has been the same for the last 20 years and has not been changed to reflect a commitment to community policing. The promotional process consists of: 1). Minimum five years of experience to be eligible; 2). Followed by a written test; 3). Concluding with the applicants participating in a scenario based interview (oral board). Once the applicants have completed the process, they are then ranked and the Chief makes the final recommendations for promotion. The promotional process was described as “subjective” in nature. The perception of officers is that promotions were based on who you were friends with and not on who could do the best job. Some officers were not entirely familiar with the promotional process. Chief Puckett indicated that the process was being changed to ensure the best candidate would be promoted. It was also learned that there was no process to provide potential promotion candidates with professional development advice to help them to become more eligible for promotion. Strategic Recommendations

 In order to maintain and improve morale within the department it is critical that all employees understand the criteria for recruitment and promotion. One approach is to assemble a group of commanders and officers impaneled to develop an initial draft policy for promotions. The employee review should become an integral part of this process. Key elements should include developmental needs including specialized training in deficient areas to prepare officers for promotion. Community Policing criteria should be included in the guidelines. After further review and refinement by city officials, the final policy should be reviewed with the entire department.

 Develop a comprehensive promotional process that uses a variety of job-related criteria that

goes beyond years of service, written exam, and oral board. There are a variety of legally defensible options including: job simulation exercise, assessment centers, and objective review of performance in critical job related tasks, especially those related to community policing and understanding of policy and law issues, critical thinking skills, and problem- solving ability.

 A job task analysis is a critical component of promotional criteria. All promotional

selection processes must be job-related. The job task analysis provides the criteria upon which to judge potential candidates against those job related criteria. Ideally, every police

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department has their own validated job task analysis; but, development is an expensive process that requires hiring a vendor to provide the services. In the absence of a job task analysis specifically developed for the department, the Department of Criminal Justice Training has developed a job task analysis for the positions of police officer, and first-line supervisors. This job task analysis should be used as a guide to evaluating officers in the promotion process.

 Consider hiring a vendor to develop a promotion process based on the DOCJT job task

analysis and the criteria developed for incorporating advancing community policing in the department. Chief Puckett could work with the vendor in developing an effective promotional process.

3. Rewards/Discipline.

Real organizational change takes time, and there is a risk of losing momentum if there are no short-term goals to meet and celebrate. As an organization changes, ongoing and visible signs of success are important for members to realize that change is making progress and producing results. The chief/sheriff, supervisors, and managers must look for ways to create, obtain, and recognize clear performance improvements. Performance consistent with the agency’s vision/mission must be recognized and reinforced. Complaints and misconduct policies and investigations must be clear, followed, and fairly administered. Discipline procedures, as well as rewards provide clues to the integrity and ethical behaviors expected within the department.

Findings

The department has a policy in place that determines the criteria used for special service awards. Those who were interviewed were aware of their job performance expectations and reported that the most common form of reward is a “thank you” and a “pat on the back” for a job well done. There have been articles in the paper highlighting the officers who received special awards in the past.

Police officers receive thank-you cards or letters from citizens and they are posted on a board. One officer noted, “When a police officer does a good job, he gets a written atta-boy.” Chief Puckett confirmed this. When the police department receives a compliment on a police officer, a copy goes to the chief, mayor and the officer’s personnel file. There is an annual “Awards Banquet” where officers are rewarded for exceptional police work. Most officers interviewed stated the department does try to reward good work with letters of commendation. However, some officers indicated the annual awards banquet as being thrown together at the last minute. They also stated those individuals receiving awards had never received their medals for their uniforms. When asked if they had asked anyone about the medals they replied, “Like everything, you ask up the chain of command, but you never hear anything back.” Some officers indicated they were very dissatisfied with the reward system. They said if you do something wrong you receive immediate attention, but do something right, and the only statement you hear is, “how much in overtime is this going to cost me?” A majority of sworn officers interviewed seemed satisfied with the process for handling disciplinary actions, although discipline was described as “lax” by more than one person interviewed. Although the process for dealing with complaints appears to follow and comply with Kentucky Revised Statutes, the complaint process is perceived to be chaotic and confusing to some. Despite this perception by some,

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most sworn personnel interviewed felt that if any issue relating to unethical behavior were to arise, it would be dealt with swiftly and fairly. An integral part of community policing is the trust the community must have in the ethical conduct of the police officers in their community. The structure and procedures involved in the impartial investigation of complaints against police officers are important to not only citizens but also police officers. Although procedures for investigation of complaints are well documented in the policy manual, some officers perceive the investigative process differently than it is laid out in the policy. Strategic Recommendations

 To further enhance the reward system, the chief and command staff could recognize officers for exceptional work during roll call. This type of recognition is best handled in close proximity to the time of the recognized good work as is feasibly possible.

 Implement a written award policy detailing the medals, if there are any, and the ribbons with the

given criteria for obtaining them. In addition, all the available medals and ribbons could be put in display cases that would hang on the wall for the officers and the public to see.

 Initiate a chief’s recognition coin program. Recognition coins can be custom made for a

reasonable price and given to officers in recognition of excellent performance or noteworthy achievements. Coins could be designed to accommodate multiple awards to a single officer.

 An award could be instituted to recognize officers at the formal awards program for outstanding

achievement in community policing for those who have demonstrated excellence in community outreach and problem solving.

 Develop a form for recognition of officers for excellent work on more routine tasks. This could be especially useful to reinforce excellent work in community policing activities. As officers take the initiative in community outreach or problem solving the work can be recognized by a first line supervisor by merely writing up the outstanding performance on the form and then presenting it to the officer and keeping a copy on file. If done on a regular basis, by year’s end, officer files could be reviewed for these forms in making decisions on whom to give an outstanding performance award at the annual awards event.

 Formalize the annual awards event. This may be accomplished by seeking community partners to sponsor awards. By including community, businesses and private organizations in sponsoring awards, they will be involved in the awards program and the celebrations and understanding of what exemplary service is in practice.

 It can become important to the formal awards process if citizen academy graduates, advisory board members (see recommendation on formation of these groups) are actively involved in the awards program. Outreach to the community for recognition of officers for outstanding work, especially for community policing related activities increases the bond between officers and the community.

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 Consider recognizing citizens who were outstanding in working with the department on community policing activities.

 Consider an award specifically dedicated for recognizing officers for ethical conduct. This type of award can be designed to recognize an officer who has exemplified the highest standards of ethical conduct. The award could be modeled after the Ethics Courage Award, Noble Service Award, and Ethic Achievement Award presented annually by Center for Law Enforcement Ethics in Plano Texas (http://cailaw.org/ilea/ethicsaward.html).

 Designate a senior sergeant (or the assistant chief if developed) to investigate complaints for final review by the chief. The process should be consistent and well-understood by the officers so they have confidence they will treated fairly in the complaint process. This confidence will also help citizens understand and have equal confidence in fair treatment of their complaints.

2. Training

Training programs structured to help managers and officers understand the implications of the changing organizational structure and the social dynamics of the broader community play an important role in understanding the reasons behind planned organizational change. Managers—asked to embrace risk taking, engage in innovation, and express creativity without the guarantee of success—must allow line officers to make decisions, take risks, and then stand behind the decisions they make as much as possible. Training in cultural diversity, public service ethics, and alternatives to the use of force help to establish successful partnerships with the community. Findings In an interview with Chief Puckett he said he was “high” on training. When a police officer graduates from the academy, they ride with a training officer for 15 weeks. Every police officer on the department must complete 40 hours of in-service every year. One officer noted that the only community policing training he was aware of was a Crime Prevention course. Last year, at least one police officer noted he attended a 2-week Crime Prevention class and an 8- hour computer class. This particular officer requested that he attend crime prevention training as part of his in-service at the Department of Criminal Justice Training and the department arranged for him to be in 5 different classes last year, including the requested course. Several years ago at in-service, the RCPI provided a presentation on problem-solving and community policing. There is no training planned for community members or local officials. Some critical types of training are only provided during the basic academy for new police recruits and thereafter at in-service training. Courses are assigned based on the timing of when it is offered and manpower allotted during that time. Sgt. Bernardi is a certified police instructor in several areas, and sometimes conducts training. Officers can find schools on their own and, as long as time and money permit, they are allowed to attend. However, there are no lists generated of training opportunities.

Officers interviewed gave varying response concerning training. Some officers believe the department places a strong emphasis on training, while others tend to believe some officers receive preferential treatment. When asked about a method to communicate training opportunities, one sergeant said they would ask their officers their interests; however, when they gave the information to the supervisor over

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training it could be rejected if training had already been selected for the officer and submitted. Once submitted, one could not request and obtain a change to the assigned training.

Strategic Recommendations

 Create a training advisory committee. This advisory group might involve persons from various areas or social disciplines in the community with a representative for sergeants, patrol officers, and detectives to consider training needs. The committee would have a sense of direction from the chief and make recommendations on a yearly basis.

 Sergeants should be sent to the supervision and leadership training courses offered by DOCJT

in Richmond. A selection process should be initiated to submit applications for sergeants to attend the Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course and the FBI National Academy. The SPI Alumni Association offers scholarships to agencies that cannot provide funding for attendance at this 12 week course.

 The University of Louisville National Crime Prevention Institute offers a variety of crime

prevention courses that are related to community policing activities. One such course that would be beneficial for an officer or sergeant to attend is “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design” (CEPTED). It would be helpful for the agency to have expertise available in this area considering the commercial growth in the community. Officers trained in CEPTED can assist area business with proactive crime prevention strategies.

 Consider developing training for crime analysis, problem solving, public speaking, and

conflict resolution.

 Another critical training is Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). The DOCJT offers a 40-hour in-service training CIT course for police officers to learn effective techniques for situations involving mentally ill people.

 Consider scheduling refresher training in community policing and problem solving. This type

of training can reinvigorate officers’ interests in engaging the public to work with the department on crime and quality of life problems.

3. Performance Evaluation

What an organization measures through its performance evaluation system generally determines what employees understand to be important and high priority activities. For this reason, in addition to counting the number of incidents handled, it becomes important to credit the absence of crime, to recognize the increased involvement of the neighborhood, and to reward additional information links available to the agency. What is measured can determine who will be successful within the department. If the system measures important outcomes (community satisfaction, reduced fear of crime, willingness to solve problems), the department is able to recognize innovative and forward thinking personnel. When a system counts inputs (numbers of stops or arrests) without measuring the results or outcomes, it is impossible to differentiate between employees who develop meaningful community relationships and those who tacitly resist changed behaviors.

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Findings Performance evaluations are held yearly. The chief practices and encourages his Sergeants to address performance issues throughout the year in order to have them properly documented and addressed. Some statistics on officer activity are used in the evaluations. Chief Puckett indicated evaluations are not currently used in the promotional process; but, in the future, they will likely be used to assess performance for promotional purposes. Currently, performance evaluations are only use to evaluate performance so officers can enhance their skills or identify where officers need more training. Performance evaluations are not used as punishment; but, are used to assist the officer to understand his/her strengths and weaknesses. Officers did not exhibit strong feelings one way or the other in regards to performance evaluations. Performance evaluations are not completed by officers on their supervisors. The only time supervisors are evaluated is when a newly hired police officer evaluates their PTO. Strategic Recommendations

 Develop a new performance evaluation process to include the evaluated officer’s commitment and involvement to community policing activities. The RCPI can provide samples of performance evaluations used by other police agencies that utilize such evaluation criteria. The performance evaluation should be completely revised creating criteria that are meaningful for a community oriented organization. The process for change should be inclusive of selected representatives of patrol officers, detectives, and sergeants to provide opportunity for input for favorable acceptance by the officers.

 Evaluations should clearly outline expectations and assess the employee’s ability to meet

these expectations. There should be consequences for failing to meet expectations, and rewards for those who exhibit outstanding work on a daily basis.

 Implement a performance evaluation process where sergeants are evaluated by their subordinates.

D. Budget An important way for employees to recognize the goals and priorities of an agency is through the organization’s allocation of resources. For example, funding for problem solving, community meetings, and neighborhood-assigned officers all provide legitimacy for community policing. When communities take part in problem solving, a sense of ownership and personal commitment to the accomplishment of outcomes is a natural result. Findings With few exceptions, there is strong support from the public for more funding for the police department. The community supports the police department’s efforts to be “well-equipped, fairly paid and adequately staffed.” The police department has good backing and the public would like to see an increase in the number of officers. Community members interviewed expressed their support for the police department's budget. A number of police actions were cited that developed trust and support of the police. For example, at one time there were copper thefts at construction sites and the police department worked with the builders to solve the

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problem. Responsiveness to community crime problems creates community support. The public knew that the PD was concerned about their losses. Overall, the department appears to be adequately supported by the city. The officers felt the community supported budgetary issues regarding the police department. As long as it is a reasonable request and has a purpose, the community will support the request. However, it was noted the major financial problems being faced nationwide did inhibit their requests. Some officers expressed the feeling that city government sometimes expects police services without adequate funding. Some community members indicated no one in the community wanted taxes increased.

Overall, the elected officials felt there was strong support regarding budgetary issues for the police department both from city government and from the community. The mayor felt the police were not excessive in their demands, but stated their needs do have to be balanced with the remaining needs of the community. The mayor stated he wanted to increase the number of officers to 30 over the next couple of years. Within the SPD it is felt that as community policing activities are increased it will be received well and there will be an increased willingness to support increased funding based on improved performance. Several of the community officials interviewed responded to this question with, “They are not paid enough and there aren’t enough of them.” Some felt they were losing officers to other departments because of the pay and benefits. They all agreed that the community was willing to give law enforcement what they needed to do their job. Within the community there were some strongly expressed opinions concerning funding. The need for additional funds fell into three categories. One had to do with increasing the police force to provide for added coverage and necessitated due to city growth. The second reason was to establish salaries that will enable the recruitment of the highest caliber personnel and then retain them. The third concerned allowing officers to take their police cars home. Some felt this was important due to emergency response time that could be impacted due to Interstate 65 and the local highway network. Strategic Recommendations

 Actively seek federal grants for items or programs that cannot be funded through the normal city budget process.

 Develop a travel budget to send officers, detectives, and supervisors to cities of similar size that

are considered leaders in community policing. This can enhance the agency’s ability to move closer to achieving the next level of implementation of the philosophy of community policing. Through this process the chief and other senior officers might discover meaningful methods, programs, initiatives, or other creative community policing innovations from agencies in Kentucky that have been leaders in community policing. The RCPI can assist in identifying these agencies.

 Consider implementing a Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) program. Community members

who wish to volunteer can be utilized by the department by handling existing tasks or new activities required by community policing and problem-solving without the expense of hiring additional officers. The use of volunteers provides an added level of support to local law enforcement agencies. Volunteers allow agencies and officers to focus on policing by assisting them in duties such as: clerical work, data and document support to staff, follow up with victims of certain types of crime and provide them with referrals to other agencies, help edit and/or write

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letters to community members and/or set up community meetings. Volunteers are not recommended for use as reserve police officers to the current selection and training standards required by the state, which make use of reserve officer impractical.

 Numerous police agencies around the country have worked with corporations around the country

in setting up a police foundation in their communities. A police foundation is a non-profit entity with a board comprised of selected community members who accept contributions on behalf of the police department to support community policing projects. The police chief does not have access to the money except through annual requests to the board that approves any expenditure requested. These foundations have been successful in garnering community support for their police departments

 Consider establishing partnerships with colleges and universities in accepting criminal justice

students or others as interns to assist various administrative duties and community outreach programs such as community crime prevention projects.

 Partner with criminal justice programs at colleges and universities in the region to seek grant

money for research projects that establish community policing demonstration projects that could enhance the agencies community outreach and crime reduction efforts.

 In the current nationwide and statewide fiscal climate the timing for a salary review would be ill- timed, as well as the review of the take-home car program. The take-home car program facilitates a community policing effort through a greater police presence in the community. Having a competitive salary scale increases the capacity to hire and retain qualified officers who have the capacity to engage in effective community policing efforts. When the fiscal uncertainty eases, these concerns should be addressed in a comprehensive manner with community policing goals as the centerpiece of the effort.

E. Organizational Communication Patterns

Implementation of community policing demands open communication with the community, frequent exchange among units within the agency, and ongoing discussion and networking with other public and nonprofit agencies. When the traditional structure, which often views information as power, seeks to tightly control information, partnerships and problem solving, which depend upon the equal and open flow of information, cannot survive. This is not suggesting elimination of the chain-of-command communication requirements, but the organization should differentiate between “permission-seeking” and “notifying” types of communication within the chain of command. Findings Although the preferred way to communicate within the department is verbally, sometimes e-mail is used to relay information. For example, information is shared by e-mail or at roll call. Each off going shift lets the oncoming shift know what happened on their shift. Some officers prefer using the cell phone to communicate informally rather than using the formal communication channels that allow for a wider range of information distribution. The Command Staff said that they are a very “open door” organization, and employees are encouraged to ask questions and meet with them. If there is a policy change, Sgt. Bernardi will call everyone and then follow-up with an e-mail.

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Shift visits are conducted by the chief and members of the investigations division. However, it does not appear as if all the members of the command staff make regular visits to briefings, especially on the late shift. The late shift, as with most organizations, is the shift which is lacking in personal visits from staff members as well as other divisions, namely the investigations division. The chief encourages teamwork through attendance at roll calls, being visible, working with the officers and doing things to support the officers. This apparently is accomplished more uniformly on days and afternoon shifts but with less success with late watch. Communication between patrol officers and detectives follows a specific pattern that is somewhat effective but patrol officers would like to work more with the detectives in solving crimes. Felonies are transferred to the detectives and misdemeanors are given back to the patrol officer to work. There is a “pawn book” kept in the squad room so everyone has access to it to check for stolen items. Everyone in the department seems to share information with each other. Each shift has an opportunity to see the shift that worked before and the one that comes on after them. Detectives meet with patrol informally to share information beyond what is provided in writing. Information concerning police calls is posted on a clip board and at the beginning of each shift officers are supposed to review the information. Another form of communication are memos. Once they are posted each officer is required to signoff after having read them. Critical issues, new policy, etc. are posted and officers sign indicating they have read the policy. If an officer does not understand a policy or new directive the sergeant provides clarification. Field note cards are used to collect information about specific events on a shift and are turned in at roll call so everyone knows what transpired during any given shift. A number of officers interviewed described their relationship with one another as a member of a team. One detective said “we are a very cohesive group in CID.” Officers on third shift stated they were probably the “tightest group” in the whole department. Overall, the teamwork seemed limited to the individual shifts and units, with less cohesion between shifts and units. Third shift officers said they never saw a detective unless they called them out. But, exchange of information between CID and night watch occurred if officers had court and stopped by the CID office during the day.

Strategic Recommendations

 Develop a working group made of representatives of the various shifts, units, and ranks to create recommendations for achieving improved multilevel communication. To achieve intra- organizational communication the chief needs more than just a policy requiring it to happen. Working group recommendations would have greater acceptance and compliance when implemented. It is especially important to consider the communication strategies with the second and third shifts because they can feel disconnected from the agency.

 Consider a facilitator for the working group to foster a more deliberate, effective effort if a working group process does not provide the adequate answers to improving communications. Community policing requires more than good communication with the community. Organizational communications must operate in a manner that facilitates teamwork. Developing teamwork is an intentional task facilitated by organizational leadership but sustained by commitment of the individuals within an organization. Police officers, detectives, sergeants, and the chief need to commit to the effort. These communication processes are the glue that holds the community policing organization together. The department may seek assistance from the RCPI or other sources.

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 Consider having the Chief and staff attend roll calls on a more regular basis. In addition Chief Puckett could host department wide meetings perhaps on a quarterly basis where issues can be brought up and discussed while others are present, including the Command Staff. This can be effective especially when everyone feels comfortable enough to bring issues out into the open for discussion.

 Reviewed in detail the entire communication process and then monitor it regularly to assure that high quality communication is being achieved. There is little that is more important in a fine tuned operation than proper communication that works smoothly up and down the chain of command. The chief has identified a key objective of developing the best police department in the State of Kentucky. To achieve this objective an excellent communication plan is required. This cannot be achieved by exclusively delegating communication through the chain-of- command.

 Implement periodic skip-level communications meetings with small groups within the department. These meetings would be held without the direct supervisor participating. The results of these meetings, including both positives and negatives, should be reviewed with the command staff as well as assisting in making plans to improve communications where appropriate.

 Require CID and members of specialized units to visit roll call on a more regular basis.

Detectives mentioned they met monthly with all detectives in the county. Following this monthly meeting detectives could visit with each shift to share items discussed at the county-wide meeting.

F. Management and Planning Services

Strategic planning is not only a document, but a process as well. The document, if utilized, assists in meeting various goals and timelines. Formal feedback processes, including surveys from many sources, provide important information to managers and community policing officers. Formal mechanisms for the release of that information, internally and externally, help managers, officers, and citizens formulate plans, make decisions, and take effective action. Findings

A departmental strategic plan does not exist. Such a plan does appear to be on the minds of city officials, but nothing has been written down. This appears to be because everyone has slightly different ideas of what they would like to see in that plan. Chief Puckett said there was a five-year plan in place but it is out-dated and obsolete. He reported that they are in the process of revising and developing the plan and hoped to have it completed in a few months. Critical to the success in developing a strategic plan is a citizen’s advisory board to provide representative input from the community. The chief does not have an advisory board to consult on matters of importance to the community in relationship to the police department, crime issues, or quality of life issues. Chief Puckett does attend a monthly meeting called the “Mayors Night In” where members of the community can voice their concerns to elected officials and department heads. This is a positive step that can be enhanced through an advisory board with members with set term lengths and rotating board membership. The chief does not have a process for promoting or monitoring the coordination of community policing.

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There has been no formalized solicitation of input from the community concerning any planning effort for the department. Sometimes there are items in the paper so citizens can, “Let us know what you think of the Shepherdsville Police Department”. Strategic Recommendations

 Consider developing a three to five year strategic plan with the implementation of strategic planning as a focal point. Create a strategic planning committee that includes sergeants, and key members of the department representing various job categories. There should be a member of the community on the committee. The facilitator of the strategic planning process should attend a strategic planning course for small law enforcement agencies presented each year by the University of Louisville’s Southern Police Institute. An alternative would be to seek a consultant as a facilitator. The strategic planning process needs input from every segment of the community. The segments of the community the department might include: businesses; churches; community organizations; community associations; elected and appointed officials in the city and county; the news media; and, all local and state law enforcement agencies that work in the county.

 Consider having members of city government meet for a goal planning session where they can identify issues and incorporate citizen needs. The city officials should then prioritize goals and develop a time line that also ties directly into the budget. The plan should be shared with the community once completed.

 Develop a “Chief’s Citizen Advisory Board” to assist in the development of a community

policing organization. The citizen advisory board meeting concept has the chief selecting interested community members who will represent the community in advising him on matters of community interest related to public safety. Citizen advisory boards typically meet once per month. Care should be taken in selecting people to serve on the board so as to represent a cross section of the community and those that are willing to actively work with the chief in a positive approach to achieving community policing goals. Citizen advisory board members can provide valuable feedback to the chief on issues relating to the development, implementation, and monitoring of the strategic planning process.

 Develop a process to set crime reduction goals with a process for assessing outcomes of the

operational strategies and goals. The process involves setting short and long term goals, then developing operational priorities, strategies, and tactics to achieve those goals.

G. Crime Analysis and Information Management

Tied directly to the perceived need for rapid service response—a tendency reinforced by the advent of 911 service in American cities—community information collected by officers NOT in response to a criminal act tends to be rather limited. Structurally, effective reactive organizations must have a system to dispatch and coordinate reactive calls. (Police systems originally designed for sharing information on a “need-to-know” basis establishes community-policing barriers by limiting information when community partners want more data about their neighborhoods and patrol areas.) Crime analysis plays a very important role in providing timely data to officers/deputies and community members to assist them in their problem-solving efforts. Data provided by the police must be accurate, timely, and openly shared with all stakeholders involved in problem solving. Community-policing crime analysis goes beyond the traditional statistics of the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Part I and II crimes, or how many incidents of what type of crime occurred in the past.

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Findings The Shepherdsville Police Department is dispatched by a central 911 dispatch center that uses a CAD system that is relatively new. The technology appears to exist that would allow analysis of data; however, at this time, there does not appear to be any analysis of calls for service as to hot spots or repeat users of the system. There is currently no way for the police department to view or analyze calls for service data remotely. All requests for reports, etc. must be submitted to dispatch management personnel. The police department currently utilizes a computerized records management system called CrimeStar. This software has been in place for approximately four years. The records clerk is currently able to keep all data entry up-to-date and information is generally available in the system within 24 hours of occurrence. The clerk is also well versed in operating the system and generating reports upon request. The police department currently issues an annual report that contains yearly report comparisons. This report contains both data sheets and charts that compare offenses, arrests, etc. over a period of six years. This demonstrates that the technology infrastructure is currently in place to conduct both strategic and tactical crime analysis. The records management system has the capacity to do crime mapping and there has been an informal exploration of this capacity by the records clerk and the investigative unit. However, the team found little to no evidence of actual analysis of crime and activity or use of such data in either strategic or tactical planning.

Although there is no formal crime analysis within the department, officers noted that “this is a small town, you know where the hot spots are.” When asked how information is disseminated to other officers, the main form of communication is word of mouth. There is an e-mail alert system that all officers are hooked into and for which citizens can sign up. This will alert people regarding specific problems or wanted individuals. Several people suggested they would like to have major statistical data provided. They stated it did not have to be a lengthy report, just aggregate numbers to assist in tracking crime. They felt this would be beneficial to policing their own neighborhood. Daily statistical crime rate reports are shared with the Mayor but not city council. Crime reports are published in the local newspaper. The Pioneer has a section that reports on major category arrest and response statistics. The local newspaper was listed as the prime example of feedback. The other source is through the Internet, which the newspaper updates daily. A printed paper is published twice a week. If more specific information is requested, it is believed that it would be made available without any difficulty. Multiple city council members reported that there should be a segment at every city council meeting where it and other police department issues/concerns would be reviewed. This would be open to the public and news media. The department is working on a Crime Stat project, but it is not known when it may be put into place. Currently members of the department are unsure if there is anything in place to capture crime information or, if such a system is in place, whether or not the information can be retrieved from the system. A sergeant is working on mapping for the department to identify problem areas to concentrate patrols. Strategic Recommendations

 Provide crime analysis training to a select group of individuals who could work regularly on reviewing critical data and locating crime trends. Develop a formal dissemination plan of analysis findings by e-mail or send a hard copy to members of the department. Fix responsibility for

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taking this information and developing tactical and strategic responses. The utilization of a good crime analysis system should be adopted as a critical component of a community policing and problem solving orientation. Special attention needs to be placed on the dissemination of crime analysis information both internally and externally. The guiding principle of dissemination should be to distribute information to as wide a group as possible and to distribute it in a timely manner. See www.popcenter.org/learning/60steps/

 Implement the use of volunteers from the recommended VIPS program to collect information

from crime reports for crime analysis. Some consideration may be given to using volunteers to conduct crime analysis. These volunteers could be recruited from graduates of the citizens’ police academy or community volunteers. The primary concern about crime analysis is the staffing to do the collection. Use of supervised volunteers alleviates much of this problem.

 Implement a process to analyze hot spot crime areas. We know from research that about 10

percent of addresses or locations within a jurisdiction account for approximately 50 per cent of all the calls for service. By analyzing the calls for service data and identifying these “hot spots”, the department can apply the problem solving process to reduce or eliminate repeated calls for service to the same addresses. Sergeants and individual officers can use the data to effectively analyze emerging or persistent crime problems.

 Chief Puckett should initiate contact with the management of the 911 center to implement a

program to either create the ability for the police to remotely access call for service data or create a series of standardized reports to be generated by the 911 center and forwarded to the police on a set schedule. The result is useable calls for service data beyond raw numbers. This can be effective in developing useful crime analysis.

 Implement a career criminal initiative to identify repeat offenders in the community. It is

generally thought that a small number of offenders are responsible for a large percentage of crimes. By analyzing offender data it is possible to create programs that focus on those individuals who are involved in a disproportionate number of events.

 Implement an initiative to analyze repeat victimization by some members of the community. It is

generally thought that a small number of victims accounts for a large percentage of victimization, especially when associated with specific crimes, such as domestic violence. Once again, if we use available data to identify these individuals we can become much more focused and pro-active in helping people prevent crimes. These cases are ideal for applying situational crime prevention tactics. See 25 Crime Prevention Strategies located at The Center for Problem Oriented Policing found at www.popcenter.org/

 Develop a formalized system to collect, store, analyze and disseminate information on property

crimes correlated to drug offenses and drug offenders. There is a general belief that much crime is either directly or indirectly tied to the drug abuse problem. If this is true, police should consider how they collect intelligence information about drugs and property crimes and whether or not they adequately use this data for tactical enforcement. For example, every shoplifter should be debriefed about their knowledge of drug activity. Every property offender that is arrested should be debriefed about drug knowledge. In reverse, everyone arrested for drugs should be debriefed about property crimes. In addition to collecting this intelligence, it is also important to act quickly on information that is obtained

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 Implement an e-mail alert system. More information could be disseminated to the public by use of the e-mail alert system as well as the Pioneer News. The e-mail alert is a valuable tool that would probably be utilized more if more people were aware of it.

 Seek to partner with the newspaper to provide more specific crime data in the newspaper. The

crime analysis in the paper is standardized in its reporting. If they were broken down by area of town, citizens would know of issues in their area and could help watch because they would know what to be looking for.

 Implement an initiative to provide more crime data to patrol officers. More crime information should be provided to the officers outlining problem areas, time of day and day of the week. This would assist each shift in knowing what problems are particular to their shift and what problems are common across the board.

 Modify the department website so that all citizens can easily obtain information about crime in their neighborhoods. Citizens expressed a feeling that information should be shared more widely with the community. Crime mapping, where citizens can see their street, types of crimes and location of crimes, would be extremely helpful. Also, include the names of officers assigned to their neighborhood and how the officer can be contacted.

 Consider implementing an initiative to explore the opportunity of using the city council meeting forum to communicate key issues and statistics to the community. Additionally, it appears that relevant data is being collected but is underutilized.

 Develop a Crime Stat model of crime analysis. It appears as if the Criminal Investigations

Division could be the appropriate division to gather the information, determine the crime trends from the reports that they are currently reviewing. This division should present the trends to the patrol force on an as needed basis but no less than once a month. For this to be successful, someone will need to be held accountable for the resolution to the problems. These efforts would need to be incorporated with the more traditional problems solving efforts associated with community policy.

H. Shift/Beat Assignments

One of the core assumptions of community policing is that patrol officers should be intimately acquainted with their neighborhoods, and people living in neighborhoods should know their patrol officer. This intimacy facilitates both the flow of communication and builds trust between law enforcement and citizens. Geographic integrity allows the officer to become familiar with the citizens in their service area and fosters partnerships among the police, businesses, and neighborhoods. These relationships promote accountability and facilitate mutual interest in problem solving. Geographic patrol assignments, neighborhood based needs assessment meetings, door-to-door introductions, along with assigned problem solving responsibility all provide an opportunity for the officers to know and understand the issues and concerns of the neighborhood to which he or she is assigned. Findings Officers currently are assigned city wide responsibility while on patrol. Officers are accountable for periods of time. There currently is no geographic accountability to create a sense of ownership of a

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particular area by the officers. Also, there does not appear to be a formalized method for the department to inform officers about crime and disorder issues within any specific geographical area. This is being somewhat achieved by passed along information about issues in the community at roll calls and informally between officers. New police officers usually work the 2p-10p shift. There is no rotation of shifts. The only time an adjustment is made to a police officer’s shift is when someone leaves another shift and a request can be submitted to the Sergeant to change shifts. Shift assignments are made by seniority Strategic Recommendations

 Create neighborhood assignments for agency personnel. Geographic focus and responsibility is one of the bedrock principles of effective community policing. This principle enhances the ability of the police officers to get to know the citizens they serve and aids in developing effective partnerships which assist in identifying and resolving community problems. Geographic focus allows officers to be assigned to small geographic areas or neighborhoods. Officers will occasionally be required to patrol and respond to calls citywide, but will routinely have small areas or beats for which they are personally responsible. Successfully creating geographic focus may also cause other changes in the operating procedures of the agency. One example would be the need to develop a reporting system that allows officers to receive a copy of all activities which have occurred in their assigned area while they have been off duty. Dispatch would need to develop an understanding that their mission is not to necessarily dispatch all calls as soon as possible but to insure that call are dispatched to the officer who is responsible for a given area. Drastic reduction of cross-beat dispatching would be a goal.

 Create opportunities within these neighborhood assignments for officers to interact with citizens

informally so they may talk to one another during friendly, non-enforcement, encounters. This might include attending meetings and gatherings, organizing neighborhood watch groups, making door to door calls offering department services such as crime prevention assessments, conducting surveys, etc.

 Have the sergeants be involved in some community memberships that could meet during or after business hours. By doing this it forces members of the department to become part of the fabric of the community instead of just working for the community.

 Have officers become more involved in the community, on duty and encourage community

involvement off-duty. An example would be to have the detectives not only meet with other area detectives, but establish a meeting with all the security personnel in all the city banks and even those close to the city limits. Again, they could also meet with all the loss prevention officers, both locally and regionally (some stores have regional loss prevention officers).

I. Unions Findings While there is a Fraternal Order of Police, it does not appear to have a strong presence. They are not involved in collective bargaining.

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Sgt. Bernardi is the secretary for the local FOP. The most significant problem the FOP discusses is the rapid growth in Bullitt County. The mission statement of the national Fraternal Order of Police is: To support and defend the Constitution of the United States; to inculcate loyalty and allegiance to the United States of America; to promote and foster the enforcement of law and order; to improve the individual and collective proficiency of our members in the performance of their duties; to encourage fraternal, educational, charitable and social activities among law enforcement officers; to advocate and strive for uniform application of the civil service merit system for appointment and promotion; to support the improvement of the standard of living and working conditions of the law enforcement profession through every legal and ethical means available; to create and maintain tradition of esprit de corps insuring fidelity to duty under all conditions and circumstances; to cultivate a spirit of fraternalism and mutual helpfulness among our members and the people we serve; to increase the efficiency of the law enforcement profession and thus more firmly to establish the confidence of the public in the service dedicated to the protection of life and property. Strategic Recommendations

 As a member of the national fraternal order of police the Shepherdsville chapter can participate in a variety of activities sponsored by the national lodge that are designed to provide public service and establish confidence in the police profession.

 The Shepherdsville FOP could align themselves with other civic organizations in the community who provide public service activities. This would accomplish two goals. The first being to integrate officers into the fabric of the civic community. The second to provide those public service activities that tend to build public trust in the police department and its members.

IV. CLIMATE

Climate is the language of the organization expressed through words, gestures, situations, interpersonal relations, and unwritten rules of behavior. The culture exists first and foremost as a result of the interpretation of managerial behaviors. These powerful expectancy signals override many official mandates or directives. The challenge for management is to behave in ways that will lead employees to the kinds of attributions and expectations that result in commitment to the department’s most important values (Schneider, 1994). The organizational climate depicts the atmosphere that results from the implementation of the structure. Trust, risk-taking, support, competition, freedom, clarity of roles, stress, and conflict resolution are all elements of the climate. Plummeted workforce morale, strained trust in the system, openly competitive relationships, and lack of innovation result from incongruence among the values, goals, and structure of an organization. Organizational climate elements often determine the extent and success of a change process. Kanter

suggests that organizational change consists in large part of a series of emerging constructions of reality, including revision of the past, to correspond to the requisites of new players and new demands (Kanter, 1983). She explains that successful organizational change normally requires three ingredients: 1) the right people with the right ideas; 2) the right times, which enable the right people to reconstruct reality on the basis of accumulated innovations; and 3) the right places, which allow an integrative environment. The organizational climate represents the “right place” element of Kanter’s triad. A. Department-wide Philosophy and Full Community Policing Implementation

Approaching community policing as a program may result in conflict between patrol and community policing officers. Adopting community policing as a department-wide philosophy can minimize the tension (or dissension) arising from employing two different methods of policing within one organization. By fully integrating the philosophy throughout the department, the goals of community policing becomes the mission of the department. In this sense, all officers become community policing officers and when

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this change occurs it will mandate support from the chief, line staff, and fellow officers. As officers are encouraged and empowered to enlist innovative problem-solving methods, partnerships with other agencies invite new players into the task of making the community safer for all citizens. Findings When asked about community policing most of the officers understood it required a closer contact with citizens and interpreted that as getting out of the police car and talking with people. None connected the partnerships and problem solving aspects of community policing. The understanding seemed to equate community policing with special programs and not as a department wide philosophy. Approaching community policing as a program may result in conflict between patrol and community policing officers. Adopting community policing as a department-wide philosophy can minimize the tension (or dissension) arising from employing two different methods of policing within one organization. By fully integrating the philosophy throughout the department, the goals of community policing becomes the mission of the department. In this sense, all officers become community policing officers and with this change there follows the mandate for support from the chief, line staff, and fellow officers. People may have different roles to play, but their role is clearly identified with a community policing approach. It appeared as though the impression among officers was that community policing is something of which they engage. There were concerns about how well community policing will be implemented throughout the entire department following our assessment. Some felt as if it should be focused within a specialty unit and others think that a select few should be the ones who begin the program implementation. They were uncertain if the chief had really made his concept of community policing for the future very clear in this regard. There were concerns and uncertainty as to exactly what will be expected of them when community policing is implemented. Generally, the officers were open to fully engaging in a community policing efforts when told how they could become further engaged in those efforts. Many supported the community policing philosophy because it was the right choice. Interviews with community members indicated they would welcome the idea and will work with the department any way they can to help in enhancing the community policing aspect for their community. Strategic Recommendations

 Provide department-wide training in community policing and problem oriented policing and establish systems to foster problem solving. If the department is beginning to fully implement community policing it will require training in its philosophy and strategies.

 Include community policing activities in the employee rewards and evaluation system.

 Create opportunities and encourage all police department employees to develop community

partnerships. It is critical to tie these partnerships to problem-solving and the development of working cohorts to address the community’s concerns as well as their perceptions and fear of crime. This is not Shop-With-A-COP or neighborhood cookouts. Although these activities are beneficial as a get to know us approach, what we are talking about are partnerships with a purpose. For example, if a neighborhood is experiencing a high rate of traffic accidents at a particular intersection, the officer assigned to that area would be responsible for developing solutions. The officer would be expected to devise an response plan based on an analysis of accident reports. Depending on the data the officer may develop, a limited, short-term partnership with the city transportation or works department to resolve an engineering issue at this particular location may be applied.

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 Develop an agency-wide understand that community policing is the responsibility of every

employee sworn or non-sworn. Everyone’s must see their role in making the philosophy come to life and know that it is how they provide police service in their community. Having open dialog and training sessions with officers can help them develop such understanding. Also, identify those inside the agency that have a good working understanding of COP and solicit them to assist the agency in moving deeper into the implementation process and assisting others in the agency in supporting it.

 Require officers to attend public and neighborhood meetings to get more involved within the community instead of having one officer being the face of the department.

 Engage the public in town hall style meetings to seek input for collaborative identification of community issues related to public safety and fear of crime.

 Partnerships that are developed around common goals and interests (identifying problems and preventing crime) are relevant to the needs of individuals, the organization they represent and the reasons their existence. This must be explained and understood as the heart of partnership building.

 Chief Puckett needs to make his goals related to community policing very clear throughout the entire department. A specialty unit to get the program off the ground is not recommended. Everyone needs to become involved in the community.

B. Power and Control

Many police agencies adopting community policing have a difficult time working with the broader community, sharing power with neighborhoods, and collaboratively solving problems with other public and nonprofit agencies because they are used to having control and final decision making. Not experienced with sharing power in this way, police culture tends to view power as a “zero-sum” game. When managers hoard potential power and don’t invest in productive action, it atrophies and eventually blocks achievements. Power and authority based upon rigid structures of hierarchy often overlooks creativity and ingenuity (Kanter, 1982). Rather than viewing the acquisition of power as the goal, systems that see power as a tool to accomplish their goals have the opportunity to share decision-making responsibility and authority. Police organizations that regularly “give away” power often see the return of their power manifested in community support. Findings Major decision making has been largely centralized in the Shepherdsville Police Department and most of the decisions are made by the supervisors or Chief. There is a clear chain of command and most officers understand that they must seek guidance and approval before making any significant decisions, particularly those that might be controversial or have political overtones. For community policing to be successful, officers and supervisors must be empowered and encouraged by the Chief to make decisions. Chief Puckett reported that most major decisions are made by him and the sergeants. He further stated that the entire staff has a great deal of latitude in making many decisions on their own. The policy of the Chief making major decisions is certainly appropriate; however, there is clearly an opportunity to incorporate the entire staff in many of these decisions. The result can often be a greater sense of ownership in the decision by officers and/or commanders and the results may sometimes improve the outcome of these decisions.

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The sergeants have complete control over their areas of responsibility. The sergeants also assist in the major budget decisions. The sergeants feel very comfortable in making decisions within their area of responsibility, but are also comfortable seeking input on decisions that may be of bigger consequence or those which related to budgetary expenditures. It was stressed that everyone is responsible for making decisions within the department, and officers are encouraged to make decisions based upon the information they are given. They do not need to ask supervisors for permission before making decisions during routine encounters. Officers express the feeling of having “full reign” to carry out their duties. They feel they are given responsibility and have the opportunity to make decisions. Even though the main decisions come from the top down, officers still feel they have the freedom of officer discretion. Some officers felt they were consulted when department policies were under review for change. One officer specifically stated that the Chief makes a lot of good decisions and has good ideas. Strategic Recommendations

 Delegate decision-making down to the lowest appropriate level when appropriate. This management style will be necessary as the department develops strategies and begins to make changes to implement community policing and problem solving.

 Conduct problem-solving training for key members of the agency. These individuals can begin

initial implementation and, in turn, conduct training for other personnel.

 Consider assigning a sergeant or a patrol officer to manage a problem-solving project. This person should then be placed in a role to guide and direct the problem-solving process for an identified issue to include:

 Analysis  Problem-solving activities  Partnership development  Coordinating agency assets including personnel in responding to the selected

problem

 Have the chief delegate more tasks to supervisors and officers in order to develop them as leaders in the organization and the community. One assessor correctly observed that “true authority comes to liberate, not dominate.” Consider leadership training for all officers.

 Attempt to create opportunities and structured methods to improve internal and external

communication for consultation on department policy, procedures, and issues of concern to officers working environment. In doing so the Chief sends the clear message to the officers that all opinions and points of view are valued.

 Include the entire staff or subgroups of the staff in the decision making process for policy, planning, major projects, and other initiatives where it is beneficial to have officer input. This will identify leadership characteristics among staff personnel, expand solution concepts, improve buy- in due to expanded participation and increase success of such decisions.

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C. Resistance to Change The fear of losing control, status, or influence is the basis for most resistance to change (Bridges, 1991). Managers may perceive a loss of power when the reallocation of decision-making down through the ranks occurs within the organizational structure. In some law enforcement organizations, community policing is associated with a loss of promotional opportunities. Resistance to change can be overt or covert, from outright defiance to subtle passive sabotage. At what levels within the department is resistance to community-based problem solving expected? Findings Some resistance should be expected when any change is implemented. It is part of human nature. However, the team did not get the impression that there will be overwhelming resistance to further implementation of community policing practices. Many of the officers, citizens, and public officials seemed very supportive of community policing once the basic principles were explained to them. In fact, officers are very open and willing to change. There was a deterioration of morale during the administration change, but now officers’ state morale is good and officers want to focus on doing a good job. Officers expressed a desire to “be the best police officers they can be.” Strategic Recommendations

 Develop an intentional strategy for delivering accurate information and institutionalizing two way communications for the purpose of minimizing resistance to changing to a community policing philosophy.

 Establish regular face-to-face briefings to explain changes and allow for questions and clarification. This agency is small enough that the Chief can arrange face-to-face meetings and deliver his message and plans personally.

 Implement a strategy for quickly and effectively communicating change to not allow the rumor mill to undermine efforts to implement change. It is important to effectively communicate the change through personal interactions with the Chief and supported with written plans. An effective strategy to gain support for change is to provide the research information that supports the decision for the change.

 Provide reading material on the concepts, philosophies of community policing and hold debriefing discussions related to the material and how it can be applied in Shepherdsville

 Provide examples of successful implementation in other jurisdictions to members of the department and affected community members. The intent is to demonstrate how other communities benefited form the strategies and initiatives the Chief intends to implement.

D. Openness to Input from Outside To be effective, law enforcement operations should be open to input, review, and criticism. In a democratic society, the police represent the government and, in turn, the people. This requires direct involvement and partnership with those “outside” the department. The evidence is clear that law enforcement agencies are greatly limited in their ability to reduce crime without the frequent involvement and active support of their community. There is a community consensus that the narrow focus on crime prevention has shifted to the broader issue of community safety and security as a public good (BJA, 2001).

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When community stakeholders are part of the needs identification process and participate in problem solving and evaluation, a sense of loyalty to the community and its crime prevention endeavors can develop within a community. Organizational change occurs when the character of conversation amongst groups relevant to public safety changes. Community needs assessments and project evaluations allow changes in the discussion, as well as the development of expanded expectations from both the community and the police. Shared formal mechanisms for the release of that information—both internally and externally—help managers, officers, and citizens formulate plans, make decisions, and take effective action. By creating methods to solicit input and gain involvement in planning and service delivery, an agency enhances the trust and support of those served. Findings Most of those interviewed, both internally and externally, characterized the Shepherdsville Police Department as a fairly open organization. The department enjoys respect from much of the public; however, citizens frequently commented that they were not aware of the agency’s activities. While the department may be very responsive to specific requests, there appears to be a lack of formal two-way communication. The community’s impression that the department is reasonably open is based on the notion that information is shared through the media related to crime problems, statistics, wanted people, etc. They perceive that the Chief is very accessible and they can contact him very easily if they need him for anything. His attendance at the “Mayor’s Night In” also makes him available to the citizens and enables him to get community feedback and hear first hand their concerns. The public believes the department would make necessary changes based upon their input and ideas if the changes were truly warranted. The one exception was a feeling several people in the community had that the building that houses the police department is “a fortress.” While they understood the need for safety, they felt it did not give the appearance of being “inviting.” They also mentioned that front desk personnel were cold, unfriendly and not very helpful. Several people stated these individuals set the tone for the impression of the police department and should come across as more customer service oriented. This impression was partially created by the Plexiglas barrier citizens face when they come to the police station. One man said, “They are barricaded behind Plexiglas. It causes a public disconnect and less accessibility. Where does security end and paranoia begin?” Strategic Recommendations

 Establish lines of communications between the agency and all community groups. Encourage or require all command staff to become members of local civic groups. The Bowling Green Police Department has done this and experienced great success.

 Conduct or attend community meetings to identify and address issues of concern to the citizens.

Use existing groups, including faith-based groups, to enhance communication with neighborhoods and various constituencies. Involve beat officers in these efforts.

 Expand the Citizen Police Academy. CPAs foster better communication between citizens and

police through education. This program creates a nucleus of well-informed citizens who possess greater insight into police practices and services. The goal of the CPA is to provide enough information to the public to dispel misconceptions and to increase the rapport between citizens and police officers. Graduates of CPAs can share their knowledge and experience with other members of the community. Everyone benefits from enhancing citizen understanding of the role

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and function of the police department. CPA’s also serve to allow citizens to have positive interactions with officers and it helps the officers develop a better understanding and appreciation of citizens and their concerns. Consider holding CPA classes in individual neighborhoods and integrate the classes into existing community groups or associations. When taking these classes to the neighborhoods consider having the officer assigned to that neighborhood play a key role in the class.

 Consider establishing a CPA alumni group whose individuals can play a key role in setting up classes and meetings in various neighborhoods.

 Utilize the website, the department’s e-mail system and the Citizen Observer web-based

communications tool to disseminate and collect information from the public. Utilize e-mail to keep concerned citizens informed

 Consider using citizens to conduct specific audits within the agency such as property room and

use of force reports. This openness can lead to agency improvement, higher public trust and improved external communications. We recommend you contact someone from the Bowling Green Kentucky Police Department to see how they have successfully used these strategies of citizen audits. Two of the assessors involved in this assessment are retired assistant chiefs from the Bowling Green Police Department and would be able to provide specific information concerning this recommendation. These two assessors are Mari Harris and J.R. Wilkins.

 Some police agencies have experienced success in creating a more open atmosphere for their headquarters building, especially newly opened building, by holding an open house event with tours, static displays, handout materials, inexpensive promotional materials, and community policing information packets. This may help negate the so-called “fortress” perception some people have.

 Provide training for the employees working at the front desk in community policing principles related to their job functions. Also, provide supervisory oversight to ensure the proper attitude toward community members who come to police headquarters. The civilian staff personnel who greet people entering the building are very important and form much of the community perception of the police department. There is no recommendation to reduce safety of the headquarters by eliminating the Plexiglas at the front desk. Safety is always a concern, but the negative effects of the barrier can be negated by the prompt friendly reception of anyone entering the building.

V. COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT The community environment describes the outside influences that affect the organization’s ability to accomplish its goals. Organizations without a well-developed value system are at the virtual mercy of a changing environment. The community environment can have an impact upon an organization by altering goals based on partial information. Employees in these organizations tend to value stability within the workplace, and to distrust new “initiatives” or “directives out of the blue,” believing that within a relatively short time priorities will change again without much warning.

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Effective organizations learn to connect to their environments in appropriate and useful ways. There is recognition that local municipal leaders play a crucial role in protecting communities by organizing and motivating coalitions of local partners. Citizen groups, local interests, and politicians can be involved in building workable partnerships, engaging in problem solving, and promoting crime prevention. Collaborative interactions within jurisdictions and among the police, elected officials, and the media reflect the extent of community-based problem solving and the success of community policing efforts. The “community” in community policing is made up of the stakeholders that must work together to ensure the success of any community policing effort. A. Community Issues

The essence of the community policing philosophy is the establishment of a close partnership between the police and their citizens for working together to identify problems and devising solutions to those problems. Community involvement must be authentic and ongoing to enhance trust and to ensure continued participation. In addition to responding to crime, law enforcement agencies can have a positive impact upon communities in a variety of ways. Troublesome issues, such as domestic violence, can tear a community apart. In the community governance model, the police officer may act as a neighborhood ombudsman, coordinating a number of resources and building natural partnerships while addressing broad issues of concern. Understanding that safe, secure and vibrant communities experience lower crime rates is a significant insight that can direct the collaborative efforts of public safety administrators and community stakeholders. A clear and practiced policy prohibiting discrimination of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation ensures that all citizens have access to help from law enforcement. Findings Based on US Census date from the 2000 to 2007 census data, Bullitt County, Kentucky was the fourth fastest growing county in Kentucky. This type of rapid growth can create crime and disorder problems, as well as adversely impacting the ability of government to provide adequate levels of service to meet the growing demands. With community growth there are community issues that tend to develop. The following is a list of issues listed in order of importance to those interviewed: economic growth; infrastructure; drugs; thefts; domestic violence; juvenile crime; education or the lack of it; public safety; accessible health care; quality of life; poverty; gambling; traffic volume; community image; business park expansion; and, the dual fire tax. There is an excellent level of trust and a high reputation held by the community for the police department. Some of the comments were: excellent; highest level; very high. For those interviewed who had lived in the area for years, the trust and reputation have improved dramatically over the years. In addition to the community problems outlined above, assessors identified these issues broken down by segments of the community and the police department. The Chief and members of the police department seemed aware of the concern of rapid community growth and the issues noted by interviewees. They noted the ongoing community issues that will likely increase unless adequately addressed. Below is a list of comments made by various groups of people interviewed in relationship to their community concerns: Police Officer

 The 3 most important issues in the community are “to provide a safe living environment, ensure that everyone obeys the law and treating people with respect”.

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 The 3 most important issues in the community are “drugs, domestic violence and no-shows in court”.

City/County Official/Employees  The 3 most important issues in the community are “overgrowth, the population has outgrown the

road system and the population has outgrown local emergency services.”  The 3 most important issues in the community are flooding, not enough personnel on the FD and

the need for a FD training facility for the department.  The most important issue to the community is diversity and since the community is growing so

fast, there needs to be education about different cultures, such as Hispanics. Community Members

 The 3 most important issues in the community are “infrastructure (the roads), the sewage system (too many people on septic tanks) and not enough things for young people to do to stay out of trouble.”

 The 3 most important issues in the community are “the lawsuit over fire protection, educated and smart development in the county and the lack of funding for emergency services.”

 The most important issue in the community is “the lack of training for emergency personnel in how to deal with the mentally ill.” Police officers should be role models for this topic.

 There were issues raised concerning: Traffic, growth, drugs, education, and the economy.  There is a very small “non-white community”—less than 3% of the community are minorities and

the community needs to become more diverse,  “The number one issue in Bullitt County is growth.”

Business representative

 The 3 most important issues in the community are “a lack of higher education which affects the work pool, structural improvements such as roads and cultural issues because there are underlying problems in terms of diversity in Bullitt County.”

Strategic Recommendations

 The strategic plan that was previously recommended needs to take in consideration the issues created by growth. Growth can be defined in terms of an increase in people, retail businesses, and commercial growth. Each of these creates an increased demand on public safety organizations, especially the police department. The police department should start planning for increased demand in services, which will require an increase in personnel, equipment and services provided. With growth, police agencies must be concerned with not only more crime, but also increased traffic, issues related to schools and juveniles, and domestic violence. Planning for the capacity to deal with these issues is the only way of not being caught without adequate capacity to handle what is expected.

 It is recommended that the police department take the lead in creating a collaborative effort to

develop a comprehensive community drug strategy that encompasses more than just the enforcement efforts of the county drug task force. Bringing together community resources such as the schools, social service agencies, courts, prosecutors, and interested non-profit organizations to address community crime problems in the broadest sense possible to intertwine efforts such as prevention, treatment, education, and enforcement. Community collaboration has been effective in other communities to engage in such innovative projects as drug courts.

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 The police department must be sensitive to the concerns and the equal rights of the minority communities. Despite the small numbers of minority peoples, the police department needs to develop a comprehensive outreach to these minority community members to maintain a good level of trust. This trust may be needed in situations of racial or ethnic tensions or hate crimes perpetrated against people those of the minority population. This takes intentional deliberate outreach. Passive measures will not draw out people who may otherwise not feel empowered to reach out to the police for help when the time comes that they need such assistance.

 Consider a Spanish language program to develop a higher level of fluency for more officers. Spanish emersion programs are especially good for this type of language training. Agencies in KY, for example, Louisville Metro Police Department and the Lexington Department, have engaged in such programs. The reality is the Latino population will likely increase rather than decrease. Efforts should be initiated to face this reality in a proactive rather than reactive manner.

 It is highly recommended that Chief Puckett schedule all SPD officers for Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training provided by DOCJT. CIT training is a 40-hour course that provides information to officers about techniques to use to defuse potentially violent situations with mentally ill people. This is a critical problem in most communities, and Shepherdsville is no exception,. Too often police officers are faced with dangerous situations where mentally ill people are confronted by police as they are experiencing episodes where their mental illness is causing a potentially violent confrontation with the police. Too often in communities around the country these type situations result in physical confrontations where the threat of violence against the police officers results in a deadly force situation.

B. City/County/Tribal Government Officials

The three core “partners” in community policing are the police, community, and local government. Often viewed as a “police program” by local government, community policing involves public safety, a primary function of local government. When city or county governments come to view community safety as a basic human right and as an important aspect of the quality of life in their communities, community initiatives tend to target crime, victimization, and quality of life problems. Community policing can be more accurately described as community governance when it works within this broader quality of life context. Findings Generally, it was found that the mayor and council are supportive of the police department in relation to community policing. There does however remains a small segment of those who subscribe to the “wait and see” Principle.

With reference to the local departments working together to solve problems, it should be noted there were no negative comments. Some people interviewed were unaware of any cooperative efforts of local police departments to resolve common problems. There were several who said cooperation is great. As mentioned earlier in this report, all local area law enforcement personnel interviewed, formally and informally, said there is excellent cooperation between the departments. Examples mentioned were the drug task force, the train derailment that took place a few years ago and the rapid response training to active shooters. During the train derailment, Shepherdsville Police Department (and city government), the Sheriff’s Office, and the Kentucky State Police worked together for the benefit of the community. This was verified in an informal conversation with a representative from railroad security. The PD and the SO work together on meth labs and there is an overall good working relationship.

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The community’s level of trust in local government was mixed. For the most part it is good. There were some middle of the road or moderate responses. In general, people expressed a high level of trust in the local government. The people who expressed concern indicated it had more to do with the political aspects of the mayoral change. The support and trust of the community toward the police department, as mentioned above, is high. There appears to be a high level of support for Chief Puckett. One person noted there had been a “dramatic improvement” in the level of support the PD gets from local government since Doug Puckett became chief. Strategic Recommendations

 Capitalize on the support of the city government in moving forward with furthering community partnerships and maintaining clear lines of communications with elected and other government officials. The police department must become effective partners in displaying a united front in the commitment to establish community policing. This will open lines of communications that will also give local officials opportunities to provide information to avoid misunderstandings and allow the department to alter or revise programs or initiatives when appropriate. City government officials are in a unique position to receive citizen concerns and comments about the police department.

 As a part of city government, the police department has the opportunity through community

policing to improve and solidify the trust between the community and city government. This will happen if the elected city officials and the police department unite in cooperative efforts to listen and respond to community concerns related to public safety and quality of life issues.

 The adoption of community policing could facilitate the initiative to adopt a “community

oriented” government model where representatives from various departments work together; i.e., code enforcement and police department. The police department can take a leadership role in developing working relationships among city/county agencies.

 Continue to develop community partnerships. Community partnerships are not limited to

community members and businesses. Community partnership means working together with all elements of city government, county government agencies, including schools. While there appears to be a good relationship at the moment, as the SPD moves forward with community policing, they need to make a special effort to engage their government partners fully to avoid misunderstandings.

 Have the chief and elected officials endorse a community policing strategic plan in a public

setting. This will show unification and support in the agency’s mission to become more community oriented.

C. Business Community

The business community in many local arenas is another important stakeholder or partner in community policing efforts. Businesses often face issues or problems that differ from those of residential neighborhoods, and they provide an opportunity for the formation of partnerships. Law enforcement agencies working with large and small businesses, civic clubs, Chambers of Commerce, and other business organizations in their community not only build support for their activities, but also act to enhance a sense of social responsibility within the commercial sector of the community.

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Findings The business community has a strong appreciation for the efforts of the police department and is very supportive. The consensus is there is a good relationship between the department and local businesses. The business community supports and trusts Chief Puckett. None of the city officials felt there were any problems with the relationship between the police and local businesses. The Mayor stated when a new business comes to the city he goes and meets them along with the police chief and the fire chief. For example, the department conducted a similar “walk through” when a new bank was being constructed. Chief Puckett and Sergeant Bernardi toured the facility to view the floor plan and to assist in development of the bank’s response procedures in the event of a robbery or robbery alarm. Bank personnel commented on the shadow patrol car program that the department has implemented wherein an empty, marked cruiser is parked in an area as a deterrent to criminal activity. Here is another example. When J.O.M was preparing to open, members of the department were asked to tour the facility so they could see the floor plan and security measures to be put in place. The request was based on the large amount of pharmaceutical supplies that are stored there. The community members interviewed stated they see officers at various businesses. It was mentioned that officers used to check businesses at night and leave their card in the door stating the business had been checked but they weren't sure if this program had continued. It was noted officers respond to the alarms in a prompt, polite and professional manner. Of those who could comment on the relationship between the SPD and the business community, all said there was a good to excellent relationship. However, the common comment was officers would, for the most part, come when called, but hardly ever stop in to meet and talk with the businesses. One business person said he was notified his store had taken in some counterfeit money and he knew “no one in the police department to call to talk about the problem.”

One issue of concern expressed in interviews was that the police department does not enforce the vehicle enforcement laws related to the trucking companies that work out of the two quarries in the county. The person characterized his impression that “laws are not enforced fairly.” There was speculation that this occurs because of the tax contributions of these trucking companies. Overall, the business community seemed pleased with police services but invited even more interaction with officers in addressing issues of common interest related to safety and security. Strategic Recommendations

 Create formal partnerships with the business community. Part of formalizing partnerships involves assigning officers to be liaisons to specific businesses. This will give them greater responsibility and provide businesses with one point of contact.

 Create a Business Watch Program to promote crime prevention and crime awareness activities

among local businesses.

 Consider having Chief Puckett and/or the sergeants join community organizations, business, and civic organizations that typically have a significant presence of business owners and senior level members of businesses in the area. It is important for the police department to become involved in business associations in the community. The Chamber of Commerce is one example.

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 Work with local banks to make robbery prevention presentations and conduct mock robbery

scenarios.

 Invite the managers of various apartment complexes to a meeting to discuss issues and how they could be resolved by working together. Offer some Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CEPTD) tips to the managers or property owners.

 Conduct a business owners Citizen Police Academy focus specifically on issues of concern

related to cooperative efforts of security and public safety.

 Assign officers to specific community groups, community gatherings, boards, commissions, etc. so as to allow citizens to meet with and get to know officers when there is not a conflict driving the situation. One effective strategy used in other jurisdictions has been to create walking patrols, bike patrols, walk and talk assignments, liaison assignments in business districts, retail shopping areas, etc. These practices create opportunities for interaction with businesses in a positive nature. This is all designed to increase trust levels between the police and citizens.

 Relating to the concern about vehicle enforcement of trucks from the quarries, the SPD should contact the KY Vehicle Enforcement to periodically check on proper compliance with state laws related to vehicle weight and safety.

 Involve businesses in the National Night Out activities by creating an interactive experience between the police department, community associations, businesses, and individuals who live and work in the city (See Police National Night Out web site at http://www.nationalnightout.org/nno/about.html ).

D. Media

Law enforcement agencies are inclined to view the media as an adversary, when in reality both groups have their own important role to play in society and can be effective allies in many circumstances. For community policing agencies, the media can disseminate important information effectively regarding department activities; meetings; problem-solving activities; crime and problem trends; the type of assistance needed from citizens; and even information on the complexities of modern policing. Findings The only local media outlet in the community is the Pioneer News. Pioneer News provides a printed newspaper twice a week. A representative of the paper who was interviewed said that they have a good working relationship with the police department. Sgt Bernardi serves as the Public Information Officer (PIO). They are provided information on a weekly basis to be published. They also believe that when they need something from the police department, they are able to get it in a timely manner. Finally, if they learn of an incident or have an idea for a story, they feel very comfortable in contacting the department for information and assistance. The officers expressed an excellent working relationship with the media. The local paper primarily covers all police and crime related stories and everyone knows the owner. Elected officials felt the media was fair and positive in their reporting of the police department. Others interviewed felt the police had a cooperative partnership with the media. The police are in the media, but it is not negative in nature.

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Strategic Recommendations

 Work proactively with the Pioneer News to educate the public about the philosophy of community policing. The chief or another agency spokesperson could provide weekly examples of problem-solving initiatives. Invite local news personnel to attend department training sessions on community policing and problem solving and to participate in Citizen Police Academy sessions.

 Partner with the radio media and establish a weekly or monthly talk show that could be utilized to educate the public on issues facing the community (i.e., drugs, thefts, school issues, etc.)

E. Cooperative Agreements Partnerships allow people to come together for joint problem solving, resource exchange, cooperation, coordination, coalition building, and/or networking. Partnerships are built on the assumption that by working together the cooperating jurisdictions will increase their effectiveness, resource availability, and decision-making capabilities—thereby effectively addressing common pressing problems or needs. There are several different meanings of partnership. The chosen definition will often determine the type and extent of the partnership achieved.  Cooperation. Defined as the sharing of information among partners, cooperation seeks to meet the

agency’s own interests through access to the information and experience of another organization. There is little or no commitment to collective action or to the enhancement of the relationship after mutual exchange of information is accomplished. Many agencies see educational programs such as “How to Prevent Home Burglaries,” or “Establishing a Block Watch” as prime examples of a partnership. The police share their expertise, and community members share information about their concerns and about countermeasures under consideration. Another example of cooperation is sending an information officer to a community meeting to report the latest crime statistics for the neighborhood. In other instances police jurisdictions view their partnership obligation as sharing crime data with other law enforcement agencies. The problem of school truancy frequently provides an opportunity for police agencies to develop cooperative partnerships. The police value information that helps to manage daytime burglaries. School authorities value information about juvenile misconduct to assist counselors in developing programs for troubled youth. Social service agencies need family histories and corresponding juvenile misconduct data to help them respond with appropriate recommendations to the court. Each agency seeks information to meet their own agency’s goals. Each agency identifies their own valued outcome, based on their role and perceived responsibility. The partnership may address agency needs, but not tackle the underlying issues surrounding truancy.

 Coordination. The second type of partnership—coordination—requires a considerably more sophisticated form of partnership, necessitating the parties or organizations to “act together.” In order to act together, there must be agreement on the goals or “end products” and consensus on the implementation steps to reach these goals. Often such implementation steps identify which agency is responsible for each segment of the agreed upon plan. Coordination, because it requires coordinated collective action, implies a higher degree of formality and need for written agreements between the agencies involved. Multi-agency drug and gang task forces are good examples of coordinated partnerships. The task force takes action in undercover projects, joint training, and/or media campaigns. Each agency agrees to work toward a common goal, act according to an agreed upon plan, and collectively assess the outcomes. In most cases the partnership is restricted to only one part of the agency, or the action is limited to a specific problem or time period. Rarely is the entire criminal justice system actively involved in the partnership. Although coordination with non-police agencies is less frequent than with other law enforcement organizations, there are many examples of

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police and non-police agency coordinated partnerships. A community policing effort that focuses on landlord code violation enforcement requires local planning or code enforcement departmental support, for example. Similarly, sex offender notification and tracking requires coordination among corrections departments, police departments, school districts, and neighborhood groups. Coordinating an anti-drug marketing sweep with local business owners and other law enforcement agencies may result in dealer arrests and drug traffic reduction. Many view this type of coordination as a useful mechanism to enlist the community in implementing the police agency’s agenda. If the goal is to increase the awareness of public order issues in the neighborhood, it is possible to assign responsibilities and hold each partner accountable for their own segment of the collective project. Coordination requires systematic action from all parties. It does not necessitate joint ownership of resources and shared accountability for outcomes.

 Collaboration. The highest degree of partnership, collaboration, demands common goals, shared resources, joint programming, and a commitment to sustained sharing of program outcomes and accountability. Collaborative endeavors can be characterized as team efforts where two or more separate organizations commit to share power jointly to accomplish tasks, solve problems, or address public issues. The degree of formality and extent of involvement of the organizational hierarchy are both great, which in turn increases the commitment required for attaining this level of partnership. Because collaboration requires shared decision-making power, few law enforcement agencies are adept at this type of partnership. Community policing partnerships that feature collaboration require that “not only will power be pushed down through the police organization, but also out of the organization and into the neighborhoods” (Geller, 1995). Several examples exist of excellent collaborative efforts. In one community, the police along with community members identified criminal activity committed after dark by youthful offenders as a major problem. The solution originally proposed by the agency was a curfew, but the larger community did not embrace this idea. The role of a traditional police agency could have been to persuade the community to support their solution that, if undertaken, would be implemented by the police. Instead, through joint problem solving, goal setting, and collaborative efforts, a school-based “neutral zone” now provides late night activities for teens. With the collaboration of the school district, neighbors, businesses, volunteers, police and parents a special place open to all kids on the weekends from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. was created as the Neutral Zone. The facility invites all kids without reservation into the recreation center (even though they may belong to a gang or may have been drinking or doing drugs). If the agreed upon assumption is that this place is in fact neutral, then the area must be safe in all respects for the kids. Drugs, alcohol, violence, and guns are not allowed within the facility; however, the remaining rules come from the center volunteers and kids themselves. Each Neutral Zone partner shares responsibility in the implementation of the plans, rules, programs and services. The partners share in the success or failure of the Neutral Zone experience.

Findings There was no evidence of any current formal agreements with any community groups, businesses, or organizations, but partnerships do exist where the police department periodically meets with members of some groups; however, it appears that it is on an infrequent basis. These interactions could best be characterized as a working relationship with the police department without formal commitments and defined responsibilities. Chief Puckett said there was a cooperative agreement with the Pioneer News. They attempted to have an informal agreement with local citizen’s volunteers groups, but this was characterized as haphazard. There was support for the DARE program in the business community. SPD provides DARE courses for the local school. The DARE Program has been well received by the school, the students, and the community. It is important to replace the DARE officer who left the department. Sgt. Bernardi has taken

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the place of the DARE officer who left the department. With all the other responsibilities the Sergeant Bernardi has, it is important to have another person trained to be the DARE officer. Team members held a focus group session with approximately 30 high school students. These students generally had little knowledge of the police department or its officers. They reported that the only time they see the police is when they are riding around in their cars. They were not familiar with the concept of School Resource Officer, but thought it was a good idea to have a police officer in the schools. They were keenly aware when the police were on the grounds doing a canine search and were supportive of this effort. Several expressed an interest in knowing more about policing. When we asked if they were familiar with the department’s efforts to start a law enforcement explorer post, no one was aware of it. It is unknown why they would not be aware, but this fact stresses the importance of multiple communication channels. During the interviews representatives of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program expressed a strong desire to partner with the police. Strategic Recommendations

 Identify, train, and deploy a DARE officer in the schools. Sgt. Bernardi, while a qualified DARE instructor, has too many other duties to effectively maintain this responsibility as a long-term commitment.

 Partner with local schools through such programs as: Adopt-a-school program; or, Police

Athletic League or School Resource Program. Work with the Board of Education to establish a School Resource Officer (SRO) program. SRO programs have a specific officer assigned to the school as a full-time assignment. The SRO could double as the DARE officer. Adopt-a-School is an excellent way for day shift officers to visit schools and establish a working relationship with schools that do not have an SRO. It can be an excellent first step prior to the approval of an SRO program. The local high school is the size of a small city and all the complications that come with having a lot of people in a small space. When you consider the concept of geographic focus mentioned earlier in the report, it becomes obvious that this is a logical allocation of manpower. It may be possible to create a partnership with the school board and the Sheriff’s office to share the costs for such a program. See http://www.nasro.org/home.asp for more information.

 Establish business partnerships by establishing meetings with the Shepherdsville Business Board

to forge a partnership to identify and address issues of common concern.

 Establish a regular meeting with the media in the greater Louisville Metro area. They could work with the local Pioneer Paper and conduct a meeting where all area media is invited. Trust could and should be develop before an event takes place. One assessor did just this in his agency. Again, the chief might consider contacting the Bowling Green Police Department who has an ongoing meeting practice with the media.

 Have a planned agenda to work with the larger industries coming into the city. For instance, the PD might have an “Industry Appreciation Night”

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 Meeting with, and establish inter-local agreements with all the police agencies in the county and maybe with some outside the county. These agreements should be for specific reasons and based upon an assessment of Shepherdsville Police Department’s (SPD) capabilities and capacity to address specific issues relevant to their community’s needs.

 Establish a multi-disciplinary team/board/think tank for attacking community problems. The

SPD could provide the leadership and the facility.

 Develop new partnerships with civic organizations and youth groups. The creation of partnerships with civic organizations and youth groups provide collaborative efforts to address critical needs associated with these groups as indentified though consultation.

 Finalized the Explorer Post agreements.

 During the interviews CASA also expressed a strong desire to partner with the police. CASA assist, support, and represent the interests of abused and neglected children as their cases go through the court system. CASA would be good community partner for the police in their efforts to reduce child abuse and neglect cases in Shepherdsville.

F. Other Law Enforcement Agencies

Cooperation and collaboration amongst law enforcement agencies are crucial, regardless of the adopted policing styles. Community policing partnerships with other agencies can result in resource and information sharing, reduction in duplication of services, and effective joint problem solving. Findings Officers have a good working relationship with all agencies in Bullitt County. There is a joint Drug Task Force with members from SPD and the other agencies. Neighboring police agencies rate the Shepherdsville Police Department with an A+. Strategic Recommendations

 Develop working relationships and schedule regular meetings with the other law enforcement agencies in the county so that information can be shared and the quality of service to the community can be increased.

 Participate with other law enforcement agencies (Mt. Washington, Hillview, LJ, KSP, BCSO)

when there is a community event in their area and invite them to participate in events in Shepherdsville.

 Consider inviting area law enforcement agencies to community policing training provided for SPD. SPD can lead the area in this effort and become a focal point for enhancing community policing understanding and implementation. Create community policing problem solving trainings with other members of the law enforcement community.

 Consider organizing monthly “intelligence” meetings with representatives of the Bullitt County Sheriffs Office other law enforcement agencies in Bullitt County and the Kentucky State Police.

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 Consider establishing formal meetings with the sheriff’s department on a regular basis to establish partnerships that could advance the philosophy of community policing. Strategies should be developed and topics set prior to these meetings with a clear direction towards developing a greater community- oriented department.

G. Community Policing Strategies and Agency Improvements

Strategies that assess needs, organize volunteers, and involve citizens in problem solving guide the implementation of community policing. These activities build continuity within the policing efforts and encourage goal and work-plan development based on community needs. Findings The Shepherdsville Police Department is held in high esteem throughout the community. They are viewed as a professional, highly ethical department that has tremendous support from the community and the businesses they serve. They are thought of as the premier department in the county, the community is friendly towards them and the department, in turn, values its relationship with the community. The chief has implemented some community policing strategies and agency improvements. There have been efforts to improve the appearance of the facility, the officers, and the fleet. There are written goals and objectives, and there have been efforts to involve diverse community members in the hiring process. Most of the citizens interviewed expressed a willingness to work with the police department in order to establish goals and develop problem-solving strategies. There is willingness among every individual interviewed to work with the police department to improve Community Policing and the City of Shepherdsville. They have a high degree of confidence that if the department teams up with the community, substantial improvements can be realized. Without exception, they indicated that, if asked, they would be eager to participate and commit time and energy to develop ideas and plans to work on the challenges of the community and at improving the police department. This should be viewed as a tremendous resource available and opportunity for the Shepherdsville Police Department to make substantial inroads toward improving their public service to the community. If the department is looking for ideas on how to identify, develop and implement new programs, the people in the community are willing to provide their input. One elected community official said there should be crime analysis done to determine trends. This information should be fed to the mayor and council. This should be a continuing endeavor, he said. Very insightful, this official said “there is work to be done to know the problem, work to solve the problem and tons and tons of work.” It was noted during the site visit to the department that there was only one female police officer and no African-American or Latino officers. It is important for an agency engaged in a community policing to have officers from diverse groups. The police department provides services to a diverse community and it is highly desirable to have a diverse organization. This becomes especially important when working with community groups representing diverse groups. Strategic Recommendations

 Develop a long-range strategic plan for moving the agency toward a more community oriented department. Based on Dr. Gary Cordner’s publication, Principles and Elements of Community Policing, which has been included in this report, the agency should develop goals and objectives to work toward these principles and elements. For example, there is a section in Dr. Cordner’s article that calls for creating a geographic focus for officers. Giving each officer a “piece of turf”

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he or she is responsible for. This would require some type of structural changes with the agency on how they assign officers, what these officers would be expected to investigate, and what new activities would be expected of them while on duty.

This strategic planning effort would require training for agency personnel on the topic of community policing and problem oriented policing prior to developing the plan. The development of this strategic plan should include internal representatives, interested community members, political figures and other stakeholders within the local justice system.

 Redesign the current Citizen’s Police Academy to educate citizens on the various issues that the

police department faces including the implementation of community policing. Special classes could be developed to target specific groups like the Hispanic community and high school aged children.

 Contact the Kentucky Crime Prevention Coalition to obtain information and assistance in

developing the Neighborhood Watch Program. This organization, in partnership with the Kentucky RCPI can provide training for police officers to enable them to make presentations to community members and assist them in organizing Neighborhood Watch groups. Require patrol officers to establish and maintain neighborhood watch groups in their assigned areas. This would be a part of their new duties related to COP/police officer implementation.

 Use the website to publish crime stats: use website for citizens to place comments; and, use

website to take surveys/polls. Use the email system to do the same.

 Have mail-out questionnaires for those persons who have come in contact with the police department. This could be as a victim, complainant, suspect, arrested person, witness, and person receiving a citation or any other contact. This will help the chief know if there is a problem with an officer or officers. Or, it might just confirm that his officers are doing a great job.

 The department should as part of a community policing initiative seek to hire more women and racial and ethnic minorities. The agency currently is all-white and has only one woman police officer. Diversity is a hallmark of a progressive community policing organization.

 Get the word out to the community about the types of services that are available through the SPD.

 Enhance your Crime Prevention and House Watch Programs and come up with other ideas such as Child-IDs or safety presentations.

 Consider reviving the Elder-Watch Program.

 Consider organizing more Block Watches.

 Have police officers conduct security surveys for business owners and homeowners.

 Be proactive in having a presence at local events—not just Sgt. Bernardi, but patrol officers as well and make sure people know that you were involved.

 The SHOCAP program was an excellent partnership with Department of Juvenile Justice, the

courts, social services, and the police. It was modeled after a program out of Florida where they

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researched all the juvenile offenders and found that over 20% of the crime was being committed by 16 individuals. They focused their resources on trying to work with these individuals. By curtailing their activity, the reduced their overall crime rate and more specifically their juvenile crime. Developing a similar program could prevent future juvenile crime issues.

 Consider seeking accreditation through the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police (KACP). Accreditation demonstrates a police departments commitment to adhering to established standards of police practice, that give credibility to the agency’s efforts to provide professional police services. Accreditation through KACP is complimentary to implementation of community policing.

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CONCLUSION It is imperative that all who review this report keep the purpose in mind and the findings and recommendations of assessors in perspective. The research was limited in scope and pertains only to what the assessors perceived that the current level of participation and understanding of community policing is as well as the perceived readiness level of the police department and the community to engage more fully in the philosophy. Any and all findings were based upon the above foundation. What the agency is doing currently is very traditional in many respects; this is not an issue of right or wrong. This report has focused upon how the current activities affect the agency’s ability to successfully move forward as a more community-oriented service provider. This assessment has identified the issue of communication, both internal and external, as the primary issue that should be addressed in order for the Shepherdsville Police Department to move forward as a community-oriented agency. Next, the agency should address the fact that very few people inside or outside the agency have a reasonable understanding of the philosophy and practice of community policing. Officers need to understand this philosophy in order to know “how” they are to perform their jobs and what the community expects of them. Teaching the philosophy is not enough. It must be done in conjunction with the mission and values, goals and objectives, and the overall strategic plan of the police department. Everyone must be able to “see” what it looks like so they understand “how” to apply it to the day-to-day service rendered. In-depth problem-solving does not appear to be well understood and therefore not practiced at the level necessary for success as defined by the community policing philosophy. The agency is very traditional in their responses to issues in the community at this time. This is a critical issue that requires much attention should the decision be made to move further into community policing. The ability to problem-solve successfully requires an understanding of how to develop working cohorts and partnerships to identify root problems (not respond to symptoms of greater problems). Those involved must be able to coordinate and bring into play available resources in efforts to solve this root problem and maintain the successes. This requires ceding some power in order to grant others the authority to take the risks necessary to accomplish this end. The chief has done much to move the agency forward. There was, however, a great need and desire for all to “understand” why things were being done a certain way and how that fits into their function. Again, communication is the key. We believe, and the assessment supports this belief, that the chief has a tremendous opportunity to take the Shepherdsville Police Department forward to greater accomplishments should the decision and commitment to move forward into the community policing philosophy be made.

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REFERENCES Anderson, Mac and Feltenstein, Tom (2007). Change is Good…You Go First. Naperville, IL: Simple Truths

Bridges, W. (1991). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Brown, L. P. (1989). Perspectives on Policing. Community Policing: A Practical Guide for Police Officials. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management.

Chaiken, M. R. (1998). “Kids, Cops and Communities.” National Institute of Justice Issues and Practices, June.

“Colorado Consortium for Community Policing Metro Denver PACT” (1995) Colorado Consortium for Community Policing: Line Officer Grants Programs Resource Guide.

Elliot, J. (1989). Requisite Organizations: The CEO’s Guide to Creative Structure and Leadership. Kingston, NY: Cason Hall.

Geller, W. A. (Ed.). (1991). “The Patrol Function.” Local Government Police Management (3rd ed.) Washington, DC: International City Management Association.

Geller, W. A., & Swanger, G. (1995). Managing Innovation in Policing: The Untapped Potential of the Middle Manager. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.

Gnagey, J. (1995). “Community Surveys Help Determine Policing Strategies.” Police Chief, 25.

Harppold, J. (1996). FBI Behavioral Science Unit.

Jones, J. E. (1981). “The Organizational Universe.” 1981 Annual Handbook for Group Facilitators. San Diego, CA: University Associates.

Kanter, R. M. (1983). The Change Masters. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Kanter, R. M. (1982). “The Middle Manager as Innovator.” Harvard Business Review, Vol 97, July/August.

National Institute of Justice, The United States Conference of Mayors. (January 1994). On the Frontlines: A Directory of Community Policing Programs in America’s Cities.

“The Role of Local Government in Community Safety.” (2001). Bureau of Justice Assistance, NCJ 184218.

Schneider, B., Gunnarson, S. K., & Niles-Jolly, K. (1994). “Creating the Climate and Culture of Success.” Organization Dynamics, Vol. 23: 1.

Thurman, Q., & McGarrell, E. (1997). Community Policing in a Rural Setting. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Publishing.

Trojanowicz, R. C., & Bucqueroux, B. (1998). Community Policing: How to Get Started (2nd Ed.). Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Publishing.

Weisheit, R. A., Falcone, D. N., & Wells, L. E. (1994). Rural Crime and Policing: An Overview of the Issues. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice (Grant #92-IJ-CX-K012).

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RESOURCES

RCPIs are committed to assisting implementation of any recommendations contained in this report. If training programs, organization development, research, or consultation assistance is desired, the chief/sheriff can request those services through the regional RCPI. The agency may find the following books, monographs, and websites helpful:

 Community Policing: How to Get Started, (1998) by Robert Trojanowicz and Bonnie Bucqueroux.  Managing Innovation in Policing The Untapped Potential of the Middle Manager. (1995) by William A. Geller

and Guy Swanger Geller, W. A., & Swanger, G. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.  Community Policing in a Rural Setting. (1997) by Quint Thurman and Edmund McGarrell (contains a number

of articles relevant to smaller cities in a rural or isolated setting).  Community Policing Resource Allocation, by the Community Policing Consortium.  Community Policing Deployment Models and Strategies, by the Community Policing Consortium.  Differential Police Response Survey, by the Community Policing Consortium.  Organizational Assessment Instrument: Development, Implementation, & Findings, by Kevin Plamondon & J.

Kevin Ford, The Michigan Regional Community Policing Institute. A research document with great insights into the incongruencies found between management and line officers in the implementation of community policing. http://www.cj.msu.edu)

 GIS funding and crime mapping information. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/cmrc/  Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services for access to all RCPI specialties.

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov  “Community Oriented Policing: A Force for Change.” Summary document 2001. Neighborhood Problem

Solving, Personnel Policies, Democratic Participation and Collaborative Information Gathering. Provides examples of cities implementing innovative change. http://www.policylink.org

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APPENDIX I: PROGRAM EXAMPLES

Comprehensive Community Policing

Community Based Policing—Dayton, Ohio. The community based policing program aims to strengthen the relationship between the police department and the public. Program coordinators assign an officer to a sector—a geographic area of approximately eight to fifteen square blocks. Sectors within a district are evaluated on criteria such as calls for service and criminal activity. The district commander chooses one of five sectors with the most need for service for the next community-based policing program. Individual officers volunteer for the assignment. During the first three months, the officers selected for the program are free from responding to calls for service. The officers are responsible for knowing everyone in the sector, for developing an understanding of the concerns in the sector, and for addressing them.

The community is encouraged to provide the police officers with office space. The offices are donated and available to the officers seven days per week, 24 hours per day. Each community-based officer serves as the area's personalized officer. The officer has a pager and telephone answering system. The community-based officers are responsible for helping the neighborhood residents to make a list of safety concerns and for devising strategies to address those concerns. The officers also initiate projects in the community, including removal of abandoned vehicles, community meetings, neighborhood clean-ups, and programs for youth. After the first three months, the officers are available to respond to calls for service in their area. Officers combine foot, motor, and rollerblade patrol to make themselves visible in their area.

Contact Jaimie Bullens (5th District), 335 W. Third St., Dayton, OH 45402, (937) 333-1285 or Lieutenant Randy Beane, (937) 443-4538 (regarding new program, BEAT Responsibility). Community Oriented Policing—Providence, Rhode Island. The community oriented policing program attempts to encourage a feeling of community among residents in neighborhoods by making police more accessible and meeting the following four goals:  increasing the percentage of residents who own houses or condominiums;  reducing the number of vacant buildings and lots through coordination with city agencies and property owners;  eliminating existing drug houses/havens; and  informing residents on consulting and counseling services.

The program makes police more accessible to the public by establishing 18 community policing storefronts that are staffed by police officers or community volunteers. During off-peak hours, the storefronts maintain a telephone answering service. Officers check in with their individual answering machines for messages and information. The police officers also help organize neighborhood clean-ups, removal of abandoned autos, securing of burnt-out buildings, and removal of trash or debris from vacant lots and buildings. In addition, the police officers go “door-to- door” canvassing the neighborhoods. This community policing effort provides officers with the opportunity to establish a rapport with the citizens and to develop trust between the two parties. Officers maintain a log of citizen and community contacts, which can later be used for coordinating neighborhood activities or investigations.

Contact Lieutenant Paul Fitzgerald, Director, Community Policing, 209 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02903, (401) 272-3121 ext. 2450, www.ftp.spiritofasia.com/CPACFFolder/CPAC.html The Community Oriented Policing Program—Yonkers, New York. The Community Oriented Policing Program seeks to increase communication between the police department and residents in housing developments. To make police officers more accessible to this community, the police department has opened substations and has police officers patrol the area on foot and bikes. The officers have started educational and recreational activities with neighborhood children. According to police officials, the program has shown great public acceptance and community support. Other neighborhoods are organizing to have their area designated for community policing. A grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds the program.

Contact Lieutenant Bill Vangreen, [email protected], York City Police Dept., police officer Box 509, York, PA 17405, (717) 852-0604. Demand Reduction Through Community Policing—Tempe, Arizona. Demand Reduction Through Community Policing aims to improve the quality of life in the city by reducing drug and crime activity. All patrol officers are

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assigned to one of fifteen beats in the city. Each beat is assigned one sergeant, who has 24-hour responsibility for the beat. The fifteen beats are divided into quadrants, where one assigned lieutenant has 24-hour responsibility for the quadrant. Small neighborhood police stations have been opened and staffed by officers. Community members are encouraged to visit the station and call the station's hot line when they have any complaints, compliments, recommendations, or information to share regarding how the police department could better serve citizens.

This community policing strategy allows officers the familiarity and flexibility necessary to resolve public safety issues through the development and maintenance of partnerships with the community. Program coordinators believe the essential component of community policing is the advancement of partnerships between a police department and the community in order to solve public safety. In addition, the program involves the cooperative efforts of other local governmental agencies, businesses, schools, community/social organizations, and citizens. Other program activities include citizen education seminars, youth intervention programs, neighborhood clean-ups, and problem- solving training for citizens and police.

Contact Linda Saliani, police officer Box 5002, Tempe, AZ 85280, (408) 350-8511. Stop and Talk Foot Patrol Program—Parkersburg, West Virginia. Through the Stop and Talk Foot Patrol Program, officers develop citizen contacts within their patrol areas to increase community involvement on safety issues. Patrol teams, made up of two officers, are assigned to low-income neighborhoods with high levels of crime. Officers try to develop a rapport with the residents of their assigned neighborhoods, listening to their concerns, complaints, and recommendations. The program encourages police officers to develop neighborhood organizations, such as neighborhood watch programs, so that citizens can work through an organized link with the police department.

Contact Officer Corbit or Heinsman, #1 Government Sq., police officer Box 1167, Parkersburg, WV 26102, (304) 424-8508. Community Partnership—Omaha, Nebraska. The Community Partnership focuses the community's concerns and energies to attack the drug problem. A steering committee is responsible for the overall direction and use of resources in the war against drugs. The partnership also has six task forces that focus on areas of concern— prevention and education, enforcement and prosecution, citizen involvement, employment and housing, treatment, and corrections. The community partnership has developed the following committees and programs to deal with community concerns:  Committees: Juvenile Prosecution Committee, Adult Prosecution Committee, Clergy Substance Abuse

Committee, and Business Initiative Ad Hoc Committee.  Programs: National Night Out, Youth Volunteer Corps, summer youth programs, and drug education classes.

Contact Dianne E. Zipay, Executive Director, Omaha Community Partnership, 1819 Farnam St., Suite 300, Omaha, NE 68183-0300, (402) 444-5921.

Diversion

Juvenile Outreach Program, formally known as Children At Risk (CAR)—Port St. Lucie, Florida. CAR is an outreach program designed to target juveniles who are at risk of committing criminal acts. The program provides children and families classes on decision-making skills and building self-esteem. CAR also refers them to local support services. The primary objective is to identify at-risk children before they start committing crimes. A counselor is specifically charged with early identification, onsite assessment, intervention, counseling, coordination with available community services, and referrals for the child and family.

Contact Lynette Scott, Juvenile Specialist,121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie, FL 84984, (561) 871-5027. The Juvenile Diversion Program—Culver City, California. The Juvenile Diversion Program tries to rehabilitate minor offenders and to prevent criminal behavior. Program coordinators work on the participant's psychological, intellectual, and physical needs through a variety of activities. Parents are required to meet for ten one-hour group discussions to help identify parenting problems and to learn to cope with them. The program selects participants by receiving referrals from school administrators who have identified problem students or youths that have committed minor criminal offenses. Many of the students referred are from dysfunctional families or single-parent households. The police department coordinator meets with both the participant and his or her parents to discuss and plan ways to help the youth address his or her problems.

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The involved minors meet at the police station one night a week and receive counseling from a family counseling specialist in a group setting. During the sixteen-week program, the police department coordinator personally meets with the group for an additional hour of activities. The coordinator guides the juveniles through reading sessions, communication and reasoning exercises, and field trips to expose them to the requirements for various professional careers. The coordinator also monitors their performance at school and arranges for tutoring as needed. A major component of the program is the camping trips. The police department has a program that teaches the minors water skiing, boating, water safety, and life-coping skills.

Contact Captain Martin, 4040 Duquesne Ave., Culver City, CA 90230, (310) 253-6300. Police Probation Team—Vallejo, California. The Police Probation Team tries to reduce the recidivism rate of youthful offenders by empowering youth to become responsible, productive citizens. It gives youthful offenders an alternative to the traditional juvenile justice system by requiring them to participate in counseling programs and community service work, and to provide restitution for their offenses. The requirements attempt to teach youth accountability and to provide positive channels for behavior.

Contact Sergeant Jim Lyon, Vallejo Police Dept., 111 Amador St., Vallejo, CA 94590, (707) 648-4399. Youth Jury—Naperville, Illinois. The Youth Jury is designed to be an alternative to court for first-time juvenile offenders of non-serious offenses. These juvenile offenders do not have claim to restitution or extensive family problems. The program has two main goals:  deter first-time juvenile offenders from committing additional crimes by using a youth jury to exert positive

peer pressure on offenders;  instill a sense of civil responsibility in youth by having them participate in crime prevention activities.

The Youth Jury is an organization of high-school-aged students serving as an adjunct to the various diversion programs of the Youth Services Unit of the Naperville Police Department. The trial is intended to introduce first- time offenders to the judicial process in a non-threatening manner. The Youth Jury meets monthly to hear cases and assign consequences to first-time offenders who admit their guilt and agree to permit the Youth Jury to resolve the case. The consequences that are imposed generally consist of a period of community service at an area service agency such as the recycling center, historical area, or park district. The community service component benefits the entire community.

Contact Detective Mark Sizick, 1350 Aurora Ave., Naperville, IL 60540, (630) 305-5966. Parents and Youth Against Drug Abuse (PAYADA)—Boise, Idaho. PAYADA aims to provide a community of drug-free youth and targets fifth and sixth grade students and their families. The program offers expertise on drug and alcohol prevention to youth, their parents, school staff, city employees, and other community officials. Participants receive substance abuse education and referral services. Parents and youth meet together once a week for four weeks in a classroom setting to discuss chemical abuse and its effects on society. Specific topics, such as how to identify drugs, why kids use drugs, and how to talk to kids about drugs, are covered in the classes. PAYADA also has community events that include health fairs, talent shows, and summer programs.

Contact Brent Archibald, 7200 Barrister Dr., Boise, ID 83704, www.payada.org.

Gang Prevention and Elimination

Tying Neighborhoods Together (TNT)—Lakewood, Colorado. TNT addresses the problems of youth and families through comprehensive services and focuses on preventing youth from becoming involved in gangs. TNT board members are focusing their efforts in the area of community education, providing after-school and weekend activities, expanded membership in TNT, legislative lobbying, and fundraising for the program. Each community forms a grassroots community committee that identifies the strengths and weaknesses in the community, and then develops a plan to eliminate or reduce risk factors for youth in the community. The committee brings its community plan before a board of directors that reviews and suggests resources and strategies to the community. The program offers academic mentoring, graffiti paint-out projects, a junior fire fighter program, a community volunteer program, sports programs, and a gang elimination program. The U.S. Department of Justice has chosen Tying Neighborhoods Together to build a national model for gang prevention.

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Contact Lonnie Peterson, 445 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80226-3105, (303) 987-7105, www.ci.lakewood.co.us/police/police.html

Neighborhood-Based Crime Prevention

Safe Neighborhoods—Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Safe Neighborhoods program assists residents to organize activities that encourage broader community participation. A number of crime watch Safe Neighborhood groups have expanded and now include representatives of the clergy, the private sector, and school systems. Many of the current crime watch groups were formed in neighborhoods that experienced increased drug activity. The neighborhood groups' activities may include education workshops, forums for youth-police dialogue, block parties, and “street sweeps”. Most projects rely on volunteers. Many of the Safe Neighborhood groups receive staff support and some clerical support through the City's Community Schools program.

Contact Eileen Keegan, Director of Community and Youth Services, Dept. of Human Services, 51 Inman Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, (617) 349-6225.

Safety Education for Children

Basics of Bicycling—Burlington, North Carolina. Basics of Bicycling attempts to reduce bicycle accidents and injury. It targets third and fourth grade children. Police department officials and physical education teachers present the basics of bicycling through a seven-lesson program. The program focuses on safety and consists of classroom activities and hands-on experience with bicycles.

Contact Sergeant J. S. (Jacki) Shefield, 267 W. Front St., Burlington, NC 27215, (336) 229-3530. Children Education Programs—Midwest City, Oklahoma. Children Education Programs attempt to minimize the chance of criminal victimization of children through proper education and to make children feel more comfortable with police officers. The programs include Say No to Drugs, bicycle and traffic safety, Stranger Danger, Officer Friendly, Halloween safety, McGruff visitations, Child I.D., and police department tours.

Contact Sergeant Bob Cornelison, Midwest City Police Dept., police officer Box 10570, 100 N. Midwest Blvd., Midwest City, OK 73410, (405) 739-1331. Crime Prevention Calendar—Naperville, Illinois. The Crime Prevention Calendar is designed to broaden elementary-aged youths’ understanding of personal safety and how they can be an important part of the crime prevention process. Letters are sent to principals and art instructors, along with a list of crime prevention tips they can use in their lessons on this project. Using the calendar to stimulate children’s interest, a police officer and a community liaison officer visit each school and present a program on personal safety and crime prevention to kindergarten through fifth grade students. It is a collaborative effort between the schools, the police department, and city and community organizations.

Children participate in the program through a crime prevention poster contest. Many children have an opportunity to be winners in the calendar contest, whether or not their posters are selected to be on the calendar. The program awards first and second place certificates to each grade level at each school. The certificates are personalized with the child's name done in calligraphy. The mayor and police chief honor all children whose posters are represented on the calendar.

Contact Sharon Murphy, Naperville Police Dept., Community Education/Crime Prevention Unit, 1350 Aurora Ave., Naperville, IL 60540, (630) 420-6731. Safety Town—Romeoville, Illinois. Safety Town seeks to educate children in kindergarten through fifth grade on safety. It provides hands-on experience in teaching safety programs. The programs include bicycle safety, railroad safety, pedestrian safety, fire safety, animal safety, drug abuse prevention, abduction and molestation prevention, and vandalism prevention. Safety professionals teach all classes. In addition, Safety Town hosts a town-wide trick- or-treat party on Halloween.

Contact Dale Keith, Romeoville Police Dept., 10 Montrose Dr., Romeoville, IL 60441, (815) 886-7219.

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Senior Service

Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)—Fountain Valley, California. The RSVP program is designed to provide a way for active seniors, fifty years or older, to participate in community service. Working alongside regular police department employees, the retired program participants perform a variety of non-hazardous jobs in the police department. After a screening and selection process, the candidates enter a six-week training program. During this period, they receive classroom instruction covering a broad range of topics and are given several opportunities to ride with on-duty patrol officers. At the conclusion of the training period, they are assigned to work in pairs for both inside and outside assignments. Inside assignments include assisting the staff with duties that include clerical work, reception work, support for detective and lab personnel, crime prevention, and community relations. Outside assignments include going on “patrol” in specially marked vehicles. RSVP’s wear uniforms that identify them clearly as volunteer members of the police department. The program allows the police department to provide services such as vacation home checks and prompt graffiti identification and removal.

Contact Crime Prevention Office, 10200 Slater Ave., Fountain Valley, CA 92708, (714) 593-4526, www.fvpd.org/index.html

Youth Programs

Anti-Truancy Programs—Charleston, South Carolina. The Anti-Truancy Program targets children who are required by state laws to attend school. The police department implemented the program to encourage children to stay in school, and to decrease the number of burglaries and robberies committed by juveniles. During the school day, truancy officers search for students on the streets and return them to school.

Contact Charles Francis, 180 Lockwood Blvd., Charleston, SC 29403, (843) 720-2497. Community Opportunity Programs For Youth (C.O.P.Y.) Kids—Spokane, Washington. C.O.P.Y. Kids attempts to improve the relationship between young people and police officers and instill a sense of community responsibility. The eight-week program is designed to target eleven- to fifteen-year-old youth. Each week program staff—sworn and non-sworn police department officials—arrive at one of five community centers. The youths are then transported along with their chaperons to local sites where they are offered the opportunity to participate in community service. The day continues with lunch at a park, followed by activities that build self-esteem, decision- making skills, and conflict resolution skills. During this time period, the program offers recreational activities and role model interaction. The day ends with a tour of a local business or municipal organization and a ride back to the community center.

Each group of children participates in a similar routine for three days. On the fourth day youths are driven to Fairchild Air Force Base Museum, treated to lunch at a local restaurant, and then given the opportunity at an area park to explore and reflect on the events from the previous four days. C.O.P.Y. Kids has the same format for each week of the program. On the final day of the program the youth visit a local bank, where an account with $40 has been opened for each youth participating in the program. The $40 reward is given to help the children understand the correlation between what they might accomplish through their own labor and receipt of appreciation for their efforts. A federal grant, city money, and local business donations fund the program.

Contact Sergeant Gil Moberly, 1100 W. Mallon, Spokane, WA 99260, (509) 625-4087. Every 15 Minutes, Spokane, Washington. “Every Fifteen Minutes” is a two-day program designed to discourage young people from drinking and driving. The program’s name was conceived from the fact that every 15 minutes someone in the U.S. dies in an alcohol-related accident. The first day of the program, two officers pull the “living dead” students out of class (every 15 minutes), post obituaries, and contact parents. The students are placed in “corpse” costumes and allowed back in class, but may not speak or take part in the class. At the end of the day, the “living dead” are bussed away to stay overnight at a local hotel. The second day starts with a slide show and skit by the “living dead.” Parents speak, along with student testimonials. A commitment is made to not drink and drive.

Since the program began in 1990, there have been no alcohol-related fatalities involving a Spokane high school student during end of the year “graduation parties.”

Contact Tony Giannetto, Spokane Police Department, 1100 W. Mallon Ave., Spokane, WA 99260-0001, (509) 625- 4117.

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PROTEEN—Greenville, North Carolina. PROTEEN aims to identify problems and form solutions for youth. A steering committee consisting of individuals from agencies and the private sector identified eight critical issues of concern: teen pregnancy; race relations; family communication and dysfunction; school and community violence; choice of heroes and heroines; drug awareness, prevention, and intervention; peer pressure and self-esteem; and AIDS and sexually transmitted disease awareness and prevention.

After identifying the primary concerns of youth, the steering committee organized a youth conference to create solutions to these concerns. A group of over 200 sixth to twelfth grade students met in a theater-type setting to begin the youth conference. High school students performed two-minute thought-provoking skits on each of the eight topics. Following the presentation of the skits, forty-minute sessions on each of the eight topics were conducted, with each student choosing two different morning sessions and afternoon sessions to attend. Each session had one professional from the field and a social worker to facilitate. They attempted to keep the students talking and focused on the topic for the forty-minute session. Two or more college students were also present to write down the questions and the responses.

As an extension of the PROTEEN Conference, a networking system to address the concerns discussed by the conference youth has been established and is continuing to grow. The networking system is comprised of people from law enforcement agencies, middle and high schools, social services, and the juvenile court system who act in a liaison capacity with the youth and the PROTEEN Executive Board of Directors. They cooperate in PROTEEN’s efforts to effect beneficial solutions to youth problems. PROTEEN coordinators plan to have future summits and conferences. Contact Captain Cecil Hardy, Greenville Police Dept., police officer Box 7207 Greenville, NC 27835, (252) 329- 4365. School Resource Officer—Boise, Idaho. Through the School Resource Officer program officers develop positive relationships with students and are accessible to schools. The program is a joint effort between the police and the schools. Officers deal with issues of truancy, neglect or abuse, and criminal activity. Officers act as counselors, investigators, and teachers. They provide lectures and activities on drug education, delinquency, criminal law, and crime prevention. Officers try to increase parental accountability through home visits and coordination of community services.

Contact 7200 Barrister Dr., Boise, ID 83704, (208) 377-6605. The Teen Survival Guide—Santa Clara, California. The teen survival guide is published as a resource for young people between the ages of 13 and 18. The forty-two-page booklet provides vital information on such subjects as drug and alcohol abuse, gang prevention, and juvenile laws and truancy, as well as more than 50 community resource phone numbers to assist with the problems they may encounter. The guide is distributed to health classes at the high schools and is available through many other community agencies.

Contact Sergeant Lee White, 23740 Magic Mountain Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 91355, (408) 261-5422, www.scpd.org Youth and Family Services Program—Livermore, California. The youth and family services program targets families of delinquent, pre-delinquent, and “beyond control/runaway” youth. The program’s creators believe that the family counseling approach is effective in diverting the delinquent behavior pattern and re-establishing the parents as the most powerful and effective influence in the lives of their children. A temporary crisis shelter is provided through the county probation department upon written request of the youth and parents. Crisis sessions are provided without fee, and a sliding scale is used for continuing counseling with 20 sessions available per referral.

Contact Leonard Lloyd, Manager, 3311 Pacific Ave., Livermore, CA 94550, (925) 371-4747.

Child Abuse

Crimes Against Children Unit (C.A.C.U.)—Louisville, Kentucky. C.A.C.U. provides a coordinated response and services to child abuse cases. The unit is comprised of detectives from the Louisville Police Department and the Jefferson County Police Department, along with a social worker from the cabinet of human resources. A police detective and a social worker are teamed to investigate incidents of child abuse. This collaboration increases

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efficiency in prosecution, reduces duplication of effort, and allows immediate access to social services for the victim and the family. The investigations place emphasis on the welfare of child victims and criminal prosecution of abusers. The unit also targets missing children, child exploitation, and the distribution of child pornography.

Contact Sergeant Joe Culver, 436 South Seventh Ave., Louisville, KY 40203-1930, (502) 574-2451.

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APPENDIX II: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Guiding Principles and Values

1. Crime is an offense against human relationships.

2. Victims and the community are central to justice processes.

3. The first priority of justice processes is to assist victims.

4. The second priority is to restore the community, to the degree possible.

5. The offender has personal responsibility to victims and to the community for crimes committed.

6. Stakeholders share responsibilities for restorative justice through partnerships for action.

7. The offender will develop improved competency and understanding as a result of the restorative justice experience.

Created for the NIC National Video Conference held December 12, 1996.

Fundamental Concepts

1. Crime Is Fundamentally a Violation of People and Interpersonal Relationships.

 Victim and community have been harmed and need restoration.

 The primary victims are those most directly affected by the offense but others, such as family members of victims and offenders, witnesses, and members of the affected community, are also victims.

 The relationships affected (and reflected) by crime must be addressed.

 Victims, offenders, and the affected communities are the key stakeholders in justice.

 A restorative justice process maximizes the input and participation of these parties—but especially primary victims as well as offenders—in the search for restoration, healing, responsibility, and prevention.

 The roles of these parties will vary according to the nature of the offense as well as the capacities and preferences of the parties.

 The state has circumscribed roles, such as investigating facts, facilitating processes, and ensuring safety, but the state is not a primary victim.

2. Violations Create Obligations and Liabilities.

 Offenders’ obligations are to make things right as much as possible.

 Since the primary obligation is to victims, a restorative justice process empowers victims to effectively participate in defining obligations.

 Offenders are provided opportunities and encouragement to understand the harm they have caused to victims and the community and to develop plans for taking appropriate responsibility.

 Voluntary participation by offenders is maximized; coercion and exclusion are minimized. However, offenders may be required to accept their obligations if they do not do so voluntarily.

 Obligations that follow from the harm inflicted by crime should be related to making things right.

 Obligations may be experienced as difficult, even painful, but are not intended as pain, vengeance, or revenge.

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 Obligations to victims such as restitution take priority over other sanctions and obligations to the state such as fines.

 Offenders have an obligation to be active participants in addressing their own needs.

 The community’s obligations are to victims and offenders and for the general welfare of its members.

 The community has a responsibility to support and help victims of crime to meet their needs.

 The community bears a responsibility for the welfare of its members and for the social conditions and relationships that promote both crime and community peace.

 The community has responsibilities to support efforts to integrate offenders into the community, to be actively involved in the definitions of offender obligations, and to ensure opportunities for offenders to make amends.

3. Restorative Justice Seeks to Heal and Put Right the Wrongs.

 The needs of victims for information, validation, vindication, restitution, testimony, safety, and support are the starting points of justice.

 The safety of victims is an immediate priority.

 The justice process provides a framework that promotes the work of recovery and healing that is ultimately the domain of the individual victim.

 Victims are empowered by maximizing their input and participation in determining needs and outcomes.

 Offenders are involved in repair of the harm insofar as possible.

 The process of justice maximizes opportunities for exchange of information, participation, dialogue, and mutual consent between victim and offender.

 Face-to-face encounters are appropriate in some instances, while alternative forms of exchange are more appropriate in others.

 Victims have the principal role in defining and directing the terms and conditions of the exchange.

 Mutual agreement takes precedence over imposed outcomes.

 Opportunities are provided for remorse, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

 Offenders’ needs and competencies are addressed.

 Recognizing that offenders themselves have often been harmed, healing and integration of offenders into the community are emphasized.

 Offenders are supported and treated respectfully in the justice process.

 Removal from the community and severe restriction of offenders is limited to the minimum necessary.

 Justice values personal change above compliant behavior.

 The justice process belongs to the community.

 Community members are actively involved in doing justice.

 The justice process draws from community resources and, in turn, contributes to the building and strengthening of the community.

 The justice process attempts to promote changes in the community to prevent similar harms from happening to others.

 Justice is mindful of the outcomes, intended and unintended, of its responses to crime and victimization.

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 Justice monitors and encourages follow-through since healing, recovery, accountability, and change are maximized when agreements are kept.

 Fairness is assured not by uniformity of outcomes, but through provision of necessary support and opportunities to all parties and avoidance of discrimination based on ethnicity, class, or sex.

 Outcomes that are predominately deterrent or incapacitative should be implemented as a last resort, involving the least restrictive intervention while seeking restoration of the parties involved.

 Unintended consequences such as the co-adaptation of restorative processes for coercive or punitive ends, undue offender orientation, or the expansion of social control are resisted.

Howard Zher, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA, and Harry Mika, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI

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APPENDIX III: HELENA, MT

Helena, Montana, received a WRICOPS onsite assessment in July 1998. Troy McGee, Chief of Police in Helena, Montana, and member of the Sheridan, Wyoming, assessment team, has provided examples of how his department has implemented the recommendations of the WRICOPS assessment team. His notes are included in an appendix because the ideas are to be viewed as only examples, not recommendations. These specific programs may not be appropriate for all agencies and should not be emulated just because they have worked in another community.

Statement from Helena, MT Police Chief Regarding the Impact of an Onsite Assessment

We formed a “Leadership Council,” with its name soon changed to Community Policing Board. We are approaching the city commission to make this a formal board by resolution, where the mayor picks the members. The board is made up of members from the schools, chamber of commerce, employees, and elected officials. They have helped us especially in giving direction to the department. We have come up with strategies to accomplish our goals, including crime analysis, neighborhood watch, etc.

We have divided our city into neighborhoods by using existing Helena Citizens Council areas. Under our charter, we have citizen council areas where citizens are elected to represent their neighborhood. They are an advisory council to our city commission. We used these areas since they are already formed and have citizen representation that we can use as contacts. An officer from each shift is assigned to one of the areas. They are to work in their area when possible, contact citizens, work on problem solving, etc. We allow the officers of the areas to meet with each other once a month (they set up the meeting and get overtime) to discuss among themselves what is going on in their area. We hope, in the near future, to have cellular phones for the areas so citizens can call or leave messages for their officers, and personalized business cards for the officers in the areas, and crime statistics with analysis for the areas.

In regards to the crime analysis and pin mapping, we are in the process of using ARCVIEW (mapping software) to enter our crime information. It will provide maps with icons of crimes and also statistical data of crimes. It can be manipulated to provide information for the entire county, city, or any area (neighborhood-defined). The officers and citizens are looking forward to this once it is completed. We are trying to involve an officer to help set this up so we have more of a buy-in from the officers.

We have reserve officers, auxiliary officers, and volunteers in the department. Our reserves assist our officers, especially in crime prevention. We also use one reserve officer to handle all our abandoned vehicles to free up our regular officers; he is paid a salary to assist our animal control officer when the officer is off duty. Our auxiliaries are helping us in our crime prevention program and also in other clerical jobs in the department, such as entering pawn tickets into the computer system. We have volunteers that assist in paperwork within the department and also a group that does most of our handicap parking enforcement.

We formed a committee of officers that met and wrote a mission statement for the department after their training on community oriented policing.

In regards to training, we have used WRICOPS for an assessment of training, brought in trainers for community oriented policing, sent officers to seminars, and sent officers, civic leaders, and the mayor to learn how to be trainers in different areas.

A committee we have used extensively in our department is called the Chief’s Advisory Board. It meets once a month and is comprised of representatives from the command staff, sergeants, corporals, officers, and dispatchers. They review proposed policies, suggestions from the chief, make suggestions to the chief, and can review disciplinary items from the chief. This committee has been invaluable in keeping the department involved and having “a say” in most of what is going on.

We have an officer that is assigned to work with our two high schools. This has produced very good feedback. We have our officers involved in many different community groups and committees that affect the police department, such as Healthy Communities, Boys and Girls Clubs, Youth Advisory Committee, etc.

We are a part of the city’s home web page. It has a lot of information about the department and we are trying to update statistics for it. We hope in the future to use it for reporting current neighborhood statistics and also setting

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up a system where citizens can fill out simple reports and send them through the Internet.

We do have a substation in our City County Building where citizens can stop and talk with officers or report crimes.

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APPENDIX IV: SUPERVISOR AND MANAGER ROLES

1. Allows officers freedom to experiment with new approaches.

2. Insists on good, accurate analysis of problems.

3. Grants flexibility in work schedules when requests are proper.

4. Allows officers to make most contacts directly and paves the way when they’re having trouble getting cooperation.

5. Protects officers from pressures to revert to traditional methods.

6. Runs interference for officers to secure resources, protect them from undue criticism, etc.

7. Knows which problems officers are working on and whether the problems are real.

8. Knows officers’ beats and key citizens.

9. Coaches officers through the problem-solving process, gives advice, helps them to manage their time, and helps them develop work plans.

10. Monitors officers’ progress on work plans and makes adjustments, prods them along, slows them down, etc.

11. Supports officers even if their strategies fail, as long as something useful is learned in the process, and the strategy was well thought through.

12. Manages problem-solving efforts over a long period of time; doesn’t allow effort to die just because it gets sidetracked by competing demands for time and attention.

13. Gives credit to officers and lets others know about their good work.

14. Allows an officer to talk with visitors at conferences about their work.

15. Identifies new resources and contacts for officers and makes them check them out.

16. Coordinates efforts across shifts, beats, and outside units and agencies.

17. Identifies emerging problems by monitoring calls for service and crime patterns and community concerns.

18. Assesses the activities and performance of officers in relation to identified problems rather than by boilerplate measures.

19. Expects officers to account for their time and activities while giving them a greater range of freedom.

20. Provides officers with examples of good problem solving so they know generally what is expected.

21. Provides more positive reinforcement for good work than negative for bad work.

Reprinted from Managing Innovation in Policing, Geller, W. A. & Swanger, G. (1995). Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.

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APPENDIX V: COMMUNITY COURTS

Few, if any, problems have created greater opportunities for police, courts, corrections and community partnerships than has substance abuse. America’s drug wars of the 80’s and 90’s have resulted in incarceration of greater numbers of people for substance abuse violations alone, than for all other crimes combined. America’s experiment with drug courts is now more than 11 years old. Agencies can consider the following information and evaluate the opportunities to take a leadership role in reducing substance abuse within the region. The following innovations are offered for consideration as models.

A recent evaluation of the three phases of drug court treatment (detoxification, stabilization and therapeutic aftercare) by a Washington State University graduate student reveals the following cost-benefit analysis. Providing treatment to an inmate who is a regular drug/alcohol user adds an estimated $3500 to incarceration costs. Providing the majority who are not high school graduates with education to acquire a GED and vocational training and aftercare for all treatment participants adds another $3000 cost over incarceration, for an estimated total of $6500 per inmate. Comparatively, the “pay-offs” from each inmate returning to the community after completing a treatment program and who remains sober with a job in the first year following release are:

 $5000 in reduced crime savings; conservatively assuming that drug-using ex-offenders would have committed 100 crimes per year with $50 in property and victimization costs per crime;

 $7300 in reduced arrest and prosecution costs (assuming that they would have been arrested twice per year);

 $19,000 in reduced incarceration costs (assuming that one of those arrests would have resulted in a one-year prison sentence);

 $4,800 in health care and substance abuse treatment cost savings (the difference in annual health care costs between substance users and non-users);

 $32,100 in economic benefits ($21,400 – the average income for an employed high school graduate – multiplied by the standard economic multiplier of 1.5 for estimating the economic impact of a wage).

The analysis concludes that only a modest success rate of 10 percent would be required to break even on the additional $6500 per inmate above incarceration costs. If only 10 percent of the inmates who are given one year of residential treatment stay sober and maintain employment during the first year after release, the economic benefits far outweigh the cost. Treating and training only 10 percent of the 1.2 million incarcerated substance abusers produces an economic benefit of $8.3 billion in the first year of work after release.1

A study of the Portland Oregon STOP Drug Diversion Program estimated that the costs saved by treatment of drug- involved offenders saved the criminal justice system $2.4 million during a two-year data collection period. Overall, avoided costs amounted to $10 million over two years. This supported a conclusion that: “every taxpayer dollar spent on cohorts of clients who participated in the program produced $2.50 in cost savings to the tax payers of Multnomah County. The benefit to the Oregon taxpayer was $10 saved for every $1 spent.”2

Citing local data that 46 percent of arrests are directly related to drug or alcohol use and of all arrests involving drugs (90 percent are for methamphetamine), Ada County, Idaho officials have created a Jail Substance Abuse Program to attack the problem at their level. The mission of the Ada County Substance Abuse program is to reduce the use of drugs and alcohol by offenders who are sentenced to incarceration at the local level. Program officials believe that incarceration is an excellent time to provide education and group treatment to offenders through short- term treatment and post-release community-based treatment. Although the program has not been subject to rigorous

1 “Reducing Prison Populations and the Costs of Incarceration: The Use and Effectiveness of Substance Treatment for Offenders in the Criminal Justice System,” by Douglas Neal Holland, an essay for partial fulfillment of a Master of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice, Washington State University, December 14, 2000, p.p. 42-42. Cited by permission. 2 Ibid., p.36

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evaluation, officials believe that the prospects for recidivism rates to fall below national ranges of 50 to 80 percent and replication are excellent.3

Facing a rapid growth in criminal activity and significant increases in jail sentences, the Rock County, Wisconsin Sheriff’s Department implemented the Rock County Educational and Criminal Addictions Program: RECAP in 1992. Prior to this innovation, the number of criminal offenders housed at the Rock County Jail increased 400 percent between 1988 and 1991, and the average daily jail population from June 1996 through July was 463. County-level recidivism was estimated to be between 65 and 70 percent. A partnership between the Rock County Sheriff’s Department, the Blackhawk Technical College and the Rocky Valley Correctional Programs, Inc., RECAP was designed to reduce recidivism by providing education and rehabilitation to incarcerated inmates using multiple mode short and long-term practices. Second year statistics reveal recidivism rates of 17 percent, well below the estimated 70-80 percent rate prior to program implementation. The current challenge appears to be the transition from grant to county funding.4

Arguably, the single most innovative collaboration between police, courts and corrections in the last few years, has been the evolution of community courts. Such innovations require a tremendous amount of planning, political good will and cooperation among collaborating parties.

Generally, community courts focus on neighborhoods and are designed to respond to the particular concerns of individual communities. In each community where they exist, they are shaped by the particular political, economic, and social landscapes present. The nation’s first community court, Midtown Community Court, was established in New York City, in 1993. Since then, a total of twelve community courts have been established and six more are expected to be opened by the end of 2000. At their outset, community courts must address each of the following questions:

 Can courts assume a problem-solving role in a community setting, bringing the community together and helping to craft solutions to community problems?

 How can courts address the impacts that chronic offending has on a community?

 Can courts improve the quality of community life?

 Can the voices of local residents, merchants and community groups be engaged in the administration of justice? In answering these questions, community courts have developed programs that differ in ways that reflect each particular community. Almost all of these courts focus on one neighborhood; however, several are exploring ways to serve the jurisdiction of an entire city. While many community courts handle criminal matters only, some are experimenting with a broader range of issues, including juvenile delinquency and housing code violations.5

There is a close parallel between community courts and community policing. Community courts are said to grow out of public frustration with the justice system. “Observers have noted that justice has become remote from communities and the people who live in them.” Community residents have reported feeling out of touch with the courts. They want courts to address low-level crime that is part of daily life. The midtown community court offered a model for addressing these problems by emphasizing the following:

 Locating the court in the community, close to where crimes take place.

 Repaying a community damaged by low-level crime by requiring offenders to compensate neighborhoods through community service.

 Using the leverage of the court to sentence offenders to complete social services that will help them address problems such as drug addiction or involvement in prostitution.

 Bringing the court and the community closer together by making the courthouse accessible, establishing a community advisory board, and publishing a community newsletter.

3 “Programs in Correctional Settings: Innovative State and Local Programs”, 1998 Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, p.p. 29-32. 4 ibid., p.p.113-119. 5 “Community Courts: An Evolving Model” by Eric Lee, October 2000, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, p. 3.

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 Using the court as a gateway to treatment and making social services available to offenders right at the courthouse.”6

Determining which community the court should serve and where it should be located are difficult questions. Community courts are recognized as promising solutions to many communities’ quality of life problems. More than half of the existing community courts serve inner-city residential neighborhoods with serious crime problems, run down and abandoned houses and other conditions leading to public disorder. Two of the courts that serve downtown jurisdictions focus on low-level crime and disorder that create barriers to social and economic revitalization. One of the courts serves a suburban jurisdiction and focuses upon problems caused by growth. Finally, in two medium size cities, community courts experiment with serving the entire community. In one, the city is divided in 17 neighborhoods, each with a committee to promote closer working relationships between the community and the court.7

Other critical questions include how the court should link offenders to social services, how can punishment and services be combined, what are the appropriate cases for community courts, and what role the community should play? Although these questions, like community policing itself, are answered differently in each community, it is clear that community courts are changing the way court systems do business in each of the jurisdictions they serve. Community courts involve bringing new resources, technology, and new players to the equation for the purposes of promoting significant change in court operations.8

6 Ibid., p.4 7 ibid., p. 5 8 ibid., p. p. 6-7.

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APPENDIX VI: INTEGRITY AND ETHICS TOOL

Agencies may be interested in conducting their own organizational integrity and ethics self-assessment. The following questions, developed by WRICOPS Director John Turner in 2000, are only a guide to assist such a department. “Use Of Force” Issues

1. Is there a written general policy recognizing current legal doctrine? 2. Does “use of force” include aiming and/or pointing a firearm? 3. Does the organizational policy require training? How often? What training records are kept? 4. Is there a continuum of force, which includes de-escalation of force? 5. Has the department been involved in any liability situations due to use of force? 6. Does the department have administrative review of all use of force actions? 7. What is the policy regarding accidental discharge of firearms? 8. Does the department use canines? Is there a policy? How is it related to “use of force” issues? Complaints and Misconduct Investigations

1. Is there a general policy regarding citizen complaints and misconduct investigations? 2. Does the department process for receiving the complaints provide full and fair opportunity for all? 3. Is there a form? Does it require a signature? Who receives the form? What happens when the form is

received? Does someone in the department acknowledge receipt of the complaint? 4. Is staff prohibited from refusing to accept complaints? 5. Are complaints accepted from all persons, including third parties? 6. Can department leadership recap several complaints and the outcomes of these complaints? 7. Are complainants contacted for feedback and perceptions of fairness? Are officers who have been the subject

of complaints, contacted for feedback and perceptions of fairness? 8. Working within the law, does the department advise complainants of findings? 9. Has the agency experienced officer-to-officer misconduct complaints? 10. Is an “evidentiary” process used to determine findings? 11. In substantiated complaints, are officers subject to discipline? 12. Are citizens able to review the department’s complaint process and history of complaints? 13. Are supervisors trained in, and do they practice, “respectful policing” as it concerns use of force? 14. Are Terry Stop Searches (stop & frisks) required to be documented? 15. Are searches other than those prior to arrest, documented and receive administrative review? 16. Do consent searches require written consent? 17. Does the department prepare statistical reports for public review of citizen complaints? 18. Does the department solicit public feedback regarding its practices and behaviors? 19. Does the department hold public meetings to discuss agency performance? 20. Is the agency open to concepts such as civilian review boards, independent auditors, etc? Training Issues

1. Is the agency aware of specific integrity training presented at the academy level? 2. Within the FTO program, is there an emphasis on courtesy, cultural diversity, verbal disengagement,

alternatives to use of force, ethics, and integrity? 3. Do supervisors receive basic supervision training as well as ongoing training on the previously mentioned

subjects?

Non-Discriminatory Policing and Data Collection

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1. Is there a clear and practiced policy prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation?

2. Does the department offer specific training in the area? 3. Are all traffic stops and pedestrian stops documented? 4. Has the department engaged the community in a discussion regarding racial issues and data collection? 5. For agencies with video cameras in cars, what supervisory or administrative review is conducted of the

videotapes? 6. Are there policies and procedures in place for contacts with individuals with limited English speaking ability? Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention

1. Does the department reflect the community in racial and gender make-up? 2. Does the department have a recruiting program to meet any deficiencies? 3. Does the department hiring process provide equal opportunity for all? 4. What is the departmental history of officer retention? Early Warning Systems

1. Does the department conduct spot-audits of the evidence room? 2. Does the department administratively review citizen complaints and Internal Affairs files? 3. Does the department have a civilian advisory/review board? 4. Does the department monitor of sick leave and overtime?

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APPENDIX VII: Community Policing: Principles and Elements

Community Policing: Principles and Elements

Dr. Gary Cordner

Eastern Kentucky University

Community policing has its roots in such earlier developments as police-community relations, team policing, crime prevention, and the rediscovery of foot patrol. In the 1990s it has expanded to become the dominant strategy of policing - so much so that the 100,000 new police officers funded by the 1994 Crime Bill must be engaged in community policing.

Community policing (COP) is often misunderstood. Four essential principles should be recognized:

 COP is not a panacea. It is not the answer to all problems facing modern policing or all the problems facing any one department. However, COP is an answer to some of the problems facing modern policing and it may be an answer to some of the problems facing any one department.

 COP is not totally new. Some police departments or individual police officers report that they are already doing it, or even that they have always practiced COP. This may be true. Even so, there are some specific aspects of community policing that are relatively new; also, very few agencies can claim that they have fully adopted the entire gamut of COP department-wide.

 COP is not "hug a thug". It is not anti-law enforcement or anti-crime fighting. It does not seek to turn police work into social work. In fact, COP is more serious about reducing crime and disorder than the superficial brand of incident-oriented "911 policing" that most departments have been doing for the past few decades.

 COP is not a cookbook. There is no iron-clad, precise definition of community policing or a set of specific activities that must always be included. A set of universally-applicable principles and elements can be identified, but exactly how they are implemented should and must vary from place to place, because jurisdictions and police agencies have differing needs and circumstances.

In order to describe the full breadth of community policing, it is helpful to identify four major dimensions of COP and the most common elements occurring within each. The four dimensions are:

 The Philosophical Dimension  The Strategic Dimension  The Tactical Dimension  The Organizational Dimension

The Philosophical Dimension

Many of its most thoughtful and forceful advocates emphasize that community policing is a new philosophy of policing, perhaps constituting even a paradigm shift away from professional-model policing, and not just a particular program or specialized activity. The philosophical dimension includes

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the central ideas and beliefs underlying community policing. Three of the most important are citizen input, broad function, and personal service.

Citizen Input

Community policing incorporates a firm commitment to the value and necessity of citizen input to police policies and priorities. In a free and democratic society, citizens are supposed to have a say in how they are governed. Police departments, like other agencies of government, are supposed to be responsive and accountable. Also, from a more selfish standpoint, law enforcement agencies are most likely to obtain the citizen support and cooperation they need when they display interest in input from citizens.

A few of the techniques utilized to enhance citizen input are:

 Agency Advisory Boards: groups of citizens who meet regularly with the chief/sheriff and other top commanders to provide input and advice on overall agency policies, priorities, and issues.

 Unit Advisory Boards: groups of citizens who meet regularly with unit commanders and related personnel to provide input and advice on unit policies, priorities, and issues (e.g., precinct advisory boards, victims/witness advisory councils, family abuse advisory boards, etc.)

 Beat Advisory Boards: groups of citizens who meet regularly with their beat officer or beat team to provide input and advice on priorities and issues.

 Special Advisory Boards: groups of citizens with special interests who meet regularly with the chief/sheriff, top commanders, or related personnel to provide input and advice on policies, priorities, and issues related to their special interests (e.g., ministry alliance, business council, mental health council, etc.)

 Community Surveys: surveys conducted in various ways (telephone, mail, in-person, in the newspaper, etc.) to obtain citizen views on policies, priorities, and issues.

 Electronic Mail/Home page: use of the Internet, on-line services, computer bulletin boards, etc. to obtain citizen views on policies, priorities, and issues.

 Radio/Television Call-In Shows: use of radio and TV call-in shows to obtain citizen views on policies, priorities, and issues.

 Town Meetings: public meetings to which citizens are invited in order to provide input and advice on policies, priorities, and issues.

Broad Function

COP recognizes policing as a broad function, not a narrow law enforcement or crime fighting role. The job of police officers is seen as working with residents to enhance neighborhood safety. This includes resolving conflicts, helping victims, preventing accidents, solving problems, and fighting fear as well as reducing crime through apprehension and enforcement. Policing is inherently a multi-faceted government function - arbitrarily narrowing it to just call-handling and law enforcement reduces its effectiveness in accomplishing the multiple objectives that the public expects police to achieve.

Some examples of the broad function of policing include:

 Traffic Safety: good police departments pursue traffic safety through education and engineering as well as selective enforcement.

 Drug Abuse: many agencies seek to reduce drug abuse through public education, DARE, regulation of prescriptions, and control of chemicals as well as through a variety of enforcement efforts.

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 Fear Reduction: many agencies attempt to reduce fear of crime (especially when it is out of proportion to actual risk) through public education, high-interaction patrol, problem solving, and enforcement focuses on nuisance crimes (e.g.; panhandling and loitering)

 Domestic Violence: most police departments now offer domestic violence victims an array of services (referral, transportation, protection, probably cause arrest, etc.) rather than merely explaining how to obtain an arrest warrant.

 Zoning: some agencies take the opportunity to participate in zoning decision and related matters (e.g., issuance of building permits) in order to offer input related to traffic safety, crime prevention, etc.

Personal Service

Community policing emphasizes personal service to the public, not bureaucratic behavior. This is designed to overcome one of the most common complaints that the public has about government employees, including police officers, -- that they do not seem to care, and that they treat citizens as numbers, not real people. Of course, not every police-citizen encounter can be amicable and friendly. But whenever possible, officers should deal with citizens in a friendly, open and personal manner designed to turn them into satisfied customers. This can best be done by eliminating as many artificial bureaucratic barriers as possible, so that citizens can deal directly with "their" officer.

A few of the methods that have been adopted in order to implement personalized service are:

 Officer Business Cards: officers are provided with personalized business cards to distribute to victims, complainants, and other citizens with whom they have contact.

 Officer Pagers and Voice Mail: officers have their own pagers and voice mail so that victims, complainants, and other citizens can contact them directly.

 Recontact Procedures: all of a subset of victims, complainants, and others are recontacted by the officer who handled their situations, the officer's supervisor, or some other staff member (e.g., a volunteer) to see if further assistance is needed.

 Slogans and Symbols: many departments adopt slogans, mission statements, value statements, and other devices designed to reinforce the importance of providing personalized service to the public.

The Strategic Dimension

The strategic dimension of community policing includes the key operational concepts that translate philosophy into action. These strategic concepts are the links between the broad ideas and beliefs that underlie community policing and the specific programs and practices by which it is implemented. They assure that agency policies, priorities, and resource allocation are consistent with the COP philosophy. Three important strategic elements are re-oriented operations, prevention emphasis, and geographic focus.

Re-Oriented Operations

Community policing recommends re-oriented operations, with less reliance on the patrol car and more emphasis on face-to-face interactions. One objective is to replace ineffective or isolating operational practices (e.g., motorized patrol and rapid response to low priority calls) with more effective and more

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interactive practices. A related objective is to find ways of performing necessary traditional functions (e.g., handling emergency calls and conducting follow-up investigations) more efficiently, in order to save time and resources that can then be devoted to more community-oriented activities.

Some illustrations of re-oriented operations include:

 Foot Patrol: where appropriate, many agencies have instituted foot patrols to supplement or even replace motorized patrol.

 Other Modes of Patrol: many agencies have adopted other modes of patrol, such as bicycle patrol, scooter patrol, dirt bike patrol, and horse patrol.

 Walk and Ride: many agencies require officers engaged in motorized patrol to park their cars periodically and engage in foot patrol in shopping centers, malls, business districts, parks, and residential areas.

 Directed Patrol: many agencies give motorized patrol officers specific assignments (sometimes called "D-runs") to carry our during time periods when they are not busy handling calls.

 Differential Response: many agencies have adopted differential responses (e.g., delayed response, telephone reporting, walk-in reporting) tailored to the needs of different types of calls, instead of dispatching a marked unit to the scene of every call for service.

 Case Screening: many agencies have adopted different investigative responses (e.g., no follow- up, follow-up by patrol, follow-up by detectives) tailored to the needs of different types of criminal and non-criminal cases, instead of assigning every case to a detective.

Prevention Emphasis

Community policing tries to implement a prevention emphasis, based on the common sense idea that although citizens appreciate and value rapid response, reactive investigations, and apprehension of wrongdoers, they would always prefer that their victimizations be prevented in the first place. Most modern police departments devote some resources to crime prevention, in the form of a specialist officer or unit. COP attempts to go farther by emphasizing that prevention is a big part of every officer's job.

A few of the approaches to focusing on prevention that departments have adopted are:

 Situational Crime Prevention: the most promising general approach to crime prevention is to tailor specific preventive measures to each situation's specific characteristics.

 CPTED: one set of measures used by many departments is CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design), which focuses on the physical characteristics of locations that make them conducive to crime.

 Community Crime Prevention: many departments now work closely with individual residents and with groups of residents (e.g., block watch) in a cooperative manner to prevent crime.

 Youth-Oriented Prevention: many departments have implemented programs or collaborated with others to provide programs designed to prevent youth crime (e.g., recreation, tutoring, and mentoring programs)

 Business Crime Prevention: many departments work closely with businesses to recommend personnel practices, retail procedures, and other security measures designed to prevent crime

Geographic Focus

Community policing adopts a geographic focus, to establish stronger bonds between officers and neighborhoods in order to increase mutual recognition, identification, responsibility, and accountability. Although most police departments have long assigned patrol officers to beats, the officers' accountability

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has usually been temporal (for their shift) rather than geographic. More specialized personnel within law enforcement agencies have been accountable for performing their functions but not for any geographic areas. By its very name, however, community policing implies an emphasis on places more so than on times or functions.

Some of the methods by which COP attempts to emphasize geography are as follows:

 Permanent Beat Assignment: patrol officers are assigned to geographic beats for extended periods of time, instead of being rotated frequently.

 Lead Officers: since several different officers will be assigned to a beat across 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, often one officer is designed as the lead officer responsible for problem identification and coordination of the efforts of all the officers.

 Beat Teams: the basic building block for patrol can be the beat team (all the officers who work a particular beat) rather than the temporal squad or shift.

 Cop-of-the-Block: the beat can be sub-divided into smaller areas of individual accountability, so that every patrol officer has general responsibility for a beat and special responsibility for a smaller area.

 Area Commanders: middle-level managers (typically lieutenants) can be given responsibility for geographic areas consisting of several beats, instead of being shift or squad commanders.

 Mini-Stations: each beat or combination of beats can have its own facility (mini-station, sub- station, or storefront) to give it additional geographic focus for officers and area residents.

 Area Specialists: some detectives and other specialists can be assigned to geographic areas instead of to narrow sub-specialties (e.g., a detective handles all, or at least most, of the crimes occurring in a particular neighborhood, instead of handling car thefts from all over the jurisdiction).

Tactical Dimension The tactical dimension of community policing ultimately translates ideas, philosophies, and strategies into concrete programs, tactics, and behaviors. Even those who insist, "community policing is a philosophy, not a program" must concede that unless community policing eventually leads to some action, some new or different behavior, it is all rhetoric and no reality. Indeed, many commentators have taken the view that community policing is little more than a new police marketing strategy that has left the core elements of the police role untouched. Three of the most important tactical elements of community policing are positive interaction, partnerships, and problem solving.

Positive Interaction

Policing inevitably involves some negative contacts between officers and citizens - arrests, tickets, stops for suspicion, orders to desist, inability to make things much better for victims, etc. Community policing recognizes this fact and recommends that officers offset it as much as they can by engaging in positive interactions whenever possible. Positive interactions have several benefits, of course: they generally build familiarity, trust, and confidence on both sides; they remind officers that most citizens respect and support them; they make the officer more knowledgeable about people and conditions in the beat; they provide specific information for criminal investigations and problem solving; and they break up the monotony of motorized patrol.

Some methods for engaging in positive interaction include:

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 Routine Call Handling: officers can take the time to engage in more positive interaction in the course of handling calls, instead of rushing to clear calls in order to return to motorized patrol.

 Meetings: officers can take every opportunity to attend neighborhood meetings, block watch meetings, civic club meetings, etc.; these can yield productive non-enforcement interactions with a wide spectrum of the community.

 School-Based Policing: officers who take the trouble to go into the schools get many opportunities to interact positively with youth, not to mention teachers and other school staff.

 Interactive Patrol: too many officers patrol primarily by watching what goes on it public spaces; officers should stop and talk with more people so that their patrolling relies more on interacting than on watching.

Partnerships Community policing stresses the importance of active partnerships between police, other agencies, and citizens, in which all parties really work together to identify and solve problems. Citizens can take a greater role in public safety than has been typical over the past few decades, and other public and private agencies can leverage their won resources and authority toward the solution of public safety problems. Obviously, there are some legal and safety limitations on how extensive of a role citizens can play in "co- producing" public safety. Just as obviously, it is a mistake for the police to try to assume the entire burden for controlling crime and disorder.

Some of the more interesting police-community partnerships and collaboration innovations include:

 Citizen Patrols: in many jurisdictions citizens actively patrol their neighborhoods, usually in cooperation with the police and often in radio or cellular phone communication with police dispatch.

 Citizen Police Academies: many departments now operate citizen police academies, typically held in the evenings, that inform interested citizens about the police department and often prepare them for roles as volunteers or citizen patrols.

 Volunteers: many departments utilize volunteers, auxiliaries, and reserves in a variety of sworn and non-sworn roles.

 Schools: many police departments today work much more closely with schools than in the past, not just with the DARE programs but also with school resource officers, truancy programs, etc.

 Code Enforcement: many of the problem locations that police deal with are susceptible to code enforcement for various building and safety violations

 Nuisance Abatement: some locations have such a multitude and history of criminal and civil law violations that procedures can be followed to close them down, demolish them, and/or forfeit their ownership to the government.

 Landlords & Tenants: many police departments work closely with apartment managers, public housing managers, tenant associations, and similar groups in order to improve leasing practices and prevent problems in rental properties.

Problem Solving Community policing urges the adoption of a problem solving orientation toward policing, as opposed to the incident-oriented approach that has tended to prevail in conjunction with the professional model. Naturally, emergency calls must be still handled right away, and officers will still spend much of their time handling individual incidents. Whenever possible, however, officers should search for the underlying conditions that give rise to single and multiple incidents. When such conditions are identified, officers should try to affect them as a means of controlling and preventing future incidents. Basically, officers

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should strive to have more substantive and meaningful impact than occurs from 15-minute treatments of individual calls for service.

Some of the more promising approaches to problem solving include:

 The CAPRA Model: many departments use the CAPRA model (clients, acquiring & analyzing info, partnerships, response, assessment) as a guide to the problem solving process for all kinds of crime and non-crime problems.

 Guardians: when searching for solutions to problems, it is often helpful to identify so-called guardians, who are people who have an incentive or the opportunity to help rectify the problem (e.g., landlords, school principals, etc.).

 Beat Meetings: some departments utilize meetings between neighborhood residents and their beat officers to identify problems, analyze them, and brainstorm possible solutions.

 Hot Spots: many departments analyze their calls for service to identify locations that have disproportionate numbers of calls, and then do problem solving to try to lower the call volume in those places.

 Multi-Agency Teams: some jurisdictions use problem solving teams comprised not just of police but also of representatives of their agencies (public works, sanitation, parks and recreation, code enforcement, etc.) so that an array of information and resources can be brought to bear once problems are identified.

The Organizational Dimension

It is important to recognize an Organizational Dimension that surrounds community policing and greatly affects its implementation. In order to support and facilitate community policing, police departments often consider a variety of changes in organization, administration, management, and supervision. The elements of the organizational dimension are not really part of community policing per se, but they are frequently crucial to its successful implementation. Three important elements of COP are structure, management, and information.

Structure

Community policing looks at various ways of restructuring police agencies in order to facilitate and support implementation of the philosophical, strategic, and tactical elements described above. Any organization's structure should correspond with its mission and the nature of the work performed by its members. Some aspects of traditional police organizational structure seem more suited to routine, bureaucratic work than to the discretion and creativity required for COP.

The types of restructuring associated with community policing include:

 Decentralization: authority and responsibility can sometimes be delegated wore widely so that commanders, supervisors, and officers can act more independently and be more responsive.

 Flattening: the number of layers of hierarchy in the police organization can sometimes be reduced in order to improve communications and reduce waste, rigidity, and bureaucracy.

 De-specialization: the number of specialized units and personnel can sometimes be reduced, with more resources devoted to the direct delivery of police services (including COP) to the general public.

 Teams: efficiency and effectiveness can sometimes be improved by getting employees working together as teams to perform work, solve problems, or look for ways of improving quality.

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 Civilianization: positions currently held be sworn personnel can sometimes be reclassified or redesigned for non-sworn personnel, allowing both cost savings and better utilization of sworn personnel.

Management

Community policing is often associated with styles of leadership, management, and supervision that give more emphasis to organizational culture and values and less emphasis to written rules and formal discipline. The general argument is that when employees are guided by a set of officially sanctioned values they will usually make good decisions and take appropriate actions. Although many formal rules will still probably be necessary, managers will need to resort to them much less often in order to maintain control over subordinates. Management practices consistent with this emphasis on organizational culture and values include:

 Mission: agencies should develop concise statements of their mission and values and use them consistently in making decisions, guiding employees, and training new recruits.

 Strategic Planning: agencies should engage in continuous strategic planning aimed at ensuring that resources and energy are focused on mission accomplishment and adherence to core values; otherwise, organizations tend to get off track, confused about their mission and about what really matters.

 Coaching: supervisors should coach and guide their subordinates more, instead of restricting their roles to review of paperwork and enforcement of rules and regulations.

 Mentoring: young employees need mentoring from managers, supervisors, and/or peers - not just to learn how to do the job right but also to lean what constitutes the right job; in other words, to learn about ethics and values and what it means to be a good police officer.

 Empowerment: under COP, employees are encouraged to be risk-takers who demonstrate imagination and creativity in their work - this kind of empowerment can only succeed, however, when employees are thoroughly familiar with the organization's core values and firmly committed to them.

 Selective Discipline: in their disciplinary processes, agencies should make distinctions between intentional and unintentional errors made by employees and between employee actions that violate core values versus those that merely violate technical rules.

Information

Doing community policing and managing it effectively require certain types of information that have not traditionally been available in all police departments. In the never-ending quality versus quantity debate, for example, community policing tends to emphasize quality. This emphasis on quality shows up in many areas: avoidance of traditional bean-counting (arrest, tickets) to measure success, more concern for how well calls are handled than merely for how quickly they are handled, etc. Also, the geographic focus of community policing increases the need for detailed information based on neighborhoods as the unit of analysis. The emphasis on problem solving highlights the need for information systems that aid in identifying and analyzing a variety of community-level problems. And so on.

Several aspects of police administration under COP that have implications for information are:

 Performance Appraisal: individual officers can be evaluated on the quality of their community policing and problem solving activities, and perhaps on results achieved, instead of on traditional performance indicators (tickets, arrests, calls handled, etc.)

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 Program Evaluation: police programs and strategies can be evaluated more on the basis of their effectiveness (outcomes, results, quality) than just on their efficiency (efforts, outputs, quantity).

 Departmental Assessment: the police agency's overall performance can be measured and assessed on the basis of a wide variety of indicators (including customer satisfaction, fear levels, problem solving, etc) instead of a narrow band of traditional indicators (reported crime, response time, etc.)

 Information Systems: an agency's information systems need to collect and produce information on the whole range of the police function, not just on enforcement and call-handling activities, in order to support more quality-oriented appraisal, evaluation, and assessment efforts.

 Crime Analysis: individual offices need more timely and complete crime analysis information pertaining to their specific geographic areas of responsibility to facilitate problem identification, analysis, fear reduction, etc.

 Geographic Information Systems (GIS): sophisticated and user-friendly computerized mapping software available today makes it possible for officers and citizens to obtain customized maps that graphically identify "hot spots" and help them more easily picture the geographic locations and distributions of crime and related problems.