Answers For Officers

Officers Asked and I'm Answering

It’s important to me that the officers have some idea of what to expect from a new administration. In the past, none of the candidates ever gave an answer to those questions. Sometimes the officers were too nervous to ask. Sometimes the candidates didn't have an answer. Now you don't have to ask because it's right here for you to read. This is what transparency looks like.

I was advised to not put my solutions out front and center. I chose to do so anyway. These things should be discussed at length and openly. The officers have the right to know of any changes ahead of time. Speaking from experience, surprises are never welcomed when they affect your livelihood.

I see what this department could be if given the chance. The officers here are dedicated to doing their utmost for the citizens. As the lieutenant with the highest number of junior officers assigned to me, it's disheartening to see the potential in these officers being squandered, not allowing them to become the best officers for you that they could be. I aim to change that.

Patrol Division

Currently, day shift is stacked. Based on their statistics, day shift is over staffed. The dispatched calls for service/initiated calls for service do not require the man power allocated to this time frame. The calls for service greatly increase just prior to when the mid shift comes on duty at 1500 hours and doesn't slow down until around 0100. Due to this misapplication of manpower, the following will be implemented;

Day Shift- 0545 to 1745

1 Lieutenant and 4 Sergeants

13 Officers per A Company and B Company - 26 Officers total

Mid Shift – 1500 to 0300

1 Lieutenant and 4 Sergeants

15 Officers per C Company and D Company - 30 Officers total

Deep Nights – 1800 – 0600

1 Lieutenant and 4 Sergeants

12 Officers per E company and F Company - 24 Officers total

Available manpower over what is allocated to other units will be directed toward Patrol. Nothing changes except the allocation of manpower. This is a baseline. Individual manpower will be allocated to individual shifts based on their actual need.

Criminal Investigation Division (CID)

Lifelong appointments to CID will become a thing of the past with one exception which is detailed below. As it stands now, we have detectives who can write a search warrant but can't turn on an MDC in a patrol car. This is not conducive to a well rounded officer. CID appointments will be three (3) year appointments. At the end of those three (3) years then that detective will rotate back to Patrol for a minimum of two (2) years before they can apply for another investigative assignment. Applicants to CID must have an Intermediate Peace Officers License.

What does this do?

Based on my experience as a detective in both CID and Narcotics, and the experience of others, a patrol officer with a history as an investigator makes a better patrol officer. They have the knowledge of what is needed from being a detective as to what is required for successful prosecution. It also eliminates the counter-productive "us versus them" mentality that currently exists between the divisions.

What does this mean for public safety?

Over time, this will greatly enhance the chances that the patrol officer showing up to the call for service a citizen made will have experience as an investigator. That officer will know exactly what is needed for a successful prosecution from start to finish.

How it will work

Each year, three months prior to bump day (when officers choose their shift for the next year), three (3) officers will be chosen by a selection board made up equally of Patrol and CID based on their application for assignment. This allows those detectives rotating out of CID to clear out their investigations and gives them a bump day selection. Those detectives not chosen to remain as permanent personnel will be rotated out first based on years in CID.

CID will go to Property Crimes, Crimes Against Persons, Child Crimes, and Homicide/Cold Cases. Criminals aren't bound by arbitrary geographical boundaries like detectives are. It's time to let the detectives off their chains.

CID Allocation of manpower

1 Lieutenants

4 Sergeants

15 Detectives (6 permanent/training detectives and 9 rotating positions)

Every detective will have a Patrol Uniform at work ready in the event of a major incident where they are required for a Patrol function.

Command Staff will interview and choose six (6) CID detectives (current or prior) to remain in CID as permanent personnel as senior detectives/trainers. This will be based on successful prosecutions due to the investigative work of those detectives. Seniority will not be a factor at all. Work ethic and success will be the deciding issue. The other nine (9) positions will be rotating positions as detailed previously. This allows for the division to keep senior detectives on staff to train the new detectives as they rotate into CID.

CID Sergeants will rotate out every four (4) years. The lieutenant will be appointed to the position based on ability, merit, and skill set.

There are pros and cons to mandatory rotation. I've read LEMIT papers and other articles/research papers for and against it over the years. This is why my approach to it is modified to fit this department's needs and not the needs of anywhere else.

CID felony packets will still be done by Patrol for certain offenses, but it is going to be very limited. Any newly added felony packets will be approved by Command Staff, CID supervisors, and patrol supervisors agreeing on the necessity of it being added. No more surprises.

Narcotics Division

Lifelong appointments to Narcotics will also become a thing of the past with the exception of two (2) permanent personnel for training purposes. Narcotic appointments will be four (4) year appointments. At the end of those four (4) years that officer will rotate back to Patrol for a minimum of two (2) years before they can apply for another investigative assignment. Applicants to Narcotics must have an Intermediate Peace Officers License.

Every other year, three months prior to bump day (when officers choose their shift for the coming year), two (2) officers will be chosen by a selection board made up equally of Patrol and Narcotics based on their application for assignment. This allows those officers rotating out of Narcotics to clear out their investigations and gives them a bump day selection. Senior detectives not chosen to remain as permanent personnel will be rotated out first based on years in Narcotics.

Narcotics Allocation of manpower

1 Lieutenant

1 Sergeant

6 Detectives (2 permanent/training detectives and 4 rotating positions as detailed in the previous CID section)

The Narcotics Sergeant will also rotate out every four (4) years. The Lieutenant will be appointed to their position based on merit and skill set.

The modified grooming standards are rescinded.

The Narcotics Felony Packets will no longer be done by Patrol. Narcotics detectives will do narcotics investigations.

Every detective will have a Patrol uniform at work ready in the event of a major incident where they are required for a Patrol function.

K9 Unit

With the exception of the K9 Sergeant and a trainer, life long appointments to K9 will be a thing of the past. The K9 sergeant and the trainer are required to stay on due to the amount of time and money invested in these positions. A K9 officer will serve the length of service of their assigned K9 partner. When their K9 retires, they will then return back to patrol or can apply for assignment in an investigative division.

1 Sergeant

1 Trainer

2 Handlers

Anti Crime Unit (ACU)

Each position in this unit is a three (3) year appointment. Both sergeants and officers applying to ACU must show proficiency in writing/executing warrants or have prior CID/Narcotics experience. Officers rotating out of the unit will be by seniority in the unit.

2 Sergeants

6 Officers

Motors and Lake Division

No changes will be made as these are Patrol Units.

Training Division

1 Lieutenant

1 Sergeant

3 Training Officers

Due to the importance of training and the certifications required, these positions will be four (4) year appointments. They will then rotate back to Patrol for two (2) years before they can apply for a different assignment. The recruits who pass through the academy will be assigned directly to the Patrol Division for their first couple of years. It is absolutely imperative the officers and supervisors training them have some idea of how Patrol currently works.

One of the training officers, or the training sergeant, shall be certified by Gracie Brazilian Jujitsu to instruct law enforcement. This training officer, or sergeant, will put on defensive tactics classes a minimum of four times a month. Two for each side of the week at a time conducive for all officers to attend. This officer, or sergeant, will also be responsible for certifying each officer in the department annually in defensive tactics. Officers failing to re-certify in defensive tactics will attend defensive tactics week with the recruit class to bring them back up to speed.

The lieutenant will be appointed to the position based on ability, merit, and skill set.

Office of Professional Standards

1 Sergeant

1 Officer

These two positions will be appointed by Command Staff, not the Chief of Police. Investigative experience and an Advanced Peace Officers License is mandatory for these positions.

PIO/Association President

2 PIO Positions

Due to the importance of the Association President for the well-being of the officers, they will be assigned to a PIO position. This will allow the Association President the ability to do what needs to be done for the officers in regards to negotiating on their behalf while still holding a valuable position with flexible hours. It will also afford them an office to work from. Once the Association President has served their term of office and no longer holds the presidency they will either rotate back to Patrol or may apply to an investigative division. The new Association President will then take their place.

The second PIO position will be appointed by Command Staff based on application for the position and will be a three (3) year rotating position. After three years as PIO they will either rotate back to Patrol or may apply to an investigative division.

SWAT/CNT/ARC/Incident Commanders-

There will be no more partial call outs. Narcotics and ACU will no longer run high risk warrants. We have a well trained SWAT team and they will be utilized for their intended purpose. They get paid a stipend for a reason.

If SWAT or CNT gets called out to a critical incident their sister unit will respond as well. Negotiations will continue until such time as the CNT team leader believes the negotiation is futile. The incident commander shall not make that call. At that time SWAT will do what is required of them, if deemed necessary.

Incident commanders will attend CNT, ARC, and SWAT training regularly to observe and become knowledgeable of the capabilities of each unit. You can't lead someone if you don't understand what they do.