The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is the ... The
ICMA Center for Public Safety Management team helps communities solve
critical.
Final Report Police Operations Grand Rapids, Michigan August 2012
Submitted by: ICMA Center for Public Safety Management International City/County Management Association 777 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20002
Background About ICMA The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is the premier local government leadership and management organization. Since 1914, ICMA’s mission has been to create excellence in local governance by developing and advocating professional local government management worldwide. ICMA provides an information clearinghouse, technical assistance, training, and professional development to more than 9,000 city, town, and county experts and other individuals throughout the world.
ICMA Center for Public Safety Management The ICMA Center for Public Safety Management team helps communities solve critical problems by providing management consulting support to local governments. The Center’s expertise in public safety encompasses the following areas and beyond: organizational development, leadership and ethics, training, assessment of calls-for-service workload, staffing requirements analysis, design of standards and hiring guidelines for police and fire chief recruitment, police/fire consolidation, community-oriented policing, and city/county/regional mergers.
Performance Measures The reports generated by the operations and data analysis team are based upon key performance indicators that have been identified in standards and safety regulations and by public safety special interest groups and through the Center for Performance Measurement of ICMA. These performance measures have developed following decades of research and are applicable in all communities. For that reason, comparison of reports will yield similar reporting formats, but each community’s data are analyzed on an individual basis by the ICMA specialists and represent the unique information compiled for that community.
Methodology The ICMA Center for Public Safety Management team follows a standardized approach to conducting analyses of police, fire, and other departments involved in providing safety services to the public. We have developed this standardized approach by combining the experience sets of dozens of subject matter experts experienced in data and operations assessment in the areas of police, fire, and EMS. Our collective team has more than a combined 100 years of conducting such studies for cities in the United States and internationally. The Public Safety Management team begins most projects by extracting calls for service and raw data from an agency’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. The data are sorted and analyzed for comparison to nationally developed performance indicators. These performance indicators (e.g., response times, workload by time, multiple-unit dispatching) are valuable measures of an agency’s performance regardless of its size. The findings are shown in tables and graphs and are organized
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in an easy-to-follow, logical format. Most of the resulting document’s structure and categories for performance indicators are standard, but the data reported are unique to the jurisdictions. Given the size and complexity of the documents, structuring the findings in this way allows for simple, clean reporting. The team conducts an operational review in conjunction with the data analysis. The performance indicators serve as the basis for the operational review. The review process follows a standardized approach comparable to that of national accreditation agencies. Prior to the arrival of an on-site team, agencies are asked to provide the team with key operational documents (e.g., policies and procedures, assets lists, etc.). The on-site review usually includes interviews with public safety management and supervisory personnel, rank-and-file officers, and local government staff. The information collected during site visits and through analysis of the data results in a set of observations and recommendations that highlight strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of all areas under review. To generate recommendations, the team reviews operational documents, interviews and observations from site visits, relevant literature, statutes and regulations, industry standards, and other areas specifically included in a project’s scope of work. This standardized approach ensures that the ICMA Center for Public Safety measures and observes all of the critical components of an agency, which in turn provides substance to benchmark against jurisdictions with similar profiles. Although agencies may vary in size, priorities, and challenges, there are basic commonalities that enable comparison. The approach also enables the tea to identify best practices in use throughout the country. In general, the standardized approach adopts the principles of the scientific method: We ask questions and request documentation upon project startup; confirm accuracy of information received; deploy operations and data analysis teams to research each unique environment; perform data modeling; share preliminary findings with each jurisdiction; assess any inconsistencies reported by client jurisdictions; follow up on areas of concern; and communicate our results in a formal, written report.
ICMA Project Contributors Thomas J. Wieczorek, Director, ICMA Center for Public Safety Leonard A. Matarese, Director, Public Safety Services Dov N. Chelst, Senior Quantitative Analyst James Gabbard, Senior Public Safety Consultant James E. McCabe, Senior Public Safety Consultant Paul O’Connell, Senior Public Safety Consultant Priscila Monachesi Kale, Quantitative Analyst Dennis Kouba, Senior Editor
Background
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Contents Background ................................................................................................................. i About ICMA ................................................................................................................................ i ICMA Center for Public Safety Management ............................................................................. i Performance Measures .............................................................................................................. i Methodology .............................................................................................................................. i ICMA Project Contributors ........................................................................................................ ii
Executive Summary .................................................................................................... 1 Methodology.............................................................................................................. 4 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................. 4 Interviews .................................................................................................................................. 4 Focus Groups ............................................................................................................................. 4 Document Review ..................................................................................................................... 4 Observations.............................................................................................................................. 4 Implementing the Report's Recommendations ........................................................................ 4
Community Overview ................................................................................................. 6 Administration and Operations ................................................................................................. 6 Grand Rapids Demographics ..................................................................................................... 7 Uniform Crime Report/Crime Trends ........................................................................................ 7 Comparisons/Benchmarks ........................................................................................................ 9
Performance Measurement and Strategic Planning ................................................... 11 Patrol Division .......................................................................................................... 15 Patrol Deployment .................................................................................................................. 15 Revisiting the Rule of 60 .......................................................................................................... 31 Demand Management............................................................................................................. 34 Watch Commanders ................................................................................................................ 38 Reorganization......................................................................................................................... 39 Community Police Officer Program ......................................................................................... 41 Technology on Patrol............................................................................................................... 43 Special Response Team ........................................................................................................... 44
Investigations Division .............................................................................................. 39 General Case Team .................................................................................................................. 47 Major Case Teams I & II ........................................................................................................... 47 Family Services Team .............................................................................................................. 48 Combined Auto Theft Team .................................................................................................... 49 Metropolitan Fraud and Identity Theft Team ......................................................................... 49
Kent Metropolitan Major Case Task Force .............................................................................. 49 Alcohol, Tobbaco, and Firearms Investigative Unit ................................................................. 50 Specialized Investigative Personnel......................................................................................... 50 Vice Unit .................................................................................................................................. 51 Forensic Services Unit.............................................................................................................. 52 Multi-agency Operations ......................................................................................................... 53
Support Services Division.......................................................................................... 55 Special Services, Special Events, and Assignments ................................................................. 55 Property and Evidence ............................................................................................................ 56 Communications Bureau ......................................................................................................... 56 Facility/Fleet ............................................................................................................................ 61 Information Technology and Records Management............................................................... 62 Training .................................................................................................................................... 64
Administration ......................................................................................................... 68 Professional Responsibility ...................................................................................................... 68 Rules, Regulations, Policies, and Procedures ......................................................................... 72
Summary .................................................................................................................. 73 Appendix.................................................................................................................. 74
Tables Table 1: Recommended Staffing of Sworn Personnel ............................................................... 3 Table 2: GRPD in Perspective .................................................................................................. 10 Table 3: Patrol Deployment (effective September 2011) ....................................................... 18 Table 4: Service Area CFS Comparison .................................................................................... 26 Table 5: Peak Workload Staffing ............................................................................................. 28 Table 6: Needed vs. Current Staffing....................................................................................... 29 Table 7: Staffing Deviation ...................................................................................................... 30 Table 8: Projected Saturation Index at Peak Demand............................................................. 31 Table 9: Recommended Patrol Staffing Configuration............................................................ 33 Table 10: Recommended Patrol Division Staffing ................................................................... 33 Table 11: Calls for Service, 2011 .............................................................................................. 34 Table 12: Investigations Division Sworn Personnel Assignments ........................................... 46 Table 13: Recommended Investigations Division Staffing ...................................................... 54 Table 14: Average Dispatch, Travel, and Response Times, by Priority ................................... 60
Figures Figure 1: Grand Rapids Property Crime Rate, 2001–2010 ........................................................ 8 Figure 2: Grand Rapids Violent Crime Rate, 2001–2010 ........................................................... 8 Figure 3: Patrol Saturation Index, February 2011, Weekdays ................................................ 19 Figure 4: Patrol Saturation Index, Feburary 2011, Weekends ................................................ 20 Figure 5: Patrol Saturation Index, August 2011, Weekdays ................................................... 21 Figure 6: Patrol Saturation Index, August 2011, Weekends ................................................... 22 Figure 7: 2012 Deployment and 2011 Workload, Winter Weekdays ..................................... 24 Figure 8: 2012 Deployment and 2011 Workload, Winter Weekends .................................... 25
Executive Summary ICMA was commissioned to review the operations of the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD). While this analysis covered all aspects of the department’s operations, particular focus was on identifying the appropriate staffing of the agency given its workload, community demographics, and crime levels. We utilized operations research methodology to analyze departmental workload and compared that workload to staffing and deployment levels. We reviewed other performance indicators, which allowed us to understand service implications on current staffing. We reviewed the department’s organizational design to determine if the various functions of a modern police agency were staffed appropriately. The study incorporated several distinct phases: data collection, interviews with key police and administration personnel, on-site observations of the job environment, data analysis, comparative analyses, alternatives and recommendations, and submission and oral briefings. Based on our review, it is our opinion that the GRPD is a highly professional, well-managed police agency. Members of the department of all ranks and positions demonstrate a high degree of professionalism and dedication to the agency and the community. The information management system developed and implemented in the department is beyond compare in contemporary law enforcement. The department’s response to the challenging economic environment in Grand Rapids appears to have been handled professionally and appropriate measures have been taken to deal with budget and personnel reductions while still maintaining core services. However, continued reductions in resources undoubtedly will have an impact on the ability of the department to maintain current service levels. The recommendations provided here seek to ensure that police resources are optimally deployed, streamline operations, and identify efficiencies in order to reduce costs while maintaining the high level of police service currently provided to the citizens of Grand Rapids. Implementation of these recommendations should be undertaken with full participation of all the relevant stakeholders involved. ICMA recommends that the Grand Rapids Police Department:
Reduce personnel assigned to patrol.
Examine calls for service (CFS) response to improve efficiency and reduce overall time spent on assignments and the number of officers assigned per CFS.
Examine CFS demand to reduce the number of “nonpolice” CFS handled by patrol units.
Eliminate the watch commander position and replace it with a shift commander rotation with responsibility shared by all GRPD lieutenants.
Merge the North and West service areas and the South and East service areas to create two new service areas commanded by one captain in each. Each of these service areas should also have two lieutenants assigned.
Staff a position of deputy chief for patrol operations.
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Equip marked patrol cars with license plate reader technology and automated external defibrillators.
Develop and implement a more efficient criminal case management system that uses solvability factors to assign cases. All other incidents should be used as information and processed into intelligence for investigations and patrol enforcement operations.
Merge the general case teams and major case teams and create two investigative teams with one assigned to each of the new service areas. These teams should consist of one sergeant and eight investigators; they should report to a lieutenant and will be responsible for all criminal investigations in Grand Rapids.
Restructure the work schedule to ensure detectives are working and available at night and during the weekends. Each team should cover at least one weekend day, and team shifts should not overlap by more than three hours.
Reassign personnel currently assigned to specialized task forces
Curtail 24-hour public access to the police headquarters facility; reconfigure the entrance to limit access to the Monroe Street entrance only and include a secure front-desk area facing this entrance.
Combining all of the personnel recommendations contained in this report will result in an organization consisting of 269 sworn and 81 civilian personnel. The staffing of the civilian positions remains unchanged. Table 1 on the next page presents the organization for sworn positions. ICMA considers these staffing levels as minimums based upon current workload demands. The ICMA team thanks the city and police administrations of Grand Rapids for their assistance in completing this project. In particular, ICMA commends City Manager Greg Sundstrom and Police Chief Kevin Belk for their enthusiasm and cooperation with ICMA team regarding documentation requests and the overall project.
Executive Summary
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TABLE 1: Recommended Staffing of Sworn Personnel
Executive Internal Affairs SRT LT Military
Chief 1
1
Deputy Chief
0
Support Division IT Special Services Training Special Events B&GCGRYC
1 1 1 3
Sergeant 1 2 3 1 1
0
Patrol Division East-South ES-CPO North-West NW CPO
Executive Summary
0 1
Lieutenant
1
0
Investigations Division Detective Unit Major Case 1 Major Case 2 Family Services Cyber Forensics Kent Metro TF ATF CATT MFITT Warrants Subpoena City Attorney Housing Vice
Total Grand Total Sworn
Captain
1 1
1 1
1
3
3
1
2 1 1 1
1
1 2
3 8
1
2
1
2
8 1 8
1
2
4
17
1
4
12
31
Patrol Officer
16 1 17 2 7 4 1 2 16
8 8 9 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 14 51
1
1
60 10 60 7 137 220 270
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Methodology Data Analysis This report utilizes numerous sources of data to support conclusions and recommendations for the Grand Rapids Police Department. Information was obtained from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, Part I Index, crime and police officer head counts, and numerous sources of GRPD internal information, including data mining from the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system for information on calls for service (CFS).
Interviews The study relied extensively on intensive interviews with GRPD personnel. On-site and in-person interviews were conducted with all division commanders regarding their operations. Similarly, police labor representatives were interviewed to get an understanding of the labor-management climate in the GRPD.
Focus Groups A focus group is an unstructured group interview in which the moderator actively encourages discussion among participants. Focus groups generally consist of eight to ten participants and are used to explore issues that are difficult to define. Group discussion permits greater exploration of topics. For the purposes of this study, focus groups were held with representatives of the department.
Document Review The Grand Rapids Police Department provided the ICMA team with numerous reports and summary documents, as well as information on strategic plans, personnel staffing and deployment, evaluations, training records, and performance statistics.
Observations Over the course of the evaluation period, numerous observations were conducted. These included observations of general patrol, special enforcement, investigations, and administrative functions. ICMA representatives engaged all facets of department operations from a “participant observation” perspective.
Implementing the Report’s Recommendations ICMA’s conclusions and recommendations serve as a blueprint for both city and police administrations. City administrators should have periodic meetings with the GRPD to ensure that ICMA’s recommendations are implemented. It is strongly recommended that the chief identify and task one individual with responsibility for implementing these recommendations. This person should be given the authority and responsibility to effectuate the changes recommended. This includes ensuring the recommendations are executed in a timely fashion and evaluating the department’s progress every six months for efficiency, effectiveness, and performance.
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All of ICMA’s recommendations are practical and sensible and should be implemented by the police administration within a reasonable period of time. If the city desires, ICMA can provide a service to periodically review, monitor, and reevaluate the department’s progress to help ensure that the recommendations are implemented properly. If the police administration continues to have difficulty implementing the recommendations, ICMA can assist with implementation.
Methodology
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Community Overview Policing involves a complex set of activities. Police officers are not simply crime fighters whose responsibilities are to protect people’s safety and property and to enhance the public’s sense of security. The police have myriad other basic responsibilities on a daily basis, including preserving order in the community, guaranteeing the movement of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, protecting and extending the rights of persons to speak and assemble freely, and providing assistance for those who cannot assist themselves. As the second-largest city in Michigan, Grand Rapids has big-city flair, with world-renowned cultural and historic sites, professional sports teams, and a dynamic downtown. Integrated into this “big city” are diverse and vibrant residential communities with distinct neighborhoods, active communities, and a small-town feel. Both the city and the police department are dedicated to the principles of community policing, and the department strives to provide a high level of service to the Grand Rapids community. The Grand Rapids Police Department provides a full range of police services, including responding to emergencies and calls for service, performing directed activities, and solving problems.
Administration and Operations The Grand Rapids Police Department has 379 employees serving a population of approximately 188,000 residents. The department is staffed as follows:
298 sworn personnel: o
1 Chief
o
6 Police captains
o
16 Police lieutenants
o
33 Police sergeants
o
241 Police officers
81 nonsworn personnel
The department is organized as follows:
Four patrol service areas: North, South, East, and West.
Investigative Division, including a detective unit, vice unit, and forensic services unit.
Support Services Division, including information technology; crime analysis; training; office of film, music and special events; communications bureau; financial services; records unit; and the special services unit. The Support Services Division is commanded by one captain and one sergeant.
Special Response Team, with one lieutenant, two sergeants, and sixteen police officers.
An internal affairs unit that reports directly to the chief.
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Grand Rapids Demographics When determining the appropriateness of deployed resources—both current and future—a key factor for consideration is the demographic characteristics of the community. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Grand Rapids’ total area is 44.40 square miles, with a population density of 4,236 persons per square mile. The racial makeup of the city is estimated to be 64.6 percent white, 15.6 percent Hispanic, 20.9 percent black, and 1.9 percent Asian.
Uniform Crime Report/Crime Trends As defined by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, Part I crimes are major crimes used to measure the extent, fluctuation, and distribution of serious crime in geographical areas. Part I crimes are the seven most serious offenses: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. In 2010, the city of Grand Rapids reported 9,405 Part I crimes, compared with 10,409 in 2009, or a 9.9 percent decrease. 1 Appendix A displays the Part I crimes for Grand Rapids in 2010 and puts the reported crimes into proper context. In addition to raw numbers, serious crime is converted to a rate per 100,000 residents and compared with the crime rates of the ten largest cities in Michigan, as well as national and state crime rates. Grand Rapids is the second largest city in Michigan, but has just the fourth highest rate of violent crime of the ten largest cities in the state (Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Flint, Clinton Township, Livonia, and Dearborn). However, the violent crime rate is about 113.2 percent higher than the national average and 75.3 percent higher than the violent crime rate in Michigan. Grand Rapids’ property crime rate also ranks fourth-highest in the state. Grand Rapids’ property crime rate of 4,051 crimes per 100,000 residents is 37.7 percent higher than the national average and 49.3 percent higher than the state average. (See Appendix A for Grand Rapids crime data.) This analysis is not intended as an illustration of how Grand Rapids compares with other communities with regard to crime. As a large metropolitan area with a high population density, it is to be expected that the crime rate in Grand Rapids would surpass national and state averages. And although the rates of crime in Grand Rapids exceed national and state averages, they are lower than other large cities in Michigan. These factors suggest that crime should be a concern for the community, but also that the city is safer than other Michigan cities of comparable size. Larceny in Grand Rapids is the highest reported crime and the one crime that drives the overall rate of crime in the community. In 2010, Grand Rapids experienced 4,609 larcenies, representing 49.0 percent of all serious crime. Figures 1 and 2 depict the crime trends in Grand Rapids between 2001 and 2010. As illustrated in this figure, the rate of property crime in Grand Rapids has decreased since 2001, when it was 5,018
1
2010 UCR Part I Offense data is used because at the time of this report the 2011 crime data were not available from the FBI. Similarly, the ten-year crime rate comparisons are limited to 2001–2010 because this is the most current data available from the UCR program.
Community Overview
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property crimes per 100,000 residents. By the end of 2010, the rate had decreased 19.27 percent to 4,051 per 100,000 residents. Between 2001 and 2007, there was a steady increase in property crime rate, but between 2007 and 2010, property crime decreased drastically, with the entire reduction in property crime over the ten-year period occurring between 2007 and 2010. Since property crime is the most frequent crime in Grand Rapids and exists at a rate higher than the national, state, and comparable city rates, it deserves attention from an organizational and managerial perspective.
FIGURE 1: Grand Rapids Property Crime Rate, 2001–2010 Property Crime Rate 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
As shown in Figure 2, violent crime also has decreased in Grand Rapids over the last decade. In 2001, the violent crime rate was 1,030 per 100,000 residents. By 2010, this decreased had 16.6 percent to a rate of 859 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Despite this decline, Grand Rapids’ violent crime rate remains much higher than the national and state averages.
FIGURE 2: Grand Rapids Violent Crime Rate, 2001–2010 Violent Crime Rate 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1
2
3
Community Overview
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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Aggravated assault is the most common category of violent crime in Grand Rapids, which had 1,025 reports of aggravated assault in 2010. The high rate of aggravated assault (525 per 100,000 residents) suggests that this category of violent crime deserves the greatest share of attention from an organizational and strategic perspective. GRPD has made great strides in improving the character of the community and addressing serious crime, but more work needs to be done. The department’s aggressive approach to violent crime must be continued.
Comparisons/Benchmarks Putting Grand Rapids’ crime rate information into perspective requires comparing the GRPD with other major police departments. The IBM report Smarter, Faster, Cheaper looks at several financial, organizational, and demographic variables in order to assess the relative efficiency of police departments. 2 This report presents the data from 100 major U. S. cities of various sizes and regions and controlled economic indicators by the cost of living in each community. Keeping in mind that each community has characteristics that govern the style and size of its police department, these characteristics and comparisons are useful in understanding the relative performance of the GRPD. The benchmarks that are illustrative of the police department’s performance—spending per capita on police services, crime rate, spending per serious crime, and sworn officers per capita—are presented in Table 2. The GRPD spends approximately $243 per capita on police services. This compares favorably to the $263 per capita spent in the 100 U. S. cities in the IBM report. Grand Rapids’ 2010 crime rate of 5,002 serious crimes per 100,000 residents is in line with the average crime rate of 5,000 presented in the report. However, spending per crime in Grand Rapids is $4,875 per serious crime— approximately 27 percent less than the average expenditure per serious crime of $6,702. Also, the GRPD employs 298 sworn officers, or 159 officers per 100,000, which is lower than the average per capita deployment of 190 officers per 100,000 residents. A similar perspective on operational efficiency can be gained by inspecting the amount of money spent on overtime costs as a percentage of overall spending. In FY11 the GRPD spent over $1.8 million on police overtime. This expense represents approximately 4 percent of the overall budget. This is lower than average and demonstrates limited overtime expense and/or close management of overtime accrual.
2
IBM, Smarter, Faster, Cheaper: An Operational Efficiency Benchmarking Study of 100 US Cities, 2011.
Community Overview
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TABLE 2: GRPD in Perspective Benchmark Area Per capita police spending Crime rate Spending per serious crime Officers per capita Overtime (% of budget)
GRPD $243 5,002 $4,875 159 4%
Benchmark $263 5,000 $6,702 190 5%
Versus Benchmark Lower Similar Lower Lower Lower
Combined, this data suggests that the GRPD operates in a more efficient and cost-effective manner than the average U. S. city. Costs of operation appear lower in all areas examined. Recent personnel cuts, efficiency savings, and sound financial management appear to have put the GRPD in a favorable position compared to other communities in the United States. The key to operational efficiency is not necessarily in financial austerity, however. The size and style of a police department and the types of services that it provides are a reflection of the character and demands of that community. The challenge is to determine how many police officers are necessary to meet that demand, and how to deploy those personnel in an effective and efficient manner. The above analysis demonstrates that the GRPD is financially efficient in its personnel deployment. The analysis that follows is an attempt to build upon this discussion and answer the “how many” and “how to deploy” questions that are the essence of police operational and personnel resource decisions.
Community Overview
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Performance Measurement and Strategic Planning The GRPD has developed an advanced and sophisticated system for collecting data from every operational component of the organization. The state of the performance measurement system is impressive. Department managers can determine, in real time, the precise activity of every officer working on a particular day. The FileMaker system developed internally by the GRPD is probably the most advanced system of its kind in contemporary law enforcement, and the department is light-years ahead of most police departments when it comes to data collection and performance measurement. The department promulgates a Manual of Procedures, which is comprehensive, properly formatted, and consistent with those of police agencies of similar size. The department’s manual and procedures are reviewed annually and revised as necessary. New procedures are developed and communicated throughout the department as necessary (that is, between formal review periods). The department prepares and issues annual reports, which are posted on the department’s website. These reports are clearly written, comprehensive, and informative. The reports do not, however, make express reference to specific department goals and objectives (and the department’s level of success in or progress toward achieving these goals). The annual reports contain crime statistics for each service area. Community policing activities for each service area are also described. Separate reports are provided for each division, with photographs of supervisory personnel. The department had a strategic plan for the period 2007-2009. A copy of the plan is available on the department’s website. Patrol officers record their activities by making daily entries in an e-log. The department records Terry stops (i.e., stop, question and frisk procedures authorized under Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968)) and field interrogations via “contact reports.” Aggregate data regarding field interrogations (Terry stops) performed by the entire department were displayed during crime analysis meetings, but were not broken down by location or service area. The department presently holds the following management meetings:
Weekly crime analysis meetings, which are attended by patrol commanders, detectives, and supervisors
Captains’ meetings, which are attended by all six of the department’s captains
Monthly command staff meetings, which are attended by lieutenants, captains, and the chief.
The chief also holds weekly command staff meetings with all six captains. Monthly command staff meetings are held with all supervisors at or above the rank of lieutenant.
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The ICMA consultants attended one of the weekly crime analysis meetings. These meetings are held in a large conference room with projection equipment. Representatives from various units were in attendance, including the major case unit, crime prevention unit, detective division, fugitive task force, the special response team, the various patrol service areas, and the chief. The discussions were led by the department’s crime analyst, a police officer. PowerPoint files containing the data to be discussed were forwarded to participants the day before the meeting. The meetings apparently do not follow a standardized agenda. There were no handouts distributed at this meeting. The PowerPoint slides that were used to recap particular incidents and cases were only displayed briefly. There was a free flow of information and good interaction, particularly among investigators. There was an extended discussion regarding the burglary of a medical marijuana facility. The group was notified that the department was required recently to provide an “explanation letter” to the state to address possible reasons for a drop in reported burglaries. This drop was noted by state officials. One participant at the meeting requested that the crime analysis officer provide a multiyear retrospective analysis of residential and commercial burglaries in order to identify a possible reason or reasons for the drop. It was suggested that burglaries were perhaps related to the housing market and correlated to the overall number of vacant houses. The discussions were problem oriented and collaborative, but patrol supervisors should generally take a more active role in these discussions. Overall, the department’s crime analysis capabilities meet or exceed those of other U. S. police departments of similar size. In light of recent fiscal challenges and staffing reductions, a sergeant has recently been designated to direct the department’s strategic planning and transformation efforts. This individual is charged with identifying potential operational efficiencies and reports directly to the captain commanding the Support Services Division.
Recommendations:
The department’s annual reports should make express reference to specific department goals and objectives (and the department’s relative level of success in achieving them).
The weekly crime analysis meetings should be enhanced. All divisions and units should attend so that the entire organizational chart is represented at these meetings. The department should consider inviting other agencies to these meetings, such as the Department of Parole. Note: The department does appear to be actively engaged in this regard through the Grand Rapids Police Department/Michigan Prisoner Re-Entry/State Parole Partnership.
The crime analyst should not lead all discussions at the weekly crime analysis meetings. Supervisors should take turns leading or moderating these meetings. This ensures personal accountability.
Performance Measurement and Strategic Planning
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A standardized agenda should be circulated and used at all crime analysis meetings, and one person in attendance must be directed to record significant discussions and specific action steps for follow-up.
During the crime analysis meetings, supervisors assigned to the various patrol service areas should be directed to present (that is, verbally describe) significant cases and incidents occurring within their geographic areas of responsibility. For example, information about robberies and shootings should be presented by patrol service area commanders and/or their staff. Detectives can amplify these reports and case presentations by describing the course of ongoing investigations, when appropriate. Specific action plans and further steps should be addressed and documented, so that appropriate follow-up can be made at subsequent meetings.
Crime analysis meetings should be used to engage the entire organization and encourage joint problem solving, particularly between the patrol and detective divisions. Meetings should be used to collaboratively answer the following questions regarding crime in Grand Rapids: What’s going on? How do we know? What should we do about it? and Are we having any impact? The criminal events and conditions must be linked directly to specific anticrime efforts. In this way there can be continuity and accountability when these matters are reexamined at subsequent meetings. If these meetings are viewed or understood as merely informational get-togethers, their true potential will be lost.
All geographic crime maps that are displayed at crime analysis meetings should also include time of occurrence or report for each incident mapped. Maps should be overlaid in order to display long-term trends in particular sections of the city.
Field interrogation data should be provided by service area, specific location, and time of day. The department must be able to determine, in an ongoing fashion: Who is being stopped? Exactly when and where? By whom? and Why? Once again, the service area commanders should be expected to present this data to the group as evidence of “best efforts” used to address crime in chronic locations.
The department should create an officers’ council. This body would meet quarterly and serve as a forum for open discussion between the administration and rank and file. In addition to its various crime analysis and command staff meetings, the department should have a mechanism for conveying information to police officers and receiving feedback in an informal setting. These meetings would be separate and apart from the collective bargaining process, and would merely serve as a means of identifying and discussing new department programs and initiatives. In particular, this would be helpful with regard to any future discussions regarding potential mergers or shared service agreements. This body could meet regularly with the chief in an informal setting to discuss “the state of the department” (that is, current and future policies, challenges, etc.). Officers would elect their own representatives, would make recommendations for future actions and, in some circumstances, would share a leadership role in developing and implementing new programs and/or setting policy. (An example would be the decision to identify new uniforms, technology, or patrol vehicles.) This model has been implemented successfully in a number of large- and mid-sized police departments throughout the country.
Performance Measurement and Strategic Planning
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The department should form a similar body for informal communications between the chief and nonsworn personnel.
The personal performance evaluations that are now being used must include a process for providing and documenting useful performance feedback to those being evaluated. Individual performance targets/goals must be linked logically to unit and department goals.
Personal development plans should be developed and tracked for employees of all ranks.
It is also imperative that all supervisors who are charged with preparing performance evaluations of their subordinates receive ongoing training in an evaluator’s responsibilities and proper evaluation procedures. From both a supervisory and morale standpoint, all members of the department must understand that performance evaluations are an important and necessary part of police operations.
The department must establish clear guidelines for addressing the performance of officers who receive an “unsatisfactory” rating in the annual performance appraisal. The guidelines should include, among other things, additional monitoring, training, and mentoring, with a written action plan and timeline for the correction of noted deficiencies.
ICMA suggests that the department actively monitor the work performed by the financial services unit to determine whether such work could be more efficiently and economically performed via a shared service model with other city departments.
Performance Measurement and Strategic Planning
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Patrol Division The GRPD provides the community with a full range of police services, including responding to emergencies and calls for service (CFS), performing directed activities, and solving problems. The GRPD is a service-oriented department providing a high level of service to the community. The Patrol Division is comprised of four service areas (North, South, East, and West) commanded by a captain. There is no overall commander of the patrol division, and each service area captain reports directly to the chief of police. Each service area acts as an autonomous organizational unit with patrol, community policing, and investigative components. The division of the city into service areas was undertaken after an analysis of crime, calls for service, and demographics. The service areas are not similar in geographic size, but approximate each other in population (approximately 45,000 residents per service area), and each one offers its own unique set of conditions that require police attention. Each of the four service area is further subdivided into eight “beats” patrolled by an officer in the regular patrol rotation. Ideally, every beat is covered every shift by an officer of patrol, but staffing and deployment conditions do not always make this possible. Often, officers are “doubled-up” and cover more than one beat during their shift. The service area captain also acts as a “mini-chief” to the communities served and is expected to coordinate crime control strategies, deployment of personnel, and respond to community concerns. ICMA’s assessment of this element of the GRPD is that it is efficient, is expertly organized and managed, and employs an optimal combination of personnel and functions to deliver high-quality service to Grand Rapids. Like most organizational designs, there are positive and negative factors associated with the service area concept (mostly positive), and the recommendations provided here are meant to improve an already high-performing function.
Patrol Deployment Uniformed patrol is considered the backbone of policing in the United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics indicate that more than 95 percent of U. S. police departments in the same size category as the GRPD provide uniformed patrol. Officers assigned to this important function are the members of the department most visible to the public and occupy the largest share of resources committed by the department. Proper allocation of these resources is critical in order to have officers available to respond to calls for service and provide numerous law enforcement services to the public. Although some police administrators suggest that there are national standards for the number of patrol officers per thousand people, no such standards exist. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) states that ready-made, universally applicable patrol staffing standards do not exist. Furthermore, ratios such as officers-per-thousand population are inappropriate data to use as the basis for staffing decisions. Staffing decisions, particularly in patrol, must be based on actual workload. Only after the actual workload is analyzed can a determination be made as to the amount of discretionary patrol time that should exist, consistent with the community’s ability to fund it. To understand actual workload
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(the time required to complete certain activities) it is critical to review in detail the total reported events, separated into different categories such as directed patrol, administrative tasks, officerinitiated activities, and citizen-initiated activities. This analysis allows identification of activities that are really “calls” from those activities that are other events. Understanding the difference between the various types of police department events and the staffing implications is critical to determining actual deployment needs. This requires looking at the total deployed hours of the police department with a comparison to the time being spent currently to provide services.
Rule of 60 In general, a “Rule of 60” can be applied to evaluate patrol staffing. This rule has two parts. The first part states that 60 percent of the sworn officers in a department should be dedicated to the patrol function (patrol staffing) and the second part states that no more than 60 percent of their time should be committed to calls for service. This commitment of 60 percent of their time is referred to as the patrol saturation index. The Rule of 60 is not a hard-and-fast rule, but rather a starting point for discussion on patrol deployment. Resource allocation decisions must be made from a policy and/or managerial perspective through which costs and benefits of competing demands are considered. The patrol saturation index indicates the percentage of time dedicated by police officers to public demands for service and administrative duties related to their jobs. Effective patrol deployment would exist at amounts where the saturation index was less than 60. This Rule of 60 for patrol deployment does not mean the remaining 40 percent of time is downtime or break time. It is a reflection of the extent that patrol officer time is saturated by calls for service. The time when police personnel are not responding to calls should be committed to managementdirected operations. This is a more focused use of time and can include supervised allocation of patrol officer activities toward proactive enforcement, crime prevention, community policing, and citizen safety initiatives. It will also provide ready and available resources in the event of a largescale emergency. From an organizational standpoint, it is important to have uniformed patrol resources available at all times of the day to deal with issues such as proactive enforcement, community policing, and emergency response. Patrol is generally the most visible and available resource in policing, and the ability to harness this resource is critical for successful operations. From an officer’s standpoint, once a certain level of CFS activity is reached, the officer’s focus shifts to a CFS-based reactionary mode. Once a threshold is reached, the patrol officer’s mindset begins to shift from one that looks for ways to deal with crime and quality-of-life conditions in the community to one that continually prepares for the next call for service. After a point of CFS saturation, officers cease proactive policing and engage in a reactionary style of policing. The outlook becomes “Why act proactively when my actions are only going to be interrupted by a call for service?” Uncommitted time is spent waiting for the next call. The saturation threshold is generally considered to be 60 percent.
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The ICMA data analysis at the end of this report provides a rich overview of CFS and staffing demands experienced by the GRPD. The analysis here looks specifically at patrol deployment and maximizing the personnel resources of the GRPD to meet CFS demands and engage in proactive policing to combat crime, disorder, and traffic issues in the community. According to the GRPD Organizational Chart effective September 2011, the patrol function is staffed by four captains, two lieutenants, seventeen sergeants, and 154 patrol officers, for a total of 177 sworn officers assigned to the four service areas. These 177 sergeants and police officers represent 59.4 percent of the 298 sworn officers in the GRPD. This distribution indicates that 59.4 percent of the GRPD sworn personnel are assigned to patrol and the agency is appropriately balanced.
Saturation Index General patrol operations in the GRPD are staffed using 12-hour shifts. Each service area is broken down into two shifts (day and night), with a different number of officers in each shift, and two rotations (A and B), with approximately the same number of officers in each rotation (see Table 3 on the next page). This patrol configuration provides approximately the same deployment levels in each service area, with the night shift staffing more officers in each service area than the day shift. Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 graphically represent the saturation index (SI) of patrol resources in the GRPD during February and August, 2011. The amount of available patrol resources is denoted by the dashed green line at the top of each figure. The 100 percent value indicates the total police officer hours available during the 24-hour period. This amount varies during the day consistent with the staffing of the shifts, but at any given hour the total amount of available manpower will equal 100 percent. The red dashed line fixed at the 60 percent level represents the upper level of the saturation index). This is the point at which patrol resources become largely reactive as CFS and workload demands consume a large portion of available resources. It is ICMA’s contention that patrol staffing is deployed optimally when the SI is in the 60 percent range. An SI greater than 60 percent indicates that the patrol manpower is largely reactive and overburdened with CFS and workload demands. An SI of approximately 60 percent indicates that patrol manpower is staffed optimally. SI levels much lower than 60 percent, however, indicate underutilized patrol deployment and opportunities for a reduction in patrol resources or reallocation of police personnel. Departments must be cautious in interpreting the SI too narrowly. One should not conclude that the SI can never exceed 60 percent at any time during the day or that in any given hour no more than 60 percent of any officer’s time be committed to calls for service. The SI at 60 percent is intended to be a benchmark to evaluate service demands on patrol staffing. When SI levels exceed 60 percent for substantial periods of a given shift or at isolated and specific times during the day, decisions should be made to reallocate or realign personnel to reduce the SI to levels below 60. (The data analysis section of this report goes into great detail of the exact elements of this information).
Patrol
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TABLE 3: Patrol Deployment (effective September 2011) Service Area
Captain
Lieutenant
North
1
.5
a
Shift
b
East
West
1
1
1
.5
.5
.5
c
Sergeant
Patrol Officer
Day
A
1
7
Day
B
1
7
Night
A
1
10
Night
B
1
10
d
South
Rotation
CPO
N/A
3
Day
A
1
7
Day
B
1
7
Night
A
1
10
Night
B
1
10
CPO
N/A
1
7
Day
A
1
7
Day
B
1
7
Night
A
1
9
Night
B
1
10
CPO
N/A
Day
A
1
8
Day
B
1
8
Night
A
1
10
Night
B
1
10
CPO
N/A
3
4
a
One lieutenant is assigned to two service areas (North-West, South-East). Tours are staggered to minimize overlap (0530x1730, 0630x1830; 1730x0530, 1830x0630) c Rotations work opposite each other and follow this schedule: 2-on, 2-off, 3-on, 2-off, 2-on, and 3-off. d Community police officers have variable start times and work 10-hour tours. b
Examination of Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 permits exploration of the second prong of the Rule of 60. Again, the Rule of 60 examines the relationship between total work and total patrol, and to comply with this rule, total work should be less than 60 percent of total patrol. The black line represents the total combination of activities, including out-of-service time—which could be for administrative duties related to CFS and personal time—and all other activities related to service provision. This black line also includes time spent on police-initiated calls for service, which can include traffic stops and calls for service received directly by the officer on patrol. These various activities are represented cumulatively on the graph so each activity adds to the other. The total workload is arrived at by combining other-initiated, officer-initiated, out-of-service, and directed patrol times. Keep in mind that the black line does not represent just workload; it is
Patrol
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the percentage of workload related to the amount of available manpower. So at any given hour of the day during these two representative months, workload is compared to available manpower and the result is the patrol saturation index. Total available manpower is represented by the dotted green line at the top of the figure and the 60 percent benchmark is the red dotted line in the middle. In order to evaluate patrol staffing, the second prong of the Rule of 60 can be applied here. In this case, the most effective use of patrol resources occurs when officers are not committed to CFS activities greater than 60 percent of total available time. Examination of the data presented in the four figures indicates that ideal patrol is staffed consistently throughout the day in both months and patrol saturation is consistently below the 60 percent threshold. Figure 3 shows the patrol SI for weekdays in February 2011. As the figure indicates, the SI never exceeds the 60 percent threshold. The SI ranges from a low of approximately 7.6 percent at 6:00 A.M. to a high of 50.8 percent at 1:00 P.M., with a daily average of 32.8 percent. Note that direct public demand for services indicated by the solid blue line (other-initiated) in Figure 4 demonstrates that at all times during the weekdays in February the GRPD had adequate, even surplus, patrol resources to meet that demand.
FIGURE 3: Patrol Saturation Index, February 2011, Weekdays 100
Percentage
80
60
40
20
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
Hour
Workload vs. Deployment, February 2011, Weekdays: Average workload: 9.5 officers per hour Average % deployed (SI): 32.8% Low SI: 7.6% Low SI time: 0600 hours Peak SI: 50.8% Peak SI time: 1300 hours
Patrol
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Figure 4 presents the patrol SI for weekends in February 2011. As the figure indicates, the SI never exceeds the 60 percent threshold. The SI ranges from a low of approximately 14.1 percent at 5:30 A.M. to a high of 56.6 percent at 12:45 P.M., with a daily average of 38.4 percent.
FIGURE 4: Patrol Saturation Index, February 2011, Weekends 100
Percentage
80
60
40
20
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
Hour
Workload vs. Deployment, February 2011, Weekends: Average workload: 10.9 officers per hour Average % deployed (SI): 38.4% Low SI: 14.1% Low SI time: 0530 hours Peak SI: 56.6% Peak SI time: 1245 hours
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Figure 5 presents the patrol SI for weekdays in August 2011. As the figure indicates, the SI exceeds 60 percent briefly between 12:30 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. and returns below the threshold for the remainder of the day. The SI ranges from a low of approximately 12.2 percent at 6:30 A.M. to high of 63.2 percent at 1:00 P.M., with a daily average of 42.2 percent.
FIGURE 5: Patrol Saturation Index, August 2011, Weekdays 100
Percentage
80
60
40
20
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
Hour
Workload vs. Deployment, August 2011, Weekdays: Average workload: 11.6 officers per hour Average % deployed (SI): 42.2% Low SI: 12.2% Low SI time: 0630 hours Peak SI: 63.2% Peak SI time: 1300 hours
Patrol
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Figure 6 presents the patrol SI for weekends in August 2011. As the figure indicates, the SI never exceeds the 60 percent threshold. The SI ranges from a low of approximately 14.0 percent at 6:35 A.M. to a high of 59.6 percent at 3:00 P.M., with a daily average of 42.8 percent.
FIGURE 6: Patrol Saturation Index, August 2011, Weekends 100
Percentage
80
60
40
20
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
Hour
Workload vs. Deployment, August 2011, Weekends: Average workload: 11.3 officers per hour Average % deployed (SI): 42.8% Low SI: 14.0% Low SI time: 0630 hours Peak SI: 59.6% Peak SI time: 1500 hours
The GRPD and the employee unions recently negotiated the terms of a new labor agreement that modified patrol schedules. This modification called for the reduction of four hours from one 12hour shift every two weeks. The GRPD inspected the patrol schedule and designated the days and hours when the officers would experience this four-hour shift reduction. In general, the GRPD eliminated four hours at the beginning of the day rotations, and four hours at the end of the evening rotations. Essentially, the department reduced staffing during the times when service demands were the lowest. The existing “Kelly Day” is an artifact of the 12-hour shift schedule in place in the GRPD. Because officers work 168 hours in the four week schedule and are only paid for 160, the extra time was accrued as an “extra day off,” or Kelly Day. The department and the union were successful at negotiating this issue and shortening one day every two weeks to an 8-hour day from a12-hour day.
Patrol
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For the day shift this means starting later (either at 9:30 or 10:30 A.M.); for the night shift it means ending earlier (either at 1:30 or 2:30 A.M.). As a result, the officers lose the extra day off. The negotiation and change in scheduling are part of a two-phase staffing reduction. Phase I of the plan, in effect at the time of this report, calls for patrol staffing levels in the GRPD to be reduced to 130 officers. Phase II of the plan calls for a further reduction to 124 officers, but to supplement patrol staffing during summer months (six officers on each shift each day will be deployed on overtime to bring the staffing levels back to 130 officers). Essentially, the staffing levels on patrol in the GRPD will be reduced to 124 officers and during the months of April through September six officers will be deployed on overtime. This is an excellent demonstration of effective management and sound labor relations. It is also another example of the GRPD using all available tools to reduce personnel costs and maintain service levels. The department is commended for this approach. In light of these recent changes, it is necessary to revisit the patrol staffing, workload, and saturation index models presented above. Undoubtedly, the elimination of hours at the beginning and end of each rotation has an impact on all these factors, and it is necessary to understand the impact. Figures 7 and 8 examine patrol staffing and workload in the wake of the four-hour shift reduction. In order to make this comparison, 2011 workload data are used. Collecting new CFS data to make this comparison was beyond the scope of the study. In addition, 2012 staffing information relative to the patrol reductions is compared with last year’s data for the weekdays and weekends in winter. Integrating both sources of information demonstrates that the GRPD is making better use of patrol resources by balancing staff and demand. The result is a smoother trend in the saturation index, indicating that workload and staffing is held relatively constant throughout the day. The absence of large swings in the saturation index from peaks to valleys and back indicates that sufficient patrol staff is present throughout the day to meet service demands on a consistent basis. Once again, this is an excellent way to manage personnel resources.
Patrol
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As shown in Figure 7, average weekday workload for winter 2011 was 9.5 officers per hour. This translates into an average saturation index of 30 percent for weekdays. The peak SI was 44 percent, occurring at 2:30 A.M. This figure demonstrates that sufficient resources are available under the reconfigured staffing model to meet service demands from calls for service.
FIGURE 7: 2012 Deployment and 2011 Workload, Winter Weekdays 100
Percentage
75
50
25
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12 Hour
14
16
18
20
22
Workload vs. Deployment, Winter Weekdays: Average workload: 9.5 officers per hour Average % deployed (SI): 30% Low SI: 10% Low SI time: 0645 hours Peak SI: 44% Peak SI time: 1230 hours
Patrol
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As shown in to Figure 8, average weekend workload for winter 2011 was eleven officers per hour. This translates into an average saturation index of 39 percent for weekends. The peak SI was 57 percent, occurring at 3:15 A.M. This figure also demonstrates that sufficient resources are available under the reconfigured staffing model to meet service demands from CFS.
FIGURE 8: 2012 Deployment and 2011 Workload, Winter Weekends 100
Percentage
75
50
25
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
Hour
Workload vs. Deployment, Winter Weekends: Average workload: 11 officers per hour Average % deployed (SI): 39% Low SI: 14% Low SI time: 0745 hours Peak SI: 57% Peak SI time: 1315 hours
Figures 7 and 8 above indicate that patrol workload can be handled by the current staffing and is easily within the acceptable range of saturation index. Adding to this staffing with overtime deployment in the busy months allows a greater level of assurance that demands for service from CFS will be met.
Appropriate Patrol Staffing Taking into consideration the demand for police services in Grand Rapids and the concept of saturation index, appropriate levels of patrol staffing can be determined. The optimal level of patrol staffing will lead to the modeling of patrol schedules and act as the foundation for the staffing of the entire department.
Patrol
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Service Area Comparisons Before discussing appropriate staffing models in the GRPD it is important to consider the variation in demand between the four service areas. Table 4 presents information relating to the call volume in each service area, seasonal variation in CFS, committed time and officers to the average CFS and the breakdown of citizen and police initiated CFS. Inspection of Table 4 indicates that the CFS characteristics in the four service areas are fairly uniformed. The East service area has the lowest other-initiated CFS with 16,115 and the highest police-initiated CFS with 9411. The West service area has the highest other-initiated CFS with 20,149 and the lowest police-initiated CFS with 7,210. The average time to handle a CFS is similar at around 40 minutes and each service area commits approximately 2 officers to each CFS. Similarly, the average number of CFS per hour is around 3.0. Also, there does not appear to be any seasonal differences between the service areas. Each service area experiences an increase during the warmer months, and a decrease during the colder months. The only notable exception is that the east service area CFS volume peaks during July and August while the peak in the other areas appears in the prior two months.
TABLE 4: Service Area CFS Comparison Nov. –Dec. 57.05
Jan. –Feb. 61.81
Mar. –Apr. 68.95
May –June 81.02
July –Aug. 72.92
Sept. –Oct. 69.05
CFS per Hour 2.90
2.0
62.67
62.39
67.85
80.18
71.03
70.97
2.90
45.34
1.9
59.38
61.47
68.69
78.41
82.34
69.02
2.90
36.32
1.9
68.84
68.29
72.62
84.26
79.69
75.84
3.10
North
Total CFS 25,000
Police CFS 7,943
Other CFS 17,057
CFS CFS Time Units 40.63 1.9
South
25,262
8,418
16,844
39.58
East
25,526
9,411
16,115
West
27,359
7,210
20,149
The relative consistency between the four service areas, therefore, permits an aggregated deployment analysis. The discussion can now move into workload and staffing analysis looking at the city as a whole.
Workload and Staffing Table 5 lists the demand for police services in terms of total workload during weekends and weekdays in February and August. These workload demands are listed in the left portion of the table and are presented for each hour of the day. At midnight during the week in February total workload demand for police service in Grand Rapids was 9.6 police-hours. In other words, through citizen-initiated CFS, self-initiated activities by GRPD officers, and out-of-service requirements, 9.6 hours of time were expended at that hour. Inspection of the table indicates that demand for services, or total workload, decreases as the night progresses hitting a low point around 5:00 A.M. and then increases throughout the day. The adjacent columns represent workload demands for weekends in February and weekdays and weekends in August. Workload patterns are slightly different on weekends and in August, but the general pattern appears in each column. To staff appropriately, ICMA recommends that consideration be given to peak workload at each individual hour during the day. The next column in Table 5, labeled Peak workload, represents the
Patrol
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highest workload observed during that hour in any one of the four periods (weekends/weekdays in February/August). Looking at the 12:00 A.M. hour, the peak workload was 17.5 police-hours demanded in weekends in August. The “peak workload” column, therefore, is constructed by selecting the highest workload figure during each of the 24-hour time periods in the table. The next column in Table 5 is labeled “60% SI – Peak.” This column represents the number of police officers required to maintain staffing levels at the 60 percent saturation index for that given hour. Thus, with 17.5 hours of workload, 29.1 police officers are required to meet that workload while maintaining the 60 percent saturation threshold (17.5/60% = 29.1). The same calculation is made for each of the 24-hour periods and the result is the number of police officers that are required to be available to meet peak workload and maintain the 60 percent saturation threshold. Staffing patrol coverage is a challenging task. In order to have a certain number of officers available, additional officers must be assigned. Training, sick time, court, vacations, and a myriad of other responsibilities take personnel away from their primary patrol assignments. On a typical shift it is common that 25 percent of the officers assigned will not be available because of another competing responsibility.3 Therefore, in order to ensure that 29.1 officers are available to meet workload demands and adhere to the 60 percent saturation index threshold, a staffing adjustment must be made assigning additional officers to work with the expectation they will be unavailable because of other demands. The right column in Figure 4 presents the number of officers that are needed to be assigned in order to meet appropriate levels of workload in Grand Rapids. At 12:00 A.M., in order to meet the peak workload demand of 17.5 officer-hours, 29.1 officers need to be working to meet the 60 percent threshold, and 39 officers need to be scheduled for that time period (29.1/75% = 39). Inspection of the next row of Table 5 shows the workload and required staffing for the hour from 1:00 to 2:00 A.M. In this case the peak workload is 16.7 police-hours, and 37 officers must be scheduled to work in order for 27.9 of them to be assigned to meet that workload within the 60 percent threshold. The same calculation can be made at each hour of the day and a 24-hour staffing distribution can be created. According to Table 5, required staffing for peak workload ranges from a high of 39 officers at 12:00 A.M. to a low of 12 officers at 5:00 A.M. Also, the staffing requirements are not uniform and fluctuate throughout the day, peaking at midnight and tapering off until the early morning when they begin to rise steadily throughout the day.
3
The Police Executive Research Forum recognizes 75 percent as the appropriate factor for determining patrol availability staffing.
Patrol
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TABLE 5: Peak Workload Staffing Workload February
Time
a
Weekday
August
Weekend
Weekday
Weekend
Peak
Required Staffing Staffing 60% SI for a Peak Peak
12 AM
9.6
14.1
14.3
17.5
17.5
29.1
39
1 AM
9.0
15.5
13.5
16.7
16.7
27.9
37
2 AM
9.8
15.4
13.0
16.8
16.8
28.0
37
3 AM
10.2
16.7
12.2
17.0
17.0
28.3
38
4 AM
7.0
13.1
10.4
16.0
16.0
26.7
36
5 AM
3.0
7.1
5.8
9.5
9.5
15.8
21
6 AM
2.1
5.2
3.7
4.6
5.2
8.7
12
7 AM
5.1
5.3
6.3
3.9
6.3
10.5
14
8 AM
8.4
4.5
8.7
5.6
8.7
14.5
19
9 AM
9.2
6.5
11.0
6.8
11.0
18.3
24
10 AM
8.9
9.2
9.8
6.4
9.8
16.3
22
11 AM
8.7
9.9
10.8
7.5
10.8
18.0
24
12 PM
11.4
12.2
12.1
10.9
12.2
20.3
27
1 PM
12.8
13.3
14.7
11.5
14.7
24.5
33
2 PM
12.2
12.6
13.5
11.2
13.5
22.5
30
3 PM
12.6
13.2
11.4
12.0
13.2
22.0
29
4 PM
11.3
11.4
12.2
10.4
12.2
20.3
27
5 PM
10.0
9.9
10.8
8.2
10.8
18.0
24
6 PM
9.9
11.6
10.9
9.6
11.6
19.3
26
7 PM
12.3
12.6
15.2
12.7
15.2
25.3
34
8 PM
11.6
11.2
15.7
13.8
15.7
26.2
35
9 PM
12.9
13.6
14.6
15.2
15.2
25.3
34
10 PM
12.7
12.6
15.4
14.5
15.4
25.7
34
11 PM
12.2
12.2
15.8
13.9
15.8
26.3
35
Blue = Night Shift, 1800x0600; Yellow = Day Shift, 0600x1800
The challenge of managing patrol operations is to ensure that sufficient resources are available to meet demand through appropriate staffing and scheduling. The GRPD employs two 12-hour shifts with essentially fixed personnel assignments during these two 12-hour blocks. The fixed nature of the staffing combined with the variable nature of workload demands will naturally create periods of personnel surplus and shortage throughout the day. The goal is to minimize these surpluses and shortages and create a work schedule that reduces the variance between demand and supply. Table 6 presents a comparison between the number of officers needed, based upon the data from Table 5, and the current staffing in the GRPD. According to the data in Table 6, 39 officers are required at 12:00 A.M. to meet the 60 percent threshold. Currently 31 officers are assigned, which translates into a shortage of eight officers during that hour. At the bottom of Table 5 are figures that represent total manpower, manpower per hour, required personnel, and surplus. Total manpower
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is the sum of each hourly “needed” figure, or 39 plus 37, plus 37, etc.—a total of 691. Dividing 691 by 24 results in the average per hour—in this case 29 TABLE 6: Needed vs. officers per hour. Since there are two shifts (night and day) Current Staffing and two rotations (A and B), the average manpower per Time Needed Current hour is multiplied by 4 to determine to optimal number of required police officers on patrol. In this case, based upon 12 AM 39 31 the current workload demands, and the requirement of 1 AM 37 30 meeting the 60 percent peak threshold, 116 officers are 2 AM 37 28 required to meet these criteria. Under the current staffing 3 AM 38 27 model, the GRPD employs 124 officers on patrol, 8 more 4 AM 36 27 than necessary. In an ideal world, the GRPD would be able to carve out the right number of people working at the precise hour to meet both supply and demand. Unfortunately, the rigid nature of the deployment schedule makes this impossible. Thus, the perfect state can only be approximated by creating the “best fit” of patrol staffing and workload demand. The best fit occurs when the variation between workload demand and police officer supply is the lowest. This best fit is created by modeling or manipulating various combinations of officers and 12-hour blocks to reduce the variance between supply and demand to its lowest possible level. An added challenge to these calculations is the presence of the service areas with approximately uniform workload demands. It is necessary to balance the personnel resources assigned to the service areas, which puts added restrictions on the number of personnel necessary for deployment. Taking these factors into consideration (12-hour tours, service areas), a patrol staffing model with 120 officers can be used.
5 AM
21
25
6 AM
12
24
7 AM
14
25
8 AM
19
32
9 AM
24
33
10 AM
22
35
11 AM
24
35
12 PM
27
35
1 PM
33
35
2 PM
30
35
3 PM
29
35
4 PM
27
35
5 PM
24
35
6 PM
26
30
7 PM
34
31
8 PM
35
31
9 PM
34
31
10 PM
34
31
11 PM Total manpower Manpower per hour Required personnel
35
31
691
746
With 120 officers assigned to patrol (4 more officers than 29 31 necessary based on workload), an equal distribution of 116 124 officers can be made by shift and by service area. Appendix B depicts various staffing models with shift length variations Surplus 0 8 and officer concentration by hour. The culmination of these models indicates that the best fit for patrol deployment in the GRPD results from 12-hour shifts with start/end times of 5:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., with 36 officers assigned to the night shift and 24 to the day shift. This combination of shift length, start and end time, and officer assignments creates the best fit of patrol resources to meet the demand for police services. Table 7 shows the culmination of these factors working together in a visual fashion. The far-left column is the hour of the day, labeled “time.” The “needed” columns represent the number of police officers needed in that given hour to meet the 60 percent threshold. The “staffed” column
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represents the optimal shift and personnel combination based upon the shift/demand modeling. The “current” column represents the current staffing on patrol in the GRPD. Finally, the “deviation” column represents the difference between the number of officers staffed and the number of officers required. Where the deviation is negative, there are fewer officers assigned than needed to meet the 60 percent threshold; where the number is positive there are more officers assigned than required.
TABLE 7: Staffing Deviation Time
Needed
Staffed
12 AM
39
36
1 AM
37
36
2 AM
37
3 AM
Deviation
Needed
Current
Deviation
-3
39
31
-8
-1
37
30
-7
36
-1
37
28
-9
38
36
-2
38
27
-11
4 AM
36
36
0
36
27
-10
5 AM
21
24
3
21
25
4
6 AM
12
24
12
12
24
12
7 AM
14
24
10
14
25
11
8 AM
19
24
5
19
32
13
9 AM
24
24
0
24
33
9
10 AM
22
24
2
22
35
13
11 AM
24
24
0
24
35
11
12 PM
27
24
-3
27
35
8
1 PM
33
24
-9
33
35
2
2 PM
30
24
-6
30
35
5
3 PM
29
24
-5
29
35
6
4 PM
27
24
-3
27
35
8
5 PM
24
36
12
24
35
11
6 PM
26
36
10
26
30
4
7 PM
34
36
2
34
31
-3
8 PM
35
36
1
35
31
-4
9 PM
34
36
2
34
31
-3
10 PM
34
36
2
34
31
-3
11 PM
35
36
1
35
31
-4
Total Deviation.
29
55
Patrol Officer Surplus
1.21
2.30
Surplus
4
8
Variance
29.56
64.95
In a perfect system, the deviations would all be zeros and demand would be meet perfectly by appropriate staffing. Since this is impossible to achieve, best fit is the desired state. Adding up the deviations over the 24-hour day results in the surplus/deficit of staff on patrol. The term “variance” is simply a calculation that portrays the amount of variability in the deviation between demand and supply, or workload and staffing. The best fit seeks to minimize the variability to the greatest extent
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possible. Large differences between workload and available staff would indicate a poor fit and this would be captured by the level of variance. Taking all of these factors together permits a comparison of the current staffing with the proposed staffing of 120 officers divided equally between the service areas, with 36 assigned at night and 24 during the day. According to Table 7, the best fit results from having 120 officers assigned in a 24/36 split, with 5:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. start and end times. The total number of deviations (difference between demand and available staff) is 29, or 1.21 per hour. This indicates that over the course of the 24-hour period there are 29 office-hours too many (1.21 per hour), or four officers too many, based on the current workload. This compares favorably to the 55 surplus officer-hours in the current staffing allocation. The current allocation indicates that there are eight officers more than current workload requires. Similarly, the variance in the proposed model is lower than the current staffing model (29.56 compared to 64.95). This indicates that the 24/36 split meets the workload demands better than the current staffing model because the variability between the workload and the staffing is lower. The end result of this analysis is that the GRPD patrol operations should be staffed with 120 officers divided equally among service areas with 12-hour shifts, with 24 officers assigned to the day shift and 36 officers to the night shift.
Revisiting the Rule of 60 Based upon the above discussion it is necessary to revisit both parts of the rule of 60 to demonstrate the impact this staffing model will have on workload, and to determine the foundation for staffing the department. Table 8 illustrates the analysis in reverse. Based upon the 120 officer, 24/36 shift distribution with 5:00 A.M./5:00 P.M. start and end time and peak workload demands, the saturation index can be calculated. The far-left column labeled “staffed” represents the 24/36 shift assignments. With the assumption that only 75 percent of the officers assigned will be available for patrol (25 percent absent due to court, sick, training, vacation, etc.) the column “working” reduces the “staffed” column by 25 percent and provides an estimate of the number of officers that will actually be assigned to patrol. The peak demand is taken from Table 5; the far-right column right is the saturation index based upon these data. According to this analysis, the average peak saturation is approximately 58 percent. During the 24-hour day, the 60 percent threshold is breeched during ten of the hourly periods (highlighted). Additionally, this analysis does not incorporate the deployment of the community police officers assigned to patrol in the GRPD. The CPOs generally work weekday shifts and can be available to supplement patrol staffing during peak times if necessary. Furthermore, considering that these values represent peak demand, this appears to be an appropriate deployment plan to meet workload demands in Grand Rapids.
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TABLE 8: Projected Saturation Index at Peak Demand Time
Staffed
Working
Peak Demand
Saturation Index
12 AM
36
27
17.5
64.64
1 AM
36
27
16.7
62.03
2 AM
36
27
16.8
62.26
3 AM
36
27
17.0
62.89
4 AM
36
27
16.0
59.30
5 AM
24
18
9.5
52.63
6 AM
24
18
5.2
28.89
7 AM
24
18
6.3
35.00
8 AM
24
18
8.7
48.33
9 AM
24
18
11.0
61.11
10 AM
24
18
9.8
54.44
11 AM
24
18
10.8
60.00
12 PM
24
18
12.2
67.78
1 PM
24
18
14.7
81.67
2 PM
24
18
13.5
75.00
3 PM
24
18
13.2
73.33
4 PM
24
18
12.2
67.78
5 PM
36
27
10.8
40.00
6 PM
36
27
11.6
42.96
7 PM
36
27
15.2
56.30
8 PM
36
27
15.7
58.15
9 PM
36
27
15.2
56.30
10 PM
36
27
15.4
57.04
11 PM
36
27
15.8
58.52
Average
57.80
The staffing figures presented in these tables are only for personnel in the rank of police officer. Supervision, management, and community policing officers must be added to these personnel figures to apply the second part of the Rule of 60. The second part of the Rule of 60 suggests that 60 percent of the department should be in patrol operations. The patrol function in Grand Rapids can be configured according to Table 9 to meet workload demands. Several other areas of this report provide recommendations for the organization of the GRPD’s patrol function; these recommendations are applied here. Essentially, ICMA’s analysis reveals that the GRPD would be better served by two service areas instead of four, two lieutenants should be assigned to each new service area, a deputy chief should be assigned and responsible for patrol operations, and the community policing function should remain unchanged. Integrating these factors into the staffing levels, Table 9 represents the organization and staffing of this new division. According to the ICMA analysis, 161 sworn personnel should be assigned to patrol. These
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personnel, assigned according to the recommended distribution and organization will be sufficient to meet workload demands in Grand Rapids.
TABLE 9: Recommended Patrol Staffing Configuration Service Areaa
Captain
Lieutenant
Shiftb
Rotationc
Sergeant
Patrol Officer
North
1
2
Day
A
2
12
Day
B
2
12
Night
A
2
18
Night
B
2
18
CPOd
N/A
Day
A
2
12
Day
B
2
12
Night
A
2
18
Night
B
2
18
CPO
N/A
1
10
South
1
2
7
a
With the deputy chief in overall command. Shifts are staggered to minimize overlap (0430x1630, 0530x1730; 1630x0430, 1730x0530). c Rotations work opposite each other and follow this schedule: 2-on, 2-off, 3-on, 2-off, 2-on, and 3-off. d Community police officers work 10-hour shifts on weekdays. b
Based upon 161 sworn personnel assigned to the patrol division, and applying the second part of the Rule of 60, there should be approximately 269 sworn officers in the entire GRPD. The new patrol configuration is represented in Table 10.
TABLE 10: Recommended Patrol Division Staffing Deputy Chief
Captain
Lieutenant
1
2
Sergeant
Patrol Officer
Total
1 East-South ES-CPO North-West
1
2
8
60
1
10
8
60
NW CPO Total
7 1
2
4
17
137
161
Recommendations:
Patrol
Staff the patrol division with 161 sworn personnel, with 120 of those officers assigned to patrol shifts.
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Employ two 12-hour shifts. The day shift should start at 5 A.M. and consist of 24 officers on each rotation. The night shift should start at 5:00 P.M. and be staffed with 36 officers on each rotation.
Demand Management In calendar year 2010, the GRPD responded to more than 94,000 CFS. Examination of the data extracted from the CAD system and detailed in the data analysis section of this report shows that out of these calls, approximately 63,000 were actual calls for service generated by public demand and 31,000 were police-initiated assignments. Table 11 lists the major categories of assignment and the average amount of time spent on each one of those assignments during 2010. Table 11 illustrates the CFS demand in Grand Rapids. The table breaks down the volume of calls by category and shows the amount of time necessary to handle each call. As shown, the “traffic enforcement” category has the highest number of calls for service, with 24,670. “Check/investigate” is the next highest with nearly 11,600 calls, and “crime-persons” is in third, with more than 11,000 calls.
TABLE 11: Calls for Service, 2011
Category Accidents Alarm Animal calls Assist other agency Check/investigation Crime–persons Crime–property Disturbance Juvenile Miscellaneous Prisoner–arrest Suspicious person/vehicle Traffic enforcement Total
Calls 430 25 37 364 2,070 296 645 414 57 3,718 2,633 121 20,215 31,025
Police-initiated Units per Call Minutes 1.4 62.2 3.0 31.5 1.4 38.0 1.7 54.1 1.5 42.3 2.2 67.2 1.8 71.8 1.9 39.2 1.5 47.8 1.5 50.0 1.7 73.5 2.0 41.4 1.2 14.2 1.3 28.8
Calls 6,089 4,972 1,347 1,786 9,515 10,827 7,660 9,892 545 1,758 44 4,302 4,455 63,192
Other-initiated Units per Call Minutes 1.3 64.8 2.1 17.7 1.2 27.5 1.9 43.3 1.9 43.0 2.1 53.4 1.7 60.4 2.0 27.2 1.8 26.9 1.8 36.9 1.8 68.0 2.0 31.6 1.2 27.2 1.8 42.0
Total Calls 6,519 4,997 1,384 2,150 11,585 11,123 8,305 10,306 602 5,476 2677 4,423 24,670 94,217
All CFS % of Total 6.9 5.3 1.5 2.3 12.3 11.8 8.8 10.9 0.6 5.8 2.8 4.7 26.2 100.0
The data in Table 11 lead to several observations. First, total CFS volume as a percentage of population is low. According to the table there were 94,217 CFS in the year between November 1, 2010, and October 31, 2011, with 20,215 being police-initiated traffic enforcement. Therefore, direct demand for service is approximately 75,000 CFS. The population of Grand Rapids is approximately 188,000. This indicates that during the 12-month period under observation the CFS rate was approximately 0.40 per person (or 400 CFS for every 1,000 residents). While there is no accepted standard ratio between calls for service and population, the lower the ratio means the better managed the CFS function is in an organization. ICMA studies of
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Rank 6 8 12 11 2 3 5 4 13 7 10 9 1
communities similar in size to Grand Rapids show the CFS/population ratio to range between 0.4 and 1.1 CFS per person, per year. A value of 0.40 CFS/person/year indicates that there is an effective “triage” system in place in the GRPD and call-takers are screening out frivolous and/or “nonpolice” calls. Once again, the management of the GRPD should be commended for outstanding performance in this area. ICMA experience indicates that without effective management, the 911 system can become a catchall for community demands. Being open 24 hours, 365 days each year, 911 is often the “go-to” resource for community concerns. If not properly managed, this can result in the misuse or ineffective deployment of valuable police resources. The data from the GRPD indicate that police resources, as reflected by CFS/population ratio, are being deployed effectively. In group discussions, patrol officers voiced frustration over being dispatched to nuisance, or nonemergency police, calls for service, such as kids refusing to go to school, landscapers blowing leaves in the street, birds or other animals that had gotten into homes, etc. Although these types of calls for service were reported, in general the GRPD seems to do a fairly good job of minimizing response to non-emergency calls coming into the 911 system.
Reducing Responses to Certain Calls Despite what appears to be effective CFS triaging, the GRPD still handles a high number of calls that have limited or no relationship to law enforcement. Consideration should be given to evaluating responses to these calls. This evaluation could be performed by a committee of GRPD personnel, who can examine calls for service and recommend means to eliminate, downsize, and streamline responses to certain calls by units on patrol. The quantity and quality of certain calls deserve closer scrutiny as, as substantially curtailing response holds enormous potential for improving operational efficiencies. Three categories of calls (burglar alarms, traffic accidents with property damage only, and miscellaneous) might not warrant the response of a sworn police officer. For example, at motor vehicle accidents involving only property damage, the police role is largely administrative, preparing and filing reports. Similarly, industry experience also tells us that more than 98 percent of all burglar alarms are false alarms and that calls regarding animal complaints are typically just nuisance-type calls that do not involve any danger to citizens. The bottom line here is that many calls for service dispatched to officers in the GRPD could be eliminated. In 2011, the GRPD responded to more than 4,497 burglar alarms, which represented 5.3 percent of all calls for service. At 17.7 minutes per call (with 2.1 officers responding), this equates to almost 2,800 hours spent on this one type of call. Experience dictates that response to these calls is a waste of valuable police resources. In order to address this problem, a double call verification program is taking hold across the county. Currently, the alarm industry is working with police departments to reduce alarm types of calls. The industry is a strong advocate of developing ordinances and procedures to address police responses to false alarms and will work closely with any agency exploring this issue. It should be noted that nationwide, 98 percent of alarm calls are false and are caused by user error that can often be addressed by alarm management programs. Alarm reduction needs to be addressed aggressively in Grand Rapids.
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Adopting an alarm callback program has the potential to reduce CFS volume by thousands of calls. Currently, the department uses a false-alarm management program to identify chronic locations and reduce the overall number of alarms responded to by patrol personnel. It appears this program has been effective and it has generated significant income (via fines and penalties) for the city. A location that experiences three or more false alarms within a stated period is identified as “chronic.” Fines range from $50 to $200 per false alarm. Annual fines average approximately $50,000 per year. The computerized program that tracks these calls was developed in-house by department personnel. Recommended changes to the program are not intended to eliminate or expand the existing chronic alarm program, but rather to prevent police response to the alarm in the first place and force the alarm company and/or alarm owner to shoulder the burden of the false alarm. In 2011, the GRPD responded to 5,476 reports of “miscellaneous,” which are types of calls that do not have a criminal or police nature. At 36.9 minutes per call (with 1.8 officers responding to each call) this amounts to more than 6,000 hours each year of officers handling calls that have limited relevance to police services. During interviews and focus groups, officers raised concerns about the time they spend responding to calls that have no police purpose. Calls in this miscellaneous category are likely to capture many of these assignments. Traffic crashes represent almost 6.9 percent of the total CFS workload. Police departments across the nation are removing property-damage traffic crashes from the emergency police responsibility. Response by a sworn police officer to a routine property-damage-only traffic crash is a questionable use of emergency police resources. Combined, these three categories of calls represent almost 18 percent of the patrol CFS workload in Grand Rapids. The large majority of these incidents probably do not require police response. These categories of calls must be examined carefully to determine whether police response should be continued. To accomplish this task, ICMA recommends that the GRPD establish a committee that includes all the principal stakeholders, including representatives from all ranks within the department and community members. The committee should be assigned the responsibility of evaluating the CFS workload with an eye toward reducing nonemergency CFS response. With the department’s recent history of downsizing, it is critical to identify all calls for service that do not require an immediate police response. The department must strongly encourage citizens to utilize the department’s website for online reporting.
Time Spent on Calls The data presented in Table 11 show that in 2011 it took officers an average of 42.0 minutes to complete a nonpolice-initiated call for service. ICMA research on calls for service in similar jurisdictions indicates that the average time for CFS completion is approximately 30 minutes. This indicates that it takes approximately 40 percent longer to for the GRPD to handle a call for service than it does for the average U. S. police department of a similar size. The variables that drive CFS completion time are numerous and beyond the scope of this analysis. However, this suggests that the GRPD must take a hard look at the factors driving the relatively high completion time.
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Similarly, the data from Table 11 indicate that the GRPD dispatches approximately 1.8 officers to the average call for service. ICMA research in this area indicates that in similar jurisdictions the average number of officers dispatched to calls is approximately 1.6. This indicates that the GRPD sends more officers per calls than may be needed. Looking at these data in context with the discussion on the saturation index presented earlier leads to several important conclusions. First, Grand Rapids already adopts an aggressive CFS management process, but this process can be even more finely tuned by closer examination of the CFS categories of alarms, miscellaneous, and traffic crash–property damage only. Second, the surplus of officers assigned to the patrol division indicates that more officers are assigned to calls for service for longer periods than would otherwise be necessary. In other words, the excess supply of police personnel resources and the paucity of CFS demand may be contributing to the fact that there are more officers responding to calls and remaining on the scene of these calls longer. To put these statistics into perspective, in Grand Rapids during the 12-month period of CFS observation, the GRPD average time per call to an “other-initiated” call for service was 42.0 minutes, with an average of 1.8 officers per call. To handle 63,192 other-initiated calls for service, the GRPD employed 79,622 police hours (42.0 min x 1.8 officers x 63,192 = 79,622 police officerhours). This contrasts with the number of hours that would be employed using the average values from previous ICMA research. With 1.6 police officers per call, and 30 minutes per call, it would take 50,554 hours to handle 63,192 calls (30 min x 1.6 officers x 63,192 CFS = 50,554). Therefore, in the average community studied by ICMA, it would require 36.5 percent fewer police officer hours to handle 63,192 calls than currently deployed in Grand Rapids (50,554-79,622/79,622 = -36.5 percent). Once again, the factors associated with the number of officers required to handle a CFS and the amount of time spent on each call for service are well beyond the scope of this report. However, patrol commanders and supervisors should more closely inspect the response to CFS and seek ways to improve efficiencies noted above. For example, in the GRPD it takes more than an hour (64.8 minutes) to handle the average traffic accident (an accident where the response is probably not necessary), and more than an hour to handle the average response to a “crime-person” CFS. Clearly, these categories of calls, and several others, require closer inspection with an eye towards eliminating unnecessary delays in handling calls. Pulling all these variables together gives support to the conclusion that the patrol officers handling calls for service dedicate more time than expected to handle these calls. The reasons driving extended CFS service time could be numerous and a thorough examination of the CFS handling process should be undertaken. By eliminating categories of calls for service and improving service times could lower demand for police services and, therefore, reduce the number of police officers required to handle these calls. An exact conclusion on personnel changes in response to these observations can only be offered after a full examination of the CFS process.
Recommendations:
Patrol
Engage in more aggressive CFS management, tighter supervision of officers deployed, and a cushion in the saturation index lead to the recommendation provided earlier of reducing
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the patrol field services. Further reductions might also be possible, but caution must be exercised in this area; no further reductions should be made until the impact can be assessed.
Track elapsed time for CFS and number of officers assigned to CFS with an eye towards minimizing both to the greatest extent possible.
The data analysis supports the notion that a thorough examination by the GRPD of CFS response can eliminate calls for service, downsize patrol staffing, and streamline CFS response. Furthermore, a detailed analysis must be made of the variables associated with CFS completion time, with an eye toward streamlining officer duties and responsibilities at these incidents.
Watch Commanders In addition to the officers deployed in the service areas, the GRPD staffs a position of “watch commander.” The watch commander is a lieutenant assigned to patrol operations and who works out of the police headquarters facility. Lieutenants assigned to this position work 12-hour shifts, follow the standard patrol rotation for days off, and work out of the watch commanders' office behind the front-desk area of headquarters. Watch commanders are responsible for supervising day-to-day patrol operations, and when the command staff is off (nights/weekends), they are the highest ranking police officials in the city and responsible for police responses to critical situations, in addition to addressing a live list of service referrals within the city. The watch commander position appears to be a vestige of a past organizational structure in the GRPD, and a position whose usefulness has passed. The need to have a high-ranking member of the GRPD in charge and responsible for patrol operations is essential; however, committing six lieutenants to this function is a misuse of valuable personnel resources. The six lieutenants assigned to this function represent more than one-third of all personnel at this rank. Considering the reductions in personnel throughout the agency, this is a position that needs to be reevaluated and alternatives considered to maximize personnel deployment and improve efficiency while maintaining an adequate level of command presence on patrol. Ensuring a command presence on patrol is essential to proper police management of the patrol function. However, it is recommended that this responsibility be diffused throughout the agency, in particular in the service areas, that the fixed position of watch commander be eliminated, and that the lieutenants be redeployed to other essential functions. During the course of a week, there are seven night shifts (Monday to Sunday, from 6:30 P.M. to 6:30 A.M.), and two weekend day shifts (Saturday and Sunday, from 6:30 A.M. to 6:30 P.M.) that would need coverage by a shift commander (a lieutenant or, if no lieutenant is available, a captain) who would have responsibility for patrol operations on that shift. A rotation can be established to ensure coverage of the nine shiftcommander shifts each week. If a critical incident occurs during the day shift, the lieutenant or captain responsible for the area where the incident occurs would be responsible for responding to, and coordinating, the police response. Following the elimination of the watch commander position, on an alternative/rotating basis, all lieutenants (the four assigned to the service areas as well as all other lieutenants in the GRPD
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regardless of assignment) would take turns supervising patrol during the night shift weekdays, and both day and night shifts weekends. (Adequate supervisory personnel are available during the daytime hours to ensure coverage when most lieutenants and captains are ordinarily scheduled to work).
Recommendation:
Eliminate the fixed position of watch commander, deploy lieutenants assigned to this position to the service areas, and diffuse the responsibility for supervising patrol operations to all lieutenants in the GRPD.
Reorganization The elimination of the watch commander position allows for additional reorganization within the GRPD. Currently, the GRPD is organized into four service areas to support patrol operations. With additional lieutenants assigned to these service areas it is possible to reorganize and streamline service area operations. Instead of having four captains commanding four service areas with one lieutenant assigned to two captains and two service areas, it is recommended that this arrangement be reversed: service areas should be combined with one captain should assume command of each new service area. Stated another way, two existing service areas should be combined into one, the resulting combined area should be commanded by a captain, and lieutenants should be assigned to command divisions/districts within those merged service areas. The natural combination of service areas would follow along the radio frequencies currently utilized by the GRPD. The North and West service areas would merge into one, with one captain in overall command. Similarly, the South and East service areas would combine with one captain in command. Two lieutenants would be assigned to each new service area; each would be responsible for a geographic area akin to the former service areas.
Advantages of Reorganization and Reassignment This proposed system offers numerous advantages over the current temporal system of responsibility currently in place in the GRPD. 1. It realigns the appropriate span of control. One lieutenant should not report to two captains. This arrangement needs to be modified and is also likely the vestige of a former organizational arrangement. 2. It better utilizes the GRPD’s lieutenants. The current position of watch commander underutilizes this critical middle-management position. The presence of a lieutenant on patrol at all times and available to respond to and coordinate police incidents is worthwhile and recommended. However, the watch commanders, particularly during the weekdays, rarely act in this capacity and are often “chained to the desk” in the headquarters facility. 3. Integrating lieutenants into the operations of the service areas accentuates the primacy of this organizational design and emphasizes the importance of the service area as the point of contact with the community from both a CFS and community policing perspective.
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4. The current service area commanders (lieutenants and captains) get limited opportunity to engage in patrol operations at night and during the weekends to the extent that they should. Oftentimes, personnel working nights and weekends will go weeks or months without seeing the service area commanders. 5. Captains as service area commanders currently only supervise approximately forty sworn officers and report to a community of approximately 45,000. Undoubtedly, captains in the GRPD are capable of handling a much greater sphere of responsibility and also should have a much broader span of control than one-half of one lieutenant and four sergeants. In other words, all of the captains in the GRPD assigned to service areas are impressive individuals with the training, education, and experience to handle much more responsibility than they exercise currently. Their talents should be put to use with a more challenging assignment: more personnel and a greater area of the city to police. Merging service areas, combining these personnel, and expanding the area of responsibility in the community, will afford patrol captains greater authority and responsibility and better align managerial potential with organizational span of control. 6. All lieutenants in the department would be responsible for patrol operations on a rotating basis. This will require all lieutenants to be capable of performing patrol and ensuring they are familiar with the basic operations of patrol in the GRPD. 7. By integrating the existing personnel assigned to the watch commander position into the service areas and rotating patrol coverage responsibility among all lieutenants in the department, four lieutenant positions can be eliminated. 8. Each shift has at least four sergeants scheduled for duty. Instead of all sergeants assigned to patrol and the watch commander assigned inside police headquarters, one sergeant each shift on a rotating basis should be assigned to the front desk during its hours of operation (see recommendation below regarding the headquarters facility). This would maintain a supervisory presence in police headquarters to respond to issues that arise from “walk-in” complainants and would position a lieutenant on patrol each shift to coordinate, supervise, and respond to police incidents throughout the city. The elimination of two service areas and two captain positions would improve patrol organization and service delivery in the GRPD. In addition to the elimination of the watch commander position and integrating these lieutenants into the newly reorganized service areas, it is recommended that a deputy chief position be reinstituted with the primary responsibility for overseeing patrol operations. Presently, the four service areas operate autonomously . While this has numerous advantages, it also has disadvantages. In particular, the four autonomous service areas compete for scarce resources in the organization. This can encourage proactive and aggressive management, but it also may be detrimental to the mission and goals of the department as a whole. In other words, what might be best for one service area and the needs and goals of its commander and community might not be good for the entire department.
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This does not appear to be problematic for the organization, but anecdotal evidence provided by service area personnel suggests that there is competition (sometimes negative) for personnel as well as a reluctance to redeploy personnel to other service areas to respond to calls and address crime and quality-of-life conditions. The presence of a deputy chief would be an ideal buffer to these competitive situations and ensure that services are delivered in an appropriate manner and that competition between service area exists in the most positive light possible. The deputy chief would act as the second in command of the department and as managerial support for the chief of police. In addition to these primary responsibilities, the deputy chief would also be responsible for overseeing patrol operations.
Recommendations:
Eliminate the watch commander position and replace it with a rotation of lieutenants assigned as shift commanders.
Merge the four service areas into two. Personnel would be merged and each new service area would be commander by one captain.
Staff a position of deputy chief of patrol to coordinate patrol operations.
Community Police Officer Program Each service area has a cadre of officers—community police officers (CPOs)—assigned to community policing functions. While the number of personnel varies by service area, each of twelve funded neighborhoods in Grand Rapids has at least one CPO assigned to it. The implementation and overall management of this program is impressive. Police organizations around the country struggle to implement community policing. The competing demands of “traditional” police work (reactive response to crime and CFS) often leaves little time and resources for “community” policing activities. Thus, in philosophy, a department might be committed to community policing, but there may be little in the way of actual community policing because of other demands on resources. The GRPD does an excellent job balancing these competing demands and has developed what appears to be an effective way of implementing community policing in a challenging environment. According to the GRPD organizational chart dated September 2011, community police officers are assigned to the service areas as follows:
North: 3 CPOs
South: 1 sergeant and 7 CPOs
East: 3 CPOs
West: 4 CPOs.
In addition to general enforcement duties, these officers are also responsible for responding to long-term community conditions and acting as liaisons with the organized communities in the city. All twelve funded neighborhood organizations have a CPO assigned; each officer is also assigned to cover the more active unfunded and informal associations as well. CPO activities include being
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members of local association boards as well as attending association meetings. Additionally, the sergeant assigned to the South service area supervises the department’s crime prevention program. CPOs are leveraged in the department’s crime prevention efforts, receive extensive training in home and personal security, and conduct numerous security inspections and courses throughout the year. One CPO is a board member of the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan.
Service Referrals The CPOs in the GRPD are instrumental in responding to “service referral” requests generated in the service areas. Service referrals are tools used by the GRPD to record, assign, and track requests for police service from the community. Service referrals are a unique and highly effective tool, and the GRPD should be commended for employing them to manage crime and disorderly conditions throughout the city. Different than emergency calls for service received through the 911 system, service referrals are typically generated by service area commanders in response a direct request for service from the community or self-initiated through analysis of crime and disorder trends in the community. For example, if a neighborhood resident complains about a traffic problem in their community, or the service area commander, through an analysis of traffic crash reports, observes a traffic problem, a service referral can be generated to alert patrol and CPO of the condition. Once generated, the department can then track the amount of time and enforcement dedicated to addressing the problem. This also enables the service area commander to learn if the problem was addressed, and notify the community member as to what was done to address the problem. It also allows the commander to determine if the condition has been corrected and what, if any, additional resources are necessary to eliminate the condition altogether. While this appears to be a simple method of recording, assigning, and tracking community problems, it is really an innovative and unique managerial tool that is rarely found in contemporary policing. Furthermore, when combined with the impressive information management system in the GRPD, department personnel can tell in real time the amount of resources—both time and enforcement—expended on service referrals, and exactly which members of the department contributed to that effort. This one simple tool is an excellent example of the integration of information technology, community policing, and proactive management brought to bear on crime and disorder conditions in Grand Rapids. It is also an excellent example of the forward thinking and innovative management approach that permeates the entire agency. The CPOs also engage in a substantial amount of problem-solving activities. Academic research on police operational approaches indicates that routine police response to 911 CFS and community policing offers little assistance in reducing crime.4 However, focused enforcement and problem solving in “hot spots” offer great potential for reducing crime. CPOs operate under this problemsolving approach and address crime and quality-of-life conditions in these hot spots. The evidence provided on the GRPD's CPO program demonstrates it to be effective. The CPO program should be
4
National Research Council, Fairness and Effectiveness in Policing: The Evidence; Committee to Review Research on Police Policy and Practice (Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2003).
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supported to the greatest extent possible by other patrol, investigative, and specialty enforcement units and operations.
Recommendations:
Maintain the current staffing and functions of the community police officer program.
Technology on Patrol Without exception, the GRPD employs the most sophisticated use of information technology to manage patrol resources that ICMA has observed in any police department. The IT platform integrates calls for service, crime reports, investigations, records, motor vehicle information, and all forms of electronic data that the department collects or accesses. The system is so advanced that police officer activity and crime trends can be monitored in real time from any device with access to the system. The GRPD is on the cutting edge of police information management and should again be commended for this impressive system. Also, the department employs the standard technology for patrol operations. Each vehicle contains radar, video, and computer technology; officers have the capability to access department systems and prepare reports remotely. However, two key pieces of technology are missing from patrol operations: license plate readers (LPR) and automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Recent research has shown that license plate readers are very effective tools for apprehending auto thieves and recovering stolen vehicles. They cost around $20,000 to $25,000 per device, and can check license plates about ten times faster than an officer manually checking license plates. Their use can result in double the number of arrests and recoveries of stolen vehicles.5 Agencies that employ LPR technology report that over the next five years they plan on increasing the deployment of LPR to equip approximately 25 percent of their patrol cars. It is strongly recommended that the GRPD implement this technology and install an LPR in at least one marked patrol car in each service area. Currently, the GRPD assigns three investigators to an auto theft task force. A one-time purchase of four LPRs is less expensive than the recurring expense of one investigator and undoubted strengthens the auto crime reduction capabilities of the department. Adding LPR technology is a better and more cost-effective way of deploying personnel and technology to reduce auto crime. An automated external defibrillator, or AED, is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a person. It is then used to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy, which stops the arrhythmia and allows the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm. With simple audio and visual commands, AEDs are designed to be simple to use for first responders, and their use is taught in many first aid, first responder, and basic life support (BLS) level CPR classes. The deployment of AEDs in marked police vehicles in Grand Rapids would greatly enhance the life-saving capabilities of the department. These inexpensive (less than $2,000 each 5
Police Executive Research Forum study of LPR effectiveness in the Mesa, Arizona, Police Department.
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unit) and easy-to-use devices would be a tremendous asset to the GRPD and their purchase and deployment is strongly recommended.
Recommendation:
Deploy four license plate readers and four automated external defibrillators and distribute them proportionately in marked vehicles throughout the service areas (2 per each new service area).
Special Response Team The department has a tactical unit known as the Special Response Team (SRT). This unit is commanded by a lieutenant and consists of two sergeants and sixteen officers. The SRT has a “patrol focus” and its members perform a variety of law enforcement functions within assigned service areas in addition to tactical response and support. In 2010 the unit executed 188 high-risk warrants, made 298 felony and 1,036 misdemeanor arrests, issued 1,102 traffic citations, conducted more than 1,500 field interrogations, and provided dignitary protection. The SRT commander reports directly to the chief. In general, the SRT is a valuable asset to the GRPD. The level of training and the level of activity produced are impressive. This small cadre of officers and supervisors undoubtedly contributes to the overall effectiveness of the department and the overall quality of life in Grand Rapids.
Recommendation:
No changes in staffing or function should be made to the special response team.
Review/Summary of Patrol Recommendations:
Reduce personnel assigned to patrol to 120 police officers assigned to rotating shifts, and 161 sworn officers assigned to the patrol division.
Closely examine CFS response to improve efficiency and reduce overall time spent on assignments and the number of officers assigned per CFS.
Closely examine CFS demand to reduce the number of “nonpolice” calls handled by patrol units.
Eliminate the watch commander position and replace it with a shift commander rotation with responsibility shared by all GRPD lieutenants.
Merge the North and West service areas and the South and East service areas to create two new service areas commanded by one captain in each. These service areas should also have two lieutenants assigned.
Staff a position of deputy chief for patrol operations.
Equip four marked patrol cars with license plate reader technology and automated external defibrillators.
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Investigations Division The Investigations Division provides a wide range of investigative services for the city of Grand Rapids. The division is responsible for the investigation of all crimes against persons, property crimes, auto thefts, frauds, vice-related crimes, and all other felonies and misdemeanors occurring within the city limits. Members of the division also participate in joint task force and multijurisdictional operations. The division is commanded by a captain and is divided into three units: (1) detectives, (2) vice, and (3) forensic services. The detective unit is supervised by a lieutenant and one sergeant responsible for case management, the vice unit is also supervised by a lieutenant, and the forensic services unit is supervised by a civilian forensic supervisor. In addition to this management team the division is staffed by forty-five police officers and six sergeants assigned as detectives. Fourteen of the officers and three sergeants are assigned to the vice unit. Officers assigned to the detective unit and the vice unit are laterally transferred to these assignments for an unlimited time at the discretion of the chief of police. The forensic services unit has a manager and nine civilian personnel: two latent print examiners and seven crime scene technicians. The current sworn staffing of the investigations division is presented in Table 12.
TABLE 12: Investigations Division Sworn Personnel Assignments Captain Lieutenant
Sergeant
Patrol Officer
Total
1 Detective Unit
1
2
Major Case 1
1
6
Major Case 2
1
5
Family Services
1
9
Cyber Forensics
1
Kent Metro Cold Case TF
2
FBI Fugitive TF
2
ATF TF
1
CATT
3
MFITT
1
Warrants
1
Subpoena Delivery
1
City Attorney
1
Housing Enforcement
1
General Case
1
11
Subtotal
1
6
45
Vice
1
3
14
2
9
59
Total
Investigations
1
72
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The combined units of the division investigated a total of 25,809 cases in 2011. The division cleared 13,554 of these cases by arrest, for a clearance rate of 52.5 percent. The division also reported an additional 2,972 cases were exceptionally cleared cases, for an exceptional case clearance rate of 11.5 percent.
General Case Team The general case team has eleven detectives assigned to investigate a wide variety of cases; it concentrates on burglaries, simple assaults, larcenies, and fraud. Three detectives are assigned to each one of the city’s service areas. This practice allows the individual detectives to work the same area consistently, keeping them familiar with the residents and the issues that require the attention of the department. This also allows the detectives to develop information sources and to more closely monitor criminal activity within their assigned service areas. However, when the need arises detectives have the flexibility to work and assist in other service areas. The police reports that are received by the general case detectives are reviewed on a daily basis. The on-duty sergeant reviews these cases and they are assigned based on the type of case, location, and the solvability factors that are part of the police report. In 2010 the general case team was assigned 5,204 cases. Inspection of the case assignments to the general case team reveals that an overwhelming number of cases cannot be solved and are not suitable for investigation in the first place. For example, in 2010 one officer was assigned cases in the categories labeled “throw litter in public,” “suspicious person,” “dog running at large,” etc. A full inspection of the case assignments for all of the general case detectives shows a similar pattern of frivolous and unworkable cases. Therefore, the detectives did not actually investigate 5,204 cases in 2010, this was simply the number of cases they were assigned. This undermines the case management process and is a misleading representation of the actual investigative function of these individuals. In totality, it appears that the general cases detectives perform largely administrative work and the continued staffing of these positions should be reevaluated.
Recommendation:
Eliminate the general case team and redeploy/eliminate detective positions assigned to this function.
Major Case Teams I & II The major case teams have thirteen detectives and two sergeants assigned to investigate all major crimes. This includes homicides, serious assaults, robberies, death investigations, and officerinvolved shootings. Two of the major case team members are assigned to the Kent Metro Cold Case Team. This team investigates and coordinates the investigation of past major cases with an emphasis on unsolved homicide cases. In 2010 the major case teams investigated 2,149 serious offenses that occurred within the city limits of Grand Rapids. Here again, the case management and assignment process provides a misleading representation of the investigative performance of these detectives. For eleven detectives to investigate 2,149 cases (215 cases each per year) would be a heavy workload. ICMA recommends that a manageable caseload for detectives conducting investigations should be in the range of 120 to 160 per year.
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Close inspection of the cases assigned to the major case teams reveals the same pattern uncovered in the case assignments of the general case teams. Detectives in the major case teams appear to be assigned frivolous and unworkable cases that have no solvability factors and are for informational purposes only. The actual, workable caseload of GRPD detectives, therefore, is not 215 cases per year, but something far lower. Furthermore, the GRPD engages in a substantial amount of investigative specialization (see below). The result of this specialization is that the major case teams are assigned primarily to murder, aggravated assault, and robbery offenses, many of which are closed by patrol officers with summary arrests on the scene of these incidents. The end result is a limited number of cases actually requiring investigation. Additionally, detectives in the GRPD work the equivalent of “business hours” (weekdays from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.). Detectives need to be present and working during the hours when violent crime is the most prevalent in order to respond to the crime scene and begin the investigation immediately. Violent crime occurs predominately at night and on the weekends, and not having detectives assigned during these times is a major shortcoming of the GRPD investigative staffing. Under patrol operations a recommendation was offered to consolidate service areas from four to two. This patrol consolidation offers an opportunity to consolidate investigative resources as well.
Recommendations:
Develop and implement a more efficient case management system that uses solvability factors to assign cases. All other incidents should be used as information and processed into intelligence for investigations and patrol enforcement operations.
Merge the general case teams and major case teams and create two new investigative teams assigned to each one of the new service areas. These teams should consist of one sergeant and eight investigators and report to a lieutenant and would be responsible for all criminal investigations in Grand Rapids.
Restructure the work schedule to ensure detectives are working and available at night and during the weekends. Each team should cover at least one weekend day, and team shifts should not overlap by more than three hours.
Family Services Team The Family Services Team has one sergeant and nine detectives assigned to investigate all sexual assaults, domestic violence, and child abuse offenses. In 2010 this unit investigated 2,285 cases of domestic assault. Detectives also investigated 403 sexual assault cases. This highly trained and experienced group of investigators has contributed significantly to the identification and prosecution of sex offenders. Here again, the case management and assignment process in the GRPD makes the evaluation of actual caseload of these investigators difficult. However, given the size of the Grand Rapids population and the number of reported forcible rapes and domestic violence incidents, the assignment of six detectives and a supervisor appears justified.
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Recommendation:
Maintain current staffing and functions of the family services team.
Combined Auto Theft Team The Combined Auto Theft Team (CATT) investigates all of the auto theft cases that occur within Grand Rapids and the surrounding metropolitan area. There are three Grand Rapids detectives assigned to the team, along with one detective from the Kentwood Police Department and one detective from the Wyoming Police Department. This operation is partially funded by the State Of Michigan’s Auto Theft Prevention Authority. This funding is used to pay for fifty percent of all of the participating agency’s detective’s salaries and for vehicles and other equipment. Case assignment data provided by the GRPD indicates that the CATT investigates motor vehicle thefts and larcenies of property from vehicles. Inspection of the crime rate of these two categories of crime since the inception of this unit shows a substantial decrease from 2007 to 2011. Motor vehicle thefts and larcenies from vehicles have decreased almost 50 percent during this time period. Undoubtedly, the creation and work of the CATT contributed to this decline.
Recommendations:
Considering the caseload and the fact that auto-related crime has decreased 50 percent from previous levels, a reduction of one detective in this unit is possible.
Coordinate with the patrol division officers assigned to LPR equipped vehicles.
Metropolitan Fraud and Identity Theft Team This unit is comprised of one Grand Rapids Police Department detective, one Wyoming Police Department detective, and one Kent County Sheriff’s detective. This unit’s office is located within the Wyoming Police Department. Unfortunately, fraud and identity theft are increasingly common crimes. They are also crimes that are difficult to investigate and require extensive training and experience. Committing one detective from the GRPD to this team is a worthwhile investment that should be continued.
Recommendation:
Maintain current staffing and functions of the MFITT.
Kent Metropolitan Major Case Task Force All Kent County law enforcement agencies are members of this organization. This team is activated in the event a member agency becomes involved in a major protracted case or cases that involve multiple jurisdictions. The member departments share resources and commit them for extended periods of time in an effort to solve these major cases in a timely manner that benefits the entire county.
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The major case task force is currently involved in a multijurisdictional violent crime investigation that is utilizing office space within the Grand Rapids Police Department. There are currently members of the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, the Wyoming Police Department, the Kentwood Police Department, and the Grand Rapids Police Department assigned to the operation. There is an operation currently in progress targeting street gang members involved in a series of violent crimes where firearms were used by the offenders. This investigative unit is activated for a specific period of time unless the members agree to extend the operation. There are also two prosecutors assigned to the investigation. A Kentwood Police Department civilian analyst is also assigned to the investigation.
Recommendation:
Continue commitment to the Kent Metro Major Case Task Force with the same levels of personnel and function.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Investigative Unit One officer and one ATF agent review all cases in which a firearm is used. The case is then reviewed by the United States Attorney’s Office to determine if the case meets the criteria for federal prosecution. The officer and the ATF agent utilize an off-site office, and also have an office inside the Grand Rapids Police Department’s Detective Division. There is one Grand Rapids police officer, one Kent County Deputy Sheriff and three or four FBI agents involved in this unit. This unit continually works on the apprehension of wanted persons in both federal and state cases.
Recommendation:
Continue commitment to the ATF Task Force with the same levels of personnel and function.
Specialized Investigative Personnel In additional to discrete investigative units, the GRPD also staffs numerous positions that support the major investigative effort. Police officers are assigned to the city attorney, housing enforcement, as well as to prepare and delivery subpoenas, execute warrants, and conduct cyber forensic investigations. The GRPD currently staffs one police officer in each of these functions and one sergeant to supervise their activities. Undoubtedly, these positions serve a critical function and should be maintained. Completely eliminating personnel in any of these areas would adversely impact the investigative capacity of the agency. As conditions permit, consideration should be given to adding personnel and providing additional support to the activities of specialized investigators.
Recommendation:
Maintain existing function and staffing of specialized investigative personnel assigned to the city attorney, housing enforcement, subpoenas, warrants, and cyber forensics.
Vice Unit The vice unit is staffed by one lieutenant, three sergeants, and fourteen officers. This allows one sergeant and five officers to be assigned to the day shift and one sergeant and six officers to be
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assigned the night/evening shift. One officer is assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and one sergeant and two officers are assigned the metropolitan enforcement team (along with a Michigan State Police officer). Officers assigned to the unit may stay in the assignment as long as they desire or until the chief of police elects to rotate them to another division. There are currently three officers who have been in the unit for more than seventeen years. The vice unit staffing level has been reduced from thirty-seven officers in the early 1990s to the present staffing level of eighteen. There is also one civilian office assistant assigned to the unit. This position is funded through asset forfeiture funds. The vice unit is responsible for the investigation of all vice crimes, including drug crimes, prostitution, gambling, and liquor and tobacco law violations. The unit also actively pursues prescription pill cases and processes liquor licensing for the city. The unit utilizes a variety of very effective enforcement and investigative techniques to identify and arrest persons involved in these criminal activities. The vice unit also manages an asset forfeiture process. In 2011 there were more than 300 cases that involved an asset forfeiture issue. The unit saw more than $450,000 in seizures this year, including $200,000 in cash. The unit handles all of these investigations and the follow-up legal filings with the assistance of an attorney employed by the city. The vice unit routinely assists the detective division with violent crime investigations. The unit members provide investigative assistance and intelligence information that often aid in the identification of offenders. The city of Wyoming does not have an active vice unit, so the Grand Rapids vice unit assists with cases involving prostitution and gambling when requested. The vice unit operates out of a building located away from the police station. It is located within the city limits and is easily reached by department members and those who need to visit the facility. The office is modern and has covered parking for vehicles and equipment. During the site visit the facility was visited by a member of the analysis team. The building is well maintained and equipped. There is office space sufficient to allow all officers assigned to the unit to have a work space, along with meeting rooms. All of the officers interviewed regarding the facility had very positive comments. All of the officers assigned to the vice unit have take-home cars that are to be used only for official duty purposes. All of these officers are provided a Sig Sauer model P229 as a duty weapon. Radios, surveillance equipment, vehicles, computers, and other necessary equipment are readily available and are replaced as needed. The vice unit has a secure evidence storage room within its building. An evidence custodian maintains the evidence room and evidence stored there. There is only property-type evidence stored in this facility. All guns, jewelry, cash, and drugs are stored at the main headquarters evidence storage facility. The facility and its contents appear to be orderly and maintained in a manner that is consistent with department policy.
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All records for the vice unit and intelligence files are safely and securely stored in accordance with department policy. The city of Grand Rapids has made a strong commitment to the investigation of drug and vice crimes within the city. It has also committed to assisting other local agencies in working street-level vice crimes within those jurisdictions. The vice unit also assists state and federal agencies in the investigation of drug crimes that affect areas in and around the city. The vice unit continues its contributions to all kinds of investigations by supplying intelligence information. This contribution has added immeasurably to the success of not only drug and vice crime investigations but also the identification of suspects in many other property offenses and violent crimes.
Recommendation:
Maintain personnel and functions of the vice unit.
Forensic Services Unit The Forensic Services Unit is staffed by a manager, two latent print examiners, and seven crime scene technicians. This unit provides response twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to crime scenes within the city limits. The crime scene technicians respond to all crime scenes that require processing, photographing, and evidence gathering. The department’s responding officers and detectives are not responsible for processing crime scenes. The crime scene technicians and latent print examiners have excellent equipment and are provided excellent training opportunities that provide them with the necessary professional skills. Evidence is either processed at the scene or within the department’s laboratory facility. This includes latent print examination, serial number restoration, preliminary examinations of footwear and tire tread evidence, and analysis of video evidence. All collected DNA evidence is forwarded to the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory for analysis. The department utilizes a Cartridge Electrostatic Recovery and Analysis (CERA) system that develops and photographs fingerprint images on cartridge casings. This is an example of the Grand Rapids Police Department’s commitment to making certain that it utilizes available advanced technology to advance and improve case resolution. The forensic services unit has digital cameras issued to all members of the unit. The unit has the ability to enhance photographs within the unit. The forensic services unit’s effective use of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) has continually led the state of Michigan in fingerprint identifications. In 2010 the unit’s latent print examiners identified 1,916 fingerprint submissions and linked 739 of these prints to active case investigations. The latent print examiners within the unit are often called upon to assist other departments in the verification of fingerprint identifications. Each of the unit’s crime scene technicians responded to approximately 600 calls for service in the study year.
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The forensic service unit’s members are well trained. The department utilizes grant opportunities for advanced training through Michigan State University, the Michigan State Police, the National Center for Victims of Crime, West Virginia University, and the Midwest Forensic Resource Center. The forensic services unit is a highly effective part of the Grand Rapids Police Department. The members of the unit are well supervised and managed. They understand their mission and are dedicated to the department’s overall goals. The members of the unit and the supervisors utilize best practices that are recognized in their profession. The utilization of highly trained, motivated personnel at crime scenes is highly desirable and will continue to provide clearance rates that are much higher than those agencies that choose to utilize personnel with less experience and training. In these difficult economic times local governments continue to look for ways to reduce costs to meet budget objectives. Often, operations such as forensic services are examined for possible reductions in personnel or services to reduce costs. ICMA would strongly caution against any reduction of personnel to achieve these goals. This is an excellent operation that provides excellent results and any reduction in personnel will have a negative impact on case resolution. It is obvious that the Grand Rapids Police Department’s forensic unit is the best equipped and best staffed forensic operation of the three departments examined in the ICMA study. This unit has the expertise and resources to assist other agencies in their forensic programs. There have been many occasions in the past when Grand Rapids has assisted Wyoming and Kentwood in investigations. The possibility of combining their resources is very real and should be considered seriously.
Recommendations:
Maintain current staffing and function of the forensic services unit.
Explore merger/consolidation of forensic services with regional law enforcement agencies.
Multi-agency Operations The Grand Rapids Police Department has taken the leading role in specialization of services and multi-agency operations within Kent County. The department contributes significant resources in terms of personnel, equipment, and facilities. The department’s specialized units also contribute significantly to the investigations of crime throughout the county. Grand Rapids units routinely share information and involve other agencies in their investigations by sharing intelligence and other information that assists other agencies with cases in their own jurisdictions. This positive department-wide attitude and culture is a testament to the forward-thinking leadership that is evident throughout the Grand Rapids Police Department. The Grand Rapids Police Department must continue to monitor and manage these programs to make certain that they are run efficiently. As the pressure of the current economic situation becomes even more challenging these commitments will have to be justified continually.
Recommendation:
Continuously track multi-agency operations. Specialized multi-agency operations are infrequently conducted, yet bear a high readiness cost to the agency that supports the
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primary units. Accurate tracking would enable the GRPD to assess the cost/value of services provided to other agencies in the region and recoup the investment made in staffing these units. Table 13 provides a summary of the new division staffing based on the recommendations provided.
TABLE 13: Recommended Investigations Division Staffing Captain Lieutenant
Sergeant
Patrol Officer
Total
1 Detective Unit
1
2
Major Case 1
1
8
Major Case 2
1
8
Family Services
1
9
Cyber Forensics
1
Kent Metro Cold Case TF
2
Federal TF
2
CATT
2
MFITT
1
Warrants
1
Subpoena Delivery
1
City Attorney
1
Housing Enforcement
1
Subtotal
1
5
37
Vice
1
3
14
2
8
51
Total
1
62
As can be seen from this table the staffing and functions remain essentially the same. But with better case management and the elimination of superfluous investigations, the general case team can be eliminated and the personnel assigned redeployed into more robust major case teams. Additionally, ICMA considers the staffing levels in all of these units and positions as minimums. Eliminating any positions remaining in Table 13 will have an adverse impact on the investigative capabilities of the GRPD. Conversely, the essential investigative functions are represented and adding personnel to these functions as conditions warrant is recommended.
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Support Services Division The department should undertake a comprehensive review of the entire Support Services Division, with an eye towards identifying any positions or functions performed by uniformed personnel that can be performed by civilians.
Special Services, Special Events, and Assignments The Special Services Unit is staffed by one sergeant, seven police officers, and one civilian. This unit is responsible for several special units and functions, such as: the warrant unit; sex offender registration; the property management unit; the traffic unit; fleet maintenance; etc. Personnel assigned to the support services division are being cross-trained. This unit provides investigative support and routinely partners with the detective division to make arrests. Traffic unit employees respond to and investigate fatal and serious personal injury vehicle and boating accidents, conduct operation while intoxicated (OWI) enforcement, and manage the fleet safety program. Warrant unit employees conduct and verify sex offender registrations, obtain warrants, and serve as liaisons between the department and the courts. The department has a special events unit, staffed by one lieutenant, one sergeant, and one police officer. Local businesses compensate the department for police services delivered at “special” events. The department has a canine unit, staffed by one sergeant and six canine teams. Unit members function as patrol officers or supervisors while on patrol, and perform traditional canine functions (e.g., locating criminals, explosives, and narcotics) as necessary. This is an essential function in the GRPD and the staffing and deployment of the officers and canines must be maintained. The Office of Film, Music and Special Events is responsible for planning, coordinating and permitting special events held at Van Andel Arena, De Vos Place Convention Center and Performance Hall, the Rapid Transit Center, and throughout the city of Grand Rapids. The department does not have a community affairs unit, or designated community affairs officer. The department also does not have a full-time grant writer. However, the department has received a number of federal grants in recent years. A 2009 grant from the COPS office, which enabled the department to hire nine officers for three years, is due to expire. An additional application is pending. Two officers are permanently assigned to the city’s Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs (one at each center), and the ICMA team questions whether this is an appropriate use of resources. The department should record and carefully track all work performed by these officers to =consider whether these duties could be performed equally well by one officer for both clubs, two officers assigned part-time, or civilian volunteers or officers volunteering on their off-duty time.
Recommendations:
Maintain current staffing and functions of the Special Services, Special Events and K-9 units.
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Eliminate full-time assignments to the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs and replace them with civilian or sworn volunteers.
Property and Evidence The property and evidence storage facility is staffed by two sworn police officers. They are responsible for the storage and security of all evidence and found property turned over to them by the police officers and the public. These two officers also are responsible for issuing and maintaining uniforms/ equipment and preparing copies of CDs from the in-car video systems for court hearings. At present, there are approximately 15,000 pieces of evidence and found property stored within the facility. The system utilizes a bar code system to catalogue the items. Property audits are conducted regularly. The department regularly audits 100 percent of all vouchered weapons, cash, and narcotics. Approximately 10 percent of all other (i.e., bulk) items are audited pursuant to a regular schedule. A review of the facility and interviews with officers assigned to the facility revealed a professionally run, well-managed operation. A random review of cases showed that all of the documentation selected was in order and up to date. The facility was neat and free from unnecessary clutter. It is obvious that the two officers assigned to this unit are highly motivated and experienced. They undoubtedly take great pride in their work, as is expected from professionals with their level of experience. This area, like the forensic services unit, is providing excellent service to the department. It appears that the two officers assigned are able to handle the responsibilities efficiently and effectively.
Recommendation:
In the future, management should consider the option of placing civilian personnel in these positions if openings occur through attrition.
Communications Bureau The Communications Bureau is responsible for receiving and dispatching police and fire calls to the cities of Grand Rapids and Wyoming. The communications center is one of two public safety answering points within Kent County. In 2010 the center received 123,695 calls via 911. There were also 172,944 administrative calls. Calls for police service totaled 102,707 and calls for fire service totaled 19,684. In 2011 the center received 212,498 calls via 911 for the cities of Grand Rapids and Wyoming. There were 281,532 administrative calls. Calls for police service totaled 231,422 and calls for fire service totaled 29,380. The city of Grand Rapids began to dispatch for the city of Wyoming’s police and fire departments in September of 2010, which explains the large increase in calls for police and fire service from 2010 to 2011.
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The bureau is managed by a civilian manager who is in her second year as manager. She possesses a great deal of experience and is recognized as a professional manager in the emergency communications field. The operations budget for the center is $6.3 million. The costs are distributed among the users through a cost sharing formula that is based on calls for service. There are three police consoles and two fire consoles. Each of the dispatch consoles has one dispatcher at each position.
Communications Staffing The bureau is staffed by one manager, five supervisors, and forty-five emergency communication operators (ECOs), as well as four part-time ECOs and three radio technicians. Each of the bureau’s five consoles is operated by one emergency communication operator (ECO). The three police positions are staffed by police operators and the two fire positions are staffed by fire operators. The ECOs have one of three classifications: trainees are classified as ECO 1, the police dispatchers are classified as ECO 2, and the fire dispatchers are classified as ECO 3. In addition to the five emergency operators working each shift, there are two to four call takers. The number of call takers varies with the time of day and day of the week. There is also a shift supervisor for each shift who can relieve for breaks and provide additional assistance when necessary. There are also law enforcement information network (LEIN) operators available to provide assistance with entering warrants, performing second-party checks, and answering phones within the communications center. Fifteen employees have been hired since September 2010. During a period of layoffs in 2010, sworn police officers were assigned as call takers to avoid layoffs. Subsequently, these officers were reassigned to patrol duty and six new emergency operators were hired. There were a total of seven new emergency communication operators hired to accommodate the police and fire partnership with the city of Wyoming.
Communications Training All new emergency communications operators must attend a two-week basic training program. They are then assigned to a communications training officer. The training begins with a 25- to 50day assignment to query the law enforcement information network or to answer telephones. Trainees rotate shifts every three weeks to obtain experience on each shift. A trainee must become proficient in the utilization of the LEIN system, phone protocols, and dispatching. The fire emergency communication operators have a similar training program, working phones and dispatching fire and EMS calls. The fire ECOs are paid higher wages that the police ECOs. There are fifteen fire emergency communication operators, with five assigned to each eight-hour shift. The fire ECOs dispatch both police and fire calls and the police dispatchers dispatch only police calls. The pay difference is 15 percent more for the ECO 3 position.
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The ongoing attrition of personnel assigned to emergency communications and hiring replacement personnel have a substantial impact on communications operations. Training requirements, overtime costs, and related staffing issues can have a negative impact on operations. This must be examined very carefully by GRPD communications management. It is recommended that the Support Services Division explore mechanisms to support efficient communications through appropriate staffing, training, and other means.
Communications Equipment/Facility The ICMA team visited the Grand Rapids Communications Center. The facility is located within the Grand Rapids Police Department. The facility was located in a secure area of the department with very limited access to authorized persons only. The facility was spacious, orderly, and has appropriate lighting. The equipment currently in use is functioning well with few issues from the dispatchers. The equipment located in the center was purchased by the Kent County Dispatch Authority. Radios—both hand-held and mobile units used by Grand Rapids police officers and Wyoming police officers—are paid for by their respective cities. The city received a $2.5 million grant, with a grant match of 20 percent by the Kent County Dispatch Authority that would provide funds to purchase new consoles to replace older, outdated “Command Plus” equipment that is no longer manufactured. The city of Grand Rapids would receive fourteen new consoles, as would the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, for a total of twenty-eight consoles. Connection equipment or backroom equipment as it is commonly called would also be included. The upgrading of the consoles would make the county’s two public safety answering points redundant; this would allow for emergency operations to be handled by either system in the event of an equipment failure. The ability of the centers to back up one another by using identical systems is highly desirable.
Consolidation Results The recent reduction in public safety answering points in Kent County from five to two seems to have been received very positively. The joint communications operation now in place between Grand Rapids and Wyoming is working well, with very few issues. The joint communications operation between the Kentwood Police Department and the Kent County Sheriff’s Department also seems to be working well. The Michigan State Police public safety answering point has ceased operations, with communication operations now assigned to the state police-operated location in the city of Gaylord. The integration of the city of Wyoming’s communication operation into Grand Rapids communications center has been completed. Both cities involved worked diligently to make the merger as seamless as possible. The city of Grand Rapids was only able to hire three emergency communication operators from Wyoming’s staff of fifteen. This required Grand Rapids to hire new personnel to fill theses vacancies. This was accomplished with the assistance of Wyoming in the selection and hiring.
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The city of Wyoming and the city of Grand Rapids have developed a good working relationship since the merger. A dispatch tracking form has been created and is now being utilized to track and review citizen complaints. The Wyoming Police Department’s has monthly meetings with the Grand Rapids Police Department’s Communications Bureau. Both agencies work together on operational issues, staffing, planning, and other matters of mutual concern. The new Motorola PremierOne Computer Aided Dispatch and PremierOne Mobile systems are being prepared to go live in December of this year. The Kent County Dispatch Authority has been working with the Grand Rapids Communications Unit to improve the 911 system throughout the county. The Grand Rapids telephone center received the software upgrade that will allow all 911 calls to automatically roll over to Kent County Sheriff’s 911 Center and also will allow the sheriff’s calls to be forwarded to Grand Rapids. This further improves the redundancy of the two systems in the event of storms or system failure. The next step in the consolidation process is exploring the merger of all emergency communications in Kent County. With the transition of Wyoming and Kentwood communications and dispatch functions merged and operating effectively, the communities should look to continue with this merger process and transition all communications function and staffing to the Kent County Dispatch Authority. It could be possible to maintain staffing, equipment, and facilities as they appear now, and transfer the management of this operation to the county. Although this is beyond the scope of the study, further consolidation of communications could generate substantial cost savings for Grand Rapids.
Recommendations:
Explore consolidation and/or transfer of emergency communications to Kent County.
Response/Dispatch Times A priority code is assigned to each call by the dispatch center. Priorities range from 1 to 9 with 1 as the highest priority. Some calls do have a priority of 0, used primarily for out-of-service events. Table 14 shows the average response times by priority. These averages included nonzero-on-scene, other-initiated calls from November 2010 to October 2011. There were 20,239 other-initiated calls with valid response times. All of these calls were assigned a priority. In order to calculate the response times to accidents, we used all the other-initiated calls classified as “PI” (personal injury accident). Most of these were classified as priority 2 calls. Priority 1 calls were primarily calls classified as “crime-persons.” The data in Table 14 indicate a deficiency in dispatching CFS. The column labeled “Dispatch” presents the average length of time in minutes to dispatch a CFS (time from call received to time call assigned to a patrol unit) for the different priority levels of CFS. Overall, the GRPD has an average dispatch time of 11.0 minutes for the 32,052 CFS where response times were calculated. This is high, and indicates a protracted time between call and response. In addition, for Priority 1 calls (crimes in progress, officer needing assistance, etc.) the dispatch time is almost six minutes.
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TABLE 14: Average Dispatch, Travel, and Response Times, by Priority
Response
Total Calls
1
5.6
4.5
10.1
126
2
7.2
5.3
12.5
18,419
3
15.7
7.5
23.2
8,918
4
17.1
6.9
24.0
4,570
5-7
26.2
7.6
33.8
19
Total
11.0
6.2
17.1
32,052
5.2
6.5
11.7
235
Priority
Dispatch
Injury accidents
Travel
Note: The total average is weighted according to the number of calls within each priority level.
The city of Grand Rapids and the city of Wyoming’s merging of emergency dispatch operations is an example of what can be accomplished when jurisdictions cooperate with one another. The forward thinking of these two cities is to be commended. Both agencies agreed that the primary goal of the merger of the systems was to improve service delivery and to reduce costs. The future plan for two identical systems within the county which can communicate with one another and offer redundancy could become a model program for other communities to note. Since the merger in September of 2010 the Grand Rapids Communication Bureau has worked diligently to continue to upgrade and improve emergency communication services. The merger of these two systems required much consideration and study. Decisions related to staffing, equipment, supervision, policy development, shift scheduling, and implementation were given very diligent consideration. The managers and emergency communications operators all agree that the system is working as planned. The system and its operations continue to be reviewed and monitored. There is no hesitancy by managers to take action to continue to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the communications operations. ICMA would not recommend changing the current staffing levels. Due to the recent implementation of the system there is insufficient data to make any such recommendations at this time. A review of the communications staffing would be appropriate during the next budget cycle. This will allow for sufficient time to review the effectiveness of the current operations. The system is working as planned. According to system managers there have been very few complaints about the operation of the system. There is a complaint tracking process that allows managers to review and investigate complaints about the system or personnel. This complaint review seems to be effective in the handling of these matters.
Recommendation:
It is strongly recommended that call-taking and dispatch procedures be reexamined by the GRPD to uncover the contributing factors behind the current high dispatch times and that steps be taken to reduce these delays where possible. Dispatch times for high priority calls should be less than two minutes.
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Facility/Fleet The Grand Rapids Police Department is located in the center of the downtown business district. It occupies a high-visibility location that offers two public entrances (Fulton Street and Monroe Street). The Fulton Street entrance is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During business hours Monday through Friday, a sworn officer is posted inside the police facility in a “kiosk” near the Monroe Street entrance to the building. The building has 54,870 square feet of parking and office facilities within the parking level. There are five additional floors within the building that contain 34,117 square feet of space on each level for offices, training facilities, meeting rooms, workout rooms, evidence/property storage, forensic laboratory facilities, and a very large communications center. There are also 346 lockers for male officers and 105 lockers for females. Due to the size of the building and its central location there is no current need for substations or district offices. This building can best be described as an excellent facility that meets the needs of the police officers, civilian employees, and the general public that visits and uses the facility. Police interns perform a variety of administrative functions within the building. This police facility adds much to the well-being of the police department employees and their ability to perform at a very high level. The department fleet consists of the following vehicles:
44 patrol vehicles
25 SRT/K-9 vehicles
36 detective unit vehicles
18 support service vehicles
19 nonpool vehicles.
The department has a formal policy for retiring and replacing police vehicles. Typically, vehicles must have 100,000 miles of service before being replaced. The Grand Rapids Police Department has an excellent police facility. However, its current layout and design needs to be reevaluated. Twenty-four hour public access to the police facility should be curtailed. Also, the ground floor of the building needs to be reconfigured. Staffing of a sworn officer to the “kiosk” should be eliminated. Public access should be curtailed to normal business hours, with after-hours access changed to emergency services only. The “front desk” area should be relocated from its current position to a position across the main lobby facing Monroe Street. This area should then be reconstructed to provide physical security measures to the police interns and records personnel that service the public.
Recommendations:
Curtail 24-hour public access to the police headquarters facility.
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Reconfigure the present space to limit access to the building from the Monroe Street entrance only, with a secure front desk area facing this entrance.
Information Technology and Records Management While a comprehensive analysis of the entire department’s IT systems was not performed, ICMA identified and reviewed the following systems:
The department’s records management system (RMS)
The department’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system
The department’s property management system.
The department is currently exploring the development of a 311 system. The department’s comprehensive records management system (RMS) is known as EMPOWER. This system was first developed and implemented by department personnel (that is, it was not purchased from a commercial vendor) through the FileMaker program in 2000. This has resulted in a considerable ongoing savings in terms of annual licensing fees. This RMS is an extremely agile and user-friendly system. It integrates easily with the department’s CAD system. The CAD system captures data, assigns an incident number, and exports data out to FILEMAKER and EMPOWER every fifteen minutes. Field reports are prepared in mobile terminals in patrol vehicles and are merged with EMPOWER. Interestingly, EMPOWER was intended originally only to be a field reporting system. It has evolved into the department’s comprehensive RMS. The EMPOWER system has been described as “organic,” as it has continually been updated and its development is ongoing. Department personnel serve as the development team. Department personnel described this process as “developing our own business solutions.” The department’s IT team also helped to convert the department’s radio environment to a 3G wireless system. The team is currently testing a 4G system. EMPOWER’s modules and capabilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Investigations
Internal affairs
Citations
Field reporting
Daily activity logs
Use of force tracking
Vehicle pursuit tracking
Risk management
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Electronic citations
Warrant management
False alarm management
Off-duty employment tracking
Online reporting by members of the community (via the department’s website).
A commercially designed program is used to track weapons, narcotics, and currency. EMPOWER interfaces with the department’s CAD and property management systems. The department’s payroll and purchasing functions are administered through citywide systems. The IA unit uses a secured record management system (ACCESS) that is linked to EMPOWER. Video cameras are installed in all patrol vehicles. GPS tracking capability will be available with the implementation of the new CAD system. The department has access to crime mapping via ARCMap. Citizens are able to access crime maps via the department’s website. The system refreshes all fields every 24 hours. The department’s website indicates that the crime mapping program “provides public access to crime information for the City of Grand Rapids. The crime data is preliminary information from reports made by officers of the Grand Rapids Police Department. Future investigation and analysis may change crime classification and other information. The mapping database contains data from the past 90 days.”6 Detectives are able to prepare their own crime maps, as necessary. Squad sergeants can perform specific searches, such as “my team, for the month of April.” The department utilizes a number of fixed cameras situated in public places throughout the community. Personnel and investigators can access images via their hand-held devices (i.e., telephones, PDAs). Additional cameras can be set up as necessary. The records unit is staffed by two full-time civilian clerks and one part-time civilian clerk. The records unit processes gun permits and gun registrations and performs fingerprinting.
Recommendations:
6
The department should establish an internal technology task force, which would serve as a standing committee to perform the analysis described above. This body should be comprised of supervisors, line officers, and civilian members of the department, should meet regularly, and should: (1) identify the department’s current technology needs; (2) identify any deficiencies in the department’s current communications and records management systems; (3) revise and update the department’s website (which should be designated as a priority); (4) identify technology training needs and recommend additional training; and (5) make specific recommendations for improvement, where necessary. This task force would report directly to the chief.
City of Grand Rapids, http://grcity.us/police-department/Pages/Crime-Mapping.aspx.
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The department should designate one ranking officer to serve as chief information officer (CIO). This individual would be responsible for creating, maintaining, and retrieving data from the police department’s various databases, files, and records. The CIO would serve as chair of the technology task force.
Training The training unit is commanded by a lieutenant and is staffed by four full-time, uniformed officers. A sergeant’s position was eliminated previously from this unit. These individuals are assisted by one intern, as well as scores of uniformed officers who deliver training on a part-time basis as field training officers (FTOs), firearms instructors, use of force/defensive tactics instructors, general topics instructors, etc. The training division was merged with the Special Services Unit and therefore currently has responsibility for: recruiting and testing; conducting background investigations for new employees; the hiring of interns; and background checks for civilian access to the headquarters building. ICMA was advised that there were approximately 300 background investigations conducted in a one-year period. ICMA was advised that the department delivers approximately 20,000 total hours of training annually. The training lieutenant is, among other things, charged with the following duties and responsibilities: identification of the training needs of the department; curriculum development; management of the training budget; management of the department’s recruitment programs; maintenance of training records; tactical training critiques and debriefs; command and supervisor training; and review of use of force reports and vehicle pursuits. Uniformed personnel receive all required recertification training (such as firearms and HAZMAT training) and also attend a considerable amount of off-site or outside (i.e., commercial) training. The required training is mandated by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. Training encompasses a broad array of topics, such as latent prints, child abuse investigations, etc. The department currently receives funding of approximately $60,000 per year from the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards for training. ICMA was informed by several sources outside the department that the Grand Rapids Police Department has a “very pro-training culture.” Multiple site visits and a review of training records and materials confirm this conclusion. The training division is responsible for delivering required recertification training, in-service training, and field training (for probationary officers). The majority of training is delivered on-site (that is, in training facilities located in the headquarters building). On training days, officers are rotated through various training stations for approximately four hours, and then are rotated out to complete their scheduled shift on patrol. Training is delivered over various shifts. Firearms training takes place at an off-site range facility. At one time, the training division was also responsible for a high school cadet program, a youth academy, and a citizens’ police academy.
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The department’s headquarters training facilities are spacious and well equipped. The department’s training is described as “proactive.” There is an emphasis on the teaching and development of integrated skills. In other words, lessons are not delivered or understood as discrete topics. The lessons themselves are very well designed and dynamic, blending traditional classroom instruction with practical and tactical skill development. For example, a “use of force” lesson is not delivered simply via traditional lecture method. All related topics are taught simultaneously. Therefore, lecture is combined with hands-on tactics and practical exercises regarding room entries, etc. This type of learning strategy is quite sophisticated and has been found to be a particularly effective means of instructing adult learners, such as police officers. The training division provides updates regarding law and departmental rules and regulations. The department’s training division is well integrated into the overall organizational framework of the department and works closely with the city’s risk manager and human resources office. The department’s training officer receives a copy of all line-of-duty injury reports filed in the field. Copies are also received by appropriate parties in city hall and the captain who supervises the Support Services Division. The training officer also receives and reviews all use of force reports. Lt. Lind indicated that he receives them as they are prepared, even prior to a supervisor’s review. The lieutenant related a story about an incident where the city’s risk manager came to the department to view an in-car video of a particular incident in order to determine whether a particular use of force was appropriate. There is apparently very good rapport between the department and the city’s civil litigation team (city attorney’s office and risk manager). ICMA was informed that the department recently enacted new policies regarding the operation of police vehicles and noticed that the total number of driving-related claims dropped. This is a very proactive, collaborative, and integrated approach to both training and risk management. The department reports that its efforts have led to a considerable reduction in the total amount paid out in settlement/judgments for vehicle accidents over the past ten years. It has similarly helped to reduce significantly the amount paid out in 18 U.S.C. 1983 claims over an eleven-year period. The training officer participates in critical incident reviews and performs a tactical debrief for all critical incidents. The primary purpose of tactical debriefs is to determine “what can be learned” from these incidents. For example, the training officer will examine the scene of officer-involved shootings. Other units, such as Internal Affairs, will perform a similar review. The training officer indicated that “these reviews will drive what our [future] training scenarios will be.” The training officer reports that he has received significant input from the police officers’ union. The department develops and follows an annual training plan that sets forth particular training goals. The department utilized a training committee at one time, but it has been dissolved. The training officer develops training goals with the input of other members of the department. For example, ICMA was advised that the Support Services Division requested ethics training. The training officer indicated that he has an “open door policy” with regard to his training officers. A
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great deal of the department’s overall training is related to the development of core competencies and critical skills. All supervisors attend a first-line supervisors’ training course. The training division delivers periodic in-service training to supervisors. For example, sergeants and lieutenants receive legal, procedural, and manual updates approximately two to three times per year. Supervisors also receive continuing training regarding the proper completion of annual performance reviews for their subordinates. Additional supervisor training has been delivered off-site on the topics of proactive leadership, radio communications, etc. The department also sponsors the Grand Rapids Police Department Leadership Institute, which is intended to support professional development of sworn and civilian personnel. This is a valuable program that should continue to be developed. The department has the ability to deliver brief training updates at roll calls (i.e., at the beginning of shifts) and the training officer has delivered roll call training from time to time. That period has generally not, however, been reserved for training. The training division has the ability to send electronic training bulletins or updates to all members of the department. For example, an e-mail was forwarded to the entire department regarding an important safety issue (the possible degradation of the material used in department-issued bulletresistant vests). The training division properly maintains all training records, materials, and lesson plans (from approximately 1980). Lesson plans contain necessary information, such as specific learning objectives. The training officer attends and participates in all command staff meetings. The training division is very well integrated into the overall operations of the department. This selfreflective approach to training is indicative of double loop learning and greatly enhances the department’s ability to engage in proactive operations. In July 2010, the department conducted a survey of the education levels of its sworn personnel. That study found that 54 percent of the department’s sworn personnel held a Bachelor’s degree, 7 percent held a Master’s degree, and 27 percent held an Associate’s degree. Overall, the department should be considered to have a fairly well-educated cohort of officers.
Recommendations:
The department should enhance the quantity and quality of training delivered at roll calls. This training should be recorded properly.
All police departments must have the ability to monitor the amount of training delivered via field training, in-service training, etc. and to determine the amount of personnel costs (in terms of overtime salaries) expended in connection with these vital functions. In light of the significant fiscal concerns facing the department in the foreseeable future, ICMA recommends that the department create a process for proactively monitoring training costs
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and clearly communicating this data to city administrators on a monthly basis. Rather than simply tallying past training conducted, or current training, the department must now be expected to provide accurate estimates of future training costs. The department and the city must work together to identify and actively monitor the correlation between training and overall overtime costs.
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Administration Professional Responsibility The Internal Affairs (IA) Unit is presently staffed by one lieutenant, a sergeant, and a civilian office assistant. Apparently, several of the department’s captains have served previously in this capacity. This indicates an informal career path in apparent recognition of the need for senior managers to understand and appreciate the IA function. At the time of the ICMA study there were no instances of serious misconduct or corruption and the GRPD appears to enjoy a high level of integrity among its officers. The following observations and recommendations are offered to improve the current system of internal affairs and professional responsibility. There appears to be somewhat of a high turnover rate, however, in the lieutenant’s position. ICMA was informed that the civilian assistant has been in place for some time and serves as the unit’s “institutional memory.” The IA commander indicated that the bulk of the unit’s investigations in recent years have been relatively minor issues of malfeasance or nonfeasance of duty by its officers. ICMA was informed that there have been “no real corruption cases in recent years.” ICMA was informed that the IA unit works closely with the training division. Frequently, complaints are identified as training issues because the dispositions “have a training component to them.” Officers are assigned for additional training, as necessary. All use-of-force reports are forwarded to the IA lieutenant for review. The IA unit does not utilize a formal early warning system to detect malfeasance or nonfeasance of duty on the part of its personnel. The IA unit does not utilize any form of integrity tests. The IA unit does review officerinvolved motor vehicle accidents, in an effort to identify patterns or problems. The department appears to utilize standard procedures for the receipt, review, and disposition of both internal and external complaints (GRPD Manual of Procedures, 3-8.2 E (2)). The procedures are clear and consistent with those of similarly-sized police organizations. Informational brochures are available for civilians wishing to make a complaint. The information contained therein is clear and comprehensive. Complaints can be received via e-mail, can be made by third parties, etc. Offsite meetings can be held with complainants, as necessary. Department guidelines provide that “no complaint will be received by any employee except an employee of the internal affairs unit.” Complainants have the option of appealing any not sustained, unfounded, or exonerated dispositions to the Civilian Appeal Board. IA tracking numbers are assigned to those cases that will be investigated by the IA unit or an outside investigative body. Complaints regarding “minor rule or policy violations” may be assigned to an employee’s supervisor for investigation and disposition. Dispositions for complaint investigations include: unfounded; exonerated; not sustained; and sustained. Civilian complainants and employees receive written notification of disposition.
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Five types of corrective action may be recommended for sustained cases:
Training
Counseling
Written reprimand
Suspension without pay
Discharge from the department.
The department has a clear appeals process for written reprimands, suspensions, and discharges of sworn and civilian members of the service.
Performance Appraisals ICMA was informed by several different sources that there is a great deal of internal dissatisfaction concerning the annual performance appraisal system currently in use. An earlier system of personal performance appraisal was challenged successfully by the officers’ union and was abandoned. ICMA was informed that the union agreed to a trial system of annual appraisals, but apparently “pulled out of the agreement two years ago.” ICMA was informed from several sources that annual performance appraisals have not been prepared for personnel for almost two years. This is unacceptable from an operational standpoint. Failure to perform annual performance reviews for all members of the department is inconsistent with standard police practice and represents a significant liability risk for the city, the department, and its employees. This situation should be corrected immediately. ICMA was informed that any future system would have to be negotiated as part of the collective bargaining process.
Procedures The department regularly performs property and evidence audits. The last audit was performed by a lieutenant assigned to a patrol service area. No proactive audits or inspections are performed to assess compliance with internal rules and procedures. The department’s RMS allows patrol supervisors to review field reports that are prepared by patrol officers. ICMA was advised that not all such reports receive a supervisor’s review. Supervisors’ review of field reports is not mandated by the department and only a very small portion of such reports receive a supervisor’s review, typically at a later date. “Red flags” are sent to patrol as necessary, also typically at a later date. ICMA views this as a quality control concern that is easily rectified. Patrol supervisors should be directed to review all, or perhaps some selected, field reports (such as arrest reports, vehicle accident reports, etc.) for accuracy and completeness. They should also be directed to review forms to ensure that narrative sections of reports are consistent with offense categories and disposition codes. The department’s RMS can be used to require and track such review by patrol supervisors. Once persistent problems are identified, patrol personnel can be identified for additional training and supervision.
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The IA unit holds meetings every two weeks to review new cases and all case files. These meetings are attended by the IA lieutenant and sergeant, the chief, the assistant city attorney, and a representative from the city’s office of labor relations. The training lieutenant does not attend these meetings. ICMA was informed that this is generally for confidentiality purposes (as these matters are investigatory in nature) and because ‘training’ is typically a case disposition. The training lieutenant does however receive a case action report that provides information for determining the type of retraining required. IA personnel have performed some training in the past, but this is not regularly scheduled. IA supervisors have presented at the department’s citizens’ police academy. The Internal Affairs unit provides a comprehensive recapitulation of its handling of complaints by type and origin (i.e., internal vs. citizen complaints) in the department’s annual reports. ICMA was advised that the IA unit handles approximately 300 to 400 cases per year. The policies for the receipt, custody, and disposition of property are clear, comprehensive, and generally consistent with industry standards. Several civil rights lawsuits have been filed against the department in recent years.
Recommendations:
ICMA agrees that it is generally wise to rotate senior managers through the Internal Affairs Unit, making this part of a recognized career path. It is also imperative that the uniformed members of this unit be assigned long enough to develop all requisite skills and knowledge associated with those positions. This serves a clear training purpose while at the same removing the stigma generally associated with IA operations. ICMA recommends the continuation of this approach to managing the internal affairs unit.
The department should develop and use an early warning system to detect and respond to malfeasance and nonfeasance of duty on behalf of its personnel. This system would electronically track data and certain activities that could be suggestive of integrity breaches, such as use of force reports, civilian complaints, etc. The department should examine the systems of similarly-sized police agencies and customize a system for its own purposes.
The department should consider authorizing any supervisor to initially receive a civilian complaint. Due to the relatively small size of the IA unit’s staff, it is wise to allow other supervisors to initially record and refer such civilian complaints.
The annual reports prepared by the IA unit should contain more comprehensive information. At a minimum, these reports should actively track incidents and issues that may be related to police misconduct, such as: the type and relative number of use-of-force reports, civilian and internal complaints (and dispositions), department vehicle accidents, weapons discharges and use, arrest and summons activity (particularly charges relating to disorderly conduct and resisting/obstructing arrest), line of duty injuries, etc. that originate within the department. Rather than simply presenting aggregate numbers of such things as use-of-force reports or complaints, the reports should include a breakdown of type, place of occurrence/origin, etc. These reports should utilize a standard template and be used as a
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primary means of establishing baselines and tracking progress towards stated organizational goals. The IA lieutenant should report these figures at monthly command staff meetings and via monthly reports that can be distributed as the chief sees fit. .
The department should consider a process for periodically performing a citizen satisfaction survey. This could be used to gauge the public’s views regarding the overall quality of service delivery, as well as specific interactions or encounters with the public (such as vehicle traffic stops).
Patrol supervisors should be required to review patrol officers’ field reports for completeness and accuracy. Patrol supervisors could be required to “sign off on” such reports before they are merged with the RMS. The department can identify exactly which reports should be reviewed in this manner.
The department should develop, follow, and document a program of systematic and random audits and inspections of critical operations (calls for service response and dispositions, property receipt and safeguarding, line of duty and sick leave, etc.). One ranking officer (the IA lieutenant) should be designated to plan, conduct, and regularly report the results of such audits and inspections. These reports should be conveyed via the IA unit’s monthly reports and the department’s annual reports. This individual would also perform regular checks or audits for proper case/call dispositions. The department should also utilize a process to randomly check routine reports (such as the narrative sections of arrest and accident reports) for accuracy and completeness.
The department must take all necessary steps to quickly implement and regularly use an acceptable performance appraisal system for all members of the department (both sworn and unsworn).
The personal performance evaluations that are now being used must include a process for providing and documenting useful performance feedback to those being evaluated. Individual performance targets/goals must be linked logically to unit and department goals.
Personal development plans should be developed and regularly tracked for employees of all ranks.
It is also imperative that all supervisors who are charged with preparing performance evaluations of their subordinates receive ongoing training in an evaluator’s responsibilities and proper evaluation procedures. From both a supervisory and morale standpoint, all members of the department must understand that performance evaluations are an important and necessary part of police operations.
The department must establish clear guidelines for addressing officers who receive an “unsatisfactory” performance rating. This would include, among other things, additional monitoring and mentoring and would require an express “action plan” and time line for the correction of any noted deficiencies.
IA supervisors should periodically deliver in-service training to department personnel.
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Rules, Regulations, Policies, and Procedures ICMA reviewed the GRPD’s rules, regulations, policies, and procedure manuals and found that the documents provide direction and guidance to the police officers and civilians in the department. An extensive review of each procedure is beyond the scope of this report. Examination of the most critical and frequent police policies and procedures reveals that the GRPD has thorough and comprehensive policies in these critical areas that are consistent with respect to acceptable industry standards in these areas. ICMA reviewed GRPD policies on the use of force, domestic violence, vehicle pursuits, prisoner processing, and complaints against police officers. In general, these policies are current and accurately reflect current laws and accepted industry standards for dealing with these critical areas. The GRPD should be commended for adhering to such high standards and promulgating appropriate and relevant policies in these areas.
Administration
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Summary It is ICMA's opinion that the GRPD is a highly professional, well-managed police agency. The information management system developed and implemented in the department is beyond compare in contemporary law enforcement. The department’s response to the challenging economic environment in Grand Rapids appears to have been handled professionally and appropriate measures were taken to deal with budget and personnel reductions while still maintaining core services. In general, the GRPD is an impressive organization. Members of the department of all ranks and positions demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and dedication to the agency and the community. The recommendations offered are viewed by ICMA as opportunities to improve an already high-performing and well-managed organization. The recommendations provided here seek to streamline operations and identify efficiencies in order to reduce costs and still maintain the level of police service now enjoyed in Grand Rapids. Merging patrol service areas, consolidating investigative assignments, and enhancing the performance management and administrative functions of the organization will undoubtedly streamline operations and improve efficiency. Embracing all of the recommendations in this report will allow the GRPD to operate with a sworn personnel headcount of 270 officers. The proposed table of organization is provided below to summarize the personnel recommendations. Deployed in the manner recommended herein, the GRPD will be able to maintain current services and experience similar outcomes in public safety.
Appendix
page 72
Executive Internal Affairs SRT LT Military
Chief 1
1
Deputy Chief
0
Support Division IT Special Services Training Special Events B&GCGRYC
1 1 1 3
Sergeant 1 2 3 1 1
0
Patrol Division East-South ES-CPO North-West NW CPO
Appendix
0 1
Lieutenant
1
0
Investigations Division Detective Unit Major Case 1 Major Case 2 Family Services Cyber Forensics Kent Metro TF ATF CATT MFITT Warrants Subpoena City Attorney Housing Vice
Total Grand Total Sworn
Captain
1 1
1 1
1
3
3
1
2 1 1 1
1
1 2
3 8
1
2
1
2
8 1 8
1
2
4
17
1
4
12
31
Patrol Officer
16 1 17 2 7 4 1 2 16
8 8 9 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 14 51
1
1
60 10 60 7 137 220 270
page 73
Appendix A Crime Rates Reported by Grand Rapids Police Department, 2001–2010 Larceny theft
Motor vehicle theft
1298.5
3379.1
340.5
4555.8
1154.3
3061.6
340
739.5
4729.9
1038.7
3331.6
359.6
286.4
702.2
4802.9
1098.2
3328.2
376.6
33.8
345.2
621.7
5000.7
1043.7
3610.3
346.7
11.4
34.1
362.1
588.2
5236
1286.1
3589.3
360.6
975.2
10.4
36.9
347.8
580.1
5276.6
1366.6
3603.9
306.2
193,096
1028.5
7.8
43.5
398.2
579
4789.8
1188.5
3366.7
234.6
2009
192,901
831.5
4.7
40.4
301.2
485.2
4580.1
1272.2
3115.6
192.3
2010
188,040
859
Violent Crime
Robbery
Aggravated assault
Property crime
26.7
277.6
719.7
5018.1
4
37.5
254
793.9
1049.8
5.6
34.5
270.3
196,234
1037
6.1
42.3
2005
195,274
1006.8
6.1
2006
193,297
995.9
2007
192,376
2008
Year
Population.
Murder
2001
198,842
1030
6
2002
200,029
1089.3
2003
197,173
2004
Rape
Burglary
4051
Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports, prepared by the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data.
Appendix
page 74
Appendix B GRPD Deployment Analysis Workload February August Time Weekday Weekend Weekday Weekend 12:00 AM 9.6 14.1 14.3 17.5 1:00 AM 9.0 15.5 13.5 16.7 2:00 AM 9.8 15.4 13.0 16.8 3:00 AM 10.2 16.7 12.2 17.0 4:00 AM 7.0 13.1 10.4 16.0 5:00 AM 3.0 7.1 5.8 9.5 6:00 AM 2.1 5.2 3.7 4.6 7:00 AM 5.1 5.3 6.3 3.9 8:00 AM 8.4 4.5 8.7 5.6 9:00 AM 9.2 6.5 11.0 6.8 10:00 AM 8.9 9.2 9.8 6.4 11:00 AM 8.7 9.9 10.8 7.5 12:00 PM 11.4 12.2 12.1 10.9 1:00 PM 12.8 13.3 14.7 11.5 2:00 PM 12.2 12.6 13.5 11.2 3:00 PM 12.6 13.2 11.4 12.0 4:00 PM 11.3 11.4 12.2 10.4 5:00 PM 10.0 9.9 10.8 8.2 6:00 PM 9.9 11.6 10.9 9.6 7:00 PM 12.3 12.6 15.2 12.7 8:00 PM 11.6 11.2 15.7 13.8 9:00 PM 12.9 13.6 14.6 15.2 10:00 PM 12.7 12.6 15.4 14.5 11:00 PM 12.2 12.2 15.8 13.9
13.9 13.7 13.8 14.0 11.6 6.3 3.9 5.1 6.8 8.4 8.6 9.2 11.6 13.1 12.4 12.3 11.3 9.8 10.5 13.2 13.1 14.1 13.8 13.5
13.9 13.7 13.8 14.0 11.6 6.3 3.9 5.1 6.8 8.4 8.6 9.2 11.6 13.1 12.4 12.3 11.3 9.8 10.5 13.2 13.1 14.1 13.8 13.5
Peak Workload 17.5 16.7 16.8 17.0 16.0 9.5 5.2 6.3 8.7 11.0 9.8 10.8 12.2 14.7 13.5 13.2 12.2 10.8 11.6 15.2 15.7 15.2 15.4 15.8
Peak
60% 75% Staff Peak Current Deployment Deviation from Peak 29.1 39 31 -8 27.9 37 30 -7 28.0 37 28 -10 28.3 38 27 -11 26.7 36 27 -9 15.8 21 25 4 8.7 12 24 13 10.5 14 25 11 14.5 19 32 13 18.3 24 33 8 16.3 22 35 13 18.0 24 35 11 20.3 27 35 8 24.5 33 35 3 22.5 30 35 5 22.0 29 35 5 20.3 27 35 7 18.0 24 35 11 19.3 26 30 4 25.3 34 31 -3 26.2 35 31 -4 25.3 34 31 -3 25.7 34 31 -3 26.3 35 31 -4
Total Manpower Manpower per hour Total Personnel Required
Appendix
691 29 116
746 31 124
55 2 8
page 75
Appendix
page 76
Appendix
page 77
Midnights
Days
Evenings
1 2 3
1 2 3
1 2 3
13 13 13
13 13 13
13 13 13
13 13
13 13
26
26
13 13
13 13
26
26
13 13
13 13
26
26
13
13
13
13 26
13 26
13 26
13
13
13
13 26
13 26
13 26
13
13
13
13 26
13 26
13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
13 13
13 13
26
26
13 13
13 13
26
26
13 13
13 13
26
26
13 13 13 39
13
13
13 26
13 26
13 13 13 39
13
13
13 26
13 26
13 13 13 39
13
13
13 26
13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
13 13 26
117
Appendix
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Needed Modified Deviation 39 26 -13 37 26 -11 37 26 -11 38 26 -12 36 26 -10 21 26 5 12 26 14 14 26 12 19 26 7 24 26 2 22 26 4 24 26 2 27 26 -1 33 26 -7 30 26 -4 29 26 -3 27 26 -1 24 26 2 26 26 0 34 26 -8 35 26 -9 34 26 -8 34 26 -8 35 26 -9
Needed Current Deviation 31 39 -8 30 37 -7 28 37 -9 27 38 -11 27 36 -10 25 21 4 24 12 12 25 14 11 32 19 13 33 24 9 35 22 13 35 24 11 35 27 8 35 33 2 35 30 5 35 29 6 35 27 8 35 24 11 30 26 4 31 34 -3 31 35 -4 31 34 -3 31 34 -3 31 35 -4
Total Dev. -67 P.O. Surplus-2.79167
55 2.30
page 78
Sgt 4 1300x2300 4 2300x0900 4 0900x1900 4 1900x0500 Weak
Strong
Strong
Appendix
1300x2300 4 fss 4 ssm 4 smt 4 mtw 4 twh 4 whf 4 hfs 28 #officers 2300x0900 4 fss 4 ssm 4 smt 4 mtw 4 twh 4 whf 4 hfs 28 0900x1900 4 fss 4 ssm 4 smt 4 mtw 4 twh 4 whf 4 hfs 28
M
T
4 4
4 4
4
4 4
4 4 4 16
4
4 4 4 16
4
4 4 4 16
4 4 16
4 4
4 4 16
4 4
4 4 16
W 4 4 4 4
H 4 4
4 4 4
4 4 4 4
4 16
4 4 4
4 16
4 4 4
4 16
F 4 4
Sa 4 4
Su
4 4
16
4 4 4 4
16
4 4 4 4
16
4 4 4 4
16
4 4 4 4
16
4 4 4 4
16
4 4 4 4 16
4 4 4 4 16
4 4 4 4 16
4 4 4 4 16
4 4 4 4 16
4 4 4 4 16
page 79
TOTAL PO:
112
Example Tour 1100x2100 2100x0700 0700x1700 1700x0300
Appendix
# PO 16 16 16 16
Hour ==> 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16 32
16 32
16 32
16 32
16 32
16
16
16
16
9
10
11
12
13 16
14 16
15 16
16 16
17 16
18 16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
19 16
20 16
21 16
22 16
16 32
16 32
16 32
16 32
23 16
16
16
16
16
32
32
32
32
32
32
16 32
page 80
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Needed Staffed 39 37 37 38 36 21 12 14 19 24 22 24 27 33 30 29 27 24 26 34 35 34 34 35
32 32 32 32 32 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32
Total Dev. P.O. Surplus Surplus Variance
Appendix
Deviation -7 -5 -5 -6 -4 -5 4 2 -3 -8 -6 -8 -11 -1 2 3 5 8 6 -2 -3 -2 -2 -3 -51 59.36232 -2.125 -8.5 23.94
Needed Current Deviation 31 39 -8 30 37 -7 28 37 -9 27 38 -11 27 36 -10 25 21 4 24 12 12 25 14 11 32 19 13 33 24 9 35 22 13 35 24 11 35 27 8 35 33 2 35 30 5 35 29 6 35 27 8 35 24 11 30 26 4 31 34 -3 31 35 -4 31 34 -3 31 34 -3 31 35 -4 55 2.30 9 64.95
page 81
