Accomplishment #4
We’ve equipped the officers and implemented technology
(Mobile Dispatching, E-Citations, Online Reporting, wireless mobile video
download, etc.) to give them the tools they need to be more effective. I’d much rather have one guy driving a
backhoe than a hundred guys with shovels.
I’ve also made some mistakes here.
When it comes to implementing new technology, I used too much of a ready-fire-aim
approach. The biggest single failure
here was my willingness to trust the salesman and go for the newest technology
rather than go with proven technology and let someone else test-drive the beta
software. I also realized a little late
that we needed much more IT support which we solved by hiring Oliver.
The officers are now better equipped than they’ve ever been.
·
Every officer has a high quality AR-15 which really helps in
firepower and safety – safer because target acquisition is much more precise
and safer because outdoor firefights often involves distance outside pistol
range.
·
External Vest: Police Officers, particularly those with patrol
assignments, often suffer from back problems complicated by wearing a gun
belt. External vest takes the load from
the waist and distributes it elsewhere.
·
The condition of the fleet is significantly better. Five years ago, it wasn’t uncommon to retire
170,000 mile cars. Now, the car retirement is closer to 120,000 (Is that like
dog years?). This means less costly
break-downs and more efficient use of tax dollars, not just in maintenance
cost, but in downtime for officers.
·
Every officer has a cell phone, which is much more efficient both
in time, gas, and service to the public.
The first time I proposed this to my captain some years ago; he scoffed
at the idea saying it would be cheaper to give them a pocket full of quarters
for a pay phone. Uh, what’s a payphone?
·
We remodeled the PD on the cheap (under $35K) making a smoother
work flow, especially in patrol. We also
doubled the workout area.
·
Our lab was nothing more than a closet with a few pieces of
equipment. We had well-trained staff,
but they didn’t have the tools to do their jobs. With the expanded lab and equipment, we are
now a leader in the State on processing crime scene evidence. The addition of real-time finger print
analysis has identified multiple suspects.
·
We increased the capabilities of SWAT, including the ability to do
explosive entries. It may seem
counterintuitive until you think about it, but a well-trained SWAT team reduces
the likelihood of a violent outcome. I
can think of at least one case last year in which the SWAT team response likely
saved the life of a man who otherwise would have forced a police shooting.