Lost Property Vandalism Vandalism of a Vehicle Auto Burglary Telephone Harassment In our view APD could do more to increase the use on citizen self reports. First, the department should ensure that the web-based system mirrors the TRU. Second, the department should examine the policy and procedure that is used to screen TRU calls. We were informed by a number of members of the organization that TRU call takers often refuse to take a report claiming they cannot take a report when the suspect is known. This occurs even when the victim provides the scantest of suspect information. Ironically, the criteria for this parameter for self-reporting on-line is know who committed the “You crime.” This is a much more reasonable standard. One additional advantage to the on-line approach is that the victim receives a report number immediately and prints a copy of a report. This is better for citizens and reduces demand on the records division. We recommend that the department transition away from a telephone system to a web-based system. Operations Support Staffing This section of the report examines the assignment and utilization of resources currently committed to specialized within the department. When analyzing the staffing for specialized or support units, it is important to note that there is no universally accepted size fits all” formula for police departments. Rather, the evaluation must be based “one on a number of factors such as: The agency’s policing philosophy The agency’s policies and procedures defining the roles and responsibilities of support units The availability of alternative resources to provide equivalent services currently being provided by the support and specialized units The effectiveness of the support and specialized Community expectations City and police department budgets and resources Collective bargaining agreements Investigative Bureau A deputy leads the investigative bureau. There are five divisions in the bureau: Special Investigations
Lost Property Vandalism Vandalism of a Vehicle Auto Burglary Telephone Harassment In our view APD could do more to increase the use on citizen self reports. First, the department should ensure that the web-based system mirrors the TRU. Second, the department should examine the policy and procedure that is used to screen TRU calls. We were informed by a number of members of the organization that TRU call takers often refuse to take a report claiming they cannot take a report when the suspect is known. This occurs even when the victim provides the scantest of suspect information. Ironically, the criteria for this parameter for self-reporting on-line is “You know who committed the crime.” This is a much more reasonable standard. One additional advantage to the on-line approach is that the victim receives a report number immediately and prints a copy of a report. This is better for citizens and reduces demand on the records division. We recommend that the department transition away from a telephone system to a web-based system. Operations Support Staffing This section of the report examines the assignment and utilization of resources currently committed to specialized within the department. When analyzing the staffing for specialized or support units, it is important to note that there is no universally accepted “one size fits all” formula for police departments. Rather, the evaluation must be based on a number of factors such as: The agency’s policing philosophy The agency’s policies and procedures defining the roles and responsibilities of support units The availability of alternative resources to provide equivalent services currently being provided by the support and specialized units The effectiveness of the support and specialized Community expectations City and police department budgets and resources Collective bargaining agreements Investigative Bureau A deputy leads the investigative bureau. There are five divisions in the bureau: Special Investigations
Comprehensive%20Staffing%20Assessment%20and%20Resource%20Study.docx