Agenda - Council - 02/25/1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Although it seems the department has a good handle on traffic, officers on the B (afternoon) shift report that the high call load during that period makes consistent traffic enforcement almost nonexistent, except in the winter. Some officers expressed concern that response time, especially to medical emergencies, is too long (8 to 10 minutes). This is partly because the City is spread out over so many square miles. One suggestion to reduce response time is to establish a satellite police office some place like Central Park. When a second Fire station is built in the City, it might be the logical place to add a police desk "in the field." Emergency management. There were few strong opinions about emergency management. Everyone knew that the Police Chief is in charge of the system of warning sirens in the City. Most assume that Anoka County and other jurisdictions have plans to deal with disasters and believe that the City should not duplicate those efforts. The Fire Department was identified as a natural partner for the Police Department in emergency management. It seemed to be the consensus that at the least, Fire and Police should be aware of the County's emergency management plan and the role the City would play in the event of a major disaster. A few people suggested that the City do more "what if" planning and participate in joint drills with other jurisdictions. CURRENT CONDITIONS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT According to employees of the department, morale is good, despite a lot of nervousness right now about what will happen when the Police Chief retires. They attribute the good morale mainly to the Chief's management style. He communicates clear expectations about desired results, then gives officers great latitude in determining the means of getting the results. As a result, there are not a lot of written procedures in the department. As the department grows, there may be a need for more written procedures to ensure consistency in operations. The current Chief emphasizes substance over image and doesn't tolerate interpersonal conflicts that interfere with work. Officers say he is quick to correct inappropriate behavior but he is also fair and doesn't play favorites. To a person, the officers respect the Police Chief for his practice of doing daily patrols and "not forgetting where he came from." One perception the officers have of the Chief is at odds with the perception of elected officials and department heads. Officers want the Chief to be more aggressive in seeking resources. People outside the department see him as someone who is always crusading to improve his department's position. Department employees believe that morale is good partly because people in the department are "good people, decent people" who share similar goals. They say that people get along well despite different personalities. 6