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WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? <br /> <br />In the City <br />Every person interviewed believes that Ramsey will continue to grow, both in population <br />and number of businesses, and probably in diversity. They believe that growth will <br />inevitably lead to more traffic and more police calls. They disagree on whether or not the <br />type and severity of crime in the City will change. Some people think that if we pay <br />attention to older suburbs we can take action to avoid the problems that plague them. <br />More people believe that it is inevitable that violent crime, including gang activity, will <br />slowly spread from second tier suburbs to Ramsey, and the rate of the spread will depend <br />on how dramatically the City's demographics change. Many officers predict that there <br />will be more disputes between neighbors as the influx of newcomers continues, more <br />domestic calls, and more crimes involving fraud. <br /> <br />In the Police Department <br />It seemed a foregone conclusion that the Police Department will need to grow in response <br />to the growth of the community. As the department gets larger, factions are more likely <br />to develop. The department's relationship to other agencies will also change. Ten years <br />ago Ramsey depended on other cities for frequent backup. That trend has reversed and <br />other departments now rely more on Ramsey. Officers expect that trend to continue. <br /> <br />The Police Chief <br />The Police Chief will have a significant impact on the City and the Department, <br />according to most of the people interviewed. Ideally, he or she will be able to look <br />beyond Ramsey's horizons and anticipate developments, then aggressively seek resources <br />- staff, equipment, technology - to respond effectively. <br /> <br />The greatest challenges facing the new chief will be to keep the department moving <br />forward and to maintain morale. A key factor in achieving these goals will be the ability <br />to secure sufficient resources to respond effectively to the increasing demands for service. <br /> <br />Another challenge will be to develop visibility and accessibility to the community so the <br />chief understands the needs of the community and is not swayed by a vocal minority. <br />The chief will spend more time being an administrator and less time on patrol. <br /> <br />WHAT CHARACTERISTICS SHOULD THE NEXT POLICE CHIEF HAVE? <br /> <br />Everyone agreed that the new Police Chief will have to wear many different hats. <br />Success will depend largely on knowing which one to wear at which time. <br /> <br />8 <br /> <br /> <br />