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PATROL: With the addition of two officers in this year, ] 996, as mentioned above, there will be
<br />far more flexibility in the shift schedule. With judicious planning an on-shift officer, trained in the
<br />necessary discipline, can be removed from patrol duties for a period of an horn or two for a
<br />Crimewatch meeting or a first-aid class or for more extended periods for other operations
<br />in:luding, but nol limited to, Bike Road-co, special traffic details (speeding, careless driving,
<br />DWI, etc.), drug operations, joint city operations and surveillance.
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<br />With twelve officers, including the Sergeant, depending on the actual number of ICWs and the
<br />m~eup of those incidents it ma>' be possible to consider and to some degree, initiate some form of
<br />neighborhood officer program. This concept allows one or more officers to choose, or be
<br />assigned, an area for which they become incident follow-up officers. That is, in certain instances,
<br />even though the one perhaps two officers having an assigned area, do not patrol only that area
<br />during their assigned shifts, they will receive copies of repons of incidents that occur in their area.
<br />Examples of these reports would be a string of thefts or burglaries, a home where there are
<br />repeated domestics, juvenile runaways (especially repeaters), a problem driver, ap, alcoholic whose
<br />behavior causes problems in the neighborhood or family problems that do or will affect the
<br />community and many others. Because the officers will have more extensive knowledge of their
<br />area, they w~ use this familiaris, to get information or to gain trust which may lead to solutions to
<br />problems before they become a general neighborhood or even community problem. Obviously,
<br />however,.this will detract from the random patrol capability and, to a much less allowable degree,
<br />the ability to respond to calls since the officer will have to accomplish this neighborhood work
<br />while on regular patrol duty. The availability of more patrol officers will allow for some freedom
<br />since there will be an officer providing back-up while the neighborhood officer is out of his squad.
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<br />It is at this point that we will see the value, not only of the personnel level in 1996, but also the
<br />previous years acquisition of the computer system, MDTs, cellular phones and recorders for each
<br />squad/officer. Fewer officers overall, with proper training, motivation and equipment will be able
<br />to not only deliver the standard services expected but will, in effect, reduce the increase of their
<br />future workload.
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<br />!997
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<br />ADlvilNISTRATION: As with previous years, the report load for the clerical staff will determine
<br />th~ number of personnel required. By 1996 or t997 laptop computers/word processors will be
<br />common and relatively inexpensive. Because of this, I have not included them in capital outlay.
<br />However, their acquisition will s-educe the clerical personnel need since officers can, using
<br />displayed formats, do their reports, from short to lengthy, in their cars. The discs are then down-
<br />loaded by clerical persons into the main computer system during the day and with minimal clerical
<br />examination those repo,-ts become not only part of the permanent file but also are automatically
<br />forwarded to the State Criminal Justice Records System (C. JRS) and Federal National Crime
<br />Information Center (NCIC) systems. The laptops are simply word processors and are not meant to
<br />replace the PC's in the offices since the PC's access several other irt-house and State/Federal
<br />computers. In 1997, there w/il be added another Sergeant to administration. In 1993 and until
<br />1996 the Chief and one Sergeant had administrative control over, finally, twelve officers.
<br />However, during those years, the Chief has become less able to become involved in patrol
<br />activities. So, in effect, that span of supervisory conu'ol has increased far more on the Sergeant's
<br />side. The added Sergeant will, as has the current Sergeant, not work an assigned patrol schedule
<br />but will share the day to da}, operation of the patrol. He will fill in .as a patrol officer as required by
<br />the shift schedule or other patrol officer assignments dictate. The Sergeants will not work the same
<br />shift hours. They wilt schedule themselves so as to provide supervision, leadership and evaluation
<br />capabilities to all officers during the course of the year.
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