2008 Goals & Strategies

As we build on the success of previous years to make Wichita one of the safest cities in America, the command staff has adopted the following 2008 goals. These goals were developed with emphasis on customer service, providing for a safe and secure community, enhancing our community policing philosophy and incorporating the Department Strategic Agenda.  The following will be Department’s 2008 goals:

1. Complete and initiate implementation phases of the Wichita Safe and Secure Initiative.

Strategy:

• To complete, present to Council and implement Wichita Safe and Secure Initiative.

Performance measures:

• Adoption of Wichita Safe and Secure Initiative.

2. Maintain and/or reduce Part One crime rates above the national average for cities with population between 250,000 to 499,999, using the 2006 Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Report information.

Strategy:

• Maintain statistics on Wichita Part One crimes versus national statistics from cities of similar size.

Performance measures (Crimes per 100,000):

• Homicides:  Wichita = 7.3; National = 13.8

• Rape:  Wichita = 67.2; National = 48.1

• Robbery: Wichita = 145.5; National = 379.9

• Aggravated Assault:  Wichita = 708.8; National = 553.8

• Burglary:  Wichita = 1063.3; National = 1162.3

• Larceny:  3857.6; National = 3143.4

• Auto Theft:  552.9; National = 908.7

3. Implement the Comprehensive Traffic Safety Plan recommendations.

Strategy:

• Positively impact traffic collisions and fatalities.

• Work with Kansas Department of Transportation to revise and implement the new state traffic accident report.

• Facilitate a four-hour DUI Standardized Field Sobriety Testing refresher training class for Field Services personnel.

Performance measures:

• Monitor injury accident and traffic fatality rates comparing Wichita to cities of comparable size (Wichita = 10.07 accidents/100,000; National = 9.23 accidents/100,000).

• Number of DUI arrests.

4. Maintain a clearance rate above the national average for cities 250,000 to 499,999, using the 2006 Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Report information.

Strategy:

a.       Maintain homicide clearance rate above 49.5%

b.      Maintain rape clearance rate above 42.4%

c.       Maintain aggravated assault clearance rate above 48.6%

d.      Maintain robbery clearance rate above 22.4%

e.       Maintain burglary clearance rate above 11.4%

f.       Maintain auto theft clearance rate above 10.1%

g.      Maintain larceny clearance rate above 16.1%

Performance measures:

• Wichita Police Department homicide 2008 clearance rate.

• Wichita Police Department rape 2008 clearance rate.

• Wichita Police Department aggravated assault 2008 clearance rate.

• Wichita Police Department robbery 2008 clearance rate.

• Wichita Police Department burglary 2008 clearance rate.

• Wichita Police Department auto theft 2008 clearance rate.

• Wichita Police Department larceny 2008 clearance rate.

5. Foster working relationships with City Departments, appointed and elected officials to enhance the Department’s Community Policing philosophy.

Strategy:

• Increase communications and interaction between City departments.

• Increase cross training with other departments.

Performance measures:

• Quantify number of meetings attended outside WPD.

• Quantify attendance/number of presentations made to DABs.

• Number of personnel trained.

6. The Field Services and Investigations Divisions will develop strategies to hold offenders accountable for drug related crimes.

Strategy:

• Increase communication between WPD and outside agencies to address more timely prosecution of drug offenders.

• Train all commissioned personnel to one standardized drug field test which can be used in affidavits to charge suspects without waiting for forensic lab analysis.

• Review charging businesses processes.

Performance measures:

• Number of meetings with stakeholders to discuss dealing with drug offenders in which Department has participated.

• Quantify how many people are trained and number of trainers certified in new field drug testing procedure.

• Number of cases charged.

Departmental Performance Targets:

• Crime index as a ratio of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National index.

• Traffic fatalities per 1,000 citizens – target of .090.

• Maintain and/or improve 4.8 minutes response times for emergency calls.

• Respond to neighborhood complaints within 24 hours, if possible.

Departmental Special Projects:

1. Continue to participate in the Transforming Wichita Initiative and Training.

Strategy:

• Covered under WPD Strategic Agenda 2007 – 2011.

• Increase WPD personnel trained in TW.

• Review all continuous improvement projects.

Performance measures:

• Track number of people trained.

• Number of projects reviewed.

2. Implement the Field Training Officer program recommendations.

Strategy:

• The Training Bureau and the Field Services Division will work together to implement the revisions, in order to enhance the overall quality and effectiveness of the program.

Performance measures:

• Program expanded from eight to twelve weeks.

• Revised program manual and forms.

• Spreadsheet/database developed to track remedial training activities.

• All recruit officers scheduled for a structured community policing observation day during the training academy.

• All officers scheduled for a structured community policing observation day at the conclusion of each field training cycle.

• Refresher training developed and presented to current Field Training Officers, prior to each field training cycle starting.

3. Engage Field Services sergeants in beat management and community policing activities.

 Strategy:

• Move field supervisors toward multi-dimensional interaction.

Performance measures:

• Number of sergeants participating in training.

• Conduct several surveys of supervisor’s assigned police officers.

• Track the number of meetings that sergeants attend.

• Track and evaluate projects sergeants supervise.

4. Enhance working relationships with neighborhood associations, neighborhood watch and business watch participants.

Strategy:

• Improve communication between these entities.

• Enhance two-way communication and provide 24-hour re-contact after Field Bureau is notified.

Performance measures:

• Biannual meetings with neighborhood presidents to discuss broad issues.

• List email addresses for all Neighborhood Watch block captain and share with beat coordinators.

• Provide feedback through phone conversations and emails.

• Conduct meetings with Wichita Independent Neighborhoods, Inc.

5. Evaluate case assignment criteria for the Property Crimes Bureau to insure proper customer service to victims.

Strategy:

• Determine the most effective manner to process criminal theft cases, which will result in the optimum number of criminal incidents solved by personnel assigned to the Investigations Division.  This goal includes a holistic review of operations efficiency while increasing customer service toward victims.

Performance measures:

• A committee will review how cases are currently processed and look at strengths and weakness of operation.

• The committee chair (Bureau Commander) will make a recommendation to the Chief of Police and Investigations Division Chief regarding changes in operations which will increase efficiency and customer service regarding theft investigations.

• The Property Bureau will incorporate said changes, approved by the Chief of Police, by the end of the year.

6. Assess and implement appropriate changes in the Technical Services Bureau to enhance operations and engage in the community policing philosophy.

Strategy:

• Insure that Technical Services employees take part in the problem solving and communication network involving police officers, detectives, and community groups.  An overall assessment of management structure and operations will be completed.

Performance measures:

• The number of crime trend projects that Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs) become involved in.

• The number of community meetings where CSI’s talk with the community about what they see while processing crime scenes and offer crime prevention tips.

• Complete a study regarding supervisory coverage and management structure that will enhance community-policing objectives.

• Report back to the Division Chief and Chief of Police regarding recommended changes concerning supervisory coverage.

7. The Gang Unit and SCAT members will make notification to parents and/or guardians of juveniles aged 17 and under, who are stopped by the police in the company of a documented gang member.

Strategy:

• Development of a protocol for parent and/or guardian notification.

• Train personnel regarding protocol for consistency.

Performance measures:

• Numbers of notifications.

8. Initiate research of the daily bulletin concept and reclassification procedures for Investigations personnel.

Strategy:

• Study the current process and determine the most accurate process for reclassification.

• Develop a daily bulletin.

Performance measures:

• Have a format developed and approved by executive staff.

• Distribute bulletin accordingly.

• Report changes to executive staff.

9. Assess and implement procedures to maintain and/or improve the amount of time citizens and police officers are on hold waiting to enter case information. The average hold in 2007 will be the benchmark.

Strategy:

• Enhance the Field Service’s officer and Case Desk clerk training process to provide correct, complete and faster data entry.

• Actively monitor automated call distribution by supervision during shift.

• Develop with Field Services possible alternative methods of submitting report data for entry with other departments’ support.

• Request additional resources during the budget process.

Performance measures:

• Track training provided reporting and data entry personnel.

• Log and monitor identified reporting party documentation data errors.

• Chart monthly average times on hold, abandoned calls, and errors identified at the gateway.

• Participate in and test officer developed efforts at alternative methods.

10. Develop a pilot wireless communication process for assisting officers with case entry information.

Strategy:

• Create a pilot training curriculum for the comprehensive Wireless Education and Support Plan that includes:

  o      Use of E*Justice;

  o      Data entry using FBR (Field Based Reporting);

  o      Didactic classroom training;

  o      Use of MCTs;

  o      Field Reference Guide for Wireless Access;

  o      Use of NCIC and local repositories.

• Coordinate wireless effort development with Field Services, Investigations, Municipal Court, Prosecutors, IT/IS and State agencies.

Performance measures:

• Create a Standard Operating Procedure with new workflows, controls and approval process to support officer-driven data entry.

• Provide training curriculum and SOP’s for test.

• Schedule training classes for officers.

• Establish time-to-complete data entry standards (incidents, arrests, traffic) and expected error rate levels based on pilot project analysis.

• Provide staff progress reports.

• Test plan concepts in structured pilot project.

11. Work with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office to review the current cost reimbursement agreements for the Law Enforcement Training Center and Firearms Range, and determine if revisions are necessary.

Strategy:

• Review the existing agreements and recent cost and usage data.

• Meet with SCSO officials; involve Emergency Communications officials if/when appropriate.

• Develop and present recommendation(s) to the Chief and Sheriff.

Performance measures:

• Either revised agreements will be created, or the existing agreements will remain in effect.

12. Modify the City's Integrated Response Plan format to the NIMS compliant Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) format and present the format to Executive Staff and the Department Heads during regularly scheduled meetings.

Strategy:

• Revise the current documents to meet federal requirements.

• Present revised document to executive staff for approval.

Performance measures:

• Completion of revisions with staff approval.

13. Modify the Integrated Resource Plan format to the National Incident Management System compliant Continuity of Operation Plan format, and present the format to Executive Staff and the Department Heads during regularly scheduled meetings.

Strategy:

• Revise the current documents to meet federal requirements.

• Present the revised document to executive staff for approval.

Performance measures:

• Complete revisions with staff approval.

14. Implement the IAPro Early Intervention system.

Strategy:

• Continue meeting with IT.

• Contract with EMPAC for supervisor training.

• Contract with CI Technologies to obtain IAPro software.

Performance measures:

• Software installed.

• Number of supervisors trained.

15. Conduct department and community outreach efforts regarding the Professional Standards Bureau operations.

Strategy:

• Continue attending civic and neighborhood association meetings.

• Continue attending District Advisory Board meetings.

• Continue meeting with NAACP and Mesa Redondo organizations.

Performance measures:

• Track the number of DAB meetings attended.

• Track the number of civic/community meetings attended.

• Track the number of compliments generated through Professional Standards.

16. Write and submit articles regarding the Police Department proactive efforts and accomplishments to local, state and national publications.

Strategy:

• Submit articles for publication in professional magazines and periodicals.

• Work with Wichita Eagle to clarify the Department’s position on critical issues.

Performance measures:

• Track number of published articles.

• Track media coverage of the Department

17. Work with joint law enforcement legislative committees (Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, Kansas Sheriff Association, and Kansas Peace Officer Associations) and state legislators regarding legislation that impacts community safety.

Strategy:

• Meet with respective committee members in Topeka.

• Work with KACP Lobbyist to be informed of legislative items.

• Meet with State and elected officials to discuss law enforcement related legislation.

• Develop and present testimony when appropriate.

Performance measures:

• Track number of meetings with joint legislative attended.

• Track the number of statutes passed by legislation that involve law enforcement.

• Track the number of testimony presented by Police Department members.

If there are questions regarding the Police Department’s 2008 goals, please call me at 268-4158.

Norman D. Williams

Chief of Police