In a 2015 Department of Justice report, there were key issues discussed that could maintain or improve relations within our communities. We had already been addressing many of these issues through enhancing Community Policing programs, focusing more on community protection, increasing supervisory review, and civilian involvement.
The Department of Justice encouraged departments to publicly share information, and I believe we have continued to improve in this area with the revised website, active social media posts, and special events.
This section is just the latest in our continued efforts to support and continue the excellent relationship we share with our community.
You will find it a work in progress. At this link are all of our current department policies. We have been involved in a complete renovation of these policies and, at the time of this notice, are about halfway completed.
Police Departments are heavily driven by policy. Policies provide guidance and instruction on how to handle everything from daily routines to emergency and fluid situations. Policies are written in times of calm to provide direction in times of crises.
In reviewing the policies, you will find that some have a notation at the end stating, “Policy was reviewed and sanctioned by the Citizen Advisory Group”. In an effort to include more civilian involvement, a Citizen Advisory Group was formed to assist in the creation of those certain policies that directly affect interaction with the public.
This group provides another perspective that has been invaluable in this process. It provides an opportunity to augment a policy so that it is easier to understand. It better addresses topics of concern from the community viewpoint. And the end result is a policy that hopefully makes sense and is acceptable to those outside of this profession.
Thank you for your interest in our department. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions. Contact me if you would like to be a part of the Citizen Advisory Group policy review team.
Chief of Police