Capstone Project on "Creating a Police Department"

Quoted Instructions for "Creating a Police Department" Assignment:

Capstone Project Information

Understand that you will be creating a police department for this Capstone project. The principles that you will be researching and implementing are the same principles as if you were developing a new correctional facility, court system, parole or probation system or other related criminal justice agency.

Proposal to Create a Police Department

You have recently been appointed as the Chief of Police of a newly incorporated city within the State of Florida. The city was chartered to operate under the Council-Manager form of government. The City Commission is comprised of five members, Mayor-Commissioner and four City Commissioners, elected to specific areas at large. The City Commission appoints a professional City Manager who serves as the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Executive Officer of the City. As the Chief of Police, you are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the City Manager.

The incorporated city consists of fifty (50) square land miles with ten (10) square miles of navigable waterways. The permanent population of the city is one hundred thousand with an additional daily tourist population of approximately twenty-five thousand. The racial make-up of the permanent population is 80% white, 14% black and 6% other. The per-capita income is twenty-seven thousand dollars. The population median age is forty-three. The unemployment rate is 5.6%. Within the city there is a school enrollment of eleven thousand students. Prior to incorporation as a city, the Sheriff*****s Office provided all police services to the area.

During the incorporation process an agreement was reached with the Sheriff to obtain the building his agency used as a precinct to service the area currently within the city. The student can assume that this building is satisfactory for housing the new Police Department for several years to come. The building also contains a functional communication center with adequate equipment to include portable radios for all police officers. Fully equipped police cruisers, both marked and unmarked were also obtained for the Sheriff. Therefore as the new Chief of our new city, you need not be concerned about the above mentioned issues.

For informational purposes, last year within the area incorporated into the city, the Sheriff*****s Office handled 175,000 calls for service. Deputies wrote 41,000 original reports and 21,300 supplemental reports. They investigated 3,021 automobile accidents and wrote 63,099 traffic citations. Deputies made 9,128 criminal arrests including 501 arrests for DUI. The also responded to 5,318 burglary and robbery alarms.

Your assignment is to establish a police department for our yet to be named city (Silver Spring, FL). You will also be responsible to name the agency (Silver Spring Police Department).

You are to employ the number of personnel you need to deliver professional and competent police services to the citizens of our city. You must determine the number of sworn (officers) and non-sworn (civilian) personnel you will hire inclusive of any minimum standards you wish to implement; you can choose any States Police Standards to follow, but you must meet or exceed those that are established. If you are using particular States requirements, you must identify that State (Virginia). Salaries and benefits must be established and justified within your proposal. A brief job description must also be prepared for the various classifications of employees; e.g. police officer, communication operator, desk officer, property clerk, detective, secretarial staff, etc.

Your proposal should begin with a Mission Statement and proceed with a clear and concise Description of Services that your Department will provide. You must determine the various divisions, sections and units that will be required to effectively accomplish your intended mission. For each division and subsequent sub-unit established, you will cite the responsibilities of each, including specific performance indicators. Within your proposal, the city manager has asked you to submit an organizational chart for the entire Department, along with separate organizational charts for the various divisions you have recommended.

It is imperative that you provide a detailed budget for your entire Department. It is recommended that you begin with a line-item format and proceed into a zero-based, performance indicator format.

You are expected to personally submit your proposal for the new city police department, inclusive of all aspects of your budget to the City Council for their approval. You must be prepared to thoroughly defend your proposal. Additionally, you can be certain that you will experience intensive questioning by the City Manager.

There is no specific length for your paper, but it must thoroughly address all of the issues involved with the creation of a model police department. If the student determines the need for a Policy and Procedure Manual for the police department, it will be necessary to document how the system will operate and what General Orders, Rules and Regulations or Standard Operating Procedures are necessary. NOTE: It is not necessary to draft actual General Orders and Rules and Regulations, but you must identify the categories (example: Sick Leave, Vehicle Usage, Informant Handling, Confidential Funds, etc). Make sure your list is complete!

In developing a modern and progressive police agency, there exists a need to consider state of the art computer technology for overall efficiency. Just as important is the need to consider implementing innovative policing programs that provide personalized services while keeping in touch with the concerns of the community.

The student*****s proposal should discuss the concept of Community Based Policing and the feasibility of incorporating this type of program within the Police Department. Problem-***** Policing and Differential Police Response should also be addressed. Included should be the civilianization of certain traditional sworn positions should also be considered; i.e. front desk officer, forensic specialists, victim advocates, etc.

Should the proposal include an Investigative Division, will the investigators specialize in specific criminal investigation categories or will they be generalist and available for any type of assignment? You must identify their responsibility and will there be a case-management system for follow-up investigations.

In order to effectively address the requirements of this assignment, the student is expected to research the various issues identified above, along with any other issues that may arise in the preparation of this proposal.

Finally, when considering your personnel requirement, please consider the concept of Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity.

As a newly created Police Department, you do not have a police union involved. The actual budget for your Police Department must not exceed $30 million dollars.

Below is the explanation and description of the main components you will need to complete this project.

In this section you will write your mission statement, description of services, and agency divisions.

Mission Statement: The mission statement explains and defines the reasons that the organization exists, the organization*****'s purpose, business philosophy and the critical process for the level of performance.

Description of Services: The description of services will define the duties and responsibilities of each category or group within the organization. What the group will be responsible for, how the group will function and information to allow the reader to understand their individual mission.

Division: The division is a section of the whole or entire agency. It is the major units that oversee or have responsibility to the organization. A division could include Investigations, fiscal affairs, administration, etc.

Make sure you have developed and written a Mission Statement for the project, define the description of services that are needed within an agency, and list the different sections that will be needed to create a comprehensive law enforcement agency.

In this section you will write and develop the agency*****'s subdivisions and describe their performance objectives

Subdivision: The subdivisions are sections within the main division, and are part of the prescribed organization. For example, the Investigative Division could include Subdivisions of Homicide, Robbery, property crimes, etc

Performance Objectives: The performance objective is a statement of actions or standards that describes the division or subdivisions. It is also known as the objective of each group and how they will operate to show effectiveness.

Make sure you have developed a strategic plan for each division or group within the agency, define what subdivision(s) will be required, describe the performance objectives for each division, define the description of each division within the proposal, and explain the various components needed for each division.

In this section you will write and develop your organizational chart and job descriptions for each position within the agency. Also, develop a chain-of-command system within the organizational chart.

Organizational Chart: This is a chart identifying the relationships of each division and subdivision within the organization, with lines identifying the responsibility between each section within the confines of the large agency. The organizational chart is also used to identify the chain of command.

Job Descriptions: The job description is a statement which discusses the position and its responsibility to its mission.

Chain-of-Command: Describes the system by which the authority and responsibility passes down from the top of the organization to the bottom. Each position is responsible to each other via a chain of command.

Make sure you have developed and a strategic plan for identifying various job descriptions, define what positions are required for the agency, describe where each position will report to, develop an organizational chart, explain within the organizational chart where each division and subdivision are located, and develop a chain of command system within the organizational chart.

In this section you will determine the number of sworn and non- sworn personnel and identify the minimum standards for each position. You are also required to identify the salary and benefits for each of the positions.

Sworn Personnel: Individuals that are commissioned by the State to hold a Law Enforcement License or Certification. These members have the power to arrest.

Non-Sworn Personnel: Individuals that are considered civilians and hold no commission by the State to enforce laws and make arrests.

Make sure you have determined the number of sworn and non-sworn personal needed for an agency, identify the minimum standards for each position within the agency, and identify the salaries and associated benefits for each position.

In this section you are required to develop your policies, standard procedures, and general orders

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP): Policies that pertain to a certain section, unit, or division within the agency. The SOP are normally written to supplement the General Orders, and the SOP can have sub-sections within the main SOP. As an example, the Investigative Division could include subdivisions of homicide, robbery, property crime, etc.

General Order: Policies that are put into place to provide rules and regulations that affect the entire agency.

Make sure you develop a procedure and policy manual for the organization, define the different types of procedures and standard operating procedures needed, and describe the various policies needed for each separate division or section.

You will be develop a budget, define what items will be purchased in the first year and describe in detail which division will be responsible for the budget and the budgeting process.

Make sure you have identified budget items, developed a complete budget, and kept budget under the dollar requirements.

This project will be graded on the following criteria:

The project relates the process of developing a police department to the core value of personal development.

The project adequately identifies the resources needed, including number of sworn officers and non-sworn civilians, based on current situations given for existing equipment

The mission statement and description of services are appropriate and complete

A budget is proposed, considers all relevant funding concerns for a new department and is within the set limit

The project addresses technology needs for the new department.

The project addresses and analyzes Community Based Policing, Problem- ***** Policing, Differential Police Response, Civilianization, case- management, Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunities

Presentation of the proposal is professional, well-planned and thorough

Grammar, spelling, and syntax are appropriate to the college level

Typed in a double-spaced APA format with citations