Memo Police Department Mission Statement
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C I T Y 0 F H 0 P K I, N S
DATE: December 10, 1993
TO: Hopkins City Council
FROM: Chief Earl , Johnson
SUBJECT: Police Department Mission, Vision and Value Statement
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There are many exciting things taking place within the Hopkins Police Department.
Because change is always a difficult process, a carefully thought out plan of action moved the
process, of transformation along' over the course of the last' several years. I believe that
maintenance of the status quo at the expense of constant improvement is the signal most stifling
. force in government and certainly in police agencies. The bureaucratic structure within most '
governmental agencies exerts strong forces that work against organizational development or
change.
I believe 'that a tr~nsformation is necessary if police agencies are to develop the capabilities that
are necessary to deal with the complex issues of crime and the demands for service into the
tWenty first century. It is clear that traditional policing simply has not worked and yet the vast '
majority of police agencies continue to operate in the same antiquated fashion that they have for
the past several decades,
The department has developed a rough draft of our mission,' vision and value statement that will
provide focus and direction for the police department. I would 'respectfully request that you
review these documents prior to the council work session on December 14th so that I might
receive feed back from you and to determine if we are moving in the direction that your .-
philosophies support. ..
If your time permits, I would ask that you review the enclosed summary. It is merely a sampling
of some of the changes that we have undertaken over the course of the last several years and has
laid the foundation for this transformative process, I have also included in your packet it sampling
of supporting documents that are referred to in the report.
I look forward to discussing this with you in greater detail at the council work session:
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1010 First Street South, Hopkins, Minnesota 55343 612/935-8474
An Equal Opportunity Employer
TRANSFORMATION OF THE HOPKINS POLICE DEPARTMENT .
F or the past decade American businesses have been forced to reexamine their ability to
achieve quality and to compete in the international market. This has lead to many dramatic
changes in the way in which these businesses now operate.
I am of the opinion that police departments need to rethink how they provide service and
that many of the most innovative techniques that are now being used by private industry, should
be studied to determine how applicable they would be to the police service,
Several years ago I developed a program that was entitled EXCELLENCE IN POLICING
that would encompass changes to assist this transformation. Because it was apparent that our
most successful corporations were using the Quality Improvement Method to produce goods as
well as deliver services. It was my belief that the method to achieve better community relations
and to solve some of our more difficult community problems is by using the Quality Improvement
or Policing Excellence Method. Generally speaking, excellence in policing defines citizens as
customers, encourages employee participation in work place decisions, defines and improves
work systems, recognizes employees as an organization's most important resource, gets work
done through empowered employee teams, has a strong allegiance to data based decision making
and redefines the role of a police supervisor from that ofa dictator to a coach/mentor.
One of the conclusions that this soul searching led to was that the police can not deal with .
crime problems themselves. Crime is a complex social problem that requires total community
involvement for successful resolution. Proactive prevention of crime is a much more sensible
approach given the dismal record of reactive, incident driven policing, The development of
community oriented policing has been a concept that is catching on across the country and is
founded in the belief that traditional policing simply hasn't worked very well, It has a much
broader focus on problem identification and analysis and is coupled with strong partnership with
the entire community. By utilizing this strategy, we can find more effective long term solutions to
persistent crime problems.
During 1987 we developed a customer service evaluation form with the purpose of
determining how we were being perceived by the people that we served. This form was mailed
out to our "customers" on every thirtieth call and asked a number of specific questions that would
identify and provide critical information to evaluate our services. This process has been extremely
invaluable in assisting us in improving departmental operations and reducing citizen complaints.
The following are some of the programs that were instituted during this transformation
process;
* Establish Officerts Advisory Council (OAC)
Employees elect a representative to serve on a 9 member commission that meets
monthly with the Chief to research, evaluate ideas/suggestions and improve
departmental operations. .
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. * Customer service training - Customer service is identified as a top priority with
the department. All department members were trained on the techniques of customer
service. Employees are recognized with a customer service award and other incentives
for excellent performance in this priority area.
* Focus Groups.
Establishment of focus groups to provide on going feedback in conjunction with the
customer survey.
* Park Walk & Talk Program.
Officers are required to park their vehicles and walk through business, neighborhoods,
apartment complexes, etc. and make personal contact with the residents.
* Establish internal employee survey.
The survey was established to annually survey all of the department personnel to
determine strengths and weakness' for continuous improvement of department
operations.
* Total Quality Management (TQM).
During a staff retreat all management team personnel were train.ed in the process of
. Total Quality Management and the philosophy was adopted by the department.
* Change selection process.
The department has made a number of significant changes in the way that it selects
its personnel. The department utilizes a process that identifies those individuals with
the strongest "service orientations" and possess an "attitude" in concert with the
! department's philosophy of customer service and constant innovation.
* Quality leadership training.
The entire management team received training on the transformation to mentoring,
empowerment, risk taking, innovation and leadership, This program was conducted
at an annual retreat for the management staff.
* Research - Community Oriented Policing.
A team comprised of the City Manager, Police Chief and Captain attended a
training seminar on community oriented policing. The department has begun to
lay the foundation for total implementation.
* Problem Oriented Policing.
The department is currently working on the implementation program that will move
the organization to the adoption of problem oriented policing (POP). The
. process has been used this past year to identify specific problems areas where there
are numerous calls for service. By determining casual factors and developing a
solution, the problem can be eliminated and calls reduced.
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The early efforts have been directed at specific apartments that are generally involved in .
drug activity within a complex and working with management to evict and prosecute
offenders.
* Revised job descriptions.
The department is in the process of revising the job descriptions to more accurately
reflect those specific areas of performance that involve .problemsolving, innovation
mediation skills, creativity, facilitator training etc.
* Citizen Contact Program.
This program is a component of community oriented policing. The purpose is to
get the officers out of the patrol units and meeting face to face with residents and
business owners. The officers ask a number of questions that will help identify any
"quality oflife issues" or specific problems that have not been brought to the attention
of the police department or Hopkins city government. It is the officers responsibility
to then work in partnership with the business owner or citizen to develop an effective
response, The response from the business community and citizens has been extremely
positive. During the last two weeks we have visited over 200 businesses and have
resolved countless issues.
* Quality Leadership Academy.
I believe that if law enforcement is to be truly successful it must change the way that .
it supervises and provides leadership towards its personnel. I have assembled a
program of what I term quality leadership that will be presented in the form of
an academy to all supervisory personnel begiruung in January. The program is
focused on changing the role of the supervisor to that of coach, facilitator,
teacher and mentor. It will provide instruction on how to empower team members and
how to create an environment that encourages innovation and risk taking. While
we have been encouraging and training on this for several years, this academy will
provide staff members with the advanced skills that they will need to help bring about
this transformation.
* Department Mission, Vision and Value Statement.
The department has spent many months working as a team to develop a purposed
mission, vision and value statement. All department members were afforded the
the opportunity to participate and provide input and the Officer Advisory Council has
recommended adoption.
I have sent copies of these documents to a select group of 50 business and civic
leaders within our community. I have requested that they review the documents
and provide me with their reaction and any feedback. The response has been
extremely positive. The last and most important step is for the manager and council
to examine the vision that the Chief has for the department along with the direction,
and philosophy that form the basis for the mission, vision and value statement and to .
determine if this is in concert with their objectives.
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. * Management Principles.
During the first few months following my appointment as Chief of the department,
I prepared a mission, vision and value statement along with a set of management
principles. The mission, vision and value statement have been revised. The
management principles did not need to be 'revised and is submitted in its original
form.
* Ten Team Commandments of the Hopkins Police Department.. Operating
Ground Rules.
It is part of my vision for the department to break with tradition and move away from
the strict rules and regulations that govern virtually all police departments. It is our
objective to develop a value driven organization, The Operating Ground Rules and
. the Ten Team Commandments are a step towards these commitments,
* Strategic Plan
It is one thing to anticipate the future; it is quite another to make decisions based on
foresight. Following the completion of the mission statement, I have focused
my attention on beginning the process of a formal strategic plan. Many of the
initial stages have been completed and I have included some of the definitions in
the supplemental material. There are 9 definitive steps in strategic planning. In
government, however, we have one other element that is not required of private
. industry. That is consensus. Because the police department recognizes that
government has more stake holders than does business and the important
distinction is that many of them vote. The department is sensitive to this and is
committed to working closely with the council to ensure that the strategic plan
is supported by our citizens and ratified by the council in the same manner as our
mission, vision and value statement.
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HOPKINS POLICE DEPARTMENT
MISSION STATEMENT
We, the Hopkins Police Department, are committed to providing the highest quality of police
services by maintaining respect for individual rights and human dignity and by empowering our
members and the community to work in partnership with the goal of improving the quality of life
within our community.
ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES
PARTNERSHIP;
We are committed to working in partnership with each other and the community to identify and
resolve issues which impact public safety.
RESPECT;
We are committed to respecting individual rights, human dignity, and the value of all members of
the department andthe community,
INTEGRITY;
Weare committed to nurturing the public trust by holding ourselves accountable to the highest
standards of professionalism and ethics.
DEDICATION;
Weare committed to providing the highest quality of professional police service to the community
with a goal of enhancing the quality oflife within the City of Hopkins,
EMPOWERMENT;
We are committed to empowering our members and the community to resolve problems by
creating an environment that encourages solutions that address the needs of the community.
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VISION STATEMENT
We, the Hopkins Police Department, will be a dynamic, service driven, and
innovative organization committed to the pursuit of excellence through continuous
improvement and quality leadership. We identify our priorities as the 'prevention
and control of crime through our commitment to working in partnership with our
citizens.
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. Management Principles of the Hopkins Police Department
The following are the management principles ofthe Hopkins Police Department, These principles form. .
the basis of policy and guide the organization's effort. ' '
PRINCIPLE I '
Reverence for the law: The main thrust of a peace officer's duties consists of an attempt
to enforce the law. In our application of the law, we must do it within the legal spirit clearly
set forth in the Bill of Rights, an integral pari of our Constitution. That bill has as its purpose
elevating the rights of each citizen toa position co-equal with the state which may accuse him.
Its purpose is to provide for enforcement of the law with fundamental fairness and. equity~
Because of the Bill of Rights, the dignity of the individual person in America was placed in an
almost sacred position of importance.
Apeace officer's enforcement should not be done in grudging adherence to the legal rights of
the accused, but in sincere spirit that every accused person is given all of his rights as far as it
is within the powers ofthe pblice,
. In the discharge of enforcement of criminal statutes, the peace officer must scrupulously avoid
'. any conduct which would make him a violator of the law. The solution of a crime, of the arrest
of a lawbreaker, can never justifY the peace officer committing a crime as an expedient for the
enforcement of the law. . '
We peace officers should do our utmost to foster a reverence for the law~ We can start best
by displaying a reverence for the legal rights of our fellow citizens and a reverence for the
law itself.
PRINCIPLE II
Crime prel1ention, top priority: The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime
and disorder as an alternative to repression by force and severity 6flegal punishment.
When the police fail to prevent crime, it becomes important to apprehend the persons
.. responsible for the crime and gather all evidence that might be used in a subsequent trial.
. This prevention of crime must be foremost in the minds of all Hopkins Police Department
personnel when carrying out our day-to-day responsibilities.
PRINCIPLE III
Public flTJ11robation of TJolice: The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon
public approval of police existence, actions, behavior, and the ability of the police to secure
. and maintain public respect.
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PRINCIPLE IV
Voluntarv law observance: The police must secure the willing cooperation of the public
in voluntary observance of the law in order to be able to secure and maintain the respect
and approval of the public we serve,
PRINCIPLE V
Public cooperation: The degree of public cooperation that can be secured diminishes
proportionately with the necessity for the use of physical force and compulsion in achieving
police objectives.
PRINCIPLE VI
Impartial enforcement: The police seek and preserve public favor, not by catering to public
opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolutely impartial service to law without regard of the
justice or injustice of the substance of individual laws; by readily offering individual service to all
members of society without regard to their race or social standing; by the ready exercises of
courtesy and a friendly approach; and by readily offering individual sacrifice in protecting and .
preserving life.
PRINCIPLE vn
Minimum use of force: Police should use physical force to the extent necessary to secure
observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice, and
warning is found to be insufficient to achieve police objectives; police should use only the
reasonable amount of physical force which is necessary on any particular occasion for achieving
a police objective.
PRINCIPLE VilI
Public is tlte police: Police at all times should maintain a relationship with the public that
gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public is the
police; the police are the only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention
to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interest of community welfare.
PRINCIPLE IX
Limit of police power: The police should always direct their actions strictly toward their
- functions and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary by avenging individuals or
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the state, or authoritatively judging guilt or punishing the guilty. .
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. PRINCIPLE X
Test of/Jolice effectiveness: The test of police effectiveness is the absence of crime and
the presence of public order. It is not the evidence of police action in dealing with crime
and disorder.
PRINCIPLE XI
Peo/Jle workinf! with /Jolice: The task of crime prevention cannot be accomplished by the
police alone. This task necessarily requires the willing cooperation of both the police and the
public, working together toward a common goal.
PRINCIPLE xn
Peo/Jle workinf! with /Jeo/Jle: Since the police cannot be expected to be on every residential
or business block every hour of the day, a process must be developed whereby each
person becomes concerned with the welfare and safety of his neighborhood; when people are
working with other people in the neighborhood, they can effectively reduce crime.
PRINCIPLE XIn
. ManaJ!ers workinf! with /Jolice: Only line police officers perform the task for which police were
created. Supervisors and managers exist to define problems, to establish objectives, to set
minimal standards of performance, to formulate policy, and to assist line police officers in
the accomplishment of the police mission.
The evaluation of a manager should be based on the improvement and excellence of his
subordinates in the achievement of organizational goals.
PRINCIPLE XIV
Police workinf! with /Jolice: For many reasons, some specialization of work is necessary.
Specialization should be created only when vitally necessary. When specialization is
created, organization should be adjusted to ensure that the specialists and generalists
who serve the same citizens work closely together on the common problems in as informal an
organizational structure as possible. This will tend to ensure a unity of effort, resources, and the
effective service to a common goal.
PRINCIPLE XV
Police workinf! with the criminal iustice system: It must be recognized that the police and the
people alone cannot successfully resolve the problems of crime. The criminal justice system as a
whole, in order to properly serve the public, must operate as a total system with all of its various
. elements working together. The close cooperation of the police with prosecutors, courts, and
correctional officers is necessary to enSUre the development of a safer community.
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PRINCIPLE XVI .
Police/vress relationshivs: One of the first and most fundamental considerations of this
nation's founders in drafting the Bill of Rights was to provide for a free press as an essential
element of the First Amendment of the Constitution, They recognized that a well-informed
citizenry is vital to the effective functioning of a democracy. Police operations profoundly
affect the public and therefore arouse substantial public interest, Likewise, public interest
and public cooperation bear significantly on the successful accomplishment of any
police mission.
In all other matters in our relationship with the media dealing with current news, every member
of the department should make every reasonable effort consistent with accomplishing the police
task in providing the media representatives with full and accurate material.
PRINCIPLE XVII
Manaf!ement hv varticivation: Since employees are greatly influenced by decisions that
are made and objectives that are established, it is important for them to be able to provide input
in the methods utilized to reach these decisions. Employees should be encouraged to make
recommendations which lead to improvement in the delivery of police services and to assist in the
furtherance of the department meeting its objectives.
PRINCIPLE XVIII .
Openness and honestv: For police-public cooperation, the police must be respected by the public.
This is best ensured by optimum openness of the department and its operations. A general feeling
and reality of openness must pervade the police organization. Above all, the police officer must
be consistently open, honest and truthful in all matters. The combination of honesty and openness
will effectively develop respect in the community for the police and make it possiblefor citizens to
come to them with problems and information.
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