Final Report
Police Operations
South Orange, New Jersey
Submitted by and reply to: ICMA Center for Public Safety
International City/County Management Association 777 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20002 [email protected]
202-962-3607
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 2
ICMA Background
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is a 100-
year-old, nonprofit professional association of local government
administrators and managers, with approximately 9,000 members located in
28 countries.
Since its inception in 1914, ICMA has been dedicated to assisting local
governments in providing services to its citizens in an efficient and effective
manner. Our work spans all of the activities of local government—parks,
libraries, recreation, public works, economic development, code
enforcement, Brownfields, and public safety.
ICMA advances the knowledge of local government best practices across a
wide range of platforms, including publications, research, training, and
technical assistance. Our work includes both domestic and international
activities in partnership with local, state, and federal governments as well as
private foundations. For example, we are involved in a major library
research project funded by the Bill and Linda Gates Foundation and we are
providing community policing training in El Salvador, Mexico, and Panama
with funding from the United States Department of State (USAID). We have
personnel in Afghanistan assisting with building wastewater treatment plants
and have teams in Central America conducting firefighter rescue training
programs for disaster preparedness working with SOUTHCOM.
The ICMA Center for Public Safety Management (ICMA/CPSM) is one
of four Centers within the U.S. Programs of ICMA, providing support to local
governments in the areas of police, fire, EMS, emergency management, and
homeland security. In addition to providing technical assistance in these
areas we also represent local governments at the federal level and are
involved in numerous projects with the Department of Justice and the
Department of Homeland Security.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 3
ICMA/CPSM is also involved in police and fire chief selection. We assist local
governments in identifying these critical managers through original research
we have conducted and which identifies the core competencies of police and
fire managers; we also provide assessment center resources.
Our local government technical assistance includes workload and
deployment analysis, using operations research techniques and credentialed
experts to identify workload and staffing needs as well as best practices. We
have conducted approximately 100 such studies in communities ranging in
size from 8,000 population (Boone, Iowa) to 800,000 population
(Indianapolis, Ind.).
ICMA Project Contributors
Thomas J. Wieczorek, Director, ICMA Center for Public Safety Management
Leonard A. Matarese, Director, Research & Project Development
Dr. Dov N. Chelst, Director of Quantitative Analysis
Priscila Monachesi, Quantitative Analyst
Dr. James E. McCabe, Senior Manager, Team Lead
James Gabbard, Senior Manager
Ryan Davies, Assistant Project Manager
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 4
Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary ...................................................................... 8
II. Methodology .............................................................................. 11
A. Data Analysis .............................................................................. 11
B. Interviews ................................................................................... 11
C. Focus Groups .............................................................................. 11
D. Document Review ........................................................................ 11
E. Operational/Administrative Observations......................................... 12
F. Implementing the Report’s Recommendations ................................. 12
III. Background .............................................................................. 13
A. South Orange Demographics ......................................................... 13
B. Uniform Crime Report/Crime Trends ............................................... 14
C. Comparisons/Benchmarks ............................................................. 16
IV. Operations ................................................................................ 20
A. Demand ...................................................................................... 20
1. Time Spent on Calls and Officers per Call ..................................... 24
B. Patrol Deployment and Staffing ..................................................... 25
1. Schedule .................................................................................. 26
C. Supervision ................................................................................. 28
D. Deployment ................................................................................ 29
1. Saturation Threshold and Rule of 60 ............................................ 31
2. Minimum Manning ..................................................................... 43
E. Desk Officer ................................................................................ 44
F. Community Relations/Special Investigations .................................... 45
G. Traffic Bureau ............................................................................. 46
H. Special Operations ....................................................................... 48
I. Technology on Patrol ..................................................................... 50
V. Detective Bureau ........................................................................ 52
A. Juvenile Aid Bureau ...................................................................... 56
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 5
B. Drug Investigations ...................................................................... 57
C. Crime Scene Investigations ........................................................... 58
D. Property and Evidence .................................................................. 59
VI. Administrative & Personnel ...................................................... 62
A. Training ...................................................................................... 63
B. Information Management/Police Records ........................................ 65
C. Communications .......................................................................... 67
D. Sick Time ................................................................................... 70
E. Labor-Management Relations ........................................................ 72
F. Policy and Procedure Manual Review ............................................... 73
G. Prisoner Holding/Detention Facility................................................. 76
H. Police Facility .............................................................................. 77
VII. Performance Assessment and Strategic Planning .................... 80
A. Goals and Objectives .................................................................... 80
B. Meetings and Briefings ................................................................. 81
C. Crime Analysis and Performance Tracking ....................................... 81
VIII. Summary ............................................................................... 86
Appendix A. Sample Four-Shift Deployment Plan ........................... 87
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 6
Tables
Table 1. 2010 UCR Crime Comparisons ................................................. 15
Table 2. SOPD in Perspective ............................................................... 18
Table 3. 2011 Calls for Service ............................................................. 21
Table 4. SOPD Deployment Schedule .................................................... 26
Table 5. Recommended SOPD Table of Organization ............................... 63
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 7
Figures
Figure 1. Deployment and Main Workload, Weekdays, Winter 2011 .......... 35
Figure 2. Workload Percentage by Hour, Weekdays, Winter 2011 ............. 35
Figure 3. Deployment and Main Workload, Weekends, Winter 2011 .......... 37
Figure 4. Workload Percentage by Hour, Weekends, Winter 2011 ............. 37
Figure 5. Deployment and Main Workload, Weekdays, Summer 2011 ........ 39
Figure 6. Workload Percentage by Hour, Weekdays, Summer 2011 ........... 39
Figure 7. Deployment and Main Workload, Weekends, Summer 2011 ........ 41
Figure 8. Workload Percentage by Hour, Weekends, Summer 2011 ........... 41
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 8
I. Executive Summary
ICMA was commissioned to review the operations of the South Orange Police
Department (SOPD). While our analysis covered all aspects of the
department’s operations, a particular focus of our study was on identifying
the appropriate staffing of the agency given its workload, community
demographics, and crime levels.
We analyzed departmental workload using operations research methodology
and compared that workload to staffing and deployment levels. We reviewed
other performance indicators, which allowed us to understand the
implications of service demand on current staffing. We reviewed the
department’s organizational design to determine if the many functions
required of a modern police agency are staffed appropriately.
Our study involved data collection, interviews with key police and
administration personnel, on-site observations of the job environment, data
analysis, comparative analyses, and development of alternatives and
recommendations. The general recommendations appear below and are
described in detail throughout the report.
Recommendations:
Empanel a calls for service committee in order to evaluate service
demands and attempt to reduce nonemergency responses.
Take immediate steps to change the current shift schedule that is in
place and create one that is aligned better with service demands.
Eliminate the position of desk officer in the agency
Disband the community relations/special investigations unit and merge
operations with the traffic bureau to create a new Special Operations
Unit.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 9
Immediately discontinue the use of sworn personnel assigned to
school crossing and develop a plan that alleviates sworn personnel of
this responsibility.
Immediately discontinue staffing the traffic control officer position.
Develop an integrated traffic safety plan to coordinate traffic safety
enforcement, education, and engineering initiatives.
Create a Special Operations Unit staffed by one sergeant and five
police officers.
Equip marked patrol cars with license plate readers.
Expand the use of video surveillance technology to strategic locations
in the community.
Equip supervisory vehicles with the identical equipment found in patrol
units.
Reorganize the investigative functions in the SOPD by merging the
detective bureau with the juvenile aid bureau.
Develop and implement an investigative case management system for
all detective cases and operations.
Eliminate one captain position and in its place create the position of
administrative lieutenant, who will be responsible for training, records
management, communications, performance management, fleet,
facility maintenance, etc.
Develop and implement a sick leave management plan.
Constitute an informal labor-management council. This entity should
meet regularly, establish an agenda, publish minutes, and solicit input
from all members of the SOPD regarding workplace concerns and
potential solutions for these concerns. The council should be charged
with identifying organizational problems and collaborating on
developing and implementing workable solutions to these problems.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 10
Conduct an immediate review and update of current policy documents.
These policies should be rewritten and consolidated into one manual
that provides clear guidelines for the department’s handling of police
operations and associated services.
Contract with an architectural firm to redesign the headquarters
facility to address not only the poor physical condition, but also to
reorganize it in a way that supports implementation of the
recommendations from this report.
Develop a performance evaluation system for all ranks and positions in
the department.
Develop a performance management system.
The department should consider developing and implementing a
citizen satisfaction survey to solicit community input on a variety of
issues.
Prepare annual reports and post on the department website to present
reported crimes and calls for service data by patrol sector.
Staff a crime analyst position.
Department meetings should follow a standardized agenda/format. All
units should be directed to participate actively in these meetings.
It is recommended that the department utilize a standard template to
convey pertinent performance information to village officials.
The department should be provided funding for annual ‘town hall’ style
meetings.
The department should consider creation of a shared leadership team
or council.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 11
II. Methodology
A. Data Analysis
We used numerous sources of data to support our conclusions and
recommendations for the South Orange Police Department. Information was
obtained from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, Part I
offenses, along with numerous sources of SOPD internal information. UCR
Part I crimes are defined as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault,
burglary, larceny-theft, and larceny of a motor vehicle. Internal sources
included data from the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system for
information on calls for service (CFS).
B. Interviews
This study relied extensively on intensive interviews with SOPD personnel.
On-site and in-person interviews were conducted with all division
commanders regarding their operations. We interviewed representatives of
the union to get an understanding of the labor-management climate in the
SOPD.
C. Focus Groups
A focus group is an unstructured group interview in which the moderator
actively encourages discussion among participants. Focus groups generally
consist of eight to ten participants and are used to explore issues that are
difficult to define. Group discussion permits greater exploration of topics. For
the purposes of this study, focus groups were held with representatives of
the department.
D. Document Review
ICMA consultants were furnished with numerous reports and summary
documents by the South Orange Police Department. Information on strategic
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 12
plans, personnel staffing and deployment, evaluations, training records, and
performance statistics were provided.
E. Operational/Administrative Observations
Over the course of the evaluation period, numerous observations were
conducted. These included observations of general patrol, special
enforcement, investigations, and administrative functions. ICMA
representatives engaged all facets of department operations from a
“participant observation” perspective.
F. Implementing the Report’s Recommendations
ICMA’s conclusions and recommendations are a blueprint for both the village
and police administrations. The village administration should have periodic
meetings with the SOPD to ensure that ICMA’s recommendations are
implemented. It is strongly recommended that the chief identify and task
one individual with responsibility for implementing these recommendations.
This person should establish a liaison with the chief of police, and should be
given the authority and responsibility to effectuate the changes
recommended. This includes ensuring the recommendations are executed in
a timely fashion and then evaluating the department’s progress every six
months for efficiency, effectiveness, and performance.
All of ICMA’s recommendations are practical and sensible and should be
implemented by the police administration within a reasonable period of time.
If the village desires, ICMA can provide a service to review, monitor, and
evaluate the department’s progress and ensure that the recommendations
are being implemented properly. If the police administration continues to
have difficulty implementing the recommendations, ICMA can assist with
implementation.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 13
III. Background
Policing involves a complex set of activities. Police officers are not simply
crime fighters whose responsibilities are to protect people’s safety and
property and to enhance the public’s sense of security. The police have
myriad other basic responsibilities on a daily basis, including preserving
order in the community, guaranteeing the movement of pedestrian and
vehicular traffic, protecting and extending the rights of persons to speak and
assemble freely, and providing assistance for those who cannot assist
themselves.
The South Orange Police Department provides a full range of police services,
including responding to emergencies and calls for service, performing
directed activities, and solving problems. Both the village and the police
department are dedicated to the principles of community policing, and the
department strives to provide a high level of service to the South Orange
community.
A. South Orange Demographics
When determining the appropriateness of the deployed resources—both
current and future—a key factor for consideration is the demographics of the
community.
South Orange is located in Essex County and is a commercial and retail hub
in central New Jersey. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the village’s
population has stayed relatively constant over the past two decades, and is
now estimated at 16,200.
The racial makeup of South Orange is estimated to be 60.2 percent white,
28.7 percent African American, 5.2 percent Asian, 6.0 percent two or more
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 14
races or other race. Of the total population, approximately 6.0 percent is
Hispanic or Latino.
South Orange is also the home to Seton Hall University. The university has
approximately 5,200 undergraduate students, 3,400 graduate students, and
1,800 faculty and staff members. There are 2,250 students living in on-
campus housing and approximately 1,000 living off-campus in South
Orange. Seton Hall estimates the daily campus census to be approximately
8,000 students, staff, and guests; there is parking for 2,400 vehicles in
campus parking facilities. Undoubtedly, Seton Hall brings vibrancy to South
Orange, and also places substantial demands for police services on the
SOPD. These demands must be accounted for when determining appropriate
staffing.
South Orange is also immediately adjacent to the city of Newark, and
nestled between several larger communities. This places demands on the
police department in the forms of crime, traffic, and quality–of-life issues.
B. Uniform Crime Report/Crime Trends
As defined by the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, the seven major
Part I offenses are used to measure the extent, fluctuation, and distribution
of serious crime in geographical areas. Part I crimes are the seven most
serious offenses: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary,
larceny, and motor vehicle theft.
In 2010, South Orange reported a UCR Part I violent crime rate of 358
violent crimes per 100,000 residents (see Table 1). For UCR Part 1 property
crimes, the rate in South Orange is 2,556 property crimes per 100,000
residents. The violent crime rate in South Orange is 18 percent higher than
the state rate, and 11 percent lower than the national rate. The rate of
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 15
property crime is 24 percent higher than the state average and 15 percent
lower than the national average.
Table 1. 20101 UCR Crime Comparisons
Agency Population Violent Crime
Rate*
Property Crime
Rate*
U.S. 308,745,538 404 2,942
New Jersey 8,791,894 303 2,057
Population Comparison
Middle Twp. 18,911 397 3,511
Denville Twp. 16,635 42 944
New Milford 16,341 31 612
Secaucus 16,264 185 2,951
South Orange Village 16,198 358 2,556
Readington Twp. 16,126 31 819
South River 16,008 200 1,424
Madison Boro 15,845 32 745
Warren Twp. 15,311 33 490
Neighboring Comparison
Irvington 53,926 1,669 4,004
Maplewood Twp. 21,944 264 2,014
Newark 277,140 1,041 3,323
Orange 30,134 1.112 3,634
Note: * = per 100,000.
Additionally, South Orange can be compared to other communities in New
Jersey. To do this, we took information from the FBI UCR Program on Crime
in the United States and compared South Orange with other jurisdictions of
similar population size in New Jersey, as well as to communities in the
immediate vicinity.
For this analysis, Middle Township, Denville Township, New Milford,
Secaucus, Readington Township, South River, Madison Boro, and Warren
1 At the time of this report only 2010 UCR data were available on comparison jurisdictions.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 16
Township were selected for population comparisons; Irvington, Maplewood,
Newark, and Orange were selected for neighboring comparisons. It should
be noted that the populations of these communities range from 277,000 to
15,000. This analysis is not intended to compare South Orange with Newark
or Warren. Rather, it is simply meant as an illustration of communities in
New Jersey and how they compare with respect to rates of crime.
Examination of the comparisons presented in Table 1 indicates that South
Orange has a relatively high crime rate compared to communities of similar
size. In the group of jurisdictions of similar size, South Orange has the
second highest violent crime rate and third highest property crime rate, but
is only fifth in population rank among the communities. This indicates a
greater crime rate than the population would suggest. Additional
consideration must be given to the influx of students living at Seton Hall
University. While not counted in the population statistics, on-campus
residents surely contribute to the crime statistics and artificially inflate the
crime-population comparisons.
When putting South Orange in perspective with its immediate neighbors,
however, a different picture emerges. It appears that on three sides South
Orange is flanked by communities with very high rates of crime. Of the
communities listed only Maplewood has a lower crime rate than South
Orange. Newark, Orange, and Irvington have substantially greater crime
rates than South Orange, in some cases more than double or triple the state
average.
In totality, it can be concluded that South Orange enjoys a relatively low
crime rate and the department does a commendable job managing crime in
the community.
C. Comparisons/Benchmarks
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 17
In order to put South Orange’s crime rate information into perspective, it is
important to compare the SOPD with other police departments. The IBM
report Smarter, Faster, Cheaper2 looks at several financial, organizational,
and demographic variables in order to assess the relative efficiency of police
departments. This study looked at 100 major U.S. cities in a wide range of
regions and sizes. In addition, the Bureau of Justice Statistics publishes
periodic reports on the administrative and managerial characteristics of
police departments in the United States. These documents are useful in
benchmarking the SOPD on several key variables. Keeping in mind that
each community has characteristics that govern the style and size of its
police department, these characteristics and comparisons are useful in
understanding the relative performance of the SOPD.
The benchmarks that are illustrative of the police department’s performance
are the amount of spending per capita on police services, crime rate,
spending per serious crime, and sworn officers per capita.
The SOPD spends approximately $414 per capita on police services. This is
higher than the $216 per capita spent on average. With a crime rate of
2,914 serious crimes per 100,000 residents in 2010, the rate in South
Orange is much lower than the average crime rate of 5,000 in the cities
studied. Spending per crime in South Orange is $2,300 per serious crime,
which is substantially less than the average expenditure per crime of
$6,702. Also, the SOPD employs fifty-one sworn officers, or 309 officers per
100,000, which is higher than the average per capita deployment of 190
officers per 100,000 residents.
A similar perspective on operational efficiency can be gained by inspecting
the amount of money spent on overtime costs as a percentage of overall
2 Smarter, Faster, Cheaper: An Operational Efficiency Benchmarking Study of 100 US
Cities, IBM 2011; and, Bureau of Justice Statistics (2007). Law Enforcement Management
and Administrative Statistics.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 18
spending. In 2011 the SOPD spent approximately $427,000 on police
overtime. This expense represents approximately 6.4 percent of the overall
budget. This is considered high and demonstrates liberal use of overtime
expense.
Table 2. SOPD in Perspective
Benchmark Area SOPD Benchmark Vs. Benchmark
Per capita police spending $414 $216 HIGHER
Crime rate 2,914 5,000 LOWER
Spending per serious crime $2,300 $6,702 MUCH LOWER
Officers per capita 309 190 HIGHER
OT percent of budget 6.4 5 HIGHER
According to the information in Table 2, the SOPD gets mixed marks for
financial benchmarks. Costs of operations appear lower in some areas and
higher in others. This is related to many factors that will be discussed in the
body of the report. In brief, the department spends more per captia and has
a higher number of officers per capita due largely to policing philosophy and
sustained organizational commitments in the community. Spending per
serious crime is markedly lower in South Orange. Overtime expenses are
high and are being driven by several factors, including a rigid staffing
schedule, unlimited sick leave coupled with minimum required patrol staffing
levels, and an imbalance in operational resources.
The key to operational efficiency, however, is not found exclusively in
financial austerity. The size and style of a police department and the types
of services that it provides are a reflection of the character and demands of
the community. The challenge is to determine how many police officers are
necessary to meet that demand, and how to deploy those personnel in an
effective and efficient manner. The analysis that follows is an attempt to
build upon this discussion and answer the “how many” and “how to deploy”
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 19
questions that are the essence of police operational and personnel resource
decisions.
Our report now turns to the various elements of the SOPD and an
assessment of those elements in context with prevailing industry standards
and best practices.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 20
IV. Operations
The SOPD provides the community with a full range of police services,
including responding to emergencies and calls for service (CFS), performing
directed activities, and solving problems. The SOPD is a service-oriented
department providing a high level of service to the community. Essentially,
every call for service gets a police response and every criminal case gets
investigated. The department embraces this approach and considers every
request for service from the public important and deserving of a police
response.
A. Demand
Time and time again, it was reported to the ICMA team that no call is
considered too minor to warrant a response and no case is too small to
warrant an investigation. From the command staff to the rank-and-file
officers, this approach was demonstrated to us on numerous occasions. The
result of this policing philosophy is the delivery of comprehensive policing
services to the South Orange community. The department has the hallmark
of a small-town approach to policing, in which people are not just citizens
but members of a community. Service is personalized, the police are part of
the fabric of the community, and expectations for police service are high.
This approach is not without costs, however. Considerable resources are
needed to maintain the small-town approach. The patrol division must be
staffed with enough officers to respond to virtually every call placed to the
SOPD, and the investigative division must be prepared to investigate every
case that presents itself. From conversations with SOPD officers of all ranks,
it’s clear that the community of South Orange expects this level of service,
and the SOPD is structured to deliver it.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 21
Because the department entertains almost every request for police service,
the choice will be between the options of “Do we continue to police the
community in a full-service mode?” and “What steps can we take to
restructure demand and still promote order and safety?” That is, the
department must decide whether to sustain this comprehensive level of
police service or take the steps necessary to manage it. Essentially, this is a
political decision regarding the quantity of police services offered to the
South Orange community. But quality doesn’t need to suffer. The
recommendations offered regarding operations, if implemented, will permit
the SOPD to continue its full-service model of policing and run the agency
more efficiently while keeping personnel resources stable into the
foreseeable future.
Table 3. 2011 Calls for Service
Category Total Calls % of Total
Accidents 653 5.3
Alarm 2,175 17.5
Animal calls 55 0.4
Assist other agency 347 2.8
Check/investigation 2,330 18.7
Crime–persons 212 1.7
Crime–property 611 4.9
Disturbance 661 5.3
Juvenile 113 0.9
Medical calls 737 5.9
Miscellaneous 458 3.7
Prisoner–arrest 35 0.3
Prisoner–transport 67 0.5
Suspicious person/vehicle 876 7.0
Traffic enforcement 3,103 25.0
Total 12,433
Table 3 presents information on the categories of calls for service received
from the public that were handled by the SOPD during 2011. In total, SOPD
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 22
officers were dispatched to 12,433 calls during that 12-month period, or
approximately thirty-four calls per day.
In general, CFS volume in South Orange is low. The SOPD has no problem
handling service demands from the public, and as other sections of the
report will demonstrate, the patrol function appears to be overstaffed.
At the same time, the quantity and quality of calls for service can be
examined for enormous potential for operational efficiencies. Certain types
of calls do not necessarily require the response of a sworn police officer. For
example, at motor vehicle accidents involving only property damage, the
police role is largely administrative: preparing and filing reports. Similarly,
industry experience also tells us that greater than 98 percent of all burglar
alarms are false alarms and that CFS regarding animal complaints are
typically only nuisance-type calls and do not involve a matter of public
safety or danger. The bottom line here is that a substantial number of CFS
dispatches to officers in the SOPD could be eliminated.
The alarm industry is a strong advocate of developing ordinances and
procedures to address police responses to false alarms and will work closely
with any agency exploring this issue. The 98 percent of alarm calls that are
false are caused by user error, and this can be addressed by alarm
management programs. For example, a double-call verification protocol is
becoming the norm across the country. Alarm reduction needs to be
addressed aggressively in South Orange. Adopting an alarm callback
program has the potential to reduce calls for service by more than to 1,000
calls, or roughly 8 percent of all CFS that come from the public.
Automobile accidents are another category for which the response by a
sworn officer is questionable. Most accidents involve only property damage
to vehicles and the role of an officer is simply report preparation. When
injuries occur or vehicles are inoperable and blocking traffic, however, police
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 23
response is important. Proper training of dispatchers and inquiries by
dispatchers during the initial call-taking process can easily triage vehicle
accident calls to determine which ones actually require a police response.
Dispatching police officers to all vehicle crashes is not recommended. It is
recommended that the SOPD cease responding to CFS involving property
damage only motor vehicle accidents. Examination of Table 3 indicates that
5.3 percent of all CFS handled during the study period were traffic accidents.
Arguably, most of these CFS were administrative in nature and did not
necessarily warrant the response of a sworn police officer.
Three categories of CFS—accidents, alarms, check/investigation—represent
more than 41 percent of all CFS volume from the public in South Orange,
but a police response at the large majority of these incidents is likely not
necessary. These categories of CFS must be examined carefully. It is
strongly recommended, therefore, that the SOPD establish a committee that
includes all the principal stakeholders in this process and which has the
responsibility for evaluating the CFS workload with an eye toward reducing
nonemergency CFS response. The Chief of Police and Town Council
members should meet to discuss the possibility of reducing CFS responses
and eliminating types of CFS handled by the SOPD. This committee should
begin with these three major categories of CFS response and formulate the
response (or nonresponse) protocols for these assignments.
Recommendation:
Empanel a calls for service committee in order to evaluate service
demands and attempt to reduce nonemergency responses.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 24
Our data analysis supports the notion that a thorough examination by the
SOPD of CFS response is necessary in order to eliminate, downsize, and
streamline CFS.
ICMA recommends that from a policy perspective the responses to major
categories of CFS be reduced, including responses to traffic accidents
involving only property damage; an alarm callback system be instituted; and
911 call-takers and dispatchers be trained to trigger a police response in
cases only when there is an emergency situation.
1. Time Spent on Calls and Officers per Call
Further examination of various elements of the CFS and patrol response
data also warrants discussion. Key tables in the data analysis section of this
report provide a wealth of information about demand, workload, and
deployment in South Orange. Three key pieces of information demonstrate
the how patrol resources are used in South Orange. These three statistics
are found in the data analysis section under Table 6, Occupied Time; Table
7, Number of Responding Units; and Table 11, Average Response Time
Components. Taken together these statistics provide an excellent lens
through which to view the efficiency of patrol operations in South Orange.
According to the data in Table 6, SOPD patrol units on average take 22.1
minutes to handle a call for service. This figure is approximately 26 percent
less time than average occupied of about 30 minutes for a CFS, based on
our experience.3 Also, the SOPD, according to Table 7, dispatches 1.4
officers per CFS. The number of officers dispatched (like occupied time)
varies by category of call, but is lower than policing norms of about 1.6
officers per CFS. In other words, the SOPD uses fewer officers overall to
3 ICMA considers 30 minutes to be a benchmark of police departments to handle CFS. This figure is
derived from data analyses of police agencies similar to the SOPD.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 25
handle a CFS and does so in less time than an average police response of
similar size agencies.
Similarly, according to Table 11, response times for CFS in South Orange
averaged less than five minutes per call. This is substantially lower than
many communities of similar size and well below the generally accepted
target response time of fifteen minutes per call.
Taken together, our analysis of occupied time, number of officers per call,
and response time shows an efficient deployment of patrol officers to CFS in
South Orange.
In sum, the various data show that patrol services in the SOPD is
overstaffed. Reductions in the patrol division can be achieved, even while
managing CFS volume more aggressively, thus making the overall function
of the SOPD more efficient and cost-effective.
B. Patrol Deployment and Staffing
Uniformed patrol is considered the “backbone” of American policing. Bureau
of Justice statistics indicate that more than 95 percent of police departments
in the U.S. in the same size category as the SOPD provide uniformed patrol.
Officers assigned to this important function are the most visible members of
the department and command the largest share of resources committed by
the department. Proper allocation of these resources is critical in order to
have officers available to respond to calls for service and provide law
enforcement services to the public.
In South Orange general patrol operations are staffed using three 10 hour
and40 minute shifts. The shifts are organized into two separate rotations (A
and B) and work four days on and four days off. Each rotation, therefore has
three shifts (days, evening, nights) and each shift is staffed with one
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 26
lieutenant, one sergeant, and five police officers (due to vacancies, three
shifts have four officers). The day shift reports to work at 6:50 a.m. and
ends at 5:30 p.m., the evening shift starts at 1:20 p.m. and ends at
midnight, and the night shift starts at 9:20 p.m. and ends at 8:00 a.m.
Table 4. SOPD Deployment Schedule
Shift Hours Rotation Lt. Sgts. Officers
Day 0650x1730 A 1 1 5
B 1 1 5
Evening 1320x2400 A 1 1 4
B 1 1 4
Night 2120x0800 A 1 1 4
B 1 1 5
Total 6 6 27
Our examination of the patrol staffing and workload demands, combined
with on-site observations and industry norms, leads us to several
recommendations with respect to patrol deployment.
1. Schedule
The shift schedule in place in South Orange is inefficient. Using three 10
hour and 40 minute shifts results in eight hours of overlapping coverage
each day. Inspection of the timing of this overlap shows that it is creating
substantial inefficiencies in patrol coverage and costing approximately 15 to
20 percent more in personnel than necessary to provide the same service.
Overlaps occur at three times during the day: for one hour and ten minutes
(1:10) whenn the night and day shifts meet, for four hours and twenty
minutes (4:20) when the day and evening shifts meet, and for two hours
and forty minutes (2:40) when the evening and night shifts meet. Ideally,
overlaps in staffing should be designed to align staff availability with
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 27
demands for service. The shift model in the SOPD appears haphazard and
only minimally addresses service demands.
Additionally, the four-on/four-off rotation translates into officers working
1,946:40 hours each year (182.5 work-days each year, with a 10:40 shift),
which is 133:20 hours less than a conventional work-year of 2,080 hours.
While it is not uncommon to compensate police officers under less-than-full
staffing plans, this must be considered when exploring options than provide
more efficient staffing models
Furthermore, the 10:40 shift is an awkward shift length. The available
literature on shift length provides no definitive conclusions on an appropriate
length of shift. A recent study published by the Police Foundation examined
8-hour, 10-hour, and 12-hour shifts, and found positive and negative
characteristics associated with all three.4 ICMA contends that the length of
the shift is secondary to the application of that shift to meet service
demands. Again, a 10:40 shift does not appear to address any needs, and
unnecessarily lengthens the workday of the officer.
It is also understood that the current schedule is a provision of the labor
contract and subject to collective bargaining. However, the current shift
model in place in South Orange is inefficient and immediate steps need to be
taken to change it.
It is not necessarily the length of the tour, but the manner in which the
model is structured that creates the inefficiency. Eight-hour, ten-hour, and
twelve-hour work schedules exist, and are in use by many police
departments across the U.S., and which take advantage of shift length and
start/end times to meet the needs of the community and the department.
The plan in place in South Orange appears to do little in the form of service
4 Police Foundation, The Shift Length Experiment: What we know about 8-, 10-, and 12-
hour shifts in policing, 2012.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 28
delivery and costs the village and the SOPD substantially more than
necessary to provide police services.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the department seek to modify
the shift schedule to more appropriately align the schedule to meet the
demands of the community. An example of an alternative shift schedule is
provided in Appendix A. This schedule relies on 10:40 minute shifts, but
uses four start times instead of three, and reduces supervisory staffing by
four lieutenants. There are numerous options available that are superior
alternatives to the current patrol shift schedule in place in the SOPD. These
alternatives should be pursued aggressively.
Recommendation:
Take immediate steps to change the current shift schedule in place
in the SOPD and create one that is aligned better with service
demands.
C. Supervision
Inspection of the SOPD table of organization reveals a very low supervisor to
subordinate staffing ratio. Span of control, or the ratio of subordinates to
supervisors, is an important characteristic of an organization and indicates
the amount of supervision and direction given to individual employees. In
the SOPD patrol shifts, the span of control from lieutenant to sergeant is
1:1, and for sergeant to police officer it is 1:5 (and 1:4 in shifts with the
vacancies). This is a very low span of control and the SOPD should examine
closely these supervisory ratios to afford greater responsibilities for all
ranking officers in the department. In particular, an organizational span of
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 29
control where one supervisor is responsible for only one subordinate should
be adjusted to increase the span of control.
A potential solution to this condition is to realign the patrol schedule (and
the other units in the department) to create a structure that diffuses
supervisory responsibility appropriately. This recommendation should be
taken into consideration with a realignment of the patrol shift schedule to
create a more efficient work model (scheduling and supervision) for the
entire organization. In other words, the organization is “top heavy” with an
excess number of ranking officers. The SOPD should explore organizational
restructuring to align staffing resources more efficiently and reduce the
number of supervisors in each rank.
D. Deployment
Although some police administrators suggest that there are national
standards for the number of officers per thousand residents, that is not the
case. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) states that
ready-made, universally applicable patrol staffing standards do not exist.
Furthermore, ratios such as officers-per-thousand population are
inappropriate to use as the basis for staffing decisions.
According to Public Management magazine, “A key resource is discretionary
patrol time, or the time available for officers to make self-initiated stops,
advise a victim in how to prevent the next crime, or call property owners,
neighbors, or local agencies to report problems or request assistance.
Understanding discretionary time, and how it is used, is vital. Yet most
police departments do not compile such data effectively. To be sure, this is
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 30
not easy to do and, in some departments may require improvements in
management information systems.”5
Essentially, “discretionary time” on patrol is the amount of time available
each day where officers are not committed to handling CFS and workload
demands from the public. It is “discretionary” and intended to be used at the
discretion of the officer to address problems in the community and be
available in the event of emergencies. Discretionary time, or non-committed
time, can be used for a whole host of proactive and community policing type
activities. First, non-committed time allows officers to patrol locations prone
to crime, disorder, and traffic problems. Routine patrol not dedicated to
calls for service is a deterrent to crime and disorder. It is impossible to
calculate the deterrent value of this effort, but it is a valuable resource to
have available. Also, when not responding to CFS, officers can interact with
the community, attend school and community meetings, perform proactive
enforcement in trouble areas. Furthermore, non-committed time allows
officers to demonstrate a strong presence in visible areas of the community.
When there is no discretionary time, however, officers are entirely
committed to service demands, do not get the chance to address other
community problems that do not arise through 911, and are not available in
times of serious emergency. The lack of discretionary time indicates a
department is understaffed. Conversely, when there is too much
discretionary time officers are idle. This is an indication that the department
is overstaffed.
Staffing decisions, particularly in patrol, must be based on actual workload.
Once the actual workload is determined the amount of discretionary time is
determined and then staffing decisions can be made consistent with the
department’s policing philosophy and the community’s ability to fund it. The
5 John Campbell, Joseph Brann, and David Williams, “Officer-per-Thousand Formulas and
Other Policy Myths,” Public Management 86 (March 2004): 2227.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 31
SOPD is a full-service police department, and the philosophy is to address
essentially all requests for service in a community policing style. With this in
mind it is necessary to look at workload to understand the impact of this
style of policing in the context of community demand.
To understand actual workload (the time required to complete certain
activities) it is critical to review total reported events within the context of
how the events originated, such as through directed patrol, administrative
tasks, officer-initiated activities, and citizen-initiated activities. Doing this
analysis allows identification of activities that are really “calls” from those
activities that are some other event.
Understanding the difference between the various types of police
department events and the staffing implications is critical to determining
deployment needs. This portion of the study looks at the total deployed
hours of the police department with a comparison to the time being spent to
currently provide services.
From an organizational standpoint, it is important to have uniformed patrol
resources available at all times of the day to deal with issues such as
proactive enforcement and community policing. Patrol is generally the most
visible and most available resource in policing and the ability to harness this
resource is critical for successful operations.
1. Saturation Threshold and Rule of 60
From an officer’s standpoint, once a certain level of CFS activity is reached,
the officer’s focus shifts to a CFS-based reactionary mode. Once a threshold
is reached, the patrol officer’s mindset begins to shift from one that looks for
ways to deal with crime and quality-of-life conditions in the community to
one that continually prepares for the next CFS. After saturation, officers
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 32
cease proactive policing and engage in a reactionary style of policing. The
outlook becomes “Why act proactively when my actions are only going to be
interrupted by a CFS?” Uncommitted time is spent waiting for the next call.
Sixty percent of time spent responding to calls for service is believed to be
the saturation threshold.
In general, a “Rule of 60” can be applied to evaluate patrol staffing. The
“Rule of 60” has two parts. The first part maintains that 60 percent of the
sworn officers in a department should be dedicated to the patrol function,
and the second part maintains that no more than 60 percent of manpower
should be “saturated” by workload demands from the community.
a. Rule of 60 – Part 1
According to the SOPD “Table of Organization” dated 05/01/2012, patrol in
the SOPD is staffed by one captain, six lieutenants (one vacancy), six
sergeants, and twenty-seven police officers assigned to a CFS response
capacity. These thirty-nine sworn officers represent 76 percent of the fifty-
one sworn officers in the SOPD. This percentage is higher than the 60
percent benchmark for patrol staffing for an agency the size of the SOPD.
Adding in the sworn personnel (one sergeant and one police officer)
assigned to the traffic bureau and this percentage gets even higher. With
the traffic bureau included, there are 41 of 51 sworn personnel assigned to
CFS response, or 80 percent.
According to these statistics, the SOPD does not adhere to the first
component of the “Rule of 60.” The patrol function has a very high
percentage of sworn personnel and the staffing of the agency is not
balanced appropriately.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 33
b. Rule of 60 – Part 2
The second part of the “Rule of 60” examines workload and discretionary
time and suggests that no more than 60 percent of time should be
committed to calls for service. In other words, ICMA suggests that no more
than 60 percent of available patrol officer time be spent responding to the
service demands of the community. The remaining 40 percent of the time is
the “discretionary time” for officers to be available to address community
problems and be available for serious emergencies. This Rule of 60 for patrol
deployment does not mean the remaining 40 percent of time is downtime or
break time. It is simply a reflection of the point at which patrol officer time is
“saturated” by CFS.
c. Saturation Index
This ratio of dedicated time compared to discretionary time is referred to as
the “Saturation Index” (SI). It is ICMA’s contention that patrol staffing is
optimally deployed when the SI is in the 60 percent range. A SI greater than
60 percent indicates that the patrol manpower is largely reactive, and
overburdened with CFS and workload demands. A SI of somewhat less than
60 percent indicates that patrol manpower is optimally staffed. SI levels
much lower than 60 percent, however, indicate patrol resources that are
underutilized, and signals an opportunity for a reduction in patrol resources
or reallocation of police personnel.
Departments must be cautious in interpreting the SI too narrowly. For
example, one should not conclude that SI can never exceed 60 percent at
any time during the day, or that in any given hour no more than 60 percent
of any officer’s time be committed to CFS. The SI at 60 percent is intended
to be a benchmark to evaluate service demands on patrol staffing. When SI
levels exceed 60 percent for substantial periods of a given shift, or at
isolated and specific times during the day, then decisions should be made to
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 34
reallocate or realign personnel to reduce the SI to levels below 60. Lastly,
this is not a hard-and-fast rule, but a benchmark to be used in evaluating
staffing decisions.
The ICMA data analysis in the second part of this report provides a rich
overview of CFS and staffing demands experienced by the SOPD. The
analysis here looks specifically at patrol deployment and how to maximize
the personnel resources of the SOPD to meet the demands of calls for
service while also engaging in proactive policing to combat crime, disorder,
and traffic issues in the community.
Figures 1 to 8 illustrate workload, staffing, and the “saturation” of patrol
resources in the SOPD during the two months in 2011 on which we focused.
By “saturation” we mean the amount of time officers spend on patrol
handling service demands from the community. In other words, how much
of the day is “saturated” with workload demands. This “saturation” is the
comparison of workload with available manpower over the course of an
average day during the months selected.
The figures represent the manpower and demand during weekdays and
weekends during the months of February and August, 2011. Examination of
these figures permits exploration of the second part of the Rule of 60. Again,
the Rule of 60 examines the relationship between total work and total patrol,
and to comply with this rule, total work should be less than 60 percent of
total patrol.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 35
Figure 1. Deployment and Main Workload, Weekdays, Winter 2011
Hour 2321191715131197531
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Pe
rso
nn
el
Added patrol
Patrol
Directed patrol work
Out-of-service work
Police-initiated work
Other-initiated work
Figure 2. Workload Percentage by Hour, Weekdays, Winter 2011
2220181614121086420
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
Percentage
Other-initiated
Most (+ Self-initiated & Out-of-service)
Total (+ Directed patrol)
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 36
Workload v. Deployment – Weekdays – Winter 2011
Avg. Workload: 1.2 officers per hour
Avg. % Deployed (SI): 17 percent
Low SI: 5 percent
Low SI Time: 0730 hours
Peak SI: 34 percent
Peak SI Time: 1830 hours
Figures 1 and 2 present the patrol workload demands and SI for weekdays
in winter 2011. As the figures indicate, the SI never exceeds the 60 percent
threshold. In fact, on average, approximately one officer is required on the
average weekday in winter to meet the service demands from CFS in South
Orange. The SI ranges from a low of approximately 5 percent at 7:30 a.m.
to a high of 34 percent at 6:30 p.m., with a daily average of 13 percent.
Note that direct public demand for services indicated by the solid blue line
(other-initiated) in Figure 2 demonstrates that at all times during the
weekdays in winter, the SOPD has more than adequate, even surplus, patrol
resources to meet that demand.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 37
Figure 3. Deployment and Main Workload, Weekends, Winter 2011
Hour 2321191715131197531
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Pe
rso
nn
el
Added patrol
Patrol
Directed patrol work
Out-of-service work
Police-initiated work
Other-initiated work
Figure 4. Workload Percentage by Hour, Weekends, Winter 2011
2220181614121086420
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
Percentage
Other-initiated
Most (+ Self-initiated & Out-of-service)
Total (+ Directed patrol)
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 38
Workload v. Deployment – Weekends – Winter 2011
Avg. Workload: 1.0 officers per hour
Avg. % Deployed (SI): 18 percent
Low SI: 5 percent
Low SI Time: 0730 hours
Peak SI: 57 percent
Peak SI Time: 1930 hours
Figures 3 and 4 present the patrol workload demands and SI for weekends
in winter 2011. As the figures indicate, the SI never exceeds the 60 percent
threshold. The SI ranges from a low of approximately 5 percent at 7:30 a.m.
to a high of 57 percent at 7:30 p.m., with a daily average of 14 percent.
Note that direct public demand for services indicated by the solid blue line
(other-initiated) in Figure 4 demonstrates that at all times during the
weekdays in winter, the SOPD has more than adequate, even surplus, patrol
resources to meet that demand.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 39
Figure 5. Deployment and Main Workload, Weekdays, Summer 2011
Hour 2321191715131197531
10
8
6
4
2
0
Pe
rso
nn
el
Added patrol
Patrol
Directed patrol work
Out-of-service work
Police-initiated work
Other-initiated work
Figure 6. Workload Percentage by Hour, Weekdays, Summer 2011
2220181614121086420
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
Percentage
Other-initiated
Most (+ Self-initiated & Out-of-service)
Total (+ Directed patrol)
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 40
Workload v. Deployment – Weekdays – Summer 2011
Avg. Workload: 1.1 officers per hour
Avg. % Deployed (SI): 18 percent
Low SI: 3 percent
Low SI Time: 0630 hours
Peak SI: 44 percent
Peak SI Time: 1915 hours
Figures 5 and 6 present the patrol workload demands and SI for weekdays
in Summer 2011. As the figures indicate, the SI never exceeds the 60
percent threshold. In fact, on average, less than one officer is required on
the average weekday in summer to meet the service demands from CFS in
South Orange. The SI ranges from a low of approximately 5 percent at 6:30
a.m. to a high of 44 percent at 7:15 p.m., with a daily average of 18
percent. Note that direct public demand for services indicated by the solid
blue line (other-initiated) in Figure 6 demonstrates that at all times during
the weekdays in February, the SOPD has more than adequate, even surplus,
patrol resources to meet that demand.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 41
Figure 7. Deployment and Main Workload, Weekends, Summer 2011
Hour 2321191715131197531
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Pe
rso
nn
el
Added patrol
Patrol
Directed patrol work
Out-of-service work
Police-initiated work
Other-initiated work
Figure 8. Workload Percentage by Hour, Weekends, Summer 2011
2220181614121086420
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
Percentage
Other-initiated
Most (+ Self-initiated & Out-of-service)
Total (+ Directed patrol)
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 42
Workload v. Deployment – Weekends – Summer 2011
Avg. Workload: 0.9 officers per hour
Avg. % Deployed (SI): 16 percent
Low SI: 4 percent
Low SI Time: 0815 hours
Peak SI: 44 percent
Peak SI Time: 2030 hours
Figures 7 and 8 present the patrol workload demands and SI for weekends
in summer 2011. As the figures indicate, the SI never exceeds the 60
percent threshold. In fact, on average, less than one officer is required on
the average weekend in summer to meet the service demands from CFS in
South Orange. The SI ranges from a low of approximately 4 percent at 8:15
a.m. to a high of 44 percent at 8:30 p.m., with a daily average of 20
percent. Note that direct public demand for services indicated by the solid
blue line (other-initiated) in Figure 8 demonstrates that at all times during
the weekdays in February, the SOPD has more than adequate, even surplus,
patrol resources to meet that demand.
In Figures 2, 4, 6, and 8, the patrol resources available are denoted by the
dashed green line at the top. The 100 percent value indicates the total police
officer hours available during the 24-hour period. This amount varies during
the day consistent with the staffing of the shifts, but at any given hour the
total amount of available manpower will equal 100.
The red dashed line fixed at the 60 percent level represents the saturation
index (SI). As discussed above, this is the point at which patrol resources
become largely reactive as CFS and workload demands consume a larger
and larger portion of available time. The blue line represents workload
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 43
generated by calls for service from the public and the solid black line
represents total workload experienced by the SOPD.
Looking at the comparisons of the green, red, and black lines in the SI
figures, and comparing workload to available staffing, the data indicate that
there is an abundance of patrol resources available to meet the service
demands from CFS in South Orange. This means that there is an abundance
of non-committed time available for the officers to perform community-
policing activities, proactive enforcement, and create a strong visible
presence in the community. For each period under review, it is
demonstrated that less than one officer on average is necessary to handle
demand. In fact, the SI never exceeds 60 percent and only peaks at 44
percent during weekends in the summer. This information easily permits the
conclusion that the patrol shifts in the SOPD are overstaffed. ICMA is not
recommending that police officer staffing be reduced to one officer per shift;
however, a closer examination of staffing minimums should be conducted
with an eye towards reducing overall patrol staff.
2. Minimum Manning
Currently, the SOPD relies on a “hard” minimum manning level of four police
units on patrol. When vacancies occur in the shift schedule due to illness,
vacation, etc., the department incurs overtime to backfill those positions to
maintain the minimum manning level of four units on patrol. Examination of
the patrol saturation index indicates that during many extended periods
during the day, four units on patrol is an excessive and inefficient. However,
consideration must be given to the sustained operational demands of Seton
Hall University and the proximity of South Orange to high-crime
communities. Although the CFS volume and patrol saturation do not warrant
four units on patrol, other factors indicate that this level is reasonable. It is
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 44
recommended that the “hard” minimum be modified and supervisors be
given the authority to adjust this level (up or down) as they think
appropriate.
E. Desk Officer
Presently, the SOPD staffs a “desk officer” position. Generally, this position
is held by the shift lieutenant, or sergeant if the lieutenant is absent, and is
responsible for patrol operations during that shift. The position is staffed
every day, twenty-four hours, seven days each week. The position is fixed at
the SOPD headquarters and supervises the communications dispatcher,
handles walk-in and call-in complaints to the station house, and is
responsible for processing other administrative matters, including arrests. It
is strongly recommended that this position be eliminated from the patrol
staffing model in place in the SOPD and alternative supervisory coverage be
designed.
Based on the workload and staffing analysis, ICMA recommends that only
one supervisor is necessary to manage patrol operations in South Orange.
This supervisor should be primarily on patrol and assigned to the
headquarters facility only when necessary. Assigning a lieutenant to the
“desk” is inefficient, and considering there are eight hours of overlap each
day this could translate into two lieutenants assigned to the “desk” for one-
third of the day. Immediate steps should be taken to change this staffing
model.
Recommendation:
Eliminate the position of desk officer in the agency.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 45
Other recommendations appear later on in this report that pertain to the
police facility and records management. These recommendations must be
integrated with the recommendation here to eliminate the desk officer
position.
In brief, the police facility needs to be remodeled and walk-in complaints
accepted only during limited hours during the day. After business hours, a
comfortable and secure waiting area should be established with telephone
communication with the police dispatcher to summon assistance if
necessary. This would eliminate the need for a supervisor to be inside the
station house; the supervisor could respond only as required. The
combination of these actions will result in better and more efficient service
delivery to the South Orange community.
F. Community Relations/Special Investigations
The Community Relations and Special Investigations Unit is staffed by one
sergeant and one part-time civilian. The responsibilities of the sworn
sergeant are many and varied, and include:
Special events permits
Licensing of taxis
Special event overtime assignments
Liaison for the county domestic response team
Liaison for a group home facility
Neighborhood watch program coordinator (security checks/security
surveys), for six neighborhood programs
Liaison officer for Seton Hall (public events/student issues)
Presentations and tours of police facility
Liaison with senior citizen groups
Road construction (overtime assignments)
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 46
Security assignments (fixed posts at Seton Hall and movie theatre)
Citizen complaints
Relieves desk officer
Fleet maintenance (The civilian member of the unit handles all fleet
maintenance responsibilities. There are eighteen marked and nine
unmarked vehicles (total of twenty-seven vehicles) and two trailers
that are utilized by the South Orange Police Department. These
vehicles are maintained by Maplewood Township through a contract
for service agreement.
In-car cameras in patrol vehicles (these are not in supervisor cars)
Mobil data terminals in patrol cars (these are not in supervisor cars)
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs), of which four units are in
use. They are changed from in-service cars at shift change.
Recommendation:
Disband the community relations/special investigations unit and
merge operations with the traffic bureau to create a new Special
Operations Unit (see below).
G. Traffic Bureau
The SOPD staffs a traffic bureau consisting of one sergeant, one police
officer, one traffic control officer, and twenty-two school crossing guards.
The bureau personnel act as liaison to the U.S. and N.J. Departments of
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the N.J. Department of
Transportation, AAA, N.J. State Police, and numerous other traffic
organizations throughout the state. Bureau personnel perform numerous
enforcement operations in the town, as well as respond to community
complaints regarding traffic. They perform tow truck inspections, process
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 47
impounds, coordinate the school crossing program, process accident reports,
maintain the intoxalyzer equipment, provide lectures on traffic safety, and
handle numerous traffic related events and operations during the year. In
general, the scope and breadth of the bureau’s operation is impressive.
One serious shortcoming of the traffic bureau is the administration and
staffing of school crossing assignments. This is not a criticism of the current
bureau, it is a criticism of the department’s deployment decisions with
respect to these assignments. Each school day, the SOPD staffs school
crossing posts that provide safe passage across streets at four schools in the
community. Responsibility for this assignment rests with the twenty-two
school crossing guards assigned to the traffic bureau. During times when a
shortage of crossing guards prohibits coverage at the school crossings, the
SOPD relies on full-duty, sworn police officers as school crossing guards.
ICMA strongly recommends that the assignment of sworn police officers to
school crossing responsibilities cease immediately.
The traffic bureau must complete one or all of the following measures to
change the current situation:
1. Identify more eligible school crossing guards to substitute during times
of absence of the regularly assigned guards, and/or
2. Coordinate with school officials to notify them to provide coverage at
school crossings when the regularly assigned school crossing guard is
absent, and/or
3. Prioritize the posts and ensure that all priority posts are covered and
leave vacant posts of lower priority.
Before school starts in the fall of 2012, the SOPD must develop and
implement a program that alleviates full-duty, sworn police officers from
performing school crossing guard functions.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 48
Similarly, the SOPD staffs a per-diem position of traffic control officer. This
position’s function is to provide traffic control at the intersection of South
Orange Avenue and Scotland Road-Valley Street. This position adds no value
to the traffic safety mission of the SOPD and should be discontinued
immediately. The money used to fund this position can be redirected and
spent on other more pressing issues facing the department.
The SOPD traffic bureau also needs to embrace more vigorously strategic
planning initiatives aimed at improving traffic safety in South Orange.
Presently, the bureau works diligently at providing enforcement,
engineering, and education programs designed to improve traffic safety. The
recommendation is to focus these efforts to a greater extent, and rely on a
more focused identification of the specific problems, and then use resources
to target those problems in a coordinated and integrated fashion.
Recommendations:
Immediately discontinue the use of sworn personnel assigned
to school crossing and develop a plan that alleviates sworn
personnel of this responsibility.
Immediately discontinue staffing the traffic control officer
position.
Develop an integrated traffic safety plan to coordinate traffic
safety enforcement, education, and engineering initiatives.
H. Special Operations
SOPD operations are not balanced. As was mentioned in the discussion on
patrol staffing, too many resources are in the patrol division and there is too
much emphasis on responding to CFS and reactive policing. Best practices in
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 49
contemporary policing call for police organizations to have some form of
organizational capacity that operates in a proactive fashion. It is
recommended, therefore, that the SOPD create a new unit that will be
responsible for fixed geographic areas in the community and which will be
available to mobilize to address chronic or immediate community problems.
The unit would be created by collapsing the traffic bureau and the
community relations functions of the sergeant assigned to community
relations/special investigations (this unit would be disbanded). The new unit
should be staffed by one sergeant and five police officers. The officers would
have geographic responsibility for community policing in each of the four
patrol zones currently designated by the SOPD. The fifth police officer will be
assigned specifically as the traffic safety officer. Therefore, the current traffic
bureau and community relations/special investigations unit would merge into
one integrated unit/bureau. The duties and responsibilities of this new unit
would be as follows:
Crime prevention
Personal and facility security
Liaisons to organized community groups
Block watchers
Response to long-term and chronic crime and quality-of-life issues
School resource officers
Anticrime and plain-clothes operations
Proactive enforcement
Driver safety programs
The unit would act as liaison to the organized community from the
department and be available to conduct proactive enforcement operations at
the direction of the unit supervisor and/or chief. The personnel assigned
would have both individual responsibility for specific areas in South Orange
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 50
and collective responsibility to engage in proactive enforcement. Also, the
creation and staffing of this unit provides the SOPD with greater balance and
the ability to operate outside the structure of CFS response and reactive
criminal investigations.
Recommendation:
Create a Special Operations Unit staffed by one sergeant and five
police officers.
I. Technology on Patrol
The SOPD employs the standard technology for patrol operations. Each
patrol vehicle contains audio/video and computer technology; officers have
the capability to access department systems and prepare reports remotely;
and four cars each shift have an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Supervisory vehicles, however, are not similarly equipped and are missing
the computer and AED.
One piece of equipment that should be considered for inclusion in patrol
vehicles are automatic license plate readers. Recent research has shown that
license plate readers are very effective tools for apprehending auto thieves
and recovering stolen vehicles. They cost around $25,000 per device, but
can check license plates about ten times faster than an officer manually
checking license plates. Their use can result in double the number of arrests
and recoveries of stolen vehicles.6 Agencies that employ LPR technology
report that over the next five years they plan on increasing the deployment
of LPR to equip approximately 25 percent of their patrol cars. It is strongly
6 Police Executive Research Forum study of LPR effectiveness in the Mesa, AZ police dept.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 51
recommended that the SOPD implement this technology and install LPR in at
least one marked patrol car in each service area.
The SOPD is near installation of an automatic license plate reader at a fixed
location. This site is a busy thoroughfare between South Orange and Newark
and a likely route for stolen vehicles and travel by criminal suspects. Ideally,
a high-resolution camera should be installed at this location instead of the
LPR. Furthermore, the department should consider investing in additional
video surveillance technology throughout the village and should site cameras
at other main thoroughfares that are main routes of access and egress from
South Orange, as well as the downtown area. The expense of purchase and
installation of these devices is small in comparison to the value added in
security, safety, and enhanced criminal investigative capabilities. In the
absence of additional surveillance technology, however, the decision to
mount the LPR in a fixed location is sound. The recommended mix of
technology in this area is to mount fixed video cameras at strategic locations
and deploy the LPR technology in the police cars on patrol.
Recommendations:
Equip marked patrol cars with license plate readers.
Expand the use of video surveillance technology to strategic
locations in the community.
Equip supervisory vehicles with the identical equipment found
in patrol units.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 52
V. Detective Bureau
The South Orange Police Department’s Detective Bureau provides full
investigative services. The detectives investigate all of the criminal
complaints that are reported to the police department, including all felony
and misdemeanor cases and other incidents or situations that may require
some type of investigative service. If the department encounters a homicide
or other major felony the Essex County Prosecutor has the authority to take
the lead and supervise these cases. The County Prosecutor’s Office is staffed
with investigators and crime scene personnel who routinely play a leading
role in all homicides and major case investigations within the county. The
County Prosecutor’s Office does receive support in these investigations from
all of the police agencies within the county.
The detective bureau is staffed by one captain, one lieutenant, one sergeant,
and four detectives. The detectives are laterally transferred into the division
from patrol, and do not assume a permanent rank of detective. They serve
in this position until such time as the chief of police determines that
reassignment is appropriate.
Detectives are assigned to follow-up all reported crimes regardless of the
type of offense. All crime victims are contacted by the assigned detective as
part of the case follow-up procedure. The detective bureau is forwarded
copies of all of the crime reports on a daily basis. The detective lieutenant
reviews these reports and based on his assessment the cases are assigned
to the individual detectives. There is no case solvability process currently in
use. Cases are assigned solely on the basis of the lieutenant’s review.
The detective bureau does not utilize an investigative tracking system. The
detective lieutenant has the ability to determine case load levels from his
communication with the detectives on a regular basis. There is no method in
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 53
use to determine the number of cases each detective solves or the number
of cases each one is assigned. If information is needed as to what detective
was assigned to a case this information can be obtained through a records
search, but is not readily available.
The detectives work a nine hour and thirty minute shift. Their work schedule
is four days on and three days off. The detectives have either Monday or
Friday off and each of them works one afternoon shift per month. This
schedule also requires that they work one Saturday per month and also
have the on-call duty for that weekend. When the on-call detective is called
out there is a minimum of four hours overtime. The detective has the option
to take the overtime in cash or compensatory time.
The detective bureau is a small investigative unit that is willing and capable
to handle criminal investigations within its jurisdiction. The detectives
themselves and the department’s leadership do recognize the limitations
placed upon them by their resources and by the statutory authority of the
County Prosecutor’s Office. They are also willing to seek assistance from the
Essex County Sheriff’s Department in the investigation of complex drug
cases.
The detective bureau does not utilize a case assignment procedure that
includes assessing each case on its solvability factors prior to assignment; it
maintains a policy of assigning all reported offenses. The bureau does not
track case assignments to the individual detective. There is also no
procedure in place to track the investigative status of cases or to routinely
access an individual detective’s disposition of cases.
Records can be obtained from the records management system after reports
are submitted by the detectives. In general, these reports are submitted and
filed at the conclusion of the case and this limits the supervisor’s ability to
monitor the progress of the cases in real time. The lieutenant must rely on
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 54
his ability to communicate with the individual detective to monitor the status
of an investigation.
The department does track case dispositions through “The BEAST” (Bar-
coded Evidence Analysis Systems Tracking) property and evidence software
package. This case tracking capability is utilized primarily to track evidence
and property for destruction. It is not used to track the status of current
case investigations.
The department takes pride in assigning all criminal complaints to a
detective for investigative follow-up. This is an established practice that the
officers within the department believe the public has come to expect. ICMA
does recognize that this is a common practice in many medium- and small-
sized departments throughout the United States. We also recognize that this
practice is well intentioned and is part of the culture of many police
departments. ICMA also recognizes that in times of economic difficulty
continuing this practice may not be economically feasible.
The department should immediately adopt a policy of reviewing each case to
determine if there are any factors present that could lead to identifying the
offender and or the recovery of stolen property. If certain evidentiary facts
are not available the cases should not be assigned. This will save valuable
investigative hours and allow investigators to concentrate on cases that
have investigative leads that will more likely be solved. A program that
utilizes volunteers to contact crime victims of property crimes is an effective
way to keep victims advised of the status of their case.
The detective lieutenant works diligently to keep track of the detectives’
investigations through personal contact. He would be much more effective in
the management of his detectives and the cases that they are working if a
computerized case assignment and case management system was utilized.
There are software programs available that not only could be utilized by the
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 55
lieutenant but also by other authorized members of the department to
routinely review individual cases. This would undoubtedly lead to more
efficient use of the detectives’ time, and would create greater opportunities
to successfully conclude cases. The detective bureau must abandon its
current informal practice of investigative case management. Without proper
screening and tracking mechanisms, it is difficult to determine caseload,
clearances, and effective investigations. The detective commanders must
explore the application of the records management system to determine if
cases should be assigned, based upon accepted solvability factors, and then
track cases to their conclusion to ensure appropriate investigations occur.
The current workspace used by the detectives, like the facility in general, is
sub-par. The department is currently preparing to move the detective
bureau to the main floor of the building The chief recognizes that the work
space provided currently is not sufficient. The new space will provide an
improved work area and easier access to the detective bureau for the public.
The detectives all have desktop computers that allow access to the
department’s records management system. This also allows them to write
reports and direct them to the lieutenant for review. The detectives indicate
that one issue of concern to them is the radio communication issue that is
discussed in the section on communication of this report.
The detectives have access to vehicles but do not have take-home vehicles.
Due to the fact that case assignments and case clearance information is not
readily available, determining the appropriate staffing levels is difficult.
However, after interviewing detectives, patrol officers, and supervisors and
reviewing the department’s current investigative procedures, it would appear
the current staffing level is appropriate.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 56
A. Juvenile Aid Bureau
The juvenile aid bureau is staffed by one sergeant and one detective. They
are assigned all of the criminal cases involving juveniles, including missing
and runaway juveniles. The JAB is supervised by the sergeant but the
sergeant reports to the lieutenant of detectives. In the past two years the
JAB has investigated twenty-five runaway cases. Also in the past two years
there have been a total of 160 arrests of juveniles within the department. In
each of these cases a JAB detective or general assignment detective has
been assigned to the follow-up. There is no computer tracking system in use
by the department that tracks the progress of these cases. The detective
bureau captain indicated that investigative information about important
cases is known to all detectives regardless if they work in the JAB or not. He
also indicated that the detective lieutenant knows who is assigned to cases
and their dispositions.
In order to determine the effectiveness of this unit it is important to track
the number of cases that are investigated by these detectives. These
statistics could be used to determine the workload to make certain there is
sufficient work for these two positions. The assignment of a sergeant to
supervise one detective is problematic. The table of organization has the
sergeant in this unit reporting directly to the investigative captain. The
sergeant in the JAB does work closely with the lieutenant in the detective
bureau and is often supervised by him.
Recommendations:
Reorganize the investigative functions in the SOPD by merging
the detective bureau with the juvenile aid bureau.
Develop and implement an investigative case management
system for all detective cases and operations.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 57
B. Drug Investigations
The South Orange Police Department does not have a drug crime
investigations unit. When drug crimes are reported they are assigned to an
SOPD detective for follow-up. If the case requires a lengthy investigation
and cannot be cleared by the SOPD detective, the Essex County Sheriff’s
Department is contacted and the case is turned over to their bureau of
narcotics to continue the investigation.
The SOPD tracks the status of the drug evidence sent to the state police to
determine if a suspect has plead guilty or has requested a trial. The
disposition of the case is also monitored to establish a time frame for
destruction of the submitted drug evidence.
Observations/Recommendations
The South Orange Police Department does not have the resources to staff a
drug investigations unit. Utilizing the sheriff’s drug investigations unit works
well. Currently, there is not a formal procedure in place to receive
information back from the Sheriff’s Department about information supplied
by the SOPD. Information and intelligence gained from these investigations
and arrests could prove to be very valuable to SOPD detectives and patrol
officers.
The department should initiate a regularly scheduled intelligence meeting
with the Essex County Sheriff’s drug investigations personnel. This would
afford SOPD personnel the opportunity to receive updates and intelligence
information regarding this type of criminal activity in South Orange. If the
investigations are concluded this information should be distributed to SOPD
patrol officers.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 58
C. Crime Scene Investigations
The South Orange Police Department does not have a crime scene
investigations unit. Crime scene work is handled by the SOPD detectives.
Each detective is trained to examine crime scenes for fingerprints and how
to process for fingerprints in the event they are located. The detectives are
also trained to photograph crime and accident scenes. Each of the detectives
has access to a camera and fingerprint processing equipment. In the event
of a complex or major crime scene the department can request assistance
from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. The County Prosecutor has
investigators and crime scene technicians available if needed.
There are no records maintained that record the number of crime scenes
worked by the detectives or responses by the crime scene personnel from
the County Prosecutors Office.
Recommendations/Observations
The South Orange Police Department does not have the resources available
to create its own crime scene investigations unit. The current procedure of
relying on the detectives to perform some crime scene services and then
calling on the County Prosecutor’s Office to assist in more complex cases
works well.
The proper handling of crime scenes and the evidence obtained from them is
critical to the successful conclusion of investigations. ICMA would
recommend that all of the detectives and uniform officers that are called
upon to handle crime scene work should be given as much continual training
as possible. The SOPD should provide updated training in the areas of latent
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 59
print recovery and crime scene photography. There also should be routine
inspections of cameras and equipment.
The department should also make certain that written department policy
addresses the proper procedures for the handling and processing of evidence
and found property.
D. Property and Evidence
The evidence and found property retained by the department is stored in
four separate locations. There are two evidence storage rooms located
within the detective bureau office; a third evidence room is located in a
room that is down the hallway very close to the detective bureau. A fourth
storage area is located in the police department garage area; this is a caged
area that contains evidence and property that is being purged from the
system and at some point in the future will be removed for destruction. All
of these locations are secure and can only be accessed by authorized
persons. The lieutenant in charge of the detective bureau is also the
evidence custodian.
All of the evidence and found property retained by the department is bar-
coded and stored. The department utilizes “The BEAST” systemfor this
function. This system is widely used by many law enforcement agencies
nationwide. This system is recognized in the law enforcement profession as
an efficient, reliable evidence management system.
The ICMA on-site team visited the evidence rooms with the officer in charge
of all property and evidence, Lieutenant James Aiosa. Lieutenant Aiosa and
two of his detectives are the only police employees authorized to handle
evidence and property. The two evidence rooms located within the detective
bureau could best be described as closets with sliding doors. The evidence
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 60
and property contained within these closets filled the entire space, and the
items contained within were not easily accessed due to the limited space.
The third evidence storage space was located in a hallway near the detective
bureau. This location contains drug evidence and other large evidence and
property items. There was a distinct, unpleasant odor easily detected upon
opening the door. It was obvious that the room lacks proper ventilation. This
room was also very full of evidence and property. The fourth storage area in
the police department garage contained property that is being retained for
disposal. The items are stored in a caged area that is secured, and, while
the area is secure efforts should be made to dispose of these items in a
timely manner.
Recommendations/Observations
Evidence and property retention is a critical responsibility of every law
enforcement agency in the United States. It is no different within the SOPD.
The primary concern with the evidence and property within the department
is available space. With additional space the items stored could be more
easily accessed and properly stored. Also, any storage room must be
properly ventilated if drug evidence is to be retained for extended periods of
time.
The department has recognized this issue and is in the process of moving
the detective bureau to recently vacated space on the main floor of the
police building. The plan calls for moving all evidence into the space that is
now occupied by the detectives. This will allow for the consolidation of all of
the property and evidence into a single location. As part of this plan the
department should make certain there is proper ventilation of the room. If
marijuana and other drugs are to be retained for long periods of time a
separate drug room should also be part of the department’s plan. Security of
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 61
this facility must also be reviewed as part of this move. An electronic entry
system should be considered. This will allow for the recording of entry to the
room and identification of the person entering. A camera system that
monitors access points should also be considered.
All currency that is retained by the department is retained in a safe. As an
added measure of security, all jewelry is heat sealed in plastic bags before
being stored. DNA evidence is stored in a refrigerator in the garage evidence
storage area. The new allocation of space will allow the department to also
separate items such as money, drugs, jewelry, and firearms into secure
areas where they can be easily inventoried and accounted for on a routine
basis. It will also allow the DNA storage location to be moved inside the
building
ICMA recognizes that some of these recommendations are costly, but we
also recognize that if evidence is compromised there is no second chance.
Cases can be lost and with it public confidence in the department.
ICMA also recognizes that the department is aware of the needs in dealing
with evidence and property is and putting forth an effort to improve its
storage facility.
ICMA would also recommend a review of all evidence handling policies,
procedures, and directives. This would be a very good time to document in
detail the handling, storage, and disposal of evidence and property.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 62
VI. Administrative & Personnel
In general, the organization and staffing of the SOPD administration is “top-
heavy,” with an excess number of sworn officers in command positions.
ICMA recommends a modified organizational structure that will eliminate
positions, be most cost-effective, and improve the overall management of
the department. Having two captains, in addition to the chief, responsible for
operational and support functions in an organization the size of the SOPD is
unnecessary. ICMA recommends reducing this rank to one captain, who will
act as the principal executive officer for the chief of police.
In addition, the position of captain in charge of investigations should be
changed to a lieutenant. This lieutenant should be responsible for
investigations and special operations (see recommendation above). The
combination of these two personnel changes eliminates managerial
positions, broadens the span of control of mid-level managers, and increases
operational efficiency.
Furthermore, a new position should be created for a lieutenant in charge of
administration. The administrative lieutenant would report to the chief and
be responsible for IT, fleet, building maintenance, communications, records,
and training. The table of organization presented in Table 5 is a summary of
these recommended changes.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 63
Table 5. Recommended SOPD Table of Organization
Unit Chief Capt. Lt. Sgt. PO/
Det
Total
Sworn
Executive 1
Investigations and Admin. Div. 1 1
Subtotal Administration 1 1 1 3
Investigations
Investigations Admin. 1
Criminal Investigations 1 4
Special Operations 1 4
Subtotal Investigations 1 2 8 11
Patrol Operations
0700x1700 1 1 6
1100x2100 2 4
1700x0300 2 4
2100x0700 1 1 6
Subtotal Patrol 2 6 20 28
Total RECOMMENDED 1 1 4 8 28 42
Total CURRENT 1 2 6 9 32 50
Difference -1 -2 -1 -4 -8
The next section of the report discusses the various administrative, support,
and personnel functions of the department.
A. Training
The SOPD training program is handled by the operations commander, who
retains all training records within his office. Due to a lack of funds there are
few training opportunities available that require travel and overnight stays.
All in-service training within the department is accomplished during the shift
overlaps of the 10 hour and 40 minute work schedule.
Officers are required to complete the following training to retain their New
Jersey Police Certification.
CPR–every two years
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 64
Firearms qualification–twice annually
Use of force–twice annually, taught in conjunction with firearms
qualification
Domestic violence–annually
Pursuit training–twice annually
In-service training topics–Bias training, jail confinement.
The operations commander indicated that there is not a computerized
management system in use to track training at this time. He stated that the
department is currently exploring the possibility of utilizing a computerized
system but no decision has been made. He also stated that there is no
accurate accounting of training records currently available. Captain Heckel
produced sign-in sheets of officers attending training programs, but there
was no other information about the training classes readily available.
Captain Heckel indicated there are minimum standards for police training,
but there is no reporting requirement to the State of New Jersey.
Recommendations/Observations
Police training is of critical importance to all members of a police
organization. The South Orange Police Department has the ability to
dedicate on-duty time to its training program that would be accommodated
by the current shift schedule. The department should make a commitment
to regularly schedule training that is meaningful and timely. Qualified and
experienced instructors should be utilized whenever possible. A robust
training program would serve the department very well.
The retention of police training records is very important to the department
and to the officers who receive the training. Having the ability to recover
and document training accomplishments will assist department managers in
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 65
determining an officer’s skill level for promotional opportunities and
transfers to specialized positions within the organization. These records will
also be very valuable if the department ever becomes involved in litigation
where officer training becomes an issue. The department currently has a
records management system that could be utilized to catalogue and store
training records with little expense or difficulty. This should be pursued
immediately.
All of the members of the department who were interviewed are interested
in training opportunities both inside the department and outside. Increasing
the training opportunities for the department would greatly enhance officers’
capabilities to deliver quality service to the public.
B. Information Management/Police Records
The information management section is staffed by two full-time records
clerks and one part-time clerk. The records section is located on the main
floor of the police building and there is an public access window that allows
the public to communicate directly with staff members. All records
generated by the department, both electronic and paper, are retained within
the records section.
The department’s police vehicles are equipped with mobile data terminals
(MDTs). Officers can write their reports from inside the police vehicles,
including incident reports or accident reports. After completion, reports can
be transmitted to the shift lieutenant. The lieutenant can then read the
reports and either send them back to the officer for revisions or forward
them to the information management office for filing. The officers can also
hand-write reports if necessary. These reports are also forwarded to the
lieutenant for review. After approval, these reports are then forward to the
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 66
information management clerks where they are scanned and filed within the
records system.
All reports and other departmental records are filed electronically. This
includes payroll documents and vacation and sick leave records.
The department utilizes an electronic citation system. The officers in the field
use a hand-held device that transmits the citation information to the
department’s records system, where it is reviewed and then forwarded to
the court.
The records management system software and hardware have been in use
since the late 1990s. The system software in use is based on Microsoft®
Access® The system has received upgrades and has been integrated into
other computers within the department. The original company from which
the system was purchased is no longer in business. The department has
contracted with the individual who was involved with the now defunct
company to supply upgrades and service for the system. The records
management employees indicate that they are able to continue to manage,
store, and retrieve information. The information management personnel did
not report any major problems with the system except to say it was old.
The patrol officers who were interviewed regarding the mobile data terminal
access to the records system. They indicated that there were frequent
disruptions of service that would not allow them to send their reports to the
information management computers. This then requires the officers in the
field to hand write reports or to write their reports on a workstation inside
the police building.
All records are retained in secure storage areas. All current records that date
back to 2004 are retained in the information systems work area on the main
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 67
floor of the police station. Records dated 1995-2003 are stored in a secure
basement storage room.
Recommendations and Observations
The information system currently in place continues to meet the basic needs
of the department. The age of the equipment and software does require
more maintenance and does not allow the department to take advantage of
new technology that has been come on the market since the early 1990s.
The main reason that the equipment functions as well as it does is the
employees that use it. They have the institutional knowledge of the
department’s operations and their equipment to continue to get the job
done. They do not have the up-to-date equipment and software that would
allow the department to utilize information that is gathered to further the
mission of the department. ICMA would recommend that the department
initiate a needs assessment study of the information management system.
The department should prepare a five-year plan that outlines future
information management needs. As part of the five-year plan the
department should calculate the funding it needs to upgrade the system on
a gradual basis so as to not create a large fiscal impact in a single budget
year.
C. Communications
The communications center is staffed by three full-time dispatchers and
three per-diem (part-time) dispatchers. The per-diem employees are limited
to working twenty-four to thirty hours per week. The dispatchers work eight-
hour shifts, which are 0630 to 1430, 1430 to 2230, and 2230 to 0630. The
department makes an effort to have civilians working the dispatch desk. The
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 68
dispatchers act as both call-takers and dispatchers. The department is
attempting to hire a fourth per-diem dispatcher. When dispatchers are
unavailable for duty due to illness or leave sworn police officers work the
dispatch desk as an overtime assignment. All sworn police officers are
trained to work in the dispatch center
The center is located in the front of the police building; controlled access is
through an electronically controlled doorway. There is also a window that
allows the lobby to be viewed from the duty officer’s desk. The duty officer is
assigned to a desk that is located inside the communications center. This
allows the duty officer to handle activity in the lobby and closely monitor the
activity within the communications room. The duty officer is trained to
handle the radio and phones within the center and assist if there is a critical
incident or a high call volume.
The computer-aided dispatch system (CAD) is twelve years old. The hand-
held portable units are Motorola units that are seven years old. The
department has ordered a new console that will provide a much needed
upgrade to portions of the system. The department expects delivery in June
2012.
Each communications shift has a duty officer assigned. The duty officer is a
police lieutenant and his post is a desk located just a few feet from the
communications console. His primary responsibilities are to handle situations
in the lobby, handle persons requiring access to the secure area of the
building, monitoring jail inmates within the jail detention area, providing
patrol supervision when needed, and providing assistance and supervision to
the on-duty dispatchers during busy periods. If there is not a lieutenant
available a sergeant may fill this position for a shift.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 69
Recommendations/Observations
It is obvious that the communications system equipment is older and is in
need of updating. The department does recognize this fact. The addition of a
new console will significantly improve the communications center’s
equipment situation and is a sign that the village is working to improve the
system.
There are other issues that still remain that need to be addressed. Officers
report dead spots within the community that will not allow radios to transmit
or receive. The hand-held radios are older and have limited service life
remaining. Officers are concerned and feel that these are significant safety
issues that have an impact on their ability to work effectively.
The ICMA team viewed this equipment and recognizes there are legitimate
communication problems that need attention. There is no reason to believe
that the situation is going to improve significantly without some investment
in new technology. A needs assessment should be undertaken to evaluate
the current communications system and what is needed to make certain that
a reliable system is in place. The officers that use the system must have the
confidence in their equipment and know that they will be able to
communicate with headquarters at all times.
One option that many municipalities and county governments have
considered is a consolidated emergency services communication center.
South Orange may be at a place in time where this might make good
economic sense. The combining of dispatch services by multiple jurisdictions
could create an efficient, modern system that would improve communication
services to a larger geographic area. Cities and towns across the country
have realized that combining law enforcement, fire, and EMS services
enhances response times , service delivery, communications between
departments, and significantly reduces the number of dollars spent.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 70
The police department has a very large, vacant space within its building that
was recently vacated by the court system. This would be an ideal location
for a multijurisdiction emergency operations dispatch center.
D. Sick Time
Examination of the department’s sick time usage indicates cause for
concern. There appears to be an overextended use of sick time that
demonstrates mismanagement of sick leave, employee dissatisfaction, and
potential abuse.
According to the PBA and SOA employee contracts, sworn officers in the
SOPD are entitled to a full-year of sick privileges. This has been translated
as “unlimited” sick and officers avail themselves of this privilege liberally. In
2011, the fifty-one sworn officers took 599 sick days over 286 occurrences.
This equals twelve sick days per sworn officer, and a sick leave occurrence
on average every other month. Thus, the average sworn officer in the SOPD
calls in sick every other month for two days. This pattern appears to be
holding for 2012 as well.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the SOPD develop and implement a Sick
Leave Management Plan.
Development of a plan would entail a thorough examination of the reasons
behind the frequent use of sick leave. Research in organizational
performance views excessive use of sick leave as a symptom of employee
dissatisfaction and low commitment to work. Of course sick leave is intended
for illness and injury and, undoubtedly, the majority of time used by SOPD
officers is for this purpose. However, the extended, frequent, and robust use
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 71
of sick leave could also signal a workforce in distress from working
conditions and not from illness or injury.
The first element of this plan should be to explore this issue and determine
the factors associated with the frequent and regular use of sick leave. While
it is impossible to determine the specific nature of the SOPD excessive sick
usage, several factors should be considered.
The SOPD adheres to a “hard minimum” level for patrol staffing. In other
words, there are a fixed number of patrol officers that must be present for
duty on each shift. Rigid staffing levels, particularly in the context of
unlimited sick, promote abuse. If an officer calls in sick and the shift is at
minimum manning, another officer is called in on overtime to fill this
vacancy. The combination of these two policies creates the conditions to
drive up reports of sick and overtime expense. The SOPD has high levels of
both sick use and overtime.
The physical condition of the SOPD facility is poor. Working in a poor
environment undoubtedly contributes to an officers reluctance to report for
work. Immediate steps need to be taken to improve the physical space
occupied by the SOPD.
In addition to this first step, the department needs to develop a monitoring
program to curtail abuse and limit the use of inappropriate sick leave.
According to the SOPD, little if any monitoring of employees on sick leave
occurs. There is also no effort made to work with medical personnel to limit
the number of days an officer is actually out sick, and little effort made to
work with medical personnel to compel an officer to return to work sooner.
Essentially, there are no negative sanctions associated with calling-in sick,
and remaining out sick for extended periods.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 72
It is recommended that the department work with the PBA and SOA to
design the program, address the conditions contributing to the excessive use
of sick time, and develop a system to check abuse. Eliminating hard
minimum manning levels and establishing flexible manning levels would
reduce both sick leave and overtime. Improving the physical condition of
the headquarters facility would lower sick leave usage. Establishing
monetary incentives for not using sick leave would also limit sick leave and
abuse. Lastly, requiring officers to report to medical personnel working for
the department in order to evaluate the officer’s illness or injury and
recommend an appropriate time for convalescing, would limit the amount of
time spent out sick.
E. Labor-Management Relations
Sound labor relations are important to a well-managed organization and a
motivated workforce. ICMA met with representatives from the SOPD
employee association to get a better understanding of the labor-
management climate in South Orange.
The representatives of the union were professional and articulated numerous
concerns. Many of these concerns are addressed in the body of this report.
In general, the union representatives were concerned with the poor working
conditions and the disrepair of the SOPD headquarters, the inadequate
communications and computer equipment, the paucity of training
opportunities, and an overall low level of morale. Many of the items raised
could be addressed by cooperation and communication between the unions,
the SOPD, and the village administration.
Recommendation:
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 73
The SOPD should constitute an informal labor-management council
made up of the Chief of Police and representatives of the South
Orange PBA. This entity should meet regularly, establish an agenda,
publish minutes, and solicit input from all members of the SOPD
regarding workplace concerns and potential solutions for these
concerns. The council should be charged with identifying
organizational problems and collaborating on developing and
implementing workable solutions to these problems.
F. Policy and Procedure Manual Review
An important part of the ICMA review of departmental operations was a
review of the department’s rules and regulations. The analysis team met
with the chief of police and was provided with three documents that are
currently used by the department to define operational guidelines and
procedures.
The first document that was reviewed was the “Manual of Regulations and
Procedures.” This manual appears to have been last updated in the early
1990s. It contains policy entries dated 1991 thru 1996. This manual contains
many high-liability policies that are not mentioned in any of the more
current policy or rules documents. This would indicate that these then are
the policies currently being utilized for police operations. Some examples of
these rules and regulations are as follows:
Motor Vehicle Pursuits (Policy #2:00), updated/reviewed 7/1/93
Prisoner Confinement (Policy #2:02), updated/reviewed 6/13/93
Domestic Violence (Policy #2:05), updated/reviewed 11/14/91
Bias Incident Investigation Standards (Policy #2:09), updated/
reviewed 1/21/92
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 74
Use of Force by Law Enforcement Officer (Policy #2:14), updated/
reviewed 8/22/91
Use of Oleoresin Capsicum (Policy #2:20), updated/reviewed 2/9/96
Performance Evaluation (Policy #1:04), updated/reviewed 8/22/91
Employee Complaint Reception & Interview / Internal Affairs Operating
Procedures (Policy #1:03), updated/reviewed 4/2/92.
The above mentioned policies are of critical importance to the organization
and must be reviewed at least every five years. These same policies must be
monitored continually for changes in the laws initiated by the legislative
branch of government, court decisions, executive orders, changes in best
practices, or technology innovations.
The entire “Manual of Regulations and Procedures” should be updated and
reviewed. The document should be reprinted and all entries should be
approved and signed by the chief of police.
The second set of documents we reviewed is a separate blue book that is
titled “South Orange Police Department Rules and Regulations.” There are
no official signatures or dates on the documents contained within the book.
There are references to policy numbers #1:11 thru #8:11.
The third set of documents is in a separate blue book that is not titled and
has no index or table of contents. This book contains more current
departmental policy. The contents include the following:
Public Information (Policy#2:20), dated 12/2/07
Patrol Response to Active Shooter (Policy #2:21), dated 7/1/07
Building Evacuations (Policy #2:22), dated 10/1/07
Response to Bomb Threat/Detonation (Policy #2:23), dated10/1/07
Tardiness (Policy #2:24), dated 1/1/08
Response to School Lockdown (Policy # 2:25), dated 10/1/07
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 75
Mobile Video Recorders (Policy # 2:28), dated 10/7/10
Body Armor Mandatory Wear Policy (Policy #2:30)
Drug Testing (Policy #2:32), dated 11/7/11.
These listed policy additions are appropriate and timely. They should be
consolidated into a single manual. They should also be approved and signed
by the chief of police. The chief must acknowledge that he is responsible and
accountable for all of the policies that are being utilized by the department.
Observations/Recommendations
ICMA recognizes that maintaining an updated policy and procedure manual
is essential to the professional operation of all police organizations. Clearly
written policies make certain that the operations of the department reflects
the current laws, professional standards, best practices, community
expectations, and the leadership philosophy of the department managers.
ICMA strongly recommends an immediate review and update of the current
policy documents. These policies should be rewritten and consolidated into
one manual that provides clear guidelines for the department’s handling of
police operations and associated services.
G. Volunteers
Volunteers in policing have long been recognized as providing a valuable and
important service to the community. The SOPD should seek out interested
volunteers in the community and establish a structured and organized
volunteer policing service. Volunteers can perform numerous support and
operational functions for the SOPD. Volunteer efforts could be leveraged to
address administrative and clerical functions, community emergency
response teams, security and citizen patrols, school and traffic crossings,
fleet management, and community policing. The applications of volunteer
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 76
service in policing are as numerous as there are people interested in
volunteering. Volunteer programs are vibrant all across the United States
and information on these programs can be found through Volunteers in
Policing Services (VIPS).
H. Prisoner Holding/Detention Facility
The South Orange Police Department utilizes a jail detention facility to
detain arrested suspects until completing the paperwork necessary to turn
suspects over to the Essex County Jail. The suspects are brought into the
facility and placed into a cell. Suspects are detained in the facility for no
more than twenty-four hours, but in most cases they are transferred within
six hours. The arresting officer must complete the paperwork and then
contact the county jail to request permission to transfer the suspect. If the
Jail personnel are too busy the suspect must be kept in the SOPD facility.
When the facility is holding suspects the department’s duty officer monitors
the prisoners’ activities through surveillance monitors and visits the cell
block every thirty minutes.
The facility contains four cells for male inmates, two cells for female
inmates, and two holding cells to accommodate juveniles. The department
also performs all breath testing within the facility.
The department does take bail money and in certain cases prisoners can
bond out of the SOPD instead of being sent to the county jail.
The detention facility must comply with the State of New Jersey Department
of Corrections regulations and does receive annual inspections from this
agency.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 77
Observations/Recommendations
The department should immediately explore the possibility of taking arrested
suspects directly to the county jail. The following observations should be
considered.
The safety of officers is a major consideration. The officers would not
be required to handle prisoners multiple times.
Officers would be able to return to their patrol duties more quickly.
The existing jail area could be used for the expansion of police-related
services and additional office space.
Situations involving civil liability could be reduced significantly
reduced. Situations where prisoner safety is a concern could be
eliminated.
The duty officer would no longer be responsible for the jail area and
prisoners during his tour of duty.
Any change in the current booking procedure would depend on the
willingness of the sheriff to take the prisoners immediately after their arrest.
I. Police Facility
The ICMA team spent two days working within the South Orange Police
Department building. In general, the building is in disrepair, unclean, and in
poor condition. ICMA had the opportunity to speak with the civilian
employees and the sworn police officers that work for the department. These
individuals had concerns about the condition of the building and how it
related to their surroundings and working conditions. The following is a
summary of employee comments and our own observations.
The public entry door to the front lobby was standing open for extended
periods of time.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 78
The men’s public restroom in the lobby was not clean.
The lobby floor in the front entrance needed mopping.
The restroom adjacent to the chief’s office was in need of mopping and
general cleaning. The toilet tissue dispenser was broken. There
appeared to be a space on the wall where a urinal had been removed.
The railing for the main stairway leading to the basement was missing
from the wall. The railing was observed leaning against a wall in a
downstairs hallway.
The men’s locker room was in need of mopping and general cleaning.
The adjacent restroom and shower area was in need of cleaning.
According to one officer, one urinal was removed because it leaked
continually; it was not replaced.
There was a strong odor coming from the doorway leading into the
evidence storage room.
There were stains on ceiling tiles in the briefing room. These were
results of previous leaks.
At the front of the building half of the sidewalk leading to the front
door is blocked by an overgrown bush.
The parking lot and garage bays were littered and unkempt.
Observations/Recommendations
It is obvious that there are a number of maintenance issues that are of great
concern to officers and civilian employees. Many of these problems could be
fixed without great expense or difficulty. The building was constructed in the
early 1970s and an inspection of its general condition would be very helpful
in determining what future repairs might be needed. The condition of the
building is an important issue to the people that work there.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 79
With the municipal court relocating to Maplewood, the open administrative
space affords the SOPD an opportunity to develop a master plan for the
headquarters facility. It is strongly recommended that the SOPD and the
village contract with an architectural firm to redesign the headquarters
facility to address not only its poor physical condition, but to reorganize it in
such a way that it supports implemention of the recommendations from this
report.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 80
VII. Performance Assessment and Strategic Planning
Generally speaking, the department does not demonstrates the ability to
manage its knowledge inventory and to use performance data for decision
support. The organization does not identify clear performance goals or
demonstrate the ability to engage in systems thinking and double-loop
learning technologies. The department does not routinely use timely data to
obtain an accurate view of the internal and external work environments.
A. Goals and Objectives
The department does not have a multiyear, long-range strategic plan.
Strategic goals and strategies should be set for the department by the chief.
Strategies must be linked logically to measurable goals (such as, “Reduce
the level of violent crime (rape, robbery, aggravated assault) by 5 percent”).
The department does not prepare or issue annual reports. These reports, at
a minimum, should include the following:
Aggregate data regarding the various types of use of force by police
officers (i.e., TASER, firearm, etc.)
Data regarding total calls for service, broken out by day of the week
and hour of the day
Data regarding total reported violent and property crimes and
respective clearance rates
Data regarding arrests and offense(s) charged
Retirements and hires
Results of citizen satisfaction surveys
Individual reports submitted by all divisions and bureaus.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 81
In addition to annual reports, the SOPD should explore the creation of
strategic plans with respect to sick and overtime reduction, crime, and traffic
safety.
The department does not appear to use appropriate methods to ensure the
quality and accuracy of its performance data.
B. Meetings and Briefings
The SOPD holds monthly planning meetings. These meetings take place at
headquarters and are moderated by the chief. They are attended by the
supervisory personnel assigned to all sections of the department. No
meeting agenda are produced, no minutes are taken, and no follow-up or
action items are assigned.
Crime data and a variety of reports are reviewed at these meetings, which,
among other things, are designed to formulate and evaluate crime
strategies.
Planning meetings and command staff meetings are necessary, indeed
critical, to a department’s ability to operate a performance-based
management system and to actually use data to inform its most important
crime fighting and administrative decisions. Many successful American police
departments combine or blend these meetings, so that the administrative
results of a department’s crime fighting strategies can be clearly seen and
understood.
C. Crime Analysis and Performance Tracking
Patrol officers record their daily activity via hard-copy activity reports. These
reports capture such activities as vehicle stops, tickets issued, field
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 82
investigation and accident reports prepared, searches conducted, etc. A
section of the report is available for recording narrative descriptions of
specific patrol activities. Activity reports also include an inventory of
equipment carried in the vehicle while on patrol, as well as the total number
of miles travelled each shift. The narratives contained in these scanned
reports are a valuable information resource regarding incidents that were
initiated by or responded to by patrol personnel.
ICMA recognizes the value of having both patrol and investigative personnel
prepare these activity sheets to summarize their personal patrol and
investigative activities. It is important for personnel to self-report personal
activity, as it enhances an overall sense of supervision and personal
accountability. This also serves as a redundant system of checks and
balances for important performance measures. Supervisors should monitor
on a continuous basis the personal performance of all members of the
department.
The department’s website features the use of crime mapping software. This
is an excellent feature for the public. However, the use of mapping
technology appeared largely nonexistent in the department for use in
enforcement operations. For example, the “line-up” room, lunch room, and
similar spaces in the headquarters building were lacking any crime analysis
or crime maps for officers to view.
The department does not have a specific position responsible for crime
analysis.
Annual performance reviews are not prepared for members of the
department.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 83
The headquarters building does not have an information kiosk or automated
terminal that allows members of the community to submit certain crime
reports
The department does not attempt to solicit input from citizens about the
performance of officers.
The department does not have a volunteer program.
Recommendations:
The SOPD must develop a performance evaluation system for all ranks
and positions in the department.
The department should consider developing and implementing a
citizen satisfaction survey to solicit community input on a variety of
issues. The current system only captures the opinions of “victims” of
incidents who respond to the department’s mailed form. Data that are
more meaningful could be obtained if surveys were hand-delivered or
otherwise made available to a broader array of citizens coming into
personal contact with department employees. Ideally, these surveys
would be sponsored by the department, yet be conducted and
analyzed by individuals outside the department. Citizen surveys can
serve as an external measure of performance, providing useful
feedback so the department can better understand what citizens see
as their needs, expectations, and priorities. Surveys also perform a
quality control function by asking citizens to describe their past
experiences during encounters with the police. Results of citizen
surveys can continue to be reported via the department’s annual
reports. The department website could be used to record and
summarize citizen response.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 84
The department should consider the creation and use of a single data
dashboard of select or ‘key’ performance indicators. This dashboard
would contain timely and accurate data concerning select performance
indicators from a variety of crime fighting and administrative activities
(e.g., reported crimes, vehicle accidents, arrests, citations, field
interrogations, citizen complaints, overtime expenditures, etc.) that
provide a comprehensive view of the department’s essential
operations. A live feed of data presented in a clear and usable format
could prove to be invaluable in terms of monitoring the department’s
relative degree of success in achieving stated annual (i.e., long-term
strategic) and tactical goals. The list of indicators would be regularly
reviewed and revised as necessary.
The department should prepare annual reports and its website should
present reported crimes and calls for service data by patrol sector.
The department should staff a crime analyst position
Department meetings should follow a standardized agenda/format. All
units should be directed to participate actively in these important
meetings. In order to ensure accountability, patrol supervisors should
be directed to present significant or unusual cases arising within their
areas of responsibility, supplemented by input from the detective
bureau, the special investigations unit, and the community services
bureau, as necessary. Agenda and minutes should be prepared and
distributed.
Both command staff and planning meetings should entail a significant
amount of joint problem solving. These meetings should not be used
or understood simply as informational meetings. Participants should be
encouraged to think creatively at these meetings and to work
collaboratively. There should be a significant amount of personal
accountability and follow-up from one meeting to the next.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 85
It is recommended that the department utilize a standard template to
convey pertinent performance information to village officials. This
would include primarily budgetary and administrative information,
such as sick time, comp time, and overtime expenditures, as well as
any other measures that the chief and village officials agree to include.
The exact list of performance indicators should be determined by the
chief and village officials. The important thing is that: 1) regular (i.e.,
monthly) meetings take place; 2) that timely and accurate
performance information be conveyed on a regular basis to officials;
and 3) that performance discussions follow a uniform/standardized
template or format.
The department should be provided funding for annual ‘town hall’ style
meetings. These meetings have proven to be invaluable to other high-
performing agencies that use them for: open communication and
feedback; team building; and training purposes.
The department should consider creation of a shared leadership team
or council. These initiatives have been taken by several high-
functioning American police departments and have proven to be
successful. (See for example, Wuestewald, Todd, “Shared Leadership:
Can Empowerment Work in Police Organizations?” 73 Police Chief
no.1, January.)
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 86
VIII. Summary
The result of the ICMA study indicates there are several improvement
opportunities that exist for the SOPD. A redesigned table of organization, a
revised shift schedule, and a reconfigured and refurbished working
environment head the list of potential areas to target in the SOPD.
Embracing and adopting these recommendations will undoubtedly advance
the SOPD from its current position to a more balanced and efficient
organization.
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 87
Appendix A. Sample Four-Shift Deployment Plan
Patrol Personnel, Shifts, and Shift Strength, Four-Shift Model
Patrol Personnel
Lt. Sgt Officers
2 6 20
Supv. Assignment
Lt. Sgt Shifts
2 1100x2100
1 1 2100x0700
1 1 0700x1700
2 1700x0300
PO Shift Schedule
M T W H F Sa Su M T W H F Sa Su M T W H F Sa Su M T W H F Sa Su
Weak 1100x2100 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
2
Strong 2100x0700 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3
Strong 0700x1700 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3
Weak 1700x0300
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Police Operations, South Orange, New Jersey 88
Sample Daily Deployment, Four-Shift Model
Tour # PO
Hour
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
W 1100x2100 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
S 2100x0700 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
S 0700x1700 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
W 1700x0300 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
PO 5 5 5 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 5 5 5
SUPV 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Total 7 7 7 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 7 7 7
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