Highlands Police Department
Strategic Planning
2006-2008

Joseph R. Blewett
Chief of Police

Acknowledgement

I would like to express my appreciation to the numerous citizens and the Police Department employees who participated in the development of the Highlands Police Department Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2006 through 2008.

While this document is designed to be flexible, it is my intent that it serves as a guide to convey the concerns and desires of the community to the Department as it pursues excellence in service to the citizens of Highlands.

In the development process, a major effort was made to identify the needs of the community and to establish direction for the Police Department for the next three (3) years.  Without the participation of the community, this plan would only be that of the Department rather than a community plan for its police services.

Strategic Plan Summary

The Highlands Police Department is dedicated to improving the quality of service to our citizens, while serving the residents of Highlands in the most professional and courteous manner.  The Highlands Police Department is continuously seeking new and innovated methods to improve the effectiveness of our agency.  In an effort to do so the Department has developed a three (3) year strategic plan for the Fiscal Years 2006 through 2008.  The plan is a culmination of a process involving numerous individual citizens and members of the business community, social service agencies and employees of the Police Department.  Through this community feedback, the Department has worked to identify the law enforcement related problems and needs of the community and to develop strategies to fulfill those needs through an active, on-going partnership with the citizens we serve.

The following strategic goals have been selected to guide the Department in serving the community:

1. Quality Customer Service
2. Crime Control
3. Increased Traffic Safety
4. Community Partnership
5. Organizational Development

A total of fifteen (15) objectives have been established to guide the Department’s approach in accomplishing the five (5) goals.  Each objective relates to a specific goal which will be addressed in the Strategic Plan implementation process.

The plan includes numerous tasks and strategies which will require community support for change, including improved service delivery methods along with the addition of human resources and capital equipment items needed to accomplish the goals and the objectives identified in the process.  Strong community support will be necessary to respond to the changes in the community and the workload of our personnel.  The Department will work extremely hard to effectively respond to the needs identified by the community.

Plan Background

In the spring of 2005, the Highlands Police Department initiated a three (3) year strategic

plan for Fiscal Years 2006 through 2008.  During the process, management and employees conducted an in-depth strategic analysis to evaluate the overall operations of the Highlands Police Department. 

The Department will implement the plan in the Fiscal Years 2006 through 2008, with five (5) goals, fifteen objectives and a total of seventy-two (72) strategies for the three (3) year period.  During this period, the Department will attempt to increase manpower, improve equipment and our inadequate facilities to enhance service to the community.  With the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2008, the Strategic Plan will be completed; therefore, it will be necessary to begin planning for the Department’s direction for Fiscal Years 2009 through 2011. 

Strategic Planning Process 

The planning process began in the fall of 2004 with departmental and citizen surveys.

Several members from the separate components of the Highlands Police Department have provided valuable input concerning the needs of the community.  The Highlands Police Department strives to provide the best possible level of community safety within our resources.

The Department conducted a survey to determine the opinions and desires of the community.  Groups participating in the survey included the business owners, members of the Highlands Business Partnership, residents from various residential areas and members of the Highlands Civic, Political and Religious Organizations which will be referred to as the Strategic Planning Committee.

The Strategic Planning Sessions consisted of three (3) phases.

Phase One:  This phase involved a day-long planning session with the community and members of the Highlands Police Department.  Members of the police department offered a Power Point presentation describing duties and responsibilities of each individual unit of our department, Community Policing, Narcotics, Criminal Investigations, Traffic Enforcement, Meghan’s Law, Crime Prevention, etc.  Subsequently, members of the department and the Strategic Planning Committee identified their concerns and problems.

Phase Two:  The Strategic Planning Committee returned with possible solutions to the problems identified during the first phase.   

Phase Three:  The department will present a draft of the Highlands Police Department’s Strategic Plan.  The Strategic Planning Committee will be asked to review the draft and offer their insight on issues that they feel may need to be changed.  The Strategic Plan will finalized, distributed and implemented.

The Strategic Plan document is flexible and subject to change.  The plan will be monitored and evaluated annually by the Strategic Planning Committee.

Organizational Values  

PARTNERSHIP
We are committed to working in partnership with the community to identify and resolve problems and issues which impact the safety of the citizen of Highlands.

RESPECT
We are highly committed to respecting individual rights, human dignity and the value of all members of the community and the Department.

INTEGRITY
We are committed to nurturing the public trust by holding ourselves accountable to the highest standard of professionalism and ethics.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
We are committed to providing our customers with the highest quality and most cost effective professional law enforcement service with the goal of enhancing the safety and quality of life within our community.

EMPOWERMENT
We are committed to empowering the members of our organization and the community to resolve problems by creating an environment that encourages solutions that address the needs of the community.

FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY
We are committed to the delivery of police services that provides fair and equal treatment to all citizens and police personnel.

Mission Statement

 The Highlands Police Department is dedicated to promoting and maintaining an atmosphere of safety within our community, through highly skilled employees, dedicated to the protection of constitutional guarantees, maintenance of order, and safeguarding life and property.  We shall work closely together with the residents of Highlands employing strategies that help solve the problems of crime, the fear of crime, physical and social disorders and neighborhood decay through impartial and courteous law enforcement with integrity and professionalism.

Vision Statement

The Department strives to enhance the quality of life in the community by working in partnership with citizens to protect life and property, maintain order, understand and serve community needs and enforce the law in a manner consistent with legislation and community values. 

In the fulfillment of its vision, the Highlands Police Department seeks to achieve a reputation that surpasses the expectations of the community.  The Department strives to be a leader in the professional delivery of police services through the pursuit of innovative service delivery strategies.

Organization and Staffing

The Highlands Police Department has an authorized strength of fourteen (14) police officers and three (3) part time police officers.  (See Appendix A)  The Department consists of the following operational and support components:

OPERATIONS
This area includes Patrol, Traffic, Criminal Investigations and Communications.

PATROL AND TRAFFIC
The Patrol and Traffic operation responds to calls for service and provides a wide varietyof police services including crisis intervention.  It is staffed by authorized strength of police personnel which includes (1) Chief of Police, (1) Captain, (1) Lieutenant, (1) Detective Sergeant, (2) Patrol Sergeants, (1) Detective, (6) full-time Police Officers and up to (3) part-time seasonal Police Officers.  Included in the full-time police officers are (1) Traffic Officer and (1) Drug Recognition Enforcement Officer.  In order to provide a balanced response borough-wide, the patrol operation is divided into three (3) shifts with a minimum of two (2) officers per shift.

SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT
The Special Operations Unit includes (1) Captain, (1) Narcotics Officer, (1) Detective Sergeant and (1) Detective.  Operations include criminal investigations, narcotics investigations, tactical response, homeland security, tactical training and firearms.  Many of our officers are cross-trained and perform numerous duties.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
The Detective Bureau provides scene follow-up and investigation on all cases assigned to the unit.  (1) Captain, (1) Detective Sergeant and (1) Detective are assigned to this function.

COMMUNICATIONS
The Department has (4) full-time police communication operators and (4) part-time communication operators.  These employees staff the front desk twenty-four (24) hours a day and assist the public by taking uniform crime report information for police reports, providing information and other types of customer service.  Communication operators prioritize calls and dispatch police, fire and first aid to calls for service.

CLERICAL SUPPORT
One administrative assistant provides clerical support for all police correspondence, including but not limited to records clerk, payroll transcribing, administrative correspondence, communications and submitting Uniform Crime Report records to the State.

ADMINISTRATION
The above mentioned operational and technical units are supported by the Administrative section, which includes the Chief of Police, (1) Captain, (1) Lieutenant and the Chief’s administrative assistant.

Strategic Plan Implementation Team  

The members of the Highlands Police Department Strategic Planning Committee were chosen to help establish the Strategic Plan’s goals and objectives.  This group provided recommendations to implement the plan and include employees at all levels of the organization.  The group is aware that methods designed to respond to the directions of the community are controlled by financial resources available through the governmental budget process.

Implementation of Strategic Plan  

The recommendations of the Strategic Plan Implementation Team and the Department staff will be followed as close as possible through the three (3) year period.  While fiscal constraints may limit accomplishment of some components, a dedicated Department-wide effort will be made to accomplish all objectives of this plan through innovative strategies as the Department seeks to improve its services to the community.

The implementation schedule for all goals and objectives are designed to be flexible, with each task strategy planned in conjunction with other related task strategies.  A yearly review will be conducted to ensure that significant progress has been made to accomplish the overall goal of this plan.  Efforts which are not accomplished in a schedules plan will become a high priority in succeeding years to ensure a higher potential chance for success.

The following goals and objectives provide a detailed outline of the Department’s efforts to provide the citizens of Highlands with the highest quality of services possible.  The schedule only notes the projected timeline for the start-up of each task strategy which is implemented, will continue into succeeding years of the Plan.

GOAL 1: Provide Quality Customer Service

OBJECTIVE 1: Improve the Quality of the Department’s Customer Service Delivery

GOAL 2: Crime Control

OBJECTIVE 1:Expand Community-Based Police Response to Reduce Crime,

                            Increase Public Safety and Improve the Quality of Life

GOAL 2:  Crime Control

OBJECTIVE 2:Improve Effectiveness of Police to Respond to Crime and Quality of Life Concerns

GOAL 2: Crime Control

OBJECTIVE 3: Reduce Domestic Violence Through enforcement and Public Education     

GOAL 2: Crime Control

OBJECTIVE 4: Implement Law Enforcement Programs For Youth In Community

GOAL 2: Crime Control     

OBJECTIVE 5:Expand Youth Education and Safety Programs          

GOAL 2:Crime Control

OBJECTIVE 6: Open Lines of Communication with Community Parent and Youth Organizations

GOAL 2:  Crime Control

OBJECTIVE 7: Implement Programs and Strategies to Respond to the Needs of “At Risk” Youth

GOAL 2:Crime Control      

OBJECTIVE 8:Enhance The Department’s technological capabilities

GOAL 3:Increase Traffic Safety

OBJECTIVE 1:Improve Traffic Safety Through Community Education and Enforcement

GOAL 4:Community Partnership

OBJECTIVE 1: Continue Meeting with Community Groups to Formulate Solutions To Crime and Quality of Life Issues

GOAL 4:  Community Partnership

OBJECTIVE 2: Strengthen Partnership With Other Governmental Agencies

GOAL 4: Community Partnership (continued)

OBJECTIVE 2: Strengthen Partnership With Other Governmental Agencies

GOAL 5: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

OBJECTIVE 1: Develop Organizational environment That Reflects Community Values And Promotes Accountability for Law Enforcement

Appendix A

Fiscal Year 2006 – 2007