Supervising in a Community Policing Environment Dr. Phillip Lyons Texas Regional Community Policing Institute

Supervising in a Community Supervising in a Community Policing EnvironmentPolicing Environment

Supervising in a Community Supervising in a Community Policing EnvironmentPolicing Environment

Dr. Phillip LyonsDr. Phillip Lyons

Texas Regional Community Texas Regional Community Policing InstitutePolicing Institute

IntroductionIntroduction Phillip LyonsPhillip Lyons

Asst. Prof. SHSUAsst. Prof. SHSU

Ph.D.--Forensic Psychology, 1997Ph.D.--Forensic Psychology, 1997

J.D.--(Law), M.A., 1994J.D.--(Law), M.A., 1994

B.S.--Behavioral Science, 1988B.S.--Behavioral Science, 1988

A.A.S.--L.E./Police Admin., 1985A.A.S.--L.E./Police Admin., 1985

Former Detective--Alvin Police Dept.Former Detective--Alvin Police Dept.

Master Peace OfficerMaster Peace Officer

Asst. Dir. T.R.C.P.IAsst. Dir. T.R.C.P.I

SECTION ISECTION I SECTION ISECTION I

The Evolution of The Evolution of Policing in AmericaPolicing in America

The Evolution of The Evolution of Policing in AmericaPolicing in America

The Political EraThe Political Era

The Reform EraThe Reform Era

The Community EraThe Community Era

What is Community What is Community Oriented Policing?Oriented Policing?

Community Oriented Policing is a Community Oriented Policing is a policing policing philosophyphilosophy that promotes and that promotes and supports organizational strategies to supports organizational strategies to address the address the causescauses and and reducereduce the the fear of crime and social disorder fear of crime and social disorder through through problem-solvingproblem-solving tactics and tactics and community-police community-police partnerships.partnerships.

Community PolicingCommunity Policing

ConsultationConsultation AdaptationAdaptation MobilizationMobilization

A philosophy of police service delivery that rests on three essential elements:

ConsultationConsultation

Neighborhood meetings.Neighborhood meetings. Surveys.Surveys. Telephone.Telephone. One on one.One on one.

The police The police must consult must consult with citizens to determine with citizens to determine the policing priorities.the policing priorities.

AdaptationAdaptation Police agencies Police agencies

and personnel and personnel must be willing must be willing to change to change in in order to order to address address priorities priorities identified in the identified in the consultation consultation process.process.

Challenge Challenge the the traditional!traditional!

New New Methods.Methods.

MobilizationMobilization We must We must

identify identify allall stakeholderstakeholders and s and resources resources and bring and bring them to the them to the table.table.

Look both Look both internally internally and and externally.externally.

The police The police serve as a serve as a catalyst to catalyst to drive them to drive them to action.action.

SECTION IISECTION IISECTION IISECTION II

The Changing Roles for The Changing Roles for Supervisors and ManagersSupervisors and Managers

Traditional Management Traditional Management StyleStyle

rigid hierarchy--rigid hierarchy--chain of commandchain of command

strict supervisionstrict supervision tight controltight control limited officer limited officer

discretiondiscretion thick bureaucratic thick bureaucratic

regulationsregulations

Critique of Current Critique of Current State of Policing State of Policing

(Goldstein)(Goldstein)

The police field is preoccupied The police field is preoccupied with management, internal with management, internal procedures, and efficiency to procedures, and efficiency to the exclusion of appropriate the exclusion of appropriate concern for effectiveness in concern for effectiveness in dealing with substantive dealing with substantive problems.problems.

How Does How Does Supervision Need to Supervision Need to

Change?Change?



The police devote most of

their resources to responding to calls from citizens, reserving too small a percentage of their time and energy for acting on their own initiative to prevent or reduce community problems.


Change?Change?



The community is a major The community is a major resource with an enormous resource with an enormous potential, largely untapped, for potential, largely untapped, for reducing the number and reducing the number and magnitude of problems that magnitude of problems that otherwise become the business otherwise become the business of the police.of the police.


Change?Change?



Within their agencies, police Within their agencies, police have readily available to have readily available to them another huge resource: them another huge resource: their rank-and-file officers, their rank-and-file officers, whose time and talent have whose time and talent have not been used effectively.not been used effectively.


Change?Change?


(Goldstein)(Goldstein) Efforts to improve policing have often Efforts to improve policing have often

failed because they have not been failed because they have not been adequately related to the overall adequately related to the overall dynamics and complexity of the dynamics and complexity of the police organization. Adjustments in police organization. Adjustments in policies and organizational structure policies and organizational structure are required to accommodate and are required to accommodate and support change. support change.


Change?Change?

Supervision ChangesPreoccupation

Resources

Community Potential

Rank and File Officers

Organizational Dynamics

Exercise:Exercise:4 Equilateral 4 Equilateral

TrianglesTriangles

SECTION IIISECTION IIISECTION IIISECTION III

Roadblocks to Implementation

What Roadblocks Do You Anticipate?

Common Roadblocks

•They have mastered the current system.

•Power as a zero sum game.

•Zero tolerance for experimentation and failure.

•Loss of promotional slots if organizations are flattened or downsized.

Common Roadblocks (contd.)•It’s not police work.

•Problem solving and community engagement don’t make sense under current conditions.

•We didn’t try it, and it didn’t work.

•I’m on the B-Team.

• Paramilitarism.

Common Roadblocks (contd.)

•Accountability beyond authority.

•We’re too busy to change.

•The middle managers’ bosses encourage traditional policing.

•A Desire to stay in the loop.

Common Roadblocks (contd.)

•The management of community problem solving is hard work.

•Boosting Expectations: “If you think our crime clearance rates look bad, wait ‘til you see our problem closure rate.”

•People hate change.

Key Point:

You, as a supervisor, can be a primary

roadblock!

ExerciseExercise

Section IVSection IVSection IVSection IV

How You Be a Facilitator Rather than

a Roadblock

1.1. Develop Communication Develop Communication SkillsSkills

Communication is a two way Communication is a two way street.street.– Speaking.Speaking.– Listening.Listening.– also consider the channel & also consider the channel & feedback.feedback.

Talking Talking withwith not not at at oror to to Body Language.Body Language.

ExerciseExercise

2. Empower Your Officers2. Empower Your Officers

DiscretionDiscretion

AutonomyAutonomy

InnovatioInnovatio

nn

Be a part of the Be a part of the community, not apart from community, not apart from

the communitythe community

Be an Active Member of the Be an Active Member of the CommunityCommunity

Consider all Community Consider all Community Members as StakeholdersMembers as Stakeholders

Sergeant’s RoleSergeant’s Role Discuss with officers identified Discuss with officers identified

service demands.service demands. Assess, adjust, devise Assess, adjust, devise

alternate, and implement plans alternate, and implement plans as developed.as developed.

Coordinate plans in multiple Coordinate plans in multiple neighborhoods.neighborhoods.

Provide feedback to officers.Provide feedback to officers. Convey feedback to Convey feedback to

neighborhood groups.neighborhood groups.

Sergeant’s RoleSergeant’s Role Ensure efficient utilization of Ensure efficient utilization of

resources.resources. Procure necessary resources.Procure necessary resources. Identify training needs to Identify training needs to

further enhance officer’s COP further enhance officer’s COP skills.skills.

Be a facilitator, motivator Be a facilitator, motivator and coach to personnel!and coach to personnel!

Keep Lt.s informedKeep Lt.s informed

Lieutenant’s RoleLieutenant’s Role Coordinate recommendations Coordinate recommendations

received from all Sgts.received from all Sgts. Convey to Captain all activities Convey to Captain all activities

within command area, within command area, districts, and neighborhoods.districts, and neighborhoods.

Coordinate a multitude of Coordinate a multitude of potentially different and potentially different and similar requests.(Different similar requests.(Different from Sgt in that Lt. must also from Sgt in that Lt. must also coordinate across shifts).coordinate across shifts).

Lieutenant’s RoleLieutenant’s Role Must verify information Must verify information

collected, accuracy of collected, accuracy of analysis, availability of analysis, availability of resources and compatibility resources and compatibility of the recommendations.of the recommendations.(Practicality)(Practicality)

Must assume a delicate role Must assume a delicate role in coordinating the needs in coordinating the needs of numerous independent of numerous independent entities, all of whom have entities, all of whom have legitimate concerns.legitimate concerns.

Lieutenant’s RoleLieutenant’s Role Organize demands, manage Organize demands, manage

implementation and assess implementation and assess effectiveness by conducting effectiveness by conducting field inspections.field inspections.

Be a facilitator, motivator Be a facilitator, motivator and coach to personnel.and coach to personnel.

Captain’s RoleCaptain’s Role

Ultimate responsibility is to Ultimate responsibility is to approve or disapprove all approve or disapprove all plans.plans.

Compare the Officer’s, Sgt’s, Compare the Officer’s, Sgt’s, and Lt’s and Lt’s performance .within the performance .within the criteria developed for the criteria developed for the activities, strategies or activities, strategies or programs administered.programs administered.

Captain’s RoleCaptain’s Role Review the progress of all plans Review the progress of all plans

so a determination of the results so a determination of the results can be made.can be made.

Coordinate the distribution of Coordinate the distribution of resources.resources.

Procure resources.Procure resources. Be a facilitator, motivator, and Be a facilitator, motivator, and

coach to personnel!coach to personnel! Report progress and results to Report progress and results to

superior officers.superior officers.

•Is it right for the Community?•Is it right for the department?•Is it ethical and legal?•Is it something for which you are willing to be held accountable?•Is it consistent with Departmental values and policies ?

If YES . . . JUST DO IT

EMPOWERMENTEMPOWERMENTask yourself...ask yourself...

SECTION VSECTION VSECTION VSECTION V

Organizational Structure and

Community Policing?

CommunicationCommunicationFour styles:Four styles: Telling-instructing what to doTelling-instructing what to do Selling-persuading about your ideaSelling-persuading about your idea Participating-working together to Participating-working together to

decide best course of action for issuedecide best course of action for issue Delegating-Allowing the individual to Delegating-Allowing the individual to

think on his/her feet without think on his/her feet without permission from youpermission from you

Changing Management Changing Management StyleStyle

Focused on ends rather than Focused on ends rather than means.means.

Rewards for behaviors not only Rewards for behaviors not only geared toward crime control.geared toward crime control.

Emphasize and model Emphasize and model consistency in implicit and consistency in implicit and explicit communication.explicit communication.

Ability to translate mission of Ability to translate mission of the agency to the officers.the agency to the officers.

Changing the StructureChanging the Structure

Bureaucratic, yet decentralizedBureaucratic, yet decentralized Pigeonholes within which officer Pigeonholes within which officer

works autonomously, but subject works autonomously, but subject to controls of professionto controls of profession

Wide spans of control over Wide spans of control over professional work, & large support professional work, & large support staff to support professionalsstaff to support professionals

SECTION VISECTION VISECTION VISECTION VI

Evaluating the COP Officer

AssessmentAssessment

Keeping the old, but Keeping the old, but combining the newcombining the new

Previous performance Previous performance evaluationevaluation

Focused on “bean Focused on “bean counting”counting”

High numbers, high successHigh numbers, high success– Traffic violationsTraffic violations– Suspects arrestedSuspects arrested– Cases closedCases closed

New Performance New Performance EvaluationEvaluation

Includes assessment of degree and Includes assessment of degree and types of contact with the community.types of contact with the community.

Degree of effectiveness with program Degree of effectiveness with program implementation/problem resolution.implementation/problem resolution.

Community surveys/interviews on Community surveys/interviews on how well area police work to how well area police work to identify/alleviate problems in identify/alleviate problems in the community.the community.

Mastrofski’s Five Mastrofski’s Five Techniques for Techniques for

EvaluationEvaluation Officer’s self-reportOfficer’s self-report Reports of citizen participantsReports of citizen participants Evaluations by partner agenciesEvaluations by partner agencies

– Social Service/D.A.’s officesSocial Service/D.A.’s offices Video recordingVideo recording Third-party Direct ObservationThird-party Direct Observation

– Ride-alongs/Supervisor working with Ride-alongs/Supervisor working with officerofficer

Potential Quality Potential Quality Measures for police Measures for police

officersofficers

Combining patrol officer Combining patrol officer and crime prevention & and crime prevention &

community relations community relations specialist evaluation specialist evaluation

techniquestechniques

Great Job!!

Patrol OfficersPatrol Officers Response time and # of repeat callsResponse time and # of repeat calls Reports - rejected vs. completed and Reports - rejected vs. completed and

accurateaccurate Safety recordSafety record Complaints received and investigatedComplaints received and investigated Citizen surveys & feedbackCitizen surveys & feedback Supervisor follow-upSupervisor follow-up

Crime prevention & Crime prevention & Community relations Community relations

SpecialistSpecialist

Appearance/function in officer roleAppearance/function in officer role Citizen feedback on # and types of Citizen feedback on # and types of

contacts, customer surveycontacts, customer survey Professional developmentProfessional development Coordination with other agencies, Coordination with other agencies,

both social service and law-relatedboth social service and law-related Successful follow-upSuccessful follow-up

Community policing Community policing officerofficer

Maintain certain aspects of Maintain certain aspects of traditional evaluation (# traditional evaluation (# counting…)counting…)

Include further assessment Include further assessment techniques as outlined in techniques as outlined in Crime Prevention & Crime Prevention & Community Relations Community Relations specialist areaspecialist area

Denton Police Department

Annual Performance Evaluation

(Refer to Handout)

Working together with Working together with communitycommunity

Balance Balance between between crime crime control and control and community-community-police police partnership.partnership.

Need Need citizens’ citizens’ participation participation to effectively to effectively diagnose and diagnose and alleviate alleviate community community problems.problems.

ExerciseExercise

The “lifeboat.”

SECTION VIISECTION VIISECTION VIISECTION VII

Preparing for Change

• Benefits

• Ongoing Difficulties

BenefitsBenefits

People decide both means and People decide both means and

objectives of the police.objectives of the police.

Community policing enhances the Community policing enhances the

quality of life.quality of life.

People get good service from police.People get good service from police.

People play a role in supervising and People play a role in supervising and

accessing police performance.accessing police performance.

BenefitsBenefits

Police officer is the community’s Police officer is the community’s

problem-solver.problem-solver.

Police supervisor delegates power Police supervisor delegates power

and control to the community.and control to the community.

Police supervisor allows officers the Police supervisor allows officers the

freedom and autonomy to manage freedom and autonomy to manage

social problems.social problems.

Ongoing DifficultiesOngoing Difficulties

Will police be able to determine Will police be able to determine

accurately what all members of the accurately what all members of the

community want?community want?

Does community policing result in Does community policing result in

an inability of citizens to make the an inability of citizens to make the

police accountable for crime control?police accountable for crime control?

Ongoing DifficultiesOngoing Difficulties Does the police institution become Does the police institution become

more controlling and invasive?more controlling and invasive?

Will police be allowed both to direct Will police be allowed both to direct

community will and to interpret the community will and to interpret the

quality of their own performance?quality of their own performance?

Will the police institution completely Will the police institution completely

surrender its power to citizens?surrender its power to citizens?

Credits:Credits:

Elizabeth DeValveElizabeth DeValve Leo ChiouLeo Chiou Robert WerlingRobert Werling Scott VollumScott Vollum

College of Criminal JusticeCollege of Criminal JusticeSam Houston State UniversitySam Houston State University

ReferencesReferencesCommunity Oriented Policing and Problem SolvingCommunity Oriented Policing and Problem Solving [TRCPI, auth]. (2000). [TRCPI, auth]. (2000).

http://www.shsu.edu/cjcenter/lyons/training/copps200.ppt.http://www.shsu.edu/cjcenter/lyons/training/copps200.ppt.Goldstein, H. (1990). Goldstein, H. (1990). Problem-oriented policingProblem-oriented policing. New York: McGraw-Hill.. New York: McGraw-Hill.Hoover, L. T. (1992). Hoover, L. T. (1992). Police management: Issues and perspectivesPolice management: Issues and perspectives. Washington, DC: Police . Washington, DC: Police

Executive Executive Research Forum.Research Forum.

Jez, M. W. (2000). Jez, M. W. (2000). Supervising COPSupervising COP. http://www.shsu.edu/cjcenter/lyons/training/jez.ppt. http://www.shsu.edu/cjcenter/lyons/training/jez.pptMacKenzie, G. (1996). MacKenzie, G. (1996). Oribiting the giant hairball: A corporate fool’s guide to surviving with graceOribiting the giant hairball: A corporate fool’s guide to surviving with grace. .

New York: Viking.New York: Viking.Mastrofski, S. D. (1996). Measuring police performance in public encounters. In L. T. Hoover (Ed.). Mastrofski, S. D. (1996). Measuring police performance in public encounters. In L. T. Hoover (Ed.).

Quantifying quality in policingQuantifying quality in policing. Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum.. Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum.Mintzberg, H. (1989). Mintzberg, H. (1989). Mintzberg on managementMintzberg on management. New York: Free Press.. New York: Free Press.Kuykendahl, J., & Unsinger, P. (1990). The leadership styles of police managers. In S. Stojkovic, J. Kuykendahl, J., & Unsinger, P. (1990). The leadership styles of police managers. In S. Stojkovic, J.

Klofas, & D. Kalinich (Eds.). Klofas, & D. Kalinich (Eds.). The administration and management of criminal justice The administration and management of criminal justice organizations: A book of readingsorganizations: A book of readings. Waveland Press.. Waveland Press.

Peak, K. J., & Glensor, R. W. (1996). Peak, K. J., & Glensor, R. W. (1996). Community policing and problem solving: Strategies and Community policing and problem solving: Strategies and practicespractices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Swanger, G. & Geller, W. A. (1995). Swanger, G. & Geller, W. A. (1995). Managing innovation in policing: the untapped potential of the Managing innovation in policing: the untapped potential of the middle managermiddle manager. Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum.. Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum.

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Supervising in a Community Policing Environment Dr. Phillip Lyons Texas Regional Community Policing Institute