OWEN SOUND POLICE SERVICE BUSINESS PLAN 2011-2013 “Moving Forward” docx

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN On behalf of the Owen Sound Police Services Board I am pleased to present, and fully endorse, our 2011-2013 Business Plan.. Section 30 of this Regulation requir

OWEN SOUND POLICE SERVICE

BUSINESS PLAN 2011-2013

“Moving Forward”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Our Vision, Mission, and Values……… 3

Message from the Chairman of the Police Services Board……….4

Message from the Chief of Police………5

The Planning Process………6

Business Plan Priorities Crime Prevention……….7

Community Patrol………8

Criminal Investigation……… 9

Community satisfaction……….10

Emergency Calls for Service………11

Violent Crime……… 12

Property Crime……… 13

Youth Crime………14

Victim Assistance……… 15

Road Safety………16

Information Technology……….17

Resource Planning……….18

Police Facility……… 19

Staff Development……….20

Training and Education……….21

Follow Up……… 22

Organization Chart……… 23

Acknowledgements……… …24

OUR VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

OUR VISION

The vision of the Owen Sound Police Service is to work in partnership with our community, to provide excellence in policing

In partnership with our community, the Owen Sound Police Service is committed

to maintaining a safe and secure city through dedication, accountability and professionalism

The foundation of the Owen Sound Police Service is our people who embody the community values of integrity, honesty and respect

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

On behalf of the Owen Sound Police Services Board I am pleased to present, and fully endorse, our 2011-2013 Business Plan The Plan will provide the key goals and objectives for our Police Service for the next few years In addition, it represents

a fundamental tool through which Board members can tively fulfill their civilian oversight and governance responsibili-ties

effec-During the previous business planning period, the Owen Sound Police Service was objectively evaluated by inspection staff assigned by the Province, and independent consultants engaged by the Board to complete a thorough financial review Both examinations confirmed the Board’s opinion that the citi-zens of Owen Sound are being provided with a superior level of police service at a reasonable cost The primary reason for the success of our Police Service is the ca-pability and dedication of our members The Board, and senior police management, are committed to enabling all of our employees to realize their full potential, and we have constructed a Business Plan that includes a number of initiatives to assist in meeting this key priority

Even an organization as successful as the Owen Sound Police Service must stantly review its operation and administration to develop and implement improve-ments The Board will use this Plan to regularly evaluate the progress being made by the Police Service in continuing to meet and exceed the high expectations that our community has for them

con-Garth A.H Pierce

Chairman, Owen Sound Police Services Board

MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE

I am very pleased and proud to present the 2011-2013

edition of the Owen Sound Business Plan

This is a living document drawn up with the assistance of

the

business and residential community we serve along with

members of the organization that provide that service

The final product is the result of several meetings that

were held in which all members of the community were

invited to provide their opinions and insight into the course

the Service should be charting over the next three years

Owen Sound is no different than any other community in

the Province when it comes to financial pressure on its’

operating budget resources This plan endorses short and

long term initiatives, keeping in mind those financial

con-straints

It is the responsibility of the Service to ensure that we stay focused on these goals in order to deliver on what have been identified as meaningful priorities It is imperative that the evolution of the plan is tracked and the community is updated regularly to evaluate our progress

I want to thank all of those community members who attended the planning session and helped to identify our strengths and weaknesses Their work, along with the input

of our members, has given true meaning to our motto “Community Partners”

Bill Sornberger

Chief of Police

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Section 4., of the Police Services Act of Ontario, obligates municipalities in the Province to maintain

adequate and effective police services which shall include, at a minimum, crime prevention, law

en-forcement, assistance to victims of crime, public order maintenance and emergency response Ontario

Regulation 3/99 outlines the specific criteria that define minimum standards for adequacy and ness Section 30 of this Regulation requires every Police Services Board to prepare a business plan for its police service at least every three years This plan builds upon previous Owen Sound Police Service business plans, particularly the last one that provided direction and accountability for the organization and its members from 2008 to 2010

effective-The board members, police service representatives, and those from the public who commented on the business plan and the planning process, universally expressed their preference for the continuation of the format used in the last business plan The only significant departure for the 2011 to 2013 plan re-sults from the main subject headings being reorganized and expanded into the same numerical se-quence as is contained in Section 30 of the regulation

To assist in the planning process, the Board engaged consultants to follow up on their earlier Financial Review and, moderate the consultation sessions, ensure that the plan meets all of the requirements and expectations of the legislation, and properly reflects the priorities of the organization and the public

it serves It was also guided by the Community Satisfaction Survey that was completed by Georgian Community College During the planning process, two of the four uniformed senior management posi-tions were vacant due to the retirement of the Chief of Police, and the absence of an Inspector for ma-jor surgery Nevertheless, the consultants consistently received the cooperation and assistance needed to move the process forward

In addition to the consultation sessions chaired by the consultants, civilian and sworn members of the

Police Service met to revise the vision, mission and value statements They also itemized the strengths

and weaknesses of the organization, as well as the opportunities and threats facing its members in both the short and long term The participants stressed the need for the Business Plan to acknowledge the value of all Police Service employees as the key component in addressing future challenges, and the requirement to invest in training and support to allow them to maximize their potential The mem-bers also thought that priority should be placed on the completion of a thorough organizational review and strategies to enhance community awareness

All of the feedback received from the public expressed a substantial appreciation and support for the Owen Sound Police Service and the manner in which its members perform their important public ser-vice Most often the major priority was an enhancement to the existing service levels, although some concerns about cost implications were registered As a result, the new Business Plan focuses on initia-tives to continue and enhance the current level of service in an effective, cost efficient manner

The Board and the Owen Sound Police Service view the Business Plan as the key document for ing the organization and measuring its success during the next three years The Board also fully sup-ports this Plan as an essential component of its civilian governance responsibility

guid-BUSINESS PLAN PRIORITIES

1 Crime Prevention

The Owen Sound Police Service is dedicated to effective reactive and proactive policing strategies To

accomplish these objectives, the members embrace a community oriented approach in dealing with the

public and the law enforcement issues in their community This is directed by the Board and senior

management Many of the progressive initiatives implemented by the Service are delivered by the full

time community services officer who delivers a myriad of programs intended to inform the public, of all

ages, and prevent crime and other threats to public safety Notwithstanding the continual efforts of this

dedicated officer, crime prevention is ultimately the responsibility of every member of the Police

Ser-vice

During the previous planning period, the Police Service took possession of a Children’s Safety Village,

which a number of police services in Ontario have found to be invaluable in educating young children

about the basics of pedestrian and vehicular traffic safety The entire village was purchased through a

grant obtained from the “proceeds of crime” fund so that there was no cost to the taxpayer This village

has the advantage of being entirely portable so that it can be set up in the school facilities, precluding

the cost and inconvenience of having the children bussed to the police building

OBJECTIVES RESPONSIBILITY/TIMELINE

1.1 Continue existing programs to communicate effectively with the

public

All Staff Ongoing

1.2 Use the crime analysis technology acquired during the previous

planning period to analyze the criminal occurrence patterns of the

last decade to identify trends and develop programs to reduce

the number of occurrences, while continuing to maintain the

existing high clearance rates

Operations Inspector 2011

1.3 Maximize use of Community Safety Village by promoting its

availability with local schools, and during special events such as

Police Week

Community Services Officer Ongoing

1.4 Enhance the use of civilian volunteers by training them and

deploying them to assist with crime prevention initiatives such as

in-car child restraints demonstrations and Community Safety

Village displays

Operations Inspector

Ongoing

1.5 Develop and implement a schedule for regular foot patrols

through every secondary school in Owen Sound

Community Services Officer, Operations Inspector

Ongoing

MEASUREMENTS:

1.1 Use of the annual report to indicate all programs initiated over the past year

1.2 Produce a monthly report outlining crime trends for staff

1.3 Report on all use in the annual report of the Safety Village

1.4 Track and report on the number of volunteers and hours spend involved with the Owen Sound

Police Service

1.5 Report to the Board monthly on hours spend on foot patrol

OBJECTIVES RESPONSIBILITY/TIMELINE 2.1 Continue to ensure the approved minimum level of staffing is

maintained on all platoons, without incurring additional overtime

costs

All Staff 2011

2.2 Monitor response statistics on an annual basis to ensure that all

legitimate calls for service result in an on-site response from a

police officer

Administration Inspector, Supervisor of Dispatch Services Ongoing

2.3 Regularly complete analyses of response times to ensure that the

Board is informed if any significant changes occur to the ability of

the members to respond with appropriate speed to calls for

service

Supervisor of Dispatch Services Annually

2 Community Patrol

The emphasis on community safety is the key determinant in staff allocation within this organization

The Police Service has consistently enhanced its deployment of civilian staff to maximize the

availabil-ity of uniformed members to respond to public safety and law enforcement responsibilities This has

been enhanced by the employment of part-time police officers to undertake specific enforcement and

preventive patrol duties in the downtown core Platoon officers are deployed throughout the City

ac-cording to workload requirements and feedback from the public and the business community

MEASUREMENTS:

2.1 Use of internal reporting mechanisms

2.2 Report on calls for service and response times through the annual report

2.3 Bi-annual report to the Board and use of the web-page to indicate response times

OBJECTIVES RESPONSIBILTY/TIMELINE

3.1 Maintain the current high level of criminal clearance rates All Sworn members

Ongoing

3.2 Maximize utilization of crime analysis by developing specific

strategies for serious or problematic criminal activity, and increase

proactive measures such as problem oriented policing to ultimately

reduce workloads

All Sergeants Ongoing

3.3 Promote sharing of investigative resources with other, local police

services

Operations Inspector

Ongoing

3.4 Maintain high levels of investigative training to ensure that officers

remain current with best practices

Chief of Police Ongoing

3 Criminal Investigation

The Owen Sound Police Service maintains a dedicated, criminal investigation section which

investi-gates the most serious criminal matters They are fully trained and qualified to successfully complete

the cases which are assigned to them They also have access to in-house forensic identification service

for more complex investigations Along with the patrol officers who investigate many of the criminal

oc-currences, the officers have consistently maintained high clearance rates

MEASUREMENTS:

3.1 Comparison through yearly reports on clearance levels

3.2 Annual reports to the Board of all project specific investigations

3.3 Report annually on all the joint investigations in the annual report

3.4 Continue to report monthly on all officer training

OBJECTIVES RESPONSIBILITY/TIMELINE

4.1 Complete a community satisfaction survey Community Services Officer,

Administration Inspector

2011

4.2 Expand on existing community liaison initiatives and encourage

more members to participate on the boards of directors for those

community organizations such as victims organizations that do not

currently have a police representative on their Board of Directors

Chief of Police Ongoing

4.3 Integrate participation as a volunteer in the community as a

significant decision making criteria in the promotional process, and

assess a point value for it

Chief of Police 2012

4.4 Examine the merit in developing practical, written operational

protocols with those community agencies that routinely interact with

the police service

Chief of Police Ongoing

4.5 Maintain customer service training for all staff Administration Inspector

Ongoing

4.6 Monitor, oversee and report on the status, and eventual resolution

of all public complaints

Chief of Police, Operations Inspector Annually

4 Community Satisfaction

Without consistent support from the vast majority of the members of the public, the ability of the police

to ensure and enhance public safety would be seriously compromised Fortunately, in Owen Sound, the

police have maintained a high level of respect and support from the public and the city’s social

agen-cies as enunciated during the consultation component of this business planning process The recent

community satisfaction survey, the results of which are available on the Owen Sound Police Service

website, also demonstrates emphatically that the vast majority of the public support the police and their

efforts to ensure a safe and secure environment for those who live in, or visit, the City

This high level of acceptance and appreciation arises from a number of factors, most particularly the

approach the members take in dealing with the public, and the commitment and dedication that they

have towards their community In addition, the constant availability of a prompt response from the

civil-ian and uniformed members, and the fact that the police building is open to the public at all times, is

re-assuring for those citizens that require police assistance In 2010, the police station had over 7,600

people walk in to file reports or request assistance

MEASUREMENTS:

4.1 Prepare an RFP to conduct a comprehensive survey

4.2 Track all current volunteer Board positions held by Service members

4.3 Ensure service policy on promotion contains volunteer criteria

4.4 Report on any new protocols developed with stakeholders

4.5 Investigate and track all opportunities for on-line and web-based training

4.6 Report to the Board monthly on all public complaints

OBJECTIVES RESPONSIBILITY/TIMELINE

5.1 Increase training for emergency responders Operations Inspector

Ongoing

5.2 Work with the Emergency Planning Coordinator and other

emergency response agencies to examine the feasibility of

establishing a new Emergency Operations Centre in the

police building

Chief of Police Ongoing

5.3 Provide “active shooter” training for all sworn members and

communication staff

Operations Inspector, Use of Force Trainers 2011

5.4 Maintain records on the number of responses to occurrences

outside of the City jurisdiction, and the officer time spent on

these calls for service, will be maintained and reported to the

Board on a regular basis

Supervisor of Dispatch Services Monthly

5.5 Work with local public service agencies to expand the

responsibilities of the communications centre

Chief of Police Ongoing

5 Emergency Calls for Service

All legitimate calls for service emanating from Owen Sound result in an on-site response from a

uni-formed member of the Police Service Staff may also attend the scenes of emergencies outside of the

city limits when authorized to do so The officers are directed to these occurrences by the staff in the

communications centre that provide 911 response, fire and police dispatch as well as dispatch for a

va-riety of adjacent fire and police services The number of 911 calls handled by the communications staff

has increased over the past few years In 2010, almost 36,000 - 911 calls were received in the

commu-nications centre

MEASUREMENTS:

5.1 Report and compare on all front line courses offered

5.2 Prepare a business plan for the Board jointly with other emergency services

5.3 Report to the Board when training completed

5.4 Include report quarterly at the Public Board meeting

5.5 Report to the Board any requests to provide services

OBJECTIVES RESPONSIBILITY/TIMELINE

6.1 Complete a comparative analysis of the rate of violent crime with

other similarly sized municipal police services to determine why the

rate in Owen Sound over the past five to ten years is not reflective

of the decreases observed in the provincial and federal statistics

Administration Inspector

2011

6.2 Develop a community based strategy to reduce the number of

violent crimes occurring in the City

Operations Inspector, All

The overall crime rate in Owen Sound is relatively low and the Police Service has consistently

main-tained high clearance rates, and the recent Community Satisfaction Survey reflected a confidence

among the respondents about their safety in the City However, despite the relative stability of the

population in Owen Sound, the rate of violent crime recorded in the City increased in the past three

years Crime data published by Statistic Canada over the past few years has consistently reflected

de-creases in crime rates in Ontario and throughout Canada, including the rate of violent crimes These

decreases have even been noted in some of our largest cities

MEASUREMENTS:

6.1 Use the annual report to compare statistics

6.2 Track the violent crimes and report on protocols developed with outside stakeholders

6.3 Track and compare yearly clearance rates