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2012 STRATEGIC PLAN
As we begin this new year we need to review, revise and
refine (as needed) our Strategic Plan. Our goal as an
organization is to discuss, plan and think about what is
important now and in the future.
Our decisions today do affect
and impact our department/community for many years to come.
We take that responsibility seriously.
It is our staff that serves as our ambassadors and it is
their work that provides our community so many valuable
services. Efficiency, integrity and trust, should guide us
as we serve the people of Palos Park.
It falls upon local government service providers to plan our
future and work together - businesses, individuals and
government officials - to come up with innovative solutions
community members work to identify areas of joint concern.
The five strategic directions are Public Safety, Community
Partnerships, Personnel Development, Resource Management and
Technological Advancement.
Palos Park
Police Strategic Plan 2012 +
Mayor John Mahoney / Police Commissioner Dan Polk
Police Commissioner Dan Polk
and members of the Palos Park Police Department, working
under Mayor Mahoney’ community centered planning process,
teamed with our partners to build a Strategic Plan looking
forward. The plan is based on shared values that have helped
us as an organization to discuss, plan and think about what
is important now and in the future.
The decisions we make today will affect and impact our
department and community for years to come. We must take
that responsibility seriously.
We are blessed with both a talented, eager work force and
smart, dedicated staff members who strive to create an
environment in which citizens and businesses can draft a
proposal that will encompass the needs of today and future
generations.
Our staff often serves as our ambassadors and can be an
excellent resource for government to team with our
businesses and community to provide valuable services. We
seek to work at every turn to explore ways we can be more
efficient. Our budget is based on real needs, not wishes.
We seek out staff members who display the highest integrity
and trust, never forgetting we are serving and representing
the people of Palos Park. By planning, we acknowledge that
the best decisions are well informed decisions.
All local governments are facing serious challenges, and the
economic difficulty our entire nation is experiencing has a
direct impact on local government service providers. We have
no shortage of intelligent, thoughtful, dedicated people and
it is critical to our future that we work together -
businesses, individuals and government officials - to come
up with innovative solutions that will set our community on
the proper course.
The five strategic directions are Public Safety, Community
Partnerships, Personnel Development, Resource Management and
Technological Advancement. Please take time to review 2012+.
Palos Park Police
Strategic Plan 2012 +
It is with a strong sense of accomplishment that we present
the Palos Park Police Department’s Strategic Plan. This work
will help guide each officer’s actions and ensure our
Department’s best years lie ahead.
By definition, strategic planning is the process of
developing and maintaining a strategic fit between the
organization’s goals and the changing social landscape. This
plan was designed to be a global outline, predisposed toward
action, not implementation.
The responsibility of implementation rests on the shoulders
of the command staff, using available resources to achieve
the goals outlined in this plan. The strategic plan is a
dynamic process that focuses on leadership concerns beyond
routine police roles.
Our strategic plan exemplifies police-community problem
solving. From the first stages of development, input was
sought from citizen representatives who give generously of
their time. Their enthusiasm and dedication played an
integral role in shaping the course of our agency in the
years ahead.
The strategic plan was shaped as a fluid approach to the
ever changing environment of public safety issues. We
continue to seize upon emerging technologies to enhance the
delivery of services. Much of what we do in trying economic
times is developed through focused, intelligence-led
policing.
Our Department and community members work to identify areas
of joint concern. Through the use of crime analysis and
problem-solving, we will target issues more precisely, which
will reduce crime and more effectively use our resources.
We also stress the need to prepare the process of
transferring the leadership of the Department to the next
generation of officers. It is vital to the success of our
organization that new leaders be developed and nurtured with
the values of integrity and professionalism. Input is sought
from community members, business groups, village and police
employees as well as other community stakeholders. It is
used to help the Police Department continuously focus its
policing efforts. The department depends on the public and
strong community involvement to create a strategic plan that
is responsive to community needs.
We start by asking, what are our CORE VALUES.
- Integrity – Our actions
and relationship with the community are guided by an
internal sense of honesty and morality.
- Professionalism – Our
conduct and demeanor display the highest standard of
personal and organizational excellence.
- Diversity – Our members
recognize differences as a strength in our organization
and community.
- Accountability – Our
duty is to promote public trust by upholding our
obligations to the department and community.
- Vigilance – Our
responsibility is to be alert to issues and activities
impacting our ability to serve the community
STRATEGIC PLANNING PARADIGM
We have identified five “strategic directions”; the goals to
pursue over the next several years that best exemplify these
statements.
The five strategic directions
identified are:
- Public Safety
- Community Partnerships
- Personnel Development
- Resource Management
- Technological
Advancement
In addition to the strategic
directions of the plan, this document looks forward into
what if's, as the relate to capital improvements staffing
and equipment needs, anticipated workload and population
trends, anticipated / future needs personnel levels, and
provisions for review and revision of these goals.
The strategic directions are supported by objectives,
strategies and work plans.
- Objective – Specific
information to achieve the strategic direction. It sets
specific, measurable targets for each goal. The
objectives may change over time.
- Strategy – Specific
activities to accomplish the stated objectives. It
breaks down the objectives into specific components.
- Work Plan – Specific
details of how the strategies will be implemented
through day-to-day actions. Assigns responsibility,
coordinates efforts and monitors results.
As an organization looking
inward and forward, we envision the following areas of focus
to be key to our sustainability
Public Safety
This is the very essence of what we do, safeguarding the
community in a pro active manner and making sure our staff
is prepared and trained to be reactive to emergency and
crisis situations. What has changed is the model in which we
can afford to do that.
Are we using our key staff at optimal times, can we define a
model in which our most highly trained professional staff
focus on being active and engaged in policing, while being
supported by Para professional support staff to augment the
patrol officer's working in the field.
As an organization, are the foundations in place to address
community growth, expansion and patrol level needs that can
or do come with changing boundaries, population, etc… We
need to have elasticity and flexibility in staffing the
patrol mission and the support staff needed to fully sustain
our primary focus, patrol.
Digital Technology
Advances in technology continue to permeate the entire
department from bar coding in Property, on line reports, GIS
e records, virtual evidence rooms and in-car digital
cameras.
The technology available should be integrated into the
department’s daily functions. Property should have an
electronic bar coding system, allowing for accurate
documentation of chain of custody and reduce the space
needed for storage. E in car reporting, E Accident reports,
E Tickets are all in our future.
Virtual evidence rooms allow other necessary agencies like
village and State’s Attorneys to view and access evidence,
saving employee time retrieving and copying evidence for
court.
In-car digital cameras provide an un-biased account of
events as they unfold, increasing officer safety, providing
evidence for prosecution and limiting department liability.
Digital cameras should be expanded to all patrol units with
the ability to cover several different angles.
Wearable cameras carried by the officers when they leave the
patrol unit remain a highly recommended option.
Consideration should be given to digital storage capacity
and retrieval with policies and procedures in place to keep
evidence secure.
Community Partnerships
This is a 24/7/365 commitment each officer in a patrol unit
serves as an ambassador, good quality professional police
services fosters community partnership and trust. Working
side by side with community groups, the collective
bargaining unit, the Police Foundation, the COPS, the
Cadets, our business community and the residents all serve
as foundations for collaboration and trust.
We may add the SWCS system, SWMCU, the SSMCTF, DEA TFO and
the SSERT as resources available if needed, but not hard
wired to PPPD. These groups are key to our functions as an
agency charged with protecting the community.
Briefings Staff Communications
IE… employee briefings
Because of varying shifts and assignments the information
presented is repeated for several days possibly causing some
of the information to drop off or new information to be
missed.
The department needs to review different formats for
acquiring the daily briefing information determining if
there is a better way to provide quality and timely
information.
Professional Development
Professional development includes training and advancement
with each having a direct effect on job satisfaction.
Training resources and opportunities to learn are critical
elements in maintaining a high level of service for the
community.
All employees of the Palos Park Police Department, civilian
and sworn, play a vital role in meeting our mission.
Preparing future leaders by keeping staff up to date with
changing technology prepares the department to move into the
future our employees are our most valuable assets.
We must continue to invest in their ongoing development to
ensure needs are met on the individual and department level.
This investment provides a rewarding and healthy work
environment which in turn drives our employees to seek
excellence.
Overall quality of service will begin to deteriorate if
employees spend all of their time just accomplishing their
core duties and are not trained to be the next generation of
supervisors and leaders.
Institutional knowledge
There is a need to preserve and share institutional
knowledge and best practices. When employees leave after
many years of service a certain amount of expertise and
experience may be lost, especially in specialized
investigative areas or key positions in the civilian and
sworn ranks. These employees are our greatest resource they
hold a wealth of operational, situational and community
knowledge that we must impart on our newer and younger
officers.
Use of support or retired employees as instructors should be
more fully explored.
Our mission is to provide our citizens, employees, visitors
and business community quality public services through
innovative public/private/intergovernmental partnerships and
programs thereby offering expanded economic opportunities
and safe family neighborhoods |
