Critical Strategic Success Factors for Police Organisations: what do you consider when determining whether your police service is doing a good job? Terry G. Coleman, MOM, PhD(C) 30 th April 2011 AAPG Conference
Think about…… When you say “my local police agency is doing a good job,” what are you weighing? When you say “my police agency is not doing a good job,” what are you weighing?
Fundamental Principles of Contemporary Policing due process, equity and fairness ethical conduct a customer and client focus consultation and collaboration with the community quality and valued customer/client service continuous evaluation, continuous improvement and change teamwork responsive to the environment decentralisation of authority and decision making total involvement participative leadership increased communication internal and external alignment outcome focused
Exploratory Research: Seven Categories of Questions Crime Prevention Community Safety Quality and Valued Service Amount of Crime [Crime Rate] & Social Disorder Conduct of Police Personnel Solving of Crime & Social Disorder Leadership & Management
Primary Purpose To create an index of Critical Strategic Success Factors [CSSFs] from which can be established Key Performance Indicators [KPIs] of Police Organisational Performance
Participants 560
Leadership/Management Client/Customer Focus
Leadership/Management Merit based hiring and promotion
Leadership/Management Cost per Capita of Policing
Leadership/Management Personnel Development
Leadership/Management Workplace “Morale”
Leadership/Management “Sick” Days
Leadership/Management Visibility & Accessibility of Police Personnel
Crime Prevention/Reduce Victimisation Effective External Communications Systems
Crime Prevention/Reduce Victimisation Proactive & Promote
“Social Disorder” social disorder (sometimes referred to as public disorder) includes such situations as public drunkenness, causing a disturbance, graffiti, vandalism, noisy parties, rowdiness, people loitering in public places, noisy vehicles, abandoned vehicles, urinating in public, fighting, illegal dumping, traffic issues, abandoned buildings, loitering youth, garbage, public drug use and broken street lights.
Community Safety Amount of Social DisorderFear of Social Disorder
Quality & Valued Service Police Sensitive to Community Needs Community is Satisfied with Police Service
Quality & Valued Service Honesty and IntegrityFair [Procedural Justice]
Quality & Valued Service Police ApproachablePolice Polite
Quality & Valued Service Response Time Non-Emergency
Amount of Crime & Social Disorder Violent Crime RateNon-Violent Crime Rate
Amount of Crime & Social Disorder Social Disorder
Amount of Crime & Social Disorder Serious/Fatal Traffic Collisions
Conduct of Police Personnel Confidence in PoliceTrust of Police
Conduct of Police Personnel Substantiated Public Complaints Substantiated inappropriate use-of-force
Solving of Crime & Social Disorder Non-Violent CrimeSocial Disorder
Solving Crime & Social Disorder Driving Offences: Criminal Code Driving Offences: Provincial
Solving “crime” or being treated fairly?
Analysis The following are the seven factors derived from statistical analysis
Factor 1 Variable Loading The extent to which the community trusts their police.802 The extent to which the community has confidence in their police.752 The extent to which police officers are perceived to be fair when interacting with the community.724 The extent to which police personnel are polite when interacting with the community.671 The extent to which police personnel in general communicate well with the community.661 The extent to which police officers are approachable.660 The extent to which police personnel are ethical when interacting with the community.656 The extent to which the community is satisfied with the service provided by police personnel.545 The extent to which police personnel demonstrate honesty & integrity when interacting with the community.544
Factor 2 VariableLoading The extent to which funding is invested on an annual basis for direct employee development [skill training and/or education] as a percentage of total payroll.743 The extent to which the police agency works with other police agencies when necessary.716 The extent to which the police agency responsibly manages allocated resources [such as funding and human resources].674 The extent to which the police agency uses robust systems to ensure continuous evaluation, continuous improvement and change.667 The extent to which the police agency uses a robust employee performance appraisal/development program.657 The extent to which the police agency uses merit-based hiring and promotion practices is:.647 The extent, overall, to which police personnel are satisfied in their workplace.625 The extent to which the police agency has effective internal communications and information sharing systems.587 The extent to which the police agency is responsive to changes in the social and justice environments.552 The extent to which the police agency is client/customer focused.458
Factor 3 VariableLoading the number of arrests, charges or alternate dispositions with regard to all criminal offenses.905 the number of arrests, charges or alternate dispositions with regard to violent crime (such as assaults, armed robbery, sexual assault, domestic violence, attempted murder and murder).879 the number of arrests, charges or alternate dispositions with regard to non- violent crime (such as theft, fraud, vandalism, break and enters into residential or commercial properties and offenses related possession and trafficking of illegal drugs).820 the number of arrests, charges or alternate dispositions with regard to driving offenses under the criminal code of Canada [this includes impaired driving, driving over.08, impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving and dangerous driving causing death).762 the number of arrests, charges or alternate dispositions with regard to social disorder.688 the number of arrests, charges or alternate dispositions with regard to driving/vehicle safety offenses under provincial legislation such as the traffic safety act or equivalents [this includes speeding, failing to stop for a red traffic light or a stop sign, safety checks of vehicles, careless driving).621
Factor 4 VariableLoading The extent to which police have reduced the fear of social disorder.857 The extent to which police have reduced the fear of crime.756 The extent to which police have reduced the amount of social disorder.729 The extent to which police have reduced the amount of crime.450
Factor 5 VariableLoading the number of serious injury or fatal traffic accidents.775 the number of traffic accidents [not including serious injury or fatal accidents].723 the criminal code - traffic offence rate for driving offenses [such as incidents of impaired driving, driving over 0.08, impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving, and dangerous driving causing death].719 the non-violent crime rate.576 the total crime rate.563 the violent crime rate.536 the extent of social disorder.524
Factor 6 VariableLoading The number of reported incidents of inappropriate use of force by police officers.812 The number of formal public complaints made about police personnel conduct.780 The number of formal public complaints about police personnel conduct which have been investigated and substantiated.703 The number of incidents of inappropriate use of force by police officers that have been substantiated by investigation.687
Factor 7 VariableLoading The extent to which the community feels police actively engage the community and/or community agencies to seek solutions to issues/problems affecting the community.601 The extent to which the community feels police have effective communications and information sharing systems to keep the community informed.508 The extent to which the police agency works collaboratively with community agencies when necessary.506
Weighted Index POPI =.668 (Factor 1) (Factor 2) (Factor 3) (Factor 4) (Factor 5) (Factor 6) (Factor 7).
Where now ? Food for thought.. What is it that your police should be judged by? Food for thought.. What is it that your police should be judged by? What do we mean when we say this police agency is doing great work or that police agency is a mess? What do we mean when we say this police agency is doing great work or that police agency is a mess? What we have to think about is: What we have to think about is: “are they achieving the outcome we all desire?” “are they achieving the outcome we all desire?”
The Ultimate Outcome of Policing A safe community free from the fear of crime and social disorder
Thank You
Workshop: Critical Strategic Success Factors of Police Agency Performance What are the top six factors that you use when assessing the performance of your local police? your What tells you that your local police are, or are not, doing what you and your community expects of them?