1. Building Public Trust Within Your Sheriff’s OfficeBy
Sheriff Dave Phalen
Fairfield County, Ohio

2. We must have public trust: Robert Peel 1829
The Police are the public and the public are the Police. The Police are only members of the public who are paid to give full attention to duties that are incumbent upon every citizen in the interest of community welfare and existence.

3. Experience Sheriff still decides to run for re-election
I won election with 70+ percent of vote
Took office on Jan and started an investigation of current employees
Previous Sheriff indicted on 343 felonies
Charges included misappropriation of funds, illegal use of funds, expensive trips and dinners, Rico statues, etc.
Several top people in office also indicted, including the Sheriff’s wife

4. The Facts Believe the top level people were the problem
Previous Sheriff convicted on 32 of first 50 counts in a trial – sentenced to six years

6. How we accomplished the task
Started long process of restoring public confidence
Media was a key element
Revamped the hiring process
Abolished entire upper command staff

8. Revised Rules Policies Directives Standard Operating Procedures
Supervisor’s Manual

9. What is your definition of corruption?

10. Corruption
Any public official is corrupt if they accept money or other items for doing their duty
Many officers start at the bottom then become more corrupt

11. Organizational Norms Appearance The way they treat citizens
The way they treat suspects
Language
Use of force

12. Corrupt activities include:
Kickbacks for referrals
Stealing from arrestees, victims, bodies
Not following thru on arrests or violations
Protection of illegal activities
Undermining criminal investigations
Actually committing crimes
Buying or bartering shifts, holidays, promotions
Planting evidence

13. The Big Four: Where Officers Get in Trouble
Sex
Theft
Excessive use of force
Alcohol and drugs

14. Theft

15. Alcohol and drugs

16. Boundary between corrupt and non-corrupt activity is difficult to define.

17. What to look for and keep in in mind!
Corrupt Police are made, not born
Police work has low managerial visibility
Police work usually has low public visibility
Peer group secrecy and the Police bond
Associations with law breakers
Low pay, low morale, lack of professional standards, lack of respect for authority
Cynicism about society
Lack of support for criminal justice system
Prostitution, gambling and narcotics assignments
Some areas of policing are more prone to corruption

19. “The street always rubs off on the Police Officer, its never the other way around.” Dr. Michel Girodo

20. What to consider doing about it. Four general areas of reform:
Internal investigations/ citizen complaints
Recruitment and hiring standards that include:
Entry level testing
Polygraph
Background investigation
Psychological testing

21. What I Tell New Employees
Do an honest day’s work for a day’s pay
Do the right thing
Treat people the way you would like to be treated

22. Human resource training and management
Recruit training on ethics
Ethics training for offices and supervisors
Talk about organizational pride
Hold managers accountable
Create strong anti-corruption policies
Make sure managers know early warning signs
Make sure managers not hampered by productivity targets, inadequate means to pay informants

23. Anti-corruption policies
Change policies first to change behavior
Set standards of behavior for staff
Develop an ethical code that spells out wider concern for integrity and ethics
Reinforce ethical behavior if possible in promotions, assignments and spell it out in policies
Audit property rooms

24. Media Developing personal relationships Press releases
TV – Radio – Newspapers
Never say, “No comment”

25. Establishing accountability
Hold supervisors accountable
Tighter supervision in Vice and Narcotics
Citizen contacts by supervisors
Documentation
Community feedback forms

26. Mission Statement and Code of Ethics

27. Mission Statement and Code of Ethics

31. Implementing new policies and procedures
Review other agencies policies
Test your people
Roll call training

32. Community Survey

33. Character: It Starts With Us
When you sacrifice your integrity, you erode your most precious leadership possession
People will forgive and forget any judgment error, but integrity mistakes are forever

34. Character Qualities Truthfulness Compassion Honesty Loyalty
Forgiveness
Faith
Generosity

35. Preferences vs. Principles
What would it take to compromise your principles?
Money
To be accepted
Peer pressure
Relationship

37. BUILDING A TRADITION OF SERVICE AND INTEGRITY