Longmont
Police Department, Department Guide
Office of the Public Safety Chief, Crime, Information & Research Analyst
In 1998, the Department hired a research and development analyst to complete empirically based, quantitative, academic quality research and evaluation. During 2000, the analyst wrote and administered several surveys, provided cost-benefit analysis for certain programs, and established training needs for anticipated projects.
Accomplishments
- Completes the Annual Report for the Longmont Police
Department. The report includes an overview of each division, a summary
of crime statistics, a description of all programs the police department
sponsors or participates in, highlights various case investigations, and
notes special accomplishments. The full report is available on the police
department's web site.
- Identified the opportunities available to train
officers for the Crime Free Multi-Housing Task Force. Several options were
identified which included curriculum, cost, and location of schools.
- Projected the needs of the department to combat
cyber-crime. Provided to the detective commander a statement of the problem,
available resources already in place, the need for other resources, and
the anticipated cost. Research indicates that three components are critical.
Education:
Community education regarding computer crime, especially internet crimes against
children, is highly recommended. Advise the business community what role the
police can, and should, take.
Training:
Prosecutors must be educated along with officers regarding the investigation and prosecution of computer crime. Invest in investigative and forensic resources, such as software, intrusion detection tools, decryption technology, and sufficient data storage.
Partnerships:
It's recommended that partnerships be developed with private business, universities, and federal agencies for financial support, training and expertise, as well as using their perspective as a barometer for the future.
- Evaluated the viability of the patrol division moving
to a dictated report writing system. The current systems require all patrol
officers to manually type their reports into an automated system. The study
evaluated dictation in terms of time and manpower savings, hard and soft
cost, and overall impact to citizens and internal users should the Department
move to dictation.
- Researched possible strategies to lessen the impact
of noise in neighborhoods. Solutions developed in other cities were reviewed.
A questionnaire was constructed to better define the noise problem in one
piloted Beat (by source, frequency, intensity, and impact). Once the results
are analyzed, city representatives and neighborhood residents will meet
to identify methods to minimize noise concerns.
- Created a survey instrument to administer to second
grade elementary school teachers to evaluate the Play It Safe Program.
- Organized a long-range Strategic Planning retreat.
The original 1996 Strategic Plan involved 142 strategies destined for completion
by the end of year 2000. The year 2000 two-day planning meeting was designed
to update the Plan for the next three to five years. Experts in the fields
of urban planning, criminology, and policing were invited to speak. As a
result of these lectures and discussion, the Department has developed thirty-one
new strategies.
Participants included representatives from the following:
City government (Planning, Neighborhood Resources, Senior Center, Youth
Center)
Non-profit agencies (Alternatives for Youth, Coalition for Women in Crisis)
Social advocacy (O.U.R. Center, Inn Between)
St. Vrain Valley Schools
Students
Restorative justice
Police officers, police employees, and communications personnel
Neighborhood group leaders and representatives
Media (Times-Call)
Business (Longmont Foods, Wells Fargo Bank, Twin Peaks Mall, Chamber of
Commerce)
The strategies written in the Strategic Plan are continually reviewed to
determine whether they have been adequately completed or whether they are
in need of future evaluation or modification. Once the current strategies
are met, new ones will be developed to keep pace with social change, technological
advancement, and new research in policing.
To contact the Longmont Police Crime, Information, and Research Analyst by email or call 303 - 651 - 8541.
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