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99-1177ORIGINAL RESOLUTION ITY OF SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA Presented Referred To a3 Council File # ° �_�\�11 Green S6eet # I C��{ S �( Committee Date RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE REPORT ENTITLED A STUDY OF POLICE EMPLOYEE SURVEY ISSLTES, PHASE I: SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC 1 WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council commissioned a study of management practices in the Saint Paul 2 Police Department and the City Council directed the Council Investigarion and Research Center to conduct this 3 study; and 4 WHEREAS, the Council Investigation and Research Center has completed phase I of this study; now therefore, 5 be it 6 RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council accepts the report entitled, A Study of Police Employee Survey 7 Issues, Phase L• Services to the Publie. Requested by Department o£ Adoption Certified by Council Secretary By: ��1-� � �l- . � �- Approved Mayor: Date By: � Form Approved by City Attomey � Appro y Mayor for Submission to Council By: �� \ \�.r�g--� a ��C�TC�'� � J � � Adopted by Council: Date � �� r GREEN SHEET � 12-8-99 � xuree� wrt R0117916 ORDER TOTAL 0 OF SIGNATURE PAGES °lq -�t�t�t No 1 �4�01 ��.�� .�_ ❑ �,,.,.� ❑ �„«� ❑w+�xcw.aartrceaon ❑w�wio��mnaKCrs ❑ 11hYORpIt111YiLYYR) ❑ (CLIP ALL LOCATIONS FOR SIGNATURE� Accept the report entitled, A Study of Police Employee Survey Issues, Phase I: Services to the Public. PIANNING COMMISSION CIB COMMITfEE CNIL SERVICE COMMISSION IFAPPROVED AMOUNT OF TRANSACTION S Has mis persaJfirm e�.xrv.o'ired unae. a mmai.t r« ais ae�amnenn YES P10 Flae tlfis P�rm fl�er heen a WY emWGYK9 YES NO ooes mis aersauTrm a� a sla� mt nmmalbu� Mr any a,rrerrt cilr �dor�? YES NO Is this persoMrm a ta�peted oendoR YES NO coar�vwue euoeereo �aactF or�e) ncrrvm Nu�en ra No iNFnRnanoN (EZVwM `l�-\\'1� CITY COUNCIL RESEARCH REPORT A Study of Police Employee Su�vey Issues P�iase I: Services to the Publie � � � � � � � � G � �� fl:� � � � � � � ��.�� _- � � � � �� , ._ � .- -- � � _ _ ��,r�,�_ � F�� , �� = � � �� , ta - � � . � � +� :_� � � , � � � �� . �� .�� :��I � � �� . �� : � � ;.� � . � � �� `�� l� �� h►� � � � - �. � d� � � . �. �� _I g5?�` " � � � � � - � � _-_ � � - _ �_ � = _ Sainf Paut� City Gouncif - _ - � � �_ � � � �_ � � _�ouncil Jnvestigation �aricf"Research-Center �_ � _ � _ � � - � .�� , �, _ Saint Pau1; M�r�nesota � � � _ ; �_ , �i9-�[�1 Saint Paul City Council City Council Investigation & Research Center Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 651.266.8560 www.ci.saint-naul.mn.us/counciUcirc/ A Study of Police Employee Survey Issues Phase l: Services to the Public November 1999 Director Gerry Strathman Policy Analyst David Godfrey Questions? if you have questions regarding this report please contact Gerry Straihman at 651.266.8575 or qerrv.strathmanCa�ci.stpaul.mn. us R9-tt �7 A Studv of Police Emolovee Survev Issues Phtue I.• Services to the Public In the spring of 1999 Gantz-Wiley Research conducted a survey of employees of the Saint Paul Police Department for the Saint Paul City Council. T'he Council commissioned this employee survey because of concems expressed about Police Department operations by some Police Department employees. The survey raised two sets of issues. One group of issues related to internal Police Department operations. Another set of issues related to matters directly affecting services to the public. This report addresses issues involving police services to the public. We will address concerns regazding intemal Police Department operations in future Council Research reports. Gantz-Wiley Research provided a preliminary analysis of the survey data that identified strengths and opportuniries for improvement within the Police Depardnent. Council Research did a further analysis of the survey data including a content analysis of written comments offered by respondents. This analysis led to the identification of eleven areas where respondents raised concerns regazding Police management decisions. Three azeas directly address service to the public. These were risk to the public, police officer safety and the adequacy of police resources. The other eight areas of concern involve the intemal operations of the Police Department. These eight azeas were working conditions, promotions and transfers, discrimination, employee involvement, performance feedback and recognition, senior management, alleged use of traffic quotas and the qualifications of police officer recruits. As noted earlier, this report will examine only the three direct public service issues. Risk to the Public Before beginning to analyze data, it is important to understand the essence of the concems of some Police employees about risk to the public. The claim is that decisions made by senior Police Department leaders in recent years have increased the risks to which the public in Saint Paul aze exposed. This concern arises from differences of opinion about how police managers deploy officers. The most common complaint is that senior police leaders have created too many specialized units at the expense of street patrol, leading to fewer officers responding to citizens' calls for service. It is, of course, impossible to directly measure risk to the public in Saint Paul. It is, however, possible to identify snd measure a variable that is indicative of risk to the public. The indicator we have chosen for this analysis is "total response time." Total response time is the time, in minutes, between when the Police Department receives a call for service and when a police unit arrives at the scene. It is presumed the public may be at risk when a call for service is made for a priority two or three incident and that the public is no longer at risk when a police unit arrives at the scene. Priority two and three calls are the most serious crime types affecting the public, involving crimes such as robbery, burglary, domestic abuse and other serious criminal incidents. Priority one calls, which aze not included in this analysis, involve incidents where police officers themselves aze in jeopazdy. 1999 Saixt Pau/ City Council Reseorch 1 q9-�, i � Studv of Police Emolovee Survev Issues Phase 1: Services to the Pub(ic If senior Police Departrnent leaders have made decisioas in recent yeazs that have increased risks to the public, then one would expect this Yo be reflected in siower response times for priority two and three calls. A review of Police Department total response rime data for priority two and three calls for service over the past ten years shows this is not so. The data on total response time, as disptayed in the chart below, do not show any increase in recent years. 3'otaI response time has, in fact, been essentially unchanged since I992 when it declined from an average of about 10 minutes for the 1989-1991 period to an average of about nine minutes for the 1992- 1998 period. Tota! Response Time in Minutes tor Priority 2& 3 Calts 12 10 � 0 n 2 0 Given that total response time has remained essentially unchanged for the last seven years and has decreased when compared to the 1989-1991 period, we can infer that risk to the public has not increased in recent yeazs Z 7999 $nin! ParJ Ciry Coursci/ Resenrch 1989 SO 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 1998 aq-t��1 A Studv of Police Em�lovee Survev Issues Phase I: Services to the Public Police Officer Safetv Another belief of some Police employees is that decisions by senior Police Department managers have increased the physical risks for police officers in Saint Paul. They generally feel police managers are assi�ing insufficient numbers of officers to street patrol and that these inadequate numbers require street patrol officers to engage in higher risk activities or to operate with inadequate backup. Directly measuring `Yisk" is not possible because it is based on individual perceptions. However, if Saint Paul police officers aze at greater risk, one would expect this increased risk to be exhibited by an increasing number of physical injuries to police officers caused by hostile encounters with suspects. Measuring the extent to which Saint Paul police officers aze being injured as a result of hostile encounters with suspects is possible. All Ciry of Saint Paul employees are required to report all on-the job injuries to Risk Management. Risk Management then uses these injury reports for injury prevention and worker compensation activities. Data from "First Report of Injuty" files in the Office of Risk Management were selected and soRed to isolate injuries to police officers resulting from hostile encounters with suspects for the yeazs 1990 to 1998. These data aze displayed in the following chart. 6� 50 40 30 20 10 0 InJurles to Pollce Offlcers by Suspects- Rlsk Management `,. / 999 Saint Pau/ CiN Council Research 1990 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 1998 99-i�� Studv of Potice Emnlovee Survev Issue Phnse I• Services to 1he Public An examination of these data shows nothing to suggest suspects are injuring Saint Paul police officers in greater numbers in recent yeazs than in the past. In fact, the data suggest Saint Paul police officers are experiencing somewhat fewer suspect-caused injuries than was the case eazlier this decade. Another source of information regazding injuries to Saint Paul police officers aze reports submitted by the Saint Paul Police Department to the Minnesota Bureau of Crimina] Apprehension. The reports are tabulated annuaTly and records go back more than ten yeazs. These reports also distinguish assauits involving injury from those that did not result in an injury to the officer. However, these data aze problematic as, unlike the Risk Management data, we are unable to review the records upon which these reports are based to validate these daYa. Also, the draniatic changes in the numbars from the 1990-1992 period to the 1993-1998 period suggest there may have been changes in reporting processes. Nonetheless, these data also show that injuries to Saint Paul paiice o�cers have been generalfy stable in recent years. The number of assaults with injury to Saint Paul police officers reported to the BCA each yeaz from 1990 to 1998 aze shown in the chart below. 120 100 � .► � `� � Assaults on Pofice Officers with Injury - BCA Neither the Risk Management data, in which we have a high degree of confidence, nor the BCA 1999 $oint Paul Ciry Council Research 1990 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 7998 �q-��z7 A Study of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I Services to the Public data, in which we are less confident, support the claim that Saint Paui police ofFicers have been at geater physical risk in recent years compared to earlier yeazs. In fact, these data suggest triat Saint Paul police officers aze experiencing fewer injurie� caused by hostile encounters with suspects than has been the case in the past. Police Resources A large number of respondents to the Gantz-Wiley survey indicated the Saint Paul nclice Department did not have sufficient staff or adequate Facilities or equipment to meet its public safety responsibilities. In the survey, 71% of police employees answered unfavorably to the question of whether there were enough people to get the Department's work done. Only 49% of respondents indicated the Department had adequate equipment to do their jobs well and complaints that the Department lacked adequate facilities c✓ere commonly found in the written comments secrion of the survey. " Research Methods To investigate claims that the Department is provided inade�,.iate resources to meet its public safery responsibilities, Council Research interviewed 42 police officers with the rank of lieutenant or above. We believe these senior officers, mury of whom aze command level supervisors, have the knowledge and experience to evaluate whether work units or individual employees lack the resources needed to meet Departmentsl : esponsibiiities. In addition to these senior officers, we asked the same questions of a group of front-line police officers. Each interview participant was asked to address specifically what staff, equipment or facilities were insufficient for the Police Department to meet its responsibilities. Questions were phrased in a way to avoid "wish lists" of requests for resources.' The interviews conducted by Council Research indicated the Police Department has adequate resources to meet its public safety responsibilities. According to int�rview participants there aze currently no responsibilities which aze unmet because of insufficient stafftng or inadequate equipment or facilities. Respondents, however, did report there were azeas where the Department may have difficulty meeting these responsibilitie� in tlie future; namely the staffing level of street patrol officers. Also reported were a number of equipment, facility und other staffing issues which were identified as problematic but which did not prevent the Police Department from meeting its responsibilities. These findings aze discussed in more detail below. �See appendix for interview protocol. 1999 Sarnl Poul Gry Council Research 9q-i�� Studv of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I Services to the Public Staffing Although no one interviewed said the Police Department is failing to meet its basic responsibilities because of staffmg shortages or allocations, a number of senior level o�cers reported a shortage of patrol officers. While these shortages have not created a situation in which the Department cannot provide the type of service the public expects, a sizable number of respondents suggested this may not be the case in the neaz future if ihe number of patrol officers does not increase. At the moment the Department is 31 officers below its maximum strength provided for in the City Budget. Several reasons were given for this deficiency. In the last two years there has been an unprecedented number of retirements due to demographics and changes in public employee pension rules. Some respondents also suggested vacancies aze slow to be filled because of the region's labor shortage and the difficulty of fmding candidates who meet the high standards set by the Department. While interview participants said shortages did not jeopardize public safety, many were concerned ot�icers were overworked and unable to do tasks, such as communiry policing activities, follow-up acti��ities and respond in a rimely manner to lower priority calls. Respondents differed in the number of officers they felt were necessazy to correct this situation. Most felt the Department could ensure police responsibilities in the future would be met if the Department could achieve the maeimum strength allocated in xhe budget. A smalier number ofrespondents believed hiring an additionat 100-150 patrol officers is necessary to meet the Department's future responsibilities. The FORCE unit, a community policing effort which focuses on problem properties and street level nazcoric acrivities, was also reported to be short-staffed. The unit has an aliocated complement of 20 officers; however, at the present, it has five vacancies. At the same rime its call loads aze at an all-time high. Respondents reported FORCE has enough officers to meet its responsibilities but is unable to undertake the activities which would make it a more effecrive unit. For instance, there aze rimes when FORCE does not have enough o£ficers to execute a seazch warrant for a problem property and must find altemarive means to deal with the property, such as "Imock and talks" where officers discuss with residents of problem properties their conc'erns about criminal activiries. Investigative units at the district stations and in the Crimes Against Property unit were also reported to have a significant number of vacancies. A nwnber of respondents stated the lack of staff has forced the Department to adjust its criteria for deciding which cases to seriously investigate. According to severai officers, higher thresholds for determining which ctimes to investigate have been implemented. In many azeas of property crime, no investigation takes place beyond taking a crime report. Some respondents were concemed that if the staffing situation was not addressed, the Department wiil soon only investigate certain felony property crimes. Nonetheless, there was not a single respondent tttat felt the sta�ng level of investigators prevented the Department from meeting its responsibilities. Over half of interview participants reported the Information Services (I.S.) staff needed additional employees. According to respondents, I.S. support staffdo an excellent job; however, 6 l999SomtPaul CityCormcil Huearch RR-�� A Studv of Police Emolovee Survev Issues Phase I: Services to the Public there aze simply not enough of them to meet the Department's needs. Police officers rely increasingly on computers for report writing, investigations and record keeping duties. When sofrware, network or hardware problems occur, police work time is lost because I.S. staff cannot respond quickly. In addition, there aze times when problems occur during weekends and night- shifts when there is not an I.S. support employee on duty. The Police Department is open continuously and should, therefore, have an I.S. staff person available at all times. Most respondents who identified I.S. suppoft staff shortages as a problem area, acknowledged that the high demand for I.S. professionals makes it difficult for the City to find qualified staff willing to work those hours. The emergency communications center was mentioned by five interview participants as an area which needs additional staff: One senior level officer stated the industry standard for communication centers is to have, at any given fime, as many employees as the center has lines. This would require the Department to hire nine to ten more telecommunicators above the DepartmenYs allotted strength. However, interview subjects who identified the staffing of the communication center as a problem azea said the lack of staff did not prevent the Department from meeting its public safety responsibilities. Several respondents reported the records unit did not have sufficient staff to process, file and azchive the high volume of records it must handle. The records backlog, staff report, results in requests for records being delayed and sworn officers having to perform clerical duties. No interview participant stated the staff shortage in the records unit affected the Department's ability to meet its public safety responsibilities. Equipment Interview participants reported the Police DepartmenYs equipment does not prevent it from meeting its responsibilities. However, a number of equipment areas were identified as problematic, primarily in the areas of information technology, radios, telecommunications and squad cazs. Information technology used for report writing was the most prevalent equipment problem identified. Since August of 1999, police officers have entered reports on computers connected via modem to a central data base. All officers on standard street patrol duty have been assigned a lap top computer for this purpose. In the next 12 months lap tops will be fitted with a wireless modem which will allow officers to transmit reports from the field. Most of the problems cited with computerized reports are related to the Records Management System (RMS) softwaze which officers use to enter and transmit reports. A majority of staff interviewed stated the RMS softwaze is inefficient and cumbersome to use. Several stated electronic reports took rivo to Yhree rimes as long to complete as written ones. Also, it was mentioned transmitting reports via modem created numerous problems. Foremost mentioned was that it was necessary for officers to leave street patrol duties to write reports at district 1999 Sarn! Pau/ City Council Research 99-�i � � Studv of Police Emnlovee Survev Issues Phase L� Services to the Public stations or the Public Safety Building because a modem is needed to send a report. Furthermore, interview participants reported not enough computer ports were provided in Deparhnent facilities to accommodate staff needs. It was also noted that report writing rooms lack a su€ficient number of printers and the rooms provide no privacy for o�cers to write reports. It is expected the conversion to a wireless report system should alleviate most of these problems. However, in the meantime, staff indicaTe the current report writing system results in inefficiencies. Among respondents, radios and teIephone equipment was the next most repoRed equipment problem azea. According to staff, the DepartmenYs internal radio system is more than thirty years old Squad radios are unable to coavnunicate with or pick up signals of other public safety agencies. This makes it difficult to communicate about a crime in progress which may cross jurisdictional boundaries. Aiso, it was reported Department phones are not equipped with caller I.D. One respondent suggested this technology would be particulazly helpfui to investigators. The lack of squad cars was aiso cited as a problem. It was reported there is one car for every two investigators. Therefore, investigators must either double up on calls or must wait at the station unrii a caz returns. Also, it was menrioned that at one district station the aftemoon patrol shift start time is staggered because some officers must wait for cazs from officers returning from the late moming shi8. There was a basic consensus among interview participants that while the Department's equipment problems created inefficiencies, they did not prevent the Deparhnent from meeting its responsihilities. Faeilities Interview participants reported e�sting facilities do not prohibit the Police Department &om meeting its responsibitiries. The ortiy e�sting facility that was consistently mentioned as problematic was the Central Station located at the comer of Arlington and Rice. Street. Respondents state the Central Station is cramped, poorly maintained, has litt;�: room for community meerings and no storage for equipment. There were even reports that building inspectors found fecai matter in the water suppiy. It was also mentioned the Deparnc+.ent overall lacked proper storage facilities for equipment and uniforms. In addition, it was reported the Department lacked secure storage for documents in office areas. The hearing/cooling system in the Public Safety Building was identified as an azea which could be dramatically improved Several staff members mentioned it was necessary to bring portable heaters into their offices during the winter. Furthermore, there were compiaints about poor air quality in the building. Finatly, it was noted there is a need for the mounted patrol stables to be closer to the City. It was estimated the relocation of the stables, which aze currently outside of Hastings, Minnesota, could save the City 1100 hours of staff travel tune annually. 8 1999 Soint Pau1 Ciry Council Research �g-t�z7 A Study of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I� Services [o the Public Summary When the results of the Gantz-Wiley sutvey are compared to the interview responses of senior officers, there appears to be significantly different views about whether the Police Department has adequate resources. These different views may be explained by the fact the survey and interviews were asking two distinct questions. The interviews examined whether the Department was failing to meet basic gublic safety responsibilities while the survey examined the question of whether individual employees had sufficient resources to do their jobs well. This does not mean, however, that the results of the two research instruments aze necessarily inconsistent. The interviews conducted by Council Research uncovered problem areas which appeaz to affect the DepartmenYs ability to be a highly effecrive and e�cient organization. One could conclude that the Gantz-Wiley respondents negative responses may be the result of some of these less effective or efficient management practices identified in the interviews. However, these practices, at least according to interview participants, do not prevent the Department from meeting its public safety responsibilities. A serious staffing shortage does appear to exist, especially in the areas of street patrol, the FORCE unit and I.S. support staff. According to the interviews, these shortages are due to early retirements, demographics and a tight labor market. Most of the problems associated with staffing vacancies will be addressed once the Department is able to fill open positions. The only azea identified by respondents that may need more staff above current budgeted levels, in order for the Department to meet its future responsibilities, is street patrol. Otherwise, the conclusion drawn from the interview data is that the Saint Paul Police Deparhnent has adequate resources to meet its public safety responsibilities. Conclusion The information reviewed for this study does not support the claims that the public or officers are at an increased risk or that the Department lacks the resources to meets its basic responsibilities. Specifically, this analysis fmds that: • Based on the Police DepartmenYs "total response time" for priority two and three calls, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the public is at greater risk than in prior yeazs; and • Based on the officer assault data, there is no evidence to indicate officers face a greater physica] risk than in prior yeazs; and • Based on interviews conducted with the Police DepartmenYs senior officers, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the Department lacks adequate resources to meet its public safety responsibilities. 1999 Saim Paul C�ry Caunci/ Research 9 99-i� �� Studv of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I: Services to the Public Appendix Interview Questions for Police Department Study Where do you work in the Police Department? VJhat aze your respansibilities? 1. What police work for which you aze responsible is not being done because you do not have enough employees? (If none, go to #4J 2. What aze the consequences of you not meeting these responsibilities? 3. How many employees, of what type, would it take to meet your responsibilities? 4. What other Saint Paul Police Department responsibilities are not being met because there aze not enough Police employees? (If none, go to #7) 5. What aze the consequences of the Police Department not meeting these responsibilities? 6. How many employees, of what type, would it take to meet these responsibilities? 7. What responsibilities is the Saint Paul Police Department not meeting because the Department does not have proper equipment? (If none, go to #1 D) 8. What aze the consequences of the Police Department not having proper equipment? 9. What equipment does the Police Department need to be able to futfil3 its responsibilities? 10. What responsibilities is the Saint Paul Police Department not meeting because you do not have proper faciliries? (If none, go to 13) I 1. What are the consequences of the Police Department not having proper faciIities? 12. What faciliries or facility improvements does the Police Department need to be able to fulfill its responsibilities? 13. Based on what you have observed, is there a difference in the level of physical risk for police officers in Saint Paul today, compared to 10 yeazs ago? If so, what is the difference? 14. Why do you think there is a greater (or lesser) physical risk? 1 � 1999 SaiM ParJ City Council Research q9- �1'77 December 8, 1999 ST. PAUL POLICE FEDERATION •�- Saint Paul City Council Room 310 City Hall Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 Dear Councifinembers: The Federation does not concur with the findings of the Study of Police Employee Survey Issues Phase 1 issued by the City Council Investigation & Research Center, dated November 1999. To utilize data from priority two and three response times as a basis for the opinion that risk to the public has not increased is terribly flawed. Saint Paul Police officers "drop" what they are doing to respond when a baby stops breathing or someone has been shot with a gun or there is an intruder in the house. A concfusion that there is no risk to the public safety by measuring response times to these types of calls for service is frankly ludicrous. But if you insist, IeYs look at an average 8.5 minute response time to the type of call listed above. Do you truly find that acceptable? Don't forget, 8.5 is only an average; there are just as many instances when the response time exceeds 8.5 as when the time is less. Also please note that the average 8.5 minute clock doesn't start until the caller makes it a telephone and actually connects with a telecommunicator. 911 calls are not necessarily picked up on the first ring. Concerning police officer safety, I would be astounded if you rely on the data presented as an accurate measure. First of all, my research based on "First Report of Injury" reported to me by the Police Payroll unit indicated four times the injuries reported by Risk Management for 1998. Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that assaults on police o�cers are under-reported in the neighborhood of five times. All that aside, do we really want to wait for our cops to get hurt more often before we recognize officer safety issues? Are we counting the right "beans" here? I think not. 375 Selby Avenue • St. Paul, Minnesota 55102-1822 •(651) 227-4998 ��-��7 Mr. Strathman states, `lt is, of course, impossible to directly measure risk to the public in Saint Paul" and "Directly measuring `nsk" (to police o�cers) is not possible because it is based on individual perceptions." I propose to you that the data Mr. Strathman has chosen to indirectly measure risk provides conclusions that are inaccurate. Furthermore, if there is a serious staffing shortage regarding street patrol (Summary, page 9), how in the world can you conclude there is no risk to public or officer safety? If we want to count beans, IeYs count beans. Please take a look at the staffing "map" for the midnight tour on November 6, 1999 (see enclosure). Three cops covering +85,000 East Side residents is ridiculous. Si�een squads on the street for nearly 300,000 people citywide scares the hell out of ine. Please do not hesitate to cali on me if I can be of any assistance in this matter. Sin�, Brad Ja sen, Federation President Cc: Chief W.K. Finney Federation Executive Board Federation File DATE: fs`�"� TOUR: �aa-i�� " f �', 6 7 l 9 10 II li q� t� 15 I 16 17 I��I � 1G 5 j �� . 75 j ~ t6 4 17 � � 71 7 ]3 � J] � ]S� JS ]I ' }p I , ; /0 � 1 � Y `� T � � , /J �1 1� /6 /] JI /i i � 32 ` � 5� � 55 Sb : 57 �I� ,;59.: • •� �� :60'� - 51 - �� '�� 67 U � 69 70 ' 7' . 72; � T7 � ]1 I � ]5 ! 76€ ]) ; l2 79. �.. L � ( �� ,�L� ❑�� bS a u� �9E 90 91 � 9t 9 � � 95 �%F��"'^9! =99 �IGG� 1 l_ I vl �o� fa2 I t0.7� 1M 7D5 Iob� t07 �pa 109 ifOY c � , � 1�� n6 tt] � i Li�a f u9j IIO A L r �� i J q O I � I70 . �� 7�� ❑6 � � D Y I21 } 12J� 11/i 175� 126 I 117 tif 129 J J ! �. ��` �" 1�9 14 S(4 /J/ /C p r� — ; I ,--- f _ � ' 1 7 � \ ! � ur `,� _ io.e, ! / [NC� V�/ � Ja❑ ^�UI�� 1�9 S ��A� � 142 1l] 1N 1/5 116 1l1 NI �I � � \ 1 �� \ � ir �� \'� i� 160� i�9 T t)7 D �� O �� 163 767 lu I65 146j� � 171 F � 9 - IA2 ILJ 161 Id5 I86 7 � 119 � M � �� ao: im � za � os f� _ aor :ia ni � , � �, '�,,,� 27J) n�~�- �� / �� . � WEST 7�5 ENTRAL r C tl JN i• � , 'r4 T � lit 71] 31/ i5� 195 EAST � � ORIGINAL RESOLUTION ITY OF SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA Presented Referred To a3 Council File # ° �_�\�11 Green S6eet # I C��{ S �( Committee Date RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE REPORT ENTITLED A STUDY OF POLICE EMPLOYEE SURVEY ISSLTES, PHASE I: SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC 1 WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council commissioned a study of management practices in the Saint Paul 2 Police Department and the City Council directed the Council Investigarion and Research Center to conduct this 3 study; and 4 WHEREAS, the Council Investigation and Research Center has completed phase I of this study; now therefore, 5 be it 6 RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council accepts the report entitled, A Study of Police Employee Survey 7 Issues, Phase L• Services to the Publie. Requested by Department o£ Adoption Certified by Council Secretary By: ��1-� � �l- . � �- Approved Mayor: Date By: � Form Approved by City Attomey � Appro y Mayor for Submission to Council By: �� \ \�.r�g--� a ��C�TC�'� � J � � Adopted by Council: Date � �� r GREEN SHEET � 12-8-99 � xuree� wrt R0117916 ORDER TOTAL 0 OF SIGNATURE PAGES °lq -�t�t�t No 1 �4�01 ��.�� .�_ ❑ �,,.,.� ❑ �„«� ❑w+�xcw.aartrceaon ❑w�wio��mnaKCrs ❑ 11hYORpIt111YiLYYR) ❑ (CLIP ALL LOCATIONS FOR SIGNATURE� Accept the report entitled, A Study of Police Employee Survey Issues, Phase I: Services to the Public. PIANNING COMMISSION CIB COMMITfEE CNIL SERVICE COMMISSION IFAPPROVED AMOUNT OF TRANSACTION S Has mis persaJfirm e�.xrv.o'ired unae. a mmai.t r« ais ae�amnenn YES P10 Flae tlfis P�rm fl�er heen a WY emWGYK9 YES NO ooes mis aersauTrm a� a sla� mt nmmalbu� Mr any a,rrerrt cilr �dor�? YES NO Is this persoMrm a ta�peted oendoR YES NO coar�vwue euoeereo �aactF or�e) ncrrvm Nu�en ra No iNFnRnanoN (EZVwM `l�-\\'1� CITY COUNCIL RESEARCH REPORT A Study of Police Employee Su�vey Issues P�iase I: Services to the Publie � � � � � � � � G � �� fl:� � � � � � � ��.�� _- � � � � �� , ._ � .- -- � � _ _ ��,r�,�_ � F�� , �� = � � �� , ta - � � . � � +� :_� � � , � � � �� . �� .�� :��I � � �� . �� : � � ;.� � . � � �� `�� l� �� h►� � � � - �. � d� � � . �. �� _I g5?�` " � � � � � - � � _-_ � � - _ �_ � = _ Sainf Paut� City Gouncif - _ - � � �_ � � � �_ � � _�ouncil Jnvestigation �aricf"Research-Center �_ � _ � _ � � - � .�� , �, _ Saint Pau1; M�r�nesota � � � _ ; �_ , �i9-�[�1 Saint Paul City Council City Council Investigation & Research Center Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 651.266.8560 www.ci.saint-naul.mn.us/counciUcirc/ A Study of Police Employee Survey Issues Phase l: Services to the Public November 1999 Director Gerry Strathman Policy Analyst David Godfrey Questions? if you have questions regarding this report please contact Gerry Straihman at 651.266.8575 or qerrv.strathmanCa�ci.stpaul.mn. us R9-tt �7 A Studv of Police Emolovee Survev Issues Phtue I.• Services to the Public In the spring of 1999 Gantz-Wiley Research conducted a survey of employees of the Saint Paul Police Department for the Saint Paul City Council. T'he Council commissioned this employee survey because of concems expressed about Police Department operations by some Police Department employees. The survey raised two sets of issues. One group of issues related to internal Police Department operations. Another set of issues related to matters directly affecting services to the public. This report addresses issues involving police services to the public. We will address concerns regazding intemal Police Department operations in future Council Research reports. Gantz-Wiley Research provided a preliminary analysis of the survey data that identified strengths and opportuniries for improvement within the Police Depardnent. Council Research did a further analysis of the survey data including a content analysis of written comments offered by respondents. This analysis led to the identification of eleven areas where respondents raised concerns regazding Police management decisions. Three azeas directly address service to the public. These were risk to the public, police officer safety and the adequacy of police resources. The other eight areas of concern involve the intemal operations of the Police Department. These eight azeas were working conditions, promotions and transfers, discrimination, employee involvement, performance feedback and recognition, senior management, alleged use of traffic quotas and the qualifications of police officer recruits. As noted earlier, this report will examine only the three direct public service issues. Risk to the Public Before beginning to analyze data, it is important to understand the essence of the concems of some Police employees about risk to the public. The claim is that decisions made by senior Police Department leaders in recent years have increased the risks to which the public in Saint Paul aze exposed. This concern arises from differences of opinion about how police managers deploy officers. The most common complaint is that senior police leaders have created too many specialized units at the expense of street patrol, leading to fewer officers responding to citizens' calls for service. It is, of course, impossible to directly measure risk to the public in Saint Paul. It is, however, possible to identify snd measure a variable that is indicative of risk to the public. The indicator we have chosen for this analysis is "total response time." Total response time is the time, in minutes, between when the Police Department receives a call for service and when a police unit arrives at the scene. It is presumed the public may be at risk when a call for service is made for a priority two or three incident and that the public is no longer at risk when a police unit arrives at the scene. Priority two and three calls are the most serious crime types affecting the public, involving crimes such as robbery, burglary, domestic abuse and other serious criminal incidents. Priority one calls, which aze not included in this analysis, involve incidents where police officers themselves aze in jeopazdy. 1999 Saixt Pau/ City Council Reseorch 1 q9-�, i � Studv of Police Emolovee Survev Issues Phase 1: Services to the Pub(ic If senior Police Departrnent leaders have made decisioas in recent yeazs that have increased risks to the public, then one would expect this Yo be reflected in siower response times for priority two and three calls. A review of Police Department total response rime data for priority two and three calls for service over the past ten years shows this is not so. The data on total response time, as disptayed in the chart below, do not show any increase in recent years. 3'otaI response time has, in fact, been essentially unchanged since I992 when it declined from an average of about 10 minutes for the 1989-1991 period to an average of about nine minutes for the 1992- 1998 period. Tota! Response Time in Minutes tor Priority 2& 3 Calts 12 10 � 0 n 2 0 Given that total response time has remained essentially unchanged for the last seven years and has decreased when compared to the 1989-1991 period, we can infer that risk to the public has not increased in recent yeazs Z 7999 $nin! ParJ Ciry Coursci/ Resenrch 1989 SO 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 1998 aq-t��1 A Studv of Police Em�lovee Survev Issues Phase I: Services to the Public Police Officer Safetv Another belief of some Police employees is that decisions by senior Police Department managers have increased the physical risks for police officers in Saint Paul. They generally feel police managers are assi�ing insufficient numbers of officers to street patrol and that these inadequate numbers require street patrol officers to engage in higher risk activities or to operate with inadequate backup. Directly measuring `Yisk" is not possible because it is based on individual perceptions. However, if Saint Paul police officers aze at greater risk, one would expect this increased risk to be exhibited by an increasing number of physical injuries to police officers caused by hostile encounters with suspects. Measuring the extent to which Saint Paul police officers aze being injured as a result of hostile encounters with suspects is possible. All Ciry of Saint Paul employees are required to report all on-the job injuries to Risk Management. Risk Management then uses these injury reports for injury prevention and worker compensation activities. Data from "First Report of Injuty" files in the Office of Risk Management were selected and soRed to isolate injuries to police officers resulting from hostile encounters with suspects for the yeazs 1990 to 1998. These data aze displayed in the following chart. 6� 50 40 30 20 10 0 InJurles to Pollce Offlcers by Suspects- Rlsk Management `,. / 999 Saint Pau/ CiN Council Research 1990 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 1998 99-i�� Studv of Potice Emnlovee Survev Issue Phnse I• Services to 1he Public An examination of these data shows nothing to suggest suspects are injuring Saint Paul police officers in greater numbers in recent yeazs than in the past. In fact, the data suggest Saint Paul police officers are experiencing somewhat fewer suspect-caused injuries than was the case eazlier this decade. Another source of information regazding injuries to Saint Paul police officers aze reports submitted by the Saint Paul Police Department to the Minnesota Bureau of Crimina] Apprehension. The reports are tabulated annuaTly and records go back more than ten yeazs. These reports also distinguish assauits involving injury from those that did not result in an injury to the officer. However, these data aze problematic as, unlike the Risk Management data, we are unable to review the records upon which these reports are based to validate these daYa. Also, the draniatic changes in the numbars from the 1990-1992 period to the 1993-1998 period suggest there may have been changes in reporting processes. Nonetheless, these data also show that injuries to Saint Paul paiice o�cers have been generalfy stable in recent years. The number of assaults with injury to Saint Paul police officers reported to the BCA each yeaz from 1990 to 1998 aze shown in the chart below. 120 100 � .► � `� � Assaults on Pofice Officers with Injury - BCA Neither the Risk Management data, in which we have a high degree of confidence, nor the BCA 1999 $oint Paul Ciry Council Research 1990 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 7998 �q-��z7 A Study of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I Services to the Public data, in which we are less confident, support the claim that Saint Paui police ofFicers have been at geater physical risk in recent years compared to earlier yeazs. In fact, these data suggest triat Saint Paul police officers aze experiencing fewer injurie� caused by hostile encounters with suspects than has been the case in the past. Police Resources A large number of respondents to the Gantz-Wiley survey indicated the Saint Paul nclice Department did not have sufficient staff or adequate Facilities or equipment to meet its public safety responsibilities. In the survey, 71% of police employees answered unfavorably to the question of whether there were enough people to get the Department's work done. Only 49% of respondents indicated the Department had adequate equipment to do their jobs well and complaints that the Department lacked adequate facilities c✓ere commonly found in the written comments secrion of the survey. " Research Methods To investigate claims that the Department is provided inade�,.iate resources to meet its public safery responsibilities, Council Research interviewed 42 police officers with the rank of lieutenant or above. We believe these senior officers, mury of whom aze command level supervisors, have the knowledge and experience to evaluate whether work units or individual employees lack the resources needed to meet Departmentsl : esponsibiiities. In addition to these senior officers, we asked the same questions of a group of front-line police officers. Each interview participant was asked to address specifically what staff, equipment or facilities were insufficient for the Police Department to meet its responsibilities. Questions were phrased in a way to avoid "wish lists" of requests for resources.' The interviews conducted by Council Research indicated the Police Department has adequate resources to meet its public safety responsibilities. According to int�rview participants there aze currently no responsibilities which aze unmet because of insufficient stafftng or inadequate equipment or facilities. Respondents, however, did report there were azeas where the Department may have difficulty meeting these responsibilitie� in tlie future; namely the staffing level of street patrol officers. Also reported were a number of equipment, facility und other staffing issues which were identified as problematic but which did not prevent the Police Department from meeting its responsibilities. These findings aze discussed in more detail below. �See appendix for interview protocol. 1999 Sarnl Poul Gry Council Research 9q-i�� Studv of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I Services to the Public Staffing Although no one interviewed said the Police Department is failing to meet its basic responsibilities because of staffmg shortages or allocations, a number of senior level o�cers reported a shortage of patrol officers. While these shortages have not created a situation in which the Department cannot provide the type of service the public expects, a sizable number of respondents suggested this may not be the case in the neaz future if ihe number of patrol officers does not increase. At the moment the Department is 31 officers below its maximum strength provided for in the City Budget. Several reasons were given for this deficiency. In the last two years there has been an unprecedented number of retirements due to demographics and changes in public employee pension rules. Some respondents also suggested vacancies aze slow to be filled because of the region's labor shortage and the difficulty of fmding candidates who meet the high standards set by the Department. While interview participants said shortages did not jeopardize public safety, many were concerned ot�icers were overworked and unable to do tasks, such as communiry policing activities, follow-up acti��ities and respond in a rimely manner to lower priority calls. Respondents differed in the number of officers they felt were necessazy to correct this situation. Most felt the Department could ensure police responsibilities in the future would be met if the Department could achieve the maeimum strength allocated in xhe budget. A smalier number ofrespondents believed hiring an additionat 100-150 patrol officers is necessary to meet the Department's future responsibilities. The FORCE unit, a community policing effort which focuses on problem properties and street level nazcoric acrivities, was also reported to be short-staffed. The unit has an aliocated complement of 20 officers; however, at the present, it has five vacancies. At the same rime its call loads aze at an all-time high. Respondents reported FORCE has enough officers to meet its responsibilities but is unable to undertake the activities which would make it a more effecrive unit. For instance, there aze rimes when FORCE does not have enough o£ficers to execute a seazch warrant for a problem property and must find altemarive means to deal with the property, such as "Imock and talks" where officers discuss with residents of problem properties their conc'erns about criminal activiries. Investigative units at the district stations and in the Crimes Against Property unit were also reported to have a significant number of vacancies. A nwnber of respondents stated the lack of staff has forced the Department to adjust its criteria for deciding which cases to seriously investigate. According to severai officers, higher thresholds for determining which ctimes to investigate have been implemented. In many azeas of property crime, no investigation takes place beyond taking a crime report. Some respondents were concemed that if the staffing situation was not addressed, the Department wiil soon only investigate certain felony property crimes. Nonetheless, there was not a single respondent tttat felt the sta�ng level of investigators prevented the Department from meeting its responsibilities. Over half of interview participants reported the Information Services (I.S.) staff needed additional employees. According to respondents, I.S. support staffdo an excellent job; however, 6 l999SomtPaul CityCormcil Huearch RR-�� A Studv of Police Emolovee Survev Issues Phase I: Services to the Public there aze simply not enough of them to meet the Department's needs. Police officers rely increasingly on computers for report writing, investigations and record keeping duties. When sofrware, network or hardware problems occur, police work time is lost because I.S. staff cannot respond quickly. In addition, there aze times when problems occur during weekends and night- shifts when there is not an I.S. support employee on duty. The Police Department is open continuously and should, therefore, have an I.S. staff person available at all times. Most respondents who identified I.S. suppoft staff shortages as a problem area, acknowledged that the high demand for I.S. professionals makes it difficult for the City to find qualified staff willing to work those hours. The emergency communications center was mentioned by five interview participants as an area which needs additional staff: One senior level officer stated the industry standard for communication centers is to have, at any given fime, as many employees as the center has lines. This would require the Department to hire nine to ten more telecommunicators above the DepartmenYs allotted strength. However, interview subjects who identified the staffing of the communication center as a problem azea said the lack of staff did not prevent the Department from meeting its public safety responsibilities. Several respondents reported the records unit did not have sufficient staff to process, file and azchive the high volume of records it must handle. The records backlog, staff report, results in requests for records being delayed and sworn officers having to perform clerical duties. No interview participant stated the staff shortage in the records unit affected the Department's ability to meet its public safety responsibilities. Equipment Interview participants reported the Police DepartmenYs equipment does not prevent it from meeting its responsibilities. However, a number of equipment areas were identified as problematic, primarily in the areas of information technology, radios, telecommunications and squad cazs. Information technology used for report writing was the most prevalent equipment problem identified. Since August of 1999, police officers have entered reports on computers connected via modem to a central data base. All officers on standard street patrol duty have been assigned a lap top computer for this purpose. In the next 12 months lap tops will be fitted with a wireless modem which will allow officers to transmit reports from the field. Most of the problems cited with computerized reports are related to the Records Management System (RMS) softwaze which officers use to enter and transmit reports. A majority of staff interviewed stated the RMS softwaze is inefficient and cumbersome to use. Several stated electronic reports took rivo to Yhree rimes as long to complete as written ones. Also, it was mentioned transmitting reports via modem created numerous problems. Foremost mentioned was that it was necessary for officers to leave street patrol duties to write reports at district 1999 Sarn! Pau/ City Council Research 99-�i � � Studv of Police Emnlovee Survev Issues Phase L� Services to the Public stations or the Public Safety Building because a modem is needed to send a report. Furthermore, interview participants reported not enough computer ports were provided in Deparhnent facilities to accommodate staff needs. It was also noted that report writing rooms lack a su€ficient number of printers and the rooms provide no privacy for o�cers to write reports. It is expected the conversion to a wireless report system should alleviate most of these problems. However, in the meantime, staff indicaTe the current report writing system results in inefficiencies. Among respondents, radios and teIephone equipment was the next most repoRed equipment problem azea. According to staff, the DepartmenYs internal radio system is more than thirty years old Squad radios are unable to coavnunicate with or pick up signals of other public safety agencies. This makes it difficult to communicate about a crime in progress which may cross jurisdictional boundaries. Aiso, it was reported Department phones are not equipped with caller I.D. One respondent suggested this technology would be particulazly helpfui to investigators. The lack of squad cars was aiso cited as a problem. It was reported there is one car for every two investigators. Therefore, investigators must either double up on calls or must wait at the station unrii a caz returns. Also, it was menrioned that at one district station the aftemoon patrol shift start time is staggered because some officers must wait for cazs from officers returning from the late moming shi8. There was a basic consensus among interview participants that while the Department's equipment problems created inefficiencies, they did not prevent the Deparhnent from meeting its responsihilities. Faeilities Interview participants reported e�sting facilities do not prohibit the Police Department &om meeting its responsibitiries. The ortiy e�sting facility that was consistently mentioned as problematic was the Central Station located at the comer of Arlington and Rice. Street. Respondents state the Central Station is cramped, poorly maintained, has litt;�: room for community meerings and no storage for equipment. There were even reports that building inspectors found fecai matter in the water suppiy. It was also mentioned the Deparnc+.ent overall lacked proper storage facilities for equipment and uniforms. In addition, it was reported the Department lacked secure storage for documents in office areas. The hearing/cooling system in the Public Safety Building was identified as an azea which could be dramatically improved Several staff members mentioned it was necessary to bring portable heaters into their offices during the winter. Furthermore, there were compiaints about poor air quality in the building. Finatly, it was noted there is a need for the mounted patrol stables to be closer to the City. It was estimated the relocation of the stables, which aze currently outside of Hastings, Minnesota, could save the City 1100 hours of staff travel tune annually. 8 1999 Soint Pau1 Ciry Council Research �g-t�z7 A Study of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I� Services [o the Public Summary When the results of the Gantz-Wiley sutvey are compared to the interview responses of senior officers, there appears to be significantly different views about whether the Police Department has adequate resources. These different views may be explained by the fact the survey and interviews were asking two distinct questions. The interviews examined whether the Department was failing to meet basic gublic safety responsibilities while the survey examined the question of whether individual employees had sufficient resources to do their jobs well. This does not mean, however, that the results of the two research instruments aze necessarily inconsistent. The interviews conducted by Council Research uncovered problem areas which appeaz to affect the DepartmenYs ability to be a highly effecrive and e�cient organization. One could conclude that the Gantz-Wiley respondents negative responses may be the result of some of these less effective or efficient management practices identified in the interviews. However, these practices, at least according to interview participants, do not prevent the Department from meeting its public safety responsibilities. A serious staffing shortage does appear to exist, especially in the areas of street patrol, the FORCE unit and I.S. support staff. According to the interviews, these shortages are due to early retirements, demographics and a tight labor market. Most of the problems associated with staffing vacancies will be addressed once the Department is able to fill open positions. The only azea identified by respondents that may need more staff above current budgeted levels, in order for the Department to meet its future responsibilities, is street patrol. Otherwise, the conclusion drawn from the interview data is that the Saint Paul Police Deparhnent has adequate resources to meet its public safety responsibilities. Conclusion The information reviewed for this study does not support the claims that the public or officers are at an increased risk or that the Department lacks the resources to meets its basic responsibilities. Specifically, this analysis fmds that: • Based on the Police DepartmenYs "total response time" for priority two and three calls, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the public is at greater risk than in prior yeazs; and • Based on the officer assault data, there is no evidence to indicate officers face a greater physica] risk than in prior yeazs; and • Based on interviews conducted with the Police DepartmenYs senior officers, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the Department lacks adequate resources to meet its public safety responsibilities. 1999 Saim Paul C�ry Caunci/ Research 9 99-i� �� Studv of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I: Services to the Public Appendix Interview Questions for Police Department Study Where do you work in the Police Department? VJhat aze your respansibilities? 1. What police work for which you aze responsible is not being done because you do not have enough employees? (If none, go to #4J 2. What aze the consequences of you not meeting these responsibilities? 3. How many employees, of what type, would it take to meet your responsibilities? 4. What other Saint Paul Police Department responsibilities are not being met because there aze not enough Police employees? (If none, go to #7) 5. What aze the consequences of the Police Department not meeting these responsibilities? 6. How many employees, of what type, would it take to meet these responsibilities? 7. What responsibilities is the Saint Paul Police Department not meeting because the Department does not have proper equipment? (If none, go to #1 D) 8. What aze the consequences of the Police Department not having proper equipment? 9. What equipment does the Police Department need to be able to futfil3 its responsibilities? 10. What responsibilities is the Saint Paul Police Department not meeting because you do not have proper faciliries? (If none, go to 13) I 1. What are the consequences of the Police Department not having proper faciIities? 12. What faciliries or facility improvements does the Police Department need to be able to fulfill its responsibilities? 13. Based on what you have observed, is there a difference in the level of physical risk for police officers in Saint Paul today, compared to 10 yeazs ago? If so, what is the difference? 14. Why do you think there is a greater (or lesser) physical risk? 1 � 1999 SaiM ParJ City Council Research q9- �1'77 December 8, 1999 ST. PAUL POLICE FEDERATION •�- Saint Paul City Council Room 310 City Hall Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 Dear Councifinembers: The Federation does not concur with the findings of the Study of Police Employee Survey Issues Phase 1 issued by the City Council Investigation & Research Center, dated November 1999. To utilize data from priority two and three response times as a basis for the opinion that risk to the public has not increased is terribly flawed. Saint Paul Police officers "drop" what they are doing to respond when a baby stops breathing or someone has been shot with a gun or there is an intruder in the house. A concfusion that there is no risk to the public safety by measuring response times to these types of calls for service is frankly ludicrous. But if you insist, IeYs look at an average 8.5 minute response time to the type of call listed above. Do you truly find that acceptable? Don't forget, 8.5 is only an average; there are just as many instances when the response time exceeds 8.5 as when the time is less. Also please note that the average 8.5 minute clock doesn't start until the caller makes it a telephone and actually connects with a telecommunicator. 911 calls are not necessarily picked up on the first ring. Concerning police officer safety, I would be astounded if you rely on the data presented as an accurate measure. First of all, my research based on "First Report of Injury" reported to me by the Police Payroll unit indicated four times the injuries reported by Risk Management for 1998. Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that assaults on police o�cers are under-reported in the neighborhood of five times. All that aside, do we really want to wait for our cops to get hurt more often before we recognize officer safety issues? Are we counting the right "beans" here? I think not. 375 Selby Avenue • St. Paul, Minnesota 55102-1822 •(651) 227-4998 ��-��7 Mr. Strathman states, `lt is, of course, impossible to directly measure risk to the public in Saint Paul" and "Directly measuring `nsk" (to police o�cers) is not possible because it is based on individual perceptions." I propose to you that the data Mr. Strathman has chosen to indirectly measure risk provides conclusions that are inaccurate. Furthermore, if there is a serious staffing shortage regarding street patrol (Summary, page 9), how in the world can you conclude there is no risk to public or officer safety? If we want to count beans, IeYs count beans. Please take a look at the staffing "map" for the midnight tour on November 6, 1999 (see enclosure). Three cops covering +85,000 East Side residents is ridiculous. Si�een squads on the street for nearly 300,000 people citywide scares the hell out of ine. Please do not hesitate to cali on me if I can be of any assistance in this matter. Sin�, Brad Ja sen, Federation President Cc: Chief W.K. Finney Federation Executive Board Federation File DATE: fs`�"� TOUR: �aa-i�� " f �', 6 7 l 9 10 II li q� t� 15 I 16 17 I��I � 1G 5 j �� . 75 j ~ t6 4 17 � � 71 7 ]3 � J] � ]S� JS ]I ' }p I , ; /0 � 1 � Y `� T � � , /J �1 1� /6 /] JI /i i � 32 ` � 5� � 55 Sb : 57 �I� ,;59.: • •� �� :60'� - 51 - �� '�� 67 U � 69 70 ' 7' . 72; � T7 � ]1 I � ]5 ! 76€ ]) ; l2 79. �.. L � ( �� ,�L� ❑�� bS a u� �9E 90 91 � 9t 9 � � 95 �%F��"'^9! =99 �IGG� 1 l_ I vl �o� fa2 I t0.7� 1M 7D5 Iob� t07 �pa 109 ifOY c � , � 1�� n6 tt] � i Li�a f u9j IIO A L r �� i J q O I � I70 . �� 7�� ❑6 � � D Y I21 } 12J� 11/i 175� 126 I 117 tif 129 J J ! �. ��` �" 1�9 14 S(4 /J/ /C p r� — ; I ,--- f _ � ' 1 7 � \ ! � ur `,� _ io.e, ! / [NC� V�/ � Ja❑ ^�UI�� 1�9 S ��A� � 142 1l] 1N 1/5 116 1l1 NI �I � � \ 1 �� \ � ir �� \'� i� 160� i�9 T t)7 D �� O �� 163 767 lu I65 146j� � 171 F � 9 - IA2 ILJ 161 Id5 I86 7 � 119 � M � �� ao: im � za � os f� _ aor :ia ni � , � �, '�,,,� 27J) n�~�- �� / �� . � WEST 7�5 ENTRAL r C tl JN i• � , 'r4 T � lit 71] 31/ i5� 195 EAST � � ORIGINAL RESOLUTION ITY OF SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA Presented Referred To a3 Council File # ° �_�\�11 Green S6eet # I C��{ S �( Committee Date RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE REPORT ENTITLED A STUDY OF POLICE EMPLOYEE SURVEY ISSLTES, PHASE I: SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC 1 WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council commissioned a study of management practices in the Saint Paul 2 Police Department and the City Council directed the Council Investigarion and Research Center to conduct this 3 study; and 4 WHEREAS, the Council Investigation and Research Center has completed phase I of this study; now therefore, 5 be it 6 RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council accepts the report entitled, A Study of Police Employee Survey 7 Issues, Phase L• Services to the Publie. Requested by Department o£ Adoption Certified by Council Secretary By: ��1-� � �l- . � �- Approved Mayor: Date By: � Form Approved by City Attomey � Appro y Mayor for Submission to Council By: �� \ \�.r�g--� a ��C�TC�'� � J � � Adopted by Council: Date � �� r GREEN SHEET � 12-8-99 � xuree� wrt R0117916 ORDER TOTAL 0 OF SIGNATURE PAGES °lq -�t�t�t No 1 �4�01 ��.�� .�_ ❑ �,,.,.� ❑ �„«� ❑w+�xcw.aartrceaon ❑w�wio��mnaKCrs ❑ 11hYORpIt111YiLYYR) ❑ (CLIP ALL LOCATIONS FOR SIGNATURE� Accept the report entitled, A Study of Police Employee Survey Issues, Phase I: Services to the Public. PIANNING COMMISSION CIB COMMITfEE CNIL SERVICE COMMISSION IFAPPROVED AMOUNT OF TRANSACTION S Has mis persaJfirm e�.xrv.o'ired unae. a mmai.t r« ais ae�amnenn YES P10 Flae tlfis P�rm fl�er heen a WY emWGYK9 YES NO ooes mis aersauTrm a� a sla� mt nmmalbu� Mr any a,rrerrt cilr �dor�? YES NO Is this persoMrm a ta�peted oendoR YES NO coar�vwue euoeereo �aactF or�e) ncrrvm Nu�en ra No iNFnRnanoN (EZVwM `l�-\\'1� CITY COUNCIL RESEARCH REPORT A Study of Police Employee Su�vey Issues P�iase I: Services to the Publie � � � � � � � � G � �� fl:� � � � � � � ��.�� _- � � � � �� , ._ � .- -- � � _ _ ��,r�,�_ � F�� , �� = � � �� , ta - � � . � � +� :_� � � , � � � �� . �� .�� :��I � � �� . �� : � � ;.� � . � � �� `�� l� �� h►� � � � - �. � d� � � . �. �� _I g5?�` " � � � � � - � � _-_ � � - _ �_ � = _ Sainf Paut� City Gouncif - _ - � � �_ � � � �_ � � _�ouncil Jnvestigation �aricf"Research-Center �_ � _ � _ � � - � .�� , �, _ Saint Pau1; M�r�nesota � � � _ ; �_ , �i9-�[�1 Saint Paul City Council City Council Investigation & Research Center Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 651.266.8560 www.ci.saint-naul.mn.us/counciUcirc/ A Study of Police Employee Survey Issues Phase l: Services to the Public November 1999 Director Gerry Strathman Policy Analyst David Godfrey Questions? if you have questions regarding this report please contact Gerry Straihman at 651.266.8575 or qerrv.strathmanCa�ci.stpaul.mn. us R9-tt �7 A Studv of Police Emolovee Survev Issues Phtue I.• Services to the Public In the spring of 1999 Gantz-Wiley Research conducted a survey of employees of the Saint Paul Police Department for the Saint Paul City Council. T'he Council commissioned this employee survey because of concems expressed about Police Department operations by some Police Department employees. The survey raised two sets of issues. One group of issues related to internal Police Department operations. Another set of issues related to matters directly affecting services to the public. This report addresses issues involving police services to the public. We will address concerns regazding intemal Police Department operations in future Council Research reports. Gantz-Wiley Research provided a preliminary analysis of the survey data that identified strengths and opportuniries for improvement within the Police Depardnent. Council Research did a further analysis of the survey data including a content analysis of written comments offered by respondents. This analysis led to the identification of eleven areas where respondents raised concerns regazding Police management decisions. Three azeas directly address service to the public. These were risk to the public, police officer safety and the adequacy of police resources. The other eight areas of concern involve the intemal operations of the Police Department. These eight azeas were working conditions, promotions and transfers, discrimination, employee involvement, performance feedback and recognition, senior management, alleged use of traffic quotas and the qualifications of police officer recruits. As noted earlier, this report will examine only the three direct public service issues. Risk to the Public Before beginning to analyze data, it is important to understand the essence of the concems of some Police employees about risk to the public. The claim is that decisions made by senior Police Department leaders in recent years have increased the risks to which the public in Saint Paul aze exposed. This concern arises from differences of opinion about how police managers deploy officers. The most common complaint is that senior police leaders have created too many specialized units at the expense of street patrol, leading to fewer officers responding to citizens' calls for service. It is, of course, impossible to directly measure risk to the public in Saint Paul. It is, however, possible to identify snd measure a variable that is indicative of risk to the public. The indicator we have chosen for this analysis is "total response time." Total response time is the time, in minutes, between when the Police Department receives a call for service and when a police unit arrives at the scene. It is presumed the public may be at risk when a call for service is made for a priority two or three incident and that the public is no longer at risk when a police unit arrives at the scene. Priority two and three calls are the most serious crime types affecting the public, involving crimes such as robbery, burglary, domestic abuse and other serious criminal incidents. Priority one calls, which aze not included in this analysis, involve incidents where police officers themselves aze in jeopazdy. 1999 Saixt Pau/ City Council Reseorch 1 q9-�, i � Studv of Police Emolovee Survev Issues Phase 1: Services to the Pub(ic If senior Police Departrnent leaders have made decisioas in recent yeazs that have increased risks to the public, then one would expect this Yo be reflected in siower response times for priority two and three calls. A review of Police Department total response rime data for priority two and three calls for service over the past ten years shows this is not so. The data on total response time, as disptayed in the chart below, do not show any increase in recent years. 3'otaI response time has, in fact, been essentially unchanged since I992 when it declined from an average of about 10 minutes for the 1989-1991 period to an average of about nine minutes for the 1992- 1998 period. Tota! Response Time in Minutes tor Priority 2& 3 Calts 12 10 � 0 n 2 0 Given that total response time has remained essentially unchanged for the last seven years and has decreased when compared to the 1989-1991 period, we can infer that risk to the public has not increased in recent yeazs Z 7999 $nin! ParJ Ciry Coursci/ Resenrch 1989 SO 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 1998 aq-t��1 A Studv of Police Em�lovee Survev Issues Phase I: Services to the Public Police Officer Safetv Another belief of some Police employees is that decisions by senior Police Department managers have increased the physical risks for police officers in Saint Paul. They generally feel police managers are assi�ing insufficient numbers of officers to street patrol and that these inadequate numbers require street patrol officers to engage in higher risk activities or to operate with inadequate backup. Directly measuring `Yisk" is not possible because it is based on individual perceptions. However, if Saint Paul police officers aze at greater risk, one would expect this increased risk to be exhibited by an increasing number of physical injuries to police officers caused by hostile encounters with suspects. Measuring the extent to which Saint Paul police officers aze being injured as a result of hostile encounters with suspects is possible. All Ciry of Saint Paul employees are required to report all on-the job injuries to Risk Management. Risk Management then uses these injury reports for injury prevention and worker compensation activities. Data from "First Report of Injuty" files in the Office of Risk Management were selected and soRed to isolate injuries to police officers resulting from hostile encounters with suspects for the yeazs 1990 to 1998. These data aze displayed in the following chart. 6� 50 40 30 20 10 0 InJurles to Pollce Offlcers by Suspects- Rlsk Management `,. / 999 Saint Pau/ CiN Council Research 1990 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 1998 99-i�� Studv of Potice Emnlovee Survev Issue Phnse I• Services to 1he Public An examination of these data shows nothing to suggest suspects are injuring Saint Paul police officers in greater numbers in recent yeazs than in the past. In fact, the data suggest Saint Paul police officers are experiencing somewhat fewer suspect-caused injuries than was the case eazlier this decade. Another source of information regazding injuries to Saint Paul police officers aze reports submitted by the Saint Paul Police Department to the Minnesota Bureau of Crimina] Apprehension. The reports are tabulated annuaTly and records go back more than ten yeazs. These reports also distinguish assauits involving injury from those that did not result in an injury to the officer. However, these data aze problematic as, unlike the Risk Management data, we are unable to review the records upon which these reports are based to validate these daYa. Also, the draniatic changes in the numbars from the 1990-1992 period to the 1993-1998 period suggest there may have been changes in reporting processes. Nonetheless, these data also show that injuries to Saint Paul paiice o�cers have been generalfy stable in recent years. The number of assaults with injury to Saint Paul police officers reported to the BCA each yeaz from 1990 to 1998 aze shown in the chart below. 120 100 � .► � `� � Assaults on Pofice Officers with Injury - BCA Neither the Risk Management data, in which we have a high degree of confidence, nor the BCA 1999 $oint Paul Ciry Council Research 1990 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 7998 �q-��z7 A Study of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I Services to the Public data, in which we are less confident, support the claim that Saint Paui police ofFicers have been at geater physical risk in recent years compared to earlier yeazs. In fact, these data suggest triat Saint Paul police officers aze experiencing fewer injurie� caused by hostile encounters with suspects than has been the case in the past. Police Resources A large number of respondents to the Gantz-Wiley survey indicated the Saint Paul nclice Department did not have sufficient staff or adequate Facilities or equipment to meet its public safety responsibilities. In the survey, 71% of police employees answered unfavorably to the question of whether there were enough people to get the Department's work done. Only 49% of respondents indicated the Department had adequate equipment to do their jobs well and complaints that the Department lacked adequate facilities c✓ere commonly found in the written comments secrion of the survey. " Research Methods To investigate claims that the Department is provided inade�,.iate resources to meet its public safery responsibilities, Council Research interviewed 42 police officers with the rank of lieutenant or above. We believe these senior officers, mury of whom aze command level supervisors, have the knowledge and experience to evaluate whether work units or individual employees lack the resources needed to meet Departmentsl : esponsibiiities. In addition to these senior officers, we asked the same questions of a group of front-line police officers. Each interview participant was asked to address specifically what staff, equipment or facilities were insufficient for the Police Department to meet its responsibilities. Questions were phrased in a way to avoid "wish lists" of requests for resources.' The interviews conducted by Council Research indicated the Police Department has adequate resources to meet its public safety responsibilities. According to int�rview participants there aze currently no responsibilities which aze unmet because of insufficient stafftng or inadequate equipment or facilities. Respondents, however, did report there were azeas where the Department may have difficulty meeting these responsibilitie� in tlie future; namely the staffing level of street patrol officers. Also reported were a number of equipment, facility und other staffing issues which were identified as problematic but which did not prevent the Police Department from meeting its responsibilities. These findings aze discussed in more detail below. �See appendix for interview protocol. 1999 Sarnl Poul Gry Council Research 9q-i�� Studv of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I Services to the Public Staffing Although no one interviewed said the Police Department is failing to meet its basic responsibilities because of staffmg shortages or allocations, a number of senior level o�cers reported a shortage of patrol officers. While these shortages have not created a situation in which the Department cannot provide the type of service the public expects, a sizable number of respondents suggested this may not be the case in the neaz future if ihe number of patrol officers does not increase. At the moment the Department is 31 officers below its maximum strength provided for in the City Budget. Several reasons were given for this deficiency. In the last two years there has been an unprecedented number of retirements due to demographics and changes in public employee pension rules. Some respondents also suggested vacancies aze slow to be filled because of the region's labor shortage and the difficulty of fmding candidates who meet the high standards set by the Department. While interview participants said shortages did not jeopardize public safety, many were concerned ot�icers were overworked and unable to do tasks, such as communiry policing activities, follow-up acti��ities and respond in a rimely manner to lower priority calls. Respondents differed in the number of officers they felt were necessazy to correct this situation. Most felt the Department could ensure police responsibilities in the future would be met if the Department could achieve the maeimum strength allocated in xhe budget. A smalier number ofrespondents believed hiring an additionat 100-150 patrol officers is necessary to meet the Department's future responsibilities. The FORCE unit, a community policing effort which focuses on problem properties and street level nazcoric acrivities, was also reported to be short-staffed. The unit has an aliocated complement of 20 officers; however, at the present, it has five vacancies. At the same rime its call loads aze at an all-time high. Respondents reported FORCE has enough officers to meet its responsibilities but is unable to undertake the activities which would make it a more effecrive unit. For instance, there aze rimes when FORCE does not have enough o£ficers to execute a seazch warrant for a problem property and must find altemarive means to deal with the property, such as "Imock and talks" where officers discuss with residents of problem properties their conc'erns about criminal activiries. Investigative units at the district stations and in the Crimes Against Property unit were also reported to have a significant number of vacancies. A nwnber of respondents stated the lack of staff has forced the Department to adjust its criteria for deciding which cases to seriously investigate. According to severai officers, higher thresholds for determining which ctimes to investigate have been implemented. In many azeas of property crime, no investigation takes place beyond taking a crime report. Some respondents were concemed that if the staffing situation was not addressed, the Department wiil soon only investigate certain felony property crimes. Nonetheless, there was not a single respondent tttat felt the sta�ng level of investigators prevented the Department from meeting its responsibilities. Over half of interview participants reported the Information Services (I.S.) staff needed additional employees. According to respondents, I.S. support staffdo an excellent job; however, 6 l999SomtPaul CityCormcil Huearch RR-�� A Studv of Police Emolovee Survev Issues Phase I: Services to the Public there aze simply not enough of them to meet the Department's needs. Police officers rely increasingly on computers for report writing, investigations and record keeping duties. When sofrware, network or hardware problems occur, police work time is lost because I.S. staff cannot respond quickly. In addition, there aze times when problems occur during weekends and night- shifts when there is not an I.S. support employee on duty. The Police Department is open continuously and should, therefore, have an I.S. staff person available at all times. Most respondents who identified I.S. suppoft staff shortages as a problem area, acknowledged that the high demand for I.S. professionals makes it difficult for the City to find qualified staff willing to work those hours. The emergency communications center was mentioned by five interview participants as an area which needs additional staff: One senior level officer stated the industry standard for communication centers is to have, at any given fime, as many employees as the center has lines. This would require the Department to hire nine to ten more telecommunicators above the DepartmenYs allotted strength. However, interview subjects who identified the staffing of the communication center as a problem azea said the lack of staff did not prevent the Department from meeting its public safety responsibilities. Several respondents reported the records unit did not have sufficient staff to process, file and azchive the high volume of records it must handle. The records backlog, staff report, results in requests for records being delayed and sworn officers having to perform clerical duties. No interview participant stated the staff shortage in the records unit affected the Department's ability to meet its public safety responsibilities. Equipment Interview participants reported the Police DepartmenYs equipment does not prevent it from meeting its responsibilities. However, a number of equipment areas were identified as problematic, primarily in the areas of information technology, radios, telecommunications and squad cazs. Information technology used for report writing was the most prevalent equipment problem identified. Since August of 1999, police officers have entered reports on computers connected via modem to a central data base. All officers on standard street patrol duty have been assigned a lap top computer for this purpose. In the next 12 months lap tops will be fitted with a wireless modem which will allow officers to transmit reports from the field. Most of the problems cited with computerized reports are related to the Records Management System (RMS) softwaze which officers use to enter and transmit reports. A majority of staff interviewed stated the RMS softwaze is inefficient and cumbersome to use. Several stated electronic reports took rivo to Yhree rimes as long to complete as written ones. Also, it was mentioned transmitting reports via modem created numerous problems. Foremost mentioned was that it was necessary for officers to leave street patrol duties to write reports at district 1999 Sarn! Pau/ City Council Research 99-�i � � Studv of Police Emnlovee Survev Issues Phase L� Services to the Public stations or the Public Safety Building because a modem is needed to send a report. Furthermore, interview participants reported not enough computer ports were provided in Deparhnent facilities to accommodate staff needs. It was also noted that report writing rooms lack a su€ficient number of printers and the rooms provide no privacy for o�cers to write reports. It is expected the conversion to a wireless report system should alleviate most of these problems. However, in the meantime, staff indicaTe the current report writing system results in inefficiencies. Among respondents, radios and teIephone equipment was the next most repoRed equipment problem azea. According to staff, the DepartmenYs internal radio system is more than thirty years old Squad radios are unable to coavnunicate with or pick up signals of other public safety agencies. This makes it difficult to communicate about a crime in progress which may cross jurisdictional boundaries. Aiso, it was reported Department phones are not equipped with caller I.D. One respondent suggested this technology would be particulazly helpfui to investigators. The lack of squad cars was aiso cited as a problem. It was reported there is one car for every two investigators. Therefore, investigators must either double up on calls or must wait at the station unrii a caz returns. Also, it was menrioned that at one district station the aftemoon patrol shift start time is staggered because some officers must wait for cazs from officers returning from the late moming shi8. There was a basic consensus among interview participants that while the Department's equipment problems created inefficiencies, they did not prevent the Deparhnent from meeting its responsihilities. Faeilities Interview participants reported e�sting facilities do not prohibit the Police Department &om meeting its responsibitiries. The ortiy e�sting facility that was consistently mentioned as problematic was the Central Station located at the comer of Arlington and Rice. Street. Respondents state the Central Station is cramped, poorly maintained, has litt;�: room for community meerings and no storage for equipment. There were even reports that building inspectors found fecai matter in the water suppiy. It was also mentioned the Deparnc+.ent overall lacked proper storage facilities for equipment and uniforms. In addition, it was reported the Department lacked secure storage for documents in office areas. The hearing/cooling system in the Public Safety Building was identified as an azea which could be dramatically improved Several staff members mentioned it was necessary to bring portable heaters into their offices during the winter. Furthermore, there were compiaints about poor air quality in the building. Finatly, it was noted there is a need for the mounted patrol stables to be closer to the City. It was estimated the relocation of the stables, which aze currently outside of Hastings, Minnesota, could save the City 1100 hours of staff travel tune annually. 8 1999 Soint Pau1 Ciry Council Research �g-t�z7 A Study of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I� Services [o the Public Summary When the results of the Gantz-Wiley sutvey are compared to the interview responses of senior officers, there appears to be significantly different views about whether the Police Department has adequate resources. These different views may be explained by the fact the survey and interviews were asking two distinct questions. The interviews examined whether the Department was failing to meet basic gublic safety responsibilities while the survey examined the question of whether individual employees had sufficient resources to do their jobs well. This does not mean, however, that the results of the two research instruments aze necessarily inconsistent. The interviews conducted by Council Research uncovered problem areas which appeaz to affect the DepartmenYs ability to be a highly effecrive and e�cient organization. One could conclude that the Gantz-Wiley respondents negative responses may be the result of some of these less effective or efficient management practices identified in the interviews. However, these practices, at least according to interview participants, do not prevent the Department from meeting its public safety responsibilities. A serious staffing shortage does appear to exist, especially in the areas of street patrol, the FORCE unit and I.S. support staff. According to the interviews, these shortages are due to early retirements, demographics and a tight labor market. Most of the problems associated with staffing vacancies will be addressed once the Department is able to fill open positions. The only azea identified by respondents that may need more staff above current budgeted levels, in order for the Department to meet its future responsibilities, is street patrol. Otherwise, the conclusion drawn from the interview data is that the Saint Paul Police Deparhnent has adequate resources to meet its public safety responsibilities. Conclusion The information reviewed for this study does not support the claims that the public or officers are at an increased risk or that the Department lacks the resources to meets its basic responsibilities. Specifically, this analysis fmds that: • Based on the Police DepartmenYs "total response time" for priority two and three calls, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the public is at greater risk than in prior yeazs; and • Based on the officer assault data, there is no evidence to indicate officers face a greater physica] risk than in prior yeazs; and • Based on interviews conducted with the Police DepartmenYs senior officers, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the Department lacks adequate resources to meet its public safety responsibilities. 1999 Saim Paul C�ry Caunci/ Research 9 99-i� �� Studv of Police Emplovee Survev Issues Phase I: Services to the Public Appendix Interview Questions for Police Department Study Where do you work in the Police Department? VJhat aze your respansibilities? 1. What police work for which you aze responsible is not being done because you do not have enough employees? (If none, go to #4J 2. What aze the consequences of you not meeting these responsibilities? 3. How many employees, of what type, would it take to meet your responsibilities? 4. What other Saint Paul Police Department responsibilities are not being met because there aze not enough Police employees? (If none, go to #7) 5. What aze the consequences of the Police Department not meeting these responsibilities? 6. How many employees, of what type, would it take to meet these responsibilities? 7. What responsibilities is the Saint Paul Police Department not meeting because the Department does not have proper equipment? (If none, go to #1 D) 8. What aze the consequences of the Police Department not having proper equipment? 9. What equipment does the Police Department need to be able to futfil3 its responsibilities? 10. What responsibilities is the Saint Paul Police Department not meeting because you do not have proper faciliries? (If none, go to 13) I 1. What are the consequences of the Police Department not having proper faciIities? 12. What faciliries or facility improvements does the Police Department need to be able to fulfill its responsibilities? 13. Based on what you have observed, is there a difference in the level of physical risk for police officers in Saint Paul today, compared to 10 yeazs ago? If so, what is the difference? 14. Why do you think there is a greater (or lesser) physical risk? 1 � 1999 SaiM ParJ City Council Research q9- �1'77 December 8, 1999 ST. PAUL POLICE FEDERATION •�- Saint Paul City Council Room 310 City Hall Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 Dear Councifinembers: The Federation does not concur with the findings of the Study of Police Employee Survey Issues Phase 1 issued by the City Council Investigation & Research Center, dated November 1999. To utilize data from priority two and three response times as a basis for the opinion that risk to the public has not increased is terribly flawed. Saint Paul Police officers "drop" what they are doing to respond when a baby stops breathing or someone has been shot with a gun or there is an intruder in the house. A concfusion that there is no risk to the public safety by measuring response times to these types of calls for service is frankly ludicrous. But if you insist, IeYs look at an average 8.5 minute response time to the type of call listed above. Do you truly find that acceptable? Don't forget, 8.5 is only an average; there are just as many instances when the response time exceeds 8.5 as when the time is less. Also please note that the average 8.5 minute clock doesn't start until the caller makes it a telephone and actually connects with a telecommunicator. 911 calls are not necessarily picked up on the first ring. Concerning police officer safety, I would be astounded if you rely on the data presented as an accurate measure. First of all, my research based on "First Report of Injury" reported to me by the Police Payroll unit indicated four times the injuries reported by Risk Management for 1998. Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that assaults on police o�cers are under-reported in the neighborhood of five times. All that aside, do we really want to wait for our cops to get hurt more often before we recognize officer safety issues? Are we counting the right "beans" here? I think not. 375 Selby Avenue • St. Paul, Minnesota 55102-1822 •(651) 227-4998 ��-��7 Mr. Strathman states, `lt is, of course, impossible to directly measure risk to the public in Saint Paul" and "Directly measuring `nsk" (to police o�cers) is not possible because it is based on individual perceptions." I propose to you that the data Mr. Strathman has chosen to indirectly measure risk provides conclusions that are inaccurate. Furthermore, if there is a serious staffing shortage regarding street patrol (Summary, page 9), how in the world can you conclude there is no risk to public or officer safety? If we want to count beans, IeYs count beans. Please take a look at the staffing "map" for the midnight tour on November 6, 1999 (see enclosure). Three cops covering +85,000 East Side residents is ridiculous. Si�een squads on the street for nearly 300,000 people citywide scares the hell out of ine. Please do not hesitate to cali on me if I can be of any assistance in this matter. Sin�, Brad Ja sen, Federation President Cc: Chief W.K. Finney Federation Executive Board Federation File DATE: fs`�"� TOUR: �aa-i�� " f �', 6 7 l 9 10 II li q� t� 15 I 16 17 I��I � 1G 5 j �� . 75 j ~ t6 4 17 � � 71 7 ]3 � J] � ]S� JS ]I ' }p I , ; /0 � 1 � Y `� T � � , /J �1 1� /6 /] JI /i i � 32 ` � 5� � 55 Sb : 57 �I� ,;59.: • •� �� :60'� - 51 - �� '�� 67 U � 69 70 ' 7' . 72; � T7 � ]1 I � ]5 ! 76€ ]) ; l2 79. �.. L � ( �� ,�L� ❑�� bS a u� �9E 90 91 � 9t 9 � � 95 �%F��"'^9! =99 �IGG� 1 l_ I vl �o� fa2 I t0.7� 1M 7D5 Iob� t07 �pa 109 ifOY c � , � 1�� n6 tt] � i Li�a f u9j IIO A L r �� i J q O I � I70 . �� 7�� ❑6 � � D Y I21 } 12J� 11/i 175� 126 I 117 tif 129 J J ! �. ��` �" 1�9 14 S(4 /J/ /C p r� — ; I ,--- f _ � ' 1 7 � \ ! � ur `,� _ io.e, ! / [NC� V�/ � Ja❑ ^�UI�� 1�9 S ��A� � 142 1l] 1N 1/5 116 1l1 NI �I � � \ 1 �� \ � ir �� \'� i� 160� i�9 T t)7 D �� O �� 163 767 lu I65 146j� � 171 F � 9 - IA2 ILJ 161 Id5 I86 7 � 119 � M � �� ao: im � za � os f� _ aor :ia ni � , � �, '�,,,� 27J) n�~�- �� / �� . � WEST 7�5 ENTRAL r C tl JN i• � , 'r4 T � lit 71] 31/ i5� 195 EAST � �