U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

Guidelines for Starting and Operating a New Police Department
by 
Deborah Spence 
Barbara Webster 
Edward Connors 

Prepared for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

U.S. Department of Justice 


If you are considering starting a new 
police department, the following COPS 
publications may be useful: 

Law Enforcement of Tech Guide for Small and Rural Police Agencies: a 
Guide for Executives, Managers, and Technologists. www.cops.usdoj. 
gov/Default.asp?Item=1619. 

Innovations in Police Recruitment and Hiring: Hiring in the Spirit of 
Service. www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=1655. 

Community Policing in Action! A Practitioners-Eye View of 
Organizational Change. www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=893. 

Problem-Solving Tips: A Guide to Reducing Crime and Disorder 
through Problem-Solving Partnerships. www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default. 
asp?Item=441. 

Collaboration Toolkit: How to Build, Fix, and Sustain Productive 
Partnerships. www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=334. 

PTO Training Materials. www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=1710. 

The School Safety Tookit. www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=1588. 

To have these or any other COPS publication mailed to you, please 
call the COPS Response Center at 800.421.6770 or visit COPS Online 
at www.cops.usdoj.gov. 


by 
Deborah Spence 
Barbara Webster 
Edward Connors 
Prepared for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 
U.S. Department of Justice 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................... vii 
Purpose and Overview: Guide at a Glance .......................................................... ix 
Chapter 1: Should We Have Our Own Police Department?............................... 1 
This Could Get Complicated .................................................................................................................... 1 
Doing It for the Right Reasons ................................................................................................................ 2 
Options for Meeting Your Communitys Policing Needs ..................................................................... 4 
Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis ........................................................ 9 
Overview of the Task ............................................................................................................................... 9 
Who Will Conduct the Analysis? .......................................................................................................... 12 
Involving the Community ........................................................................................................................ 13 
Assessing Current Services and Demand .......................................................................................... 14 
Current Services: Staffing, Deployment, Style, and Response Times ..................................... 14 
Crimes and Calls for Service .......................................................................................................... 15 
Projecting the Impact of Future Growth .............................................................................................. 17 
Getting a Handle on Costs ..................................................................................................................... 18 
Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 20 
Chapter 3: Laying the Groundwork ................................................................... 21 
Deciding to Go Forward ......................................................................................................................... 21 
Setting the Scope of Services............................................................................................................... 21 
Negotiating the Transition Period ......................................................................................................... 22 
Hiring a Chief........................................................................................................................................... 23 
First Steps for the New Chief ................................................................................................................ 25 
Promoting the New Department ........................................................................................................... 26 
Chapter 4: Handling the Details .......................................................................... 27 
Administrative Decisions ....................................................................................................................... 27 
Hiring ........................................................................................................................................................ 31 
Before You Hire ................................................................................................................................ 31 
Recruiting and Selecting Officers .................................................................................................. 32 
Other Considerations ....................................................................................................................... 33 
Facility Decisions ................................................................................................................................... 33 
Equipment ................................................................................................................................................ 34 
Training .................................................................................................................................................... 35 
Operational Plans ................................................................................................................................... 35 
Support Functions .................................................................................................................................. 37 
Lock-ups ............................................................................................................................................ 37 
Communications and Dispatch ...................................................................................................... 38 
Records Management ..................................................................................................................... 39 
Chapter 5: Summary Checklist ........................................................................... 41 
Reference and Resources for Law Enforcement ................................................ 45 

Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments


This project received extensive support and guidance from Carl R. Peed, 
director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS); 
Pam Cammarata, deputy director; Matthew Scheider, assistant director; 
and Rob Chapman, senior policy analyst. We especially appreciated Robs 
extensive time and effort on the project. 

Project team members included the following Institute for Law and Justice staff: 
Deborah Spence, Barbara Webster, and Edward Connors. 

The project was also assisted by an excellent group of knowledgeable 
consultants whose participation included reviewing the draft guide in detail and 
providing valuable comments for improving it: 

 
Dr. Gary Cordner, Department of Criminal Justice and Police Studies, 
Eastern Kentucky University (former police chief, St. Michaels, 
Maryland) 
 
Dale Hamilton, chief of police, Duck, North Carolina (founded the 
department) 
 
Michael Scott, clinical assistant professor, University of Wisconsin 
Law School (founding police chief, Lauderhill, Florida, Police 
Department). 


In addition, we thank all the professionals who gave of their time and expertise 
to provide information for this guide. 


vii 


Purpose and Overview: Guide at a Glance
This guide will help public officials and citizens decide whether to start 
their own police departments andif they decide to go forwardto offer 
guidance on how to do it efficiently and effectively. The guide is relevant 
for rural, suburban, and urban communities of all sizes. It is not meant to be a 
manual for managing and operating all aspects of a police agency because the 
decisions and issues discussed require a great deal of additional consideration 
and work. But the guide can be a valuable tool to assist communities in 
thoughtfully considering the major issues involved in starting a police 
department. 

Although starting a new police agency is a complex and expensive undertaking, 
very little has been written about it. In creating this guide, the Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office), U. S. Department 
of Justice, wanted to help fill the void by providing practical advice from 
communities that have navigated the process successfully. The planning tips and 
lessons learned included in this guide come from several sources: 

 
One hundred sixty-five police and other community leaders who 
responded to a national survey of jurisdictions that recently started 
new police departments with support from COPS grant funding 
 
An advisory group that included experienced police officials who have 
led start-up agencies, as well as researchers and consultants who 
had experience as police chiefs and officers 
 
Publications and resources that can help communities work through 
the critical issues involvedstrategic planning, contracting options, 
policies and procedures, staffing, training, and facilities planning, 
to name a few. Selected resources appear in the References and 
Resources section at the end of the guide. 



We recognize that each local jurisdiction has different needs, legal requirements, 
potential funding sources, and political environments. In fact, individuals within 
the community may well have different visions at this stage for what police 

ix 


Purpose and Overview: Guide at a Glance 
services ought to be like. But despite these differences, there are certain major 
decisions, as well as many details, that every community will need to address to 
be successful. The guide focuses on this common ground. 

 
Chapter 1, Should We Have Our Own Police Department? begins 
by examining the pros and cons of forming a department. For 
example: 

 

Are you interested for the right reasons in having a police 
department? 

 

What are some other options for achieving your goals? 

 
Chapter 2, Conducting a Strategic Assessment, assumes there is 
still a strong enough interestalthough not necessarily community-
wide agreementto more closely examine the issues involved in 
starting a department. For example: 

 

What kind of information do you need to make an informed 
decision? 

 

Who should gather and analyze the information? 

 

Why is it so important to involve citizens in the process, and what 
are some effective ways to do that? 

 
Chapter 3, Laying the Groundwork, is for communities that have 
completed their assessments and have decided to move forward 
with starting a new department. At this stage, some of the questions 
to answer include the following: 

 

What types of services can the department reasonably be 
expected to provide? 

 

Can you afford enough officers to schedule them 24 hours a day, 
7 days a week to respond to calls and provide patrol coverage? If 
not, who will provide these basic services in the off hours? 

 

How will you handle complex investigations and other police 
functions? How will you respond to critical incidents and provide 
public safety at special events? 

 

Will your officers have time to do proactive work with youth and 
other community members to prevent crime and solve problems? 

 

Are you ready to hire a police chief? Are you prepared to give the 
chief enough timeusually at least 6 monthsto get ready to 
open the doors? 


Purpose and Overview: Guide at a Glance xi
 
Chapter 4, Handling the Details, covers the transition period 
between hiring the chief and starting patrol operations. It reviews 
many of the details the chief will need to addressfrom major policy 
and hiring decisions to relatively minor ones like where to purchase 
office supplies. It also suggests continuing roles for legal, financial, 
and other experts, as well as citizens. For example: 

 

Which policies and procedures must the chief develop before 
patrol service can begin (e.g., a use-of-force policy)? Which ones 
can wait until later? 

 

Will citizens be involved in the policy development process? In the 
officer hiring process? If so, how? 

 
Chapter 5, Summary Checklist, highlights the critical action steps 
discussed in the guide, along with some final thoughts from several 
jurisdictions about the obstacles they have encountered and the 
benefits they have enjoyed. You might want to read this chapter 
before you read the entire guide. 



Chapter 1
Should We Have Our Own Police Department?
If you are reading this guide, most likely some local government and 
community leaders have already answered this question affirmatively. You 
may be just starting to investigate the possibility, or you may feel you are 
well on the way toward making a decision. In either case, you will want to be 
sure you have conducted a thorough, objective review of three critical factors 
discussed in this chapter: 

1. 
Rational and cost-effective reasons for having your own police 
department. 
2. 
Current level of citizen support (not just political support) for operating 
the department. This includes a willingness to devote time to 
supporting the department, a commitment to seeing the process 
through, and funding. 
3. 
All available options for meeting the communitys policing needs, 
including alternative ways to provide all or selected policing services, 
as well as resources available to the jurisdiction that might be 
converted for use by a new police department (e.g., cars, equipment, 
buildings). 


This Could Get Complicated 

As you may already know, operating a police department is definitely complicated, 
whether you employ one officer or a chief and many officers. This is simply a fact 
and is not meant to be discouraging because the benefits can be substantial: 
you can gain greater control over the way in which basic policing services are 
provided. But with this control comes greater responsibility: 

 
It will be time-consuming. The planning and transition phases alone 
can easily take a year. And the time commitment does not end when 
the department opens its doors. The department will need not only 
oversight but also ongoing support from the local government and 
community as a whole. 


1



Chapter 1: Should We Have Our Own Police Department? 
 
It may be more expensive than other options. Even if you can 
manage the start-up costs, can you sustain the department over the 
long term? A number of communities that received COPS grants for 
police department start-up costs could not find a way to continue 
once the grant period ended. Policing costs draw significantly from 
a municipal budget, and creating a department could seriously affect 
funding for other services. 
 
The end result may not be substantially better than what you 
have now. Its about money, but it isnt all about money. What 
unique value will the department bring to the community? Will you be 
able to attract a highly qualified chief and police personnel to work in 
your community? Can you offer benefits that will encourage them to 
stay? 


Doing It for the Right Reasons 

The first step toward starting a new department is to examine the justifications: 
Why does this option seem attractive? Some of the main reasons given by other 
communities are listed below. Consider which of these apply in your community. 

Dissatisfaction with Current Services or Costs 

 
Slow response times to calls for service 
 
Unsatisfactory quality of personnel or services 
 
Frequent rotation of different sworn personnel in and out of the 
community 
 
Lack of police visibility (e.g., seldom seen on patrol, dont walk a beat) 
 
Unacceptable style of policing (e.g., impersonal, bureaucratic) 
 
Dissatisfaction with increasing costs of services (e.g., sheriff has 
raised fees) 
 
Local government wants more control over the officers 
 
Local government and community want more services 
 
Local government and community want unique services (e.g., officer 
in school, bike patrol) 
 
Local government and community want more personalized services 
(e.g., problem solving, community policing). 


Recent and Continuing Population Growth 

 
Growing suburb of a growing city 
 
Increase in tourism bringing more people and more traffic 
 
Annexation 
 
New incorporation planned, provision of municipal police services 
required. 



Chapter 1: Should We Have Our Own Police Department? 3
In analyzing current service levels, it is important to use a data-driven, decision-
making model. Does the community have reliable data about the actual level of 

as well, but the bottom line is this: the community will need a growing tax base 
to support its own police department. If you cannot identify solid indicators 
of development and growth, give serious consideration to the police service 
alternatives discussed in the next section. 
Finally, while there is no one right reason for starting a department, there are 
several wrong reasons. For example: 
Elected official has a personal issue with the sheriff. 
Current police service provider has mishandled a single event. 
Existing sheriff has arrested, investigated, or enforced the law against 
 
 
 
Survey Results: Reasons for 
Starting a Department 
Among communities responding 
to the national survey on start-
up police departments, the 
major reasons cited for forming 
a department were desire for 
quicker response times (68 
percent), dissatisfaction with 
current services (65 percent), 
and desire for more local 
accountability (45 percent). 
services provided, crime, crime trends, 
and noncall for service activity? Does it 
have a context for interpreting the data? 
For example, are response times to 
nonemergencies extraordinarily slow, or 
are they acceptable compared with most 
efficient and effective agencies? 

There is no single correct justification for 
having your own department, but if you 
have checked one or more items under 
population growth, then it may be a 
realistic option for your local jurisdiction. 
Community desires for more services, 
more personalized services, or lower 
costs are legitimate reasons for change 

an influential local person. 

 
A major crime, such as a kidnapping or homicide, has elevated fear of 
crime among residents. 
 
A new police department is the pet project of a single, influential 
community member. 


Political support for change is essential, but this is not the same as one or two 
public figures seeking to punish the current police service provider. Another 
political factor to consider is whether policing services provided by an elected 
sheriff may change after a new election. Concern over the mishandling of 
incidents is a different matter, but one mishandled incident does not necessarily 
mean the agency has widespread problems. It will be important to consider 
what is being done to correct the wrong (e.g., developing new policies, 
disciplining the involved personnel, intensifying training). 


Chapter 1: Should We Have Our Own Police Department? 
In short, if one of the justifications above is the only or primary impetus for 
change, you may not have a strong enough foundation to sustain a police 
department. An objective, independent analysis would be useful in preventing 
personal agendas or inexperience from clouding the final recommendation. 

Options for Meeting Your Communitys Policing Needs 

Whether or not you anticipate the type of economic stability and growth that 
might support operating a police department, the next step should be to 
carefully review all available options for police services. These are discussed 
briefly below, but with a note of caution: become familiar with the relevant laws 
in your own state, as well as any opinions the state attorney general may have 
published about interpreting the laws governing jurisdiction of law enforcement 
agencies. The general information provided below does not constitute legal 
advice. 

Continue to rely on current services (not a contract). In most jurisdictions, 
the county sheriff, county police, or state police have a general duty to enforce 
criminal laws in local jurisdictions. Some legal distinctions depend on whether 
the local jurisdiction is in an incorporated or unincorporated area. This service is 
supported by taxes that citizens already pay and in all likelihood will continue to 
pay. The sheriff or other agency, however, is not obligated to provide cities and 
towns with a specific number of sworn officers or a specific type or quality of 
service. As a result, limited services may be a key source of your communitys 
dissatisfaction with the status quo. Even so, you may be able to improve on the 
situation. Consider the following questions: 

 
Have you exhausted all means to negotiate changes in the amount, 
quality, or type of services you currently receive? 
 
Is there room for compromise? For example, can you offer office 
space (storefront), equipment (vehicles, computers), or supplies as a 
tradeoff to help the current provider dedicate more deputy or officer 
time to your community? 


Contract with an existing agency (sheriff, county police, state police). Some 
local jurisdictions enter into contracts with existing law enforcement agencies 
to receive dedicated policing services; for example, a specific number of officers 
assigned to work in their communities for a stated number of hours. These 
arrangements can provide the advantages of greater police coverage for crime 
prevention and more rapid response times to emergency calls. The drawback 
is that local government control over the assigned officers is limited. Various 
departments, however, are able to offer a variety of contracting options. Two 
of the most experienced in this matter are the Los Angeles County (California) 
Sheriffs Department (LASD) and the King County (Washington) Sheriffs Office 
(KCSO). 


Chapter 1: Should We Have Our Own Police Department? 5
The LASD, for example, began providing contract police services in 1954 to the 
city of Lakewood. State law mandated that Lakewood provide municipal law 
enforcement services upon incorporation, but the city wanted an alternative to 
the cost of operating its own department. Today, 40 of Los Angeles Countys 

88 cities contract with the LASD for 
local police services. The cities range 
in population from 700 to 150,000. The 
KCSO offers three contract models, 
which are described in terms of both cost 
effectiveness and degree of local control. 
The KCSOs shared supervision model, 
for example, is characterized as very cost 
effective, excellent local control and the 
most popular model. Under this model, 
the city has dedicated patrol and can choose to have a supervisor serve as 
chief. In contrast, the city model, which comes closest to having a standalone department that receives specialized services from the sheriffs office, 
is described as offering the most control but as being only reasonably cost 
effective. The most cost-effective model is known as the flex model, though 
it offers the least amount of local control. Under this model, the sheriffs office 
responds to all calls and patrols the area as if it were unincorporated. Although 
your police service provider may not have the same contracting capabilities as 
these large sheriffs departments that receives specialized services from the 
sheriffs office, you may be able to adapt arrangements you discover in other 
counties and states to fit local needs and resources. Key questions for your 
community to address include the following: 

For more information on these 
examples, see the LASD web 
site at www.lasd.org/divisions/ 
hqtrs/contract_law.html 
and the KCSO web site at 
www.metrokc.gov/sheriff/ 
partners/contract_program/ 
details.aspx. 
 
Is it possible to negotiate a contract with the county sheriff, county 
police, or state police to obtain the services your local government 
now desires or anticipates needing soon? 
 
How would the costs of such an arrangement compare to those of 
starting and operating your own agency? 
 
Is the control you may gain through one of the more expensive 



contracting options worth 
the tradeoff in costs? 

Consolidate police services or 
agencies. Pooling police resources 
with other cities or towns can be 
a complex undertaking, but some 
communities have been able to take 
advantage of the economies of scale 
that various consolidation options 
provide without sacrificing too much 
local identity and control. Although 
consolidation is most relevant if 

One community that consolidated 
two small police departments 
described these advantages: 
By combining forces into one, we 
have been able to provide 24-hour 
coverage 7 days a week, provide 
more training, and obtain better 
equipment. Two officers are on at all 
times, which provides a back-up unit. 
National Survey Respondent 

your community already operates its own department and is concerned about 
sustaining it, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) looks at 
consolidation as a matter of degree in its guide, Consolidating Police Services: 
An IACP Planning Approach. The IACP discusses the pros and cons of seven 
consolidation options, ranging from combining only certain functions (e.g., 
dispatch, records management), or cross-deputizing city and county officers, 
to the most complex options of combining entire city and county police 
departments. 

Chapter 1: Should We Have Our Own Police Department? 
Contract with private security. This may be an option for your community if 
one of your main concerns is a need for 
heightened security in the downtown 
business district, at an industrial park, 
or at a local school. The Woodlands in 
Texas, for example, is an unincorporated, 
master-planned community whose 
resident population exceeds 50,000. 
Public safety and law enforcement 
services are provided by the Montgomery 
Public Safety Departments: One Form of Consolidation 
A concept that gained some popularity in the 1970s was to combine police, 
fire, and emergency medical services (EMS) under the umbrella of a public 
safety agency, with police officers cross-trained as firefighters and EMS 
technicians. One community that responded to the national surveyMarco 
Island, Floridaoriginally planned to do that but then decided in favor of 
creating a police department. It became clear that the extensive training 
needed to acquire and maintain certifications in all three specialties would 
have meant taking police officers off the streets for extended periods. 
About 30 percent of their work time would have been devoted to training. 
Jurisdictions that have public safety departments typically have either 
modified the original concept, or they have the funds and personnel needed 
to provide for extensive training, retraining, and recertification without short-
changing patrol coverage. 
Start with the bare minimum 
services. It is easy to overextend 
your resources on technology 
and equipment. People are your 
most valuable asset. 
National Survey Respondent 
County Sheriffs Department through a combination of assigned and contracted 
deputies, private security firms, and other arrangements. 

Create a new limited-service agency. This is often the only workable and 
affordable option for communities that do not wish to pursue any of the 
options described above and, instead, want to create their own stand-alone 
agency. Basic call response and crime prevention include responding to calls 
for police service, handling other patrol responsibilities, conducting follow-
up investigations of minor crimes, and providing other specialized services 


of importance to the community (for example, crime-prevention programs, 
community policing activities). Reliance on other law enforcement agencies will 
still be critical for such functions as the 911 call center and dispatching, complex 
investigations, specialized tactical units, crime lab services, and others (see 
Chapter 4). 

Chapter 1: Should We Have Our Own Police Department? 7
Most respondents to the survey of COPS-supported start-up agencies 
depend on other departments for specialized support, although some are now 
expanding their in-house capabilities in various areas. Consultations with newer 
departments, including site visits if possible, provide valuable opportunities to 
learn from the experience of other jurisdictions. 

Create a new full-service agency. For the majority of communities, it is not 
practical or economically feasible to begin with a full-service agency. The staffing 
and equipment costs of operating a call dispatch center alone would exceed 
some local governments entire policing budgets. Of course, in high-growth 
communities, a successful new local police department may evolve to take 
on more responsibilities as it increases staffing and expertise. Some growing 
communities have imposed public safety developers fees to fund services or 
facilities (an example is Brentwood, California); and it may be possible to require 
specific public safety enhancements with all new development (e.g., wireless 
access points, cameras linked to wireless access points). But few departments 
can afford to start out with full-service operations. Neither the expertise nor the 
money is likely to be in place at start-up. 



Chapter 2
Conducting a Strategic Analysis
This chapter will help community decisionmakers who want to invest more 
time in analyzing whether the jurisdiction should have its own police 
department. Conducting a strategic analysis is the next essential step 
toward determining the best police service option for a community. To assist 
with the process, this chapter addresses the following questions: 

 
What does a strategic analysis entail? 
 
Who should conduct the analysis? 
 
What information is needed, and where can it be found? 
 
What role should the community play in this process? 


Overview of the Task 

The purpose of conducting a strategic analysis is straightforward: to prepare 
officials and the community to make an informed decision. Areas to examine 
more closely include the following: 

 
Current police services 
 
Demand for police services (crime trends, calls for service) 
 
Plans and projections for future growth 
 
Community needs, desires, expectations, and support for various 
options 
 
Fiscal resources and the impact of funding a new department on 
other city/county services 
 
Existing resources (e.g., facilities, vehicles) that might be made 
available to a new department. 


The assessment is essentially a three-stage process: (1) gather as much 
information and data as possible from a variety of sources, (2) analyze and 
interpret the information, and (3) translate the findings into decisions about 
the nature and scope of police services the community needs. Jurisdictions 
responding to the national survey on start-up police agencies offered several key 
pieces of advice to consider before setting up a police department. 


9



Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 
overwhelming task. As one survey respondent stated, it comes down to this: 
Research and ask questions to find out what you dont know. 
Obtain legal advice. Before proceeding, you will need legal advice about the 
conditions under which a community in your state and county can start its own 
police department and the jurisdiction that such a police department would 
have. Legal advice (e.g., provided by your jurisdictions attorney) will be critical 
at other points along the way regarding liability, employment law, and other 
issues. It is important at an early stage for elected officials to understand that 
taking responsibility for the actions of police officers carries the potential of 
costly liability. Beyond interactions of officers with citizens, liability can reach to 
the adequacy of their hiring, training, retention, and supervision, as well as to 
departmental policies. 
Work through the assessment 
A priority for communities is to process. Only about one-fourth of 
implement a needs assessment survey respondents said that their 
and a strategic plan of how they jurisdiction had conducted a formal needs 
are going to absorb salaries once assessment before moving forward with 
the original funding sources start-up plans. Some realized this was 
run out. My city is now saying a mistake when they found themselves 
they cannot afford a police short of funds to continue the department 
department because the funding after their seed money had been spent. 
is gone. They knew before they Be leery of claims that we already 
started the funding was limited know whats needed. Most people have 
to the short term and did nothing never paid much attention to what it takes 
to prepare for the adjustment. to operate a police department. 

National Survey Respondent 
The assessment will be time-
consuming, but it does not have to be an 

Expect potential difficulties obtaining some of the data. Ideally, the current 
provider of police services will be able to generate useful data about crimes and 
calls for service in your community. Nevertheless, you may encounter obstacles 
related either to politics or to records management systems. 

 
Political obstacles. What is the working/political relationship 
between local government and other surrounding municipal and 
county leaders? Does the sheriff or county want to maintain a current 
contract or oppose formation of a new local police department for 
other reasons? If so, getting cooperation with your data-collection 
efforts may require some negotiations. If you do start your own 
department, you will still be dependent on call-taking, investigative, 
and other services from current providers. While most of the 
information required for analysis should be readily accessible public 
information, the existing service providers should be included as 
stakeholders in the planning process. This will encourage a more 
cooperative atmosphere. 


Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 11
 
Records management. The current police service provider may be 
cooperative but may not have an information management system 
that can easily produce breakdowns on crime, arrests, or calls for the 
jurisdiction(s) that would be covered by a new agency. In situations 
like this, you can do the following: 

 

Review breakdowns for the smallest geographic area that includes 

your jurisdiction. 

 

Create a small sample of ongoing calls for service, arrests, etc. Ask 

the existing provider to track data applying to your jurisdiction for a 

specified time for use in your future decision-making. 

 

Have someone on your assessment team manually extract data on 

your jurisdiction from available records. 

 

Obtain estimates based on interviews with experienced personnel 

or similar communities. 

Not all demands for police services are captured in official logs of calls for 
service or crime reports. An accurate assessment of the public demand 
for police service must extend beyond the review of public records. There 
may be other political or community pressures, public discussions, or other 
considerations that contribute to the demand for change in police services. 

Involve the community. A recurring theme among national survey respondents 
was the importance of grassroots community support. This supportcritical 
once a department begins operationis much more likely to be forthcoming if 
the community is involved in the assessment and planning phases. Community 
engagement activities such as town hall meetings and focus groups also 
present strategic opportunities for local government to inform and educate the 
public. 

Get help from people who know police work. This is particularly important 
when it comes to interpreting the data you collect on crime, calls for service, 
and officer workloads. Consulting with nearby police chiefsindividually or by 
involving them on an expert panel or steering committeewill help ensure 
that cost estimates take into consideration the less obvious administrative, 
operational, and equipment costs as well as the big ticket items such as 
salaries and benefits or vehicles and maintenance. Other options include 
contracting with an association of policing professionals, experienced 
policing consultants or academics, or a retired police chief for assistance with 
assessment and planning. 

Consider the impact on other components of the criminal justice system. 

Establishing a police department will require changes in relationships and, 
potentially, changes in procedures with the courts, prosecutors office, jail, 
community corrections (probation, parole), and defense attorneys (e.g., public 
defenders). In some jurisdictions, the new officers work may significantly affect 



the workloads of these other agencies (e.g., the community wants greater 
enforcement of drug laws). Youll also need to consider how the department will 
work with programs that serve people who come to police attention but are not 
arrested (e.g., delinquent youth, victims of domestic violence, people who are 
intoxicated in public). 

Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 
Who Will Conduct the Analysis? 

There are several possibilities for who would conduct the analysis, depending 
on the jurisdictions government structure and resources. Whoever leads 
the assessment should maintain a broad and objective perspective of the 
communitys public safety needs and economic interests. For example, any of 
the following might take the lead: 

 
City or town manager 
 
Mayor and city/town council 
 
Council public safety committee 
 
Consultant (e.g., a local college professor) 
 
Volunteers from the community. 


Most incorporated jurisdictions will probably turn to the city/town manager 
(or an incorporation committee if the change is still in progress). Outside 
consultants were retained by only about 10 percent of communities responding 
to the national survey, but this could be money well spent because, for example, 

Survey Results: Conducting the Strategic Analysis 
In addition to the city/town manager and council members/committees, 
respondents to the national survey on start-up police departments 
mentioned the following people or organizations as leaders in the 
assessment process: 
State or regional development and planning commission 
Retired state police official 
Former mayor 
Tribal council administration 
Sheriff 
School superintendent/board (for school system police 
departments) 
Special assessment committee. 
Community leaders interested in having a retired law enforcement officer 
lead the strategic analysis should look to those with at least 5 years of 
management-level experience. A law enforcement background alone does 
not necessarily mean an individual will have acquired the special skills 
needed for such an analysis. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

community leaders cannot devote the time, or the effort would benefit from 
a knowledgeable neutral party. The least likely of these options would be an 
entirely citizen-volunteer effort, although individual citizens can make important 
contributions. 

Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 13
Involving the Community 

Key to conducting a productive assessment is determining the political and 
community desire for improved police services and the level of support for the 
options under consideration. Deliberate efforts to involve the community should 
be made in one or more of the following ways: 

 
Council input (e.g., direct the assessment and/or actively participate 
in data collection and analysis, review the findings) 

Public hearings 
City/town hall meetings 
Surveys of residents and businesses 
Focus groups 
Interviews 
Formal referendum. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Survey Tips 
A survey of citizens and businesses can be done by mail, door-to-door, 
telephone, or e-mail, but the objective is to be as inclusive as possible. 
Check with other police departments for sample citizen questionnaires. 
Many departments publish these on their web sites. 
Mail or paper surveys offer the advantage of letting people respond 
anonymously, but the response rate may be low. Boost the return rate by 
emphasizing the importance of participating; wording the questions clearly; 
making the questionnaire brief; offering multiple choice, rating scales, or 
other nonnarrative response options; and including stamped, addressed 
return envelopes. 
The questionnaire should ask about crimes and problems of concern, 
experience and satisfaction with current services, changes desired, and 
level/type of support the respondent might provide for a new department 
or other contemplated change. Citizens can also be asked about their 
willingness to spend more money (raise taxes) for enhanced police services. 
Enlist an organization or person who is widely perceived as objective to 
conduct the survey. The local community college might provide survey 
assistance. 
Conducting Community Surveys: A Practical Guide for Law Enforcement Agencies by 
Deborah Weisel, 1999. www.ojp.usdoj.gov 
 
 
 
 
 

Town hall-style meetings, although structured less formally than public hearings, 
still need to be well planned and managed to encourage attendance and to allow 
all participants a fair opportunity to be heard. Here are some tips for making 
these meetings productive: 

Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 
 
Enlist a skilled, neutral facilitator 
 
Hold meetings in the evening or on a Saturday 
 
Provide hospitality (food/beverages, child care, transportation) 
 
Encourage diverse participation. 


Assessing Current Services and Demand 

Two objectives are part of the assessment: 

1. 
Accurately describe the police services currently provided. 
2. 
Identify trends in the demand for police services. 


Current Services: Staffing, Deployment, Style, and Response Times 

Staffing and Deployment. For the purpose of this assessment, main staffing 
and deployment questions will be related to call response, patrol, and crime-
prevention services: 

 
How many patrol deputies or officers are currently assigned to cover 
your local jurisdiction? How large are their beats (geographic area 
they are assigned to cover)? 
 
When are the officers present in your local jurisdiction (days of 
the week, hours of the day)? How is coverage of your jurisdiction 
provided at other times? 
 
Are the same deputies/officers regularly assigned to your jurisdiction, 
or do many different officers frequently rotate in and out of this duty? 
What happens when an assigned officer is sick, on vacation, or in 
training? 
 
How does the current provider handle large events (e.g., annual art 
festival), both planned and unplanned? 
 
Do any deputies/officers walk a beat in your jurisdiction? Do they 
have bicycles, motorcycles, horses, boats, or other means of 
transportation? 
 
What public services do the deputies/officers provide in addition to 
handling calls and patrolling (e.g., attend community meetings, work 
with youth, conduct crime-prevention or public-education activities)? 



Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 15
Compare your findings to your current vision. If your local jurisdiction had its 
own department, would you want an officer on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days 
a week? If so, you would need to hire at least six to eight officers to allow 
for regular days off, vacation and sick leave, and training. Special events and 
specialized enforcement situations must also be considered. For example, does 
your community host large festivals or other public events that require additional 
coverage to ensure public safety? Unplanned events (e.g., a hostage situation, 
a methamphetamine lab discovery) will also affect current and planned service 
levels and your departments mutual-aid agreements with other agencies. 

Style of Policing. Assessing a policing style is more subjective than counting 
the number of hours on duty. Even so, the concept can be clarified and defined 
at both a department and an individual officer level. Is the current sheriff or 
county police chief an advocate of community policing? If so, how does that 
translate into action in your local jurisdictiondo deputies or officers have 
time for crime-prevention work? Is the community prepared to do its part to 
prevent crime and disorder, or is it looking for the police to do it all? Does the 
department place a priority on training and physical fitness? Are managers and 
supervisors approachable, responsive, and knowledgeable? What do citizens 
typically say about their encounters with officers (e.g., officers were helpful, 
informative, decisive, fair versus abrupt, bureaucratic, rude)? The next chapters 
discuss policing style in the context of hiring a chief whose stylephilosophy, 
personality, priorities, approach to the jobis in line with community desires 
and expectations. 

Response Times. One tragic incident resulting in injury or death is all that 
most communities need to begin calling police response times into question. 
Providing rapid response times to emergencies is a major logistical issue when 
departments must cover broad geographic areas with a limited number of 
officers. 

Obtaining information about response times is discussed in the next section 
on crimes and calls for service. The important thing to remember, though, is to 
analyze response times by type of call. True emergencies, of course, require 
a rapid response (e.g., crimes in progress, accidents with injury). But citizens 
must also understand that few police agencies today can afford to dispatch 
an officer immediately to every call, or even to every crime-related call. For 
example, a resident comes home from vacation to discover her shed has been 
burglarized, possibly 2 weeks earlier. Police need to follow up and take a report, 
but there is little to be gained by a lights-and-siren response. The police should 
handle this example with an appropriate response and good communication. 
Few citizens will be upset about a delayed response to a nonemergency if they 
feel their situation is being taken seriously and are informed of what response to 
expect and why. 



Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 
Crimes and Calls for Service 

To identify patterns and trends in crime incidents and calls to the police, you will 
need to obtain data going back at least 3 years. Key information sources include 
the following: 

 
Reported crime (Uniform Crime Reports submitted to the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation) 
 
Arrest records (number of arrests by type of charge) 
 
Calls-for-service records 
 
Interviews with experienced police personnel. 


Todays computer-assisted dispatch (CAD) and records management systems 
(RMS) can capture a tremendous amount of data from calls for service. CAD/ 
RMS can provide not only information about the types of calls received, but 
also a great deal of detail about time, including response times (time when call 
comes in, officer is dispatched, officer arrives on scene, officer clears scene) 
as well as time away from patrol duty because of court, meals, training, car 
maintenance, community meetings, and other self-initiated activities. The 
amount of detail is related to the sophistication of the CAD/RMS serving a 
particular area. 

Analyzing these data is not simple, which is why the assessment team should 
include someone with a strong knowledge of police work. Some of the issues 
to keep in mind include the following: 

 
Not all 911 calls to the police are about crimes. Some calls (for 
example, burglary alarms) may be false and caused by human error 
or faulty equipment. But because the calls are placed to 911, they 
represent situations on which call takers and police officers must 
spend time responding in some way, whether by sending a patrol 
car, taking a report over the telephone, or simply answering a routine 
question or making a referral. 
 
Some types of crimes go unreported. Some domestic violence and 
sexual assault incidents, for example, never come to police attention. 
In addition, police computer call systems may not use a separate 
code for domestic violence and reported incidents may be included 
under assault or simple assault. 
 
Calls listed on a CAD printout may not have been updated to 
reflect actual findings. For example, a call taker enters burglary 
based on available information, but the responding officer or a 
detective later determines that the incident was a minor theft, or that 
no crime occurred. The computer record may or may not reflect this 
new information. 



Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 17
These are just a few of the issues involved in analyzing CAD/RMS data. In 
addition, these data alone do not give a complete picture of what officers do 
(investigations, community policing activities, etc.). Policing experts can help you 
interpret the data. 

Projecting the Impact of Future Growth 

Certain signs of growth are obvious to almost everyone (visible new 
construction, increased traffic, new industry and jobs), but because a stable and 
growing tax base is critical for sustaining a police department, you will need 
additional data. Information sources include the following: 

 
Building permits issued 
 
New business incorporations 
 
Census data (including income, age, and other breakdowns) 
 
School enrollment data 
 
County/city, regional, and state planning and economic development 
reports 
 
Reports on recent annexation 
 
Chamber of commerce, real estate and other business associations, 
board of tourism, convention and visitors bureau. 


If such reports and data show a downward trend, it raises questions about 
the jurisdictions ability to sustain a police department, even if it could find the 
means to establish one. 

If the community is in fact growing, the nature of the growth could influence 
both the number of officers needed and the types of police services to provide. 
For example, the following are some scenarios from the national survey: 

 
Jurisdiction or nearby area is becoming an increasingly 
popular recreational or tourist destination. For example, Ontario, 
Wisconsin has a year-round population of 500, which during the 
summer exceeds 2,000. Similarly, the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal 
Police Department, also in Wisconsin, noted that while 3,000 people 
currently live on the reservation, with tourism and non-Indians 
residing within the boundaries, population can triple in the summer 
months. 
 
Jurisdiction or area has become a desirable retirement 
destination. Marco Island, Florida, for example, has become home 
to many retirees from states where city and town police departments 
are common. It has a year-round population of 14,000 and more 
than 30,000 residents from January through March. Many of these 
residents were not accustomed to or comfortable with being served 
only by a large county sheriffs department. In this case, a healthy 
economic base and strong public sentiment combined to justify 
incorporation and creation of a municipal police department. 




Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 
 
Nearby college or city is undergoing expansion. If the surrounding 
area is growing there may be spillover into your jurisdiction. An 
example of this is in Prosper, Texas. Prosper, currently home to 
about 3,100 people, is not far from Frisco, one of the fastest growing 
towns in the country. The area expects 15 to 25 percent increases in 
population annually. 

 
Jurisdiction or area is in the middle of a major commuter route. 
Royalton, Minnesota has a population of 900 but estimates that 
roughly 20,000 vehicles pass through each day. The Elko Band Indian 
Colony has 2,000 residents; however, the tribal land is completely 
surrounded by the city of Elko, Nevada. Daily through-traffic of 
nonresidents is estimated at 7,000. 

Getting a Handle on Costs 
Labor costs are the most significant part of a police departments budget. As 
a start toward projecting the costs of running a department, youll need to 
examine the personnel costs of current services: What salaries are deputies/ 
Future increases in population and 
Be aware that your competitors for traffic should be factored into your 
good officers are the big, higher estimates for police staffing and 
paying agencies in your area. If services. Each of these types of 

you are not prepared to pay a good growth raises questions for your 
wage, do not expect to be able to assessment. For example, if you 
hire qualified applicants. employ enough officers to handle huge 
seasonal differences in population, 
National Survey Respondent what kind of productive work would 
the officers do during the off-season? 

officers and supervisors paid? What are their fully loaded hourly rates (salary, 
fringe benefits, department overhead)? What benefits are provided (health 
care, disability insurance, life insurance, retirement pension, vacation time, sick 
leave, personal leave, and training)? If you are not able to match the salaries and 
benefits of surrounding agencies, you can anticipate problems attracting and 
retaining experienced personnel. If the state sponsors a regionwide pension 
system, officers may be able to transfer their pension rights to your agency. 
You will need some experienced police officers to staff your department right 
away; and while some officers will join a new agency because they want new 
opportunities or a better organizational culture, many will not leave their current 
agencies unless the wages and benefits are better. 

Of course, costing out police services involves much more than simply 
calculating labor costs. Chapters 3 and 4 provide more detailed information 
about specific budget items for a police department and various alternatives 
for keeping costs under control. Review those chapters before making a final 


decision about the affordability of starting and operating your own department. 
In addition to salaries and benefits, you are likely to incur costs in the following 
areas: 

Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 19
 
Increased cost of liability insurance for the local jurisdiction 
 
Equipment costs: acquisition, maintenance, and replacement 
(vehicles, computers, radios, weapons, body armor) 
 
Facility, including potential remodeling costs of an existing facility to 
bring it up to code, ensure a suitable and safe working environment, 
and provide for public access 
 
Training costs 
 
Administrative costs, including background investigations 
 
Office equipment and supplies. 


When asked what they would advise other communities about starting a 
new agency, a majority of survey respondents emphasized sufficient funding 
and a realistic budget. One noted how misjudging government revenue had 
caused drastic service reductions: 
Be sure forecasts of future city/town revenue are accurate. We anticipated 
more revenue, did not get it, and the decrease in services and accountability 
is . . . acute. 
Others respondents also emphasized careful budgeting: 
Plan really well, budget, and find out what you will need for your cops. 
Be prepared to spend money. Do each project right and do not shortchange 
it along the way. 
You will need more money than you think. 
Revenue sources in addition to the general fund may include federal and state 
grants, fees and forfeits, and private donations. The communities participating in 
the national survey had received COPS Universal Hiring Program grants to help 
pay salaries; however, there are no guarantees that these or any other grants 
will be forthcoming in the future. To help support their start-up agencies, about 
18 percent of survey respondents raised taxes, 16 percent received state funds, 
15 percent used private funds, and 7 percent issued special bonds. 


Chapter 2: Conducting a Strategic Analysis 
Summary 

Operating a police department affects the safety of residents, businesses, 
visitors, and the officers the jurisdiction employs. Start a new department for 
the right reasons. Conduct a strategic assessment and involve experienced law 
enforcement experts in the assessment process. Be sure you have both political 
and grassroots community support, and make sure your community can afford 
to sustain a department over the long term. The next chapter provides additional 
guidelines for translating the results of your strategic analysis into final decisions 
about starting a new department and the scope of services that the department 
realistically can offer. 


Chapter 3
Laying the Groundwork
Once a strategic analysis is complete and all the available options have 
been reviewed, a decision can be made about whether to start a new 
agency. But deciding yes or no is just the beginning of the decision-
making processthe starting point for a whole new set of questions, some of 
which need to be answered by public officials, some by the citizens, and some 
by the chief of the new department. This chapter looks at the first steps to 
take after deciding to start a new police department, up through the hiring and 
installation of a police chief. Chapter 4 addresses the many additional details that 
must be handled by the new chief before a department can begin operations. 

Deciding to Go Forward 

Simply because the elected officials have the authority to create a new police 
department, the role of community members in the decision-making process 
should not be overlooked. Community support is essential for the long-term 
viability of the department, and citizens should feel they have a stake in the 
agency from the earliest planning phases. Chapter 2 discussed several ways 
in which citizens can participate in the strategic analysis process. In some 
communities, it may also be important to hold a referendum on the creation 
of the department so that citizens do not feel that the mayor or a few council 
members are imposing it on them. Other communities may not feel it is 
necessary to hold a formal vote outside of the council vote but will still need to 
solicit community opinion on the type of department that will be created. 

Setting the Scope of Services 

The strategic analysis you conduct (see Chapter 2) should enable you to 
determine the scope of services and style of police department the community 
needs, wants, and can afford. At the most basic level, this means deciding if 
the department should provide 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week patrol coverage. This 
may not be necessary in your community as long as peak times are covered and 
provisions are made for emergency response during off-duty hours. 

21 



Chapter 3: Laying the Groundwork 
The community needs to be well informed about the size and scope of the 
future department. If residents and businesses are expecting highly visible, 24-
It also means drafting a rough budget plan for both the start-up phase and 
projections for the first year or two of operations. While most decisions about 
department operations cannot be made until a chief is hired, guidelines for 
scope of services and budgeting should be ready to give to the chief, providing a 
framework within which the new chief will set the tone and work out the details. 

It can be challenging to make these sorts of decisions if you do not have a law 
enforcement background. How many officers are necessary if the community 
wants 24-hour patrol? How much do patrol cars cost? What other equipment 

is indispensable to police 

Survey Results: Patrol Service Hours operations? Sometimes it 

may be necessary to make 

Patrol service covering 24 hours a day, 7 a best guess, but it helps to 

days a week is not what defines a police talk to other communities 

department as an independent entity. Of of a similar size in the 

the start-up agencies that participated in the region that have police 

survey, only 38 percent said they provide departments. The chiefs and 

services in their community 24 hours a day, community leaders in these 

7 days week. Calls for service that come jurisdictions can advise 

in when the department is not on duty you on potential costs 

were handled in a variety of ways. Some associated with operating 

departments have calls diverted to other a department in your 

agencies, and some have officers on call who area. They will also have 

can be reached by dispatchers or even directly experience in coordinating 

by citizens. services with various county 

and state police agencies. 

hour-a-day patrol coverage, but the council is budgeting for one chief and one or 
two additional officers with ongoing support from your current service provider, 
the community may be disappointed in the new department. Make sure that 
everyone understands and buys into the same plan now to prevent these 
misunderstandings. 

Negotiating the Transition Period 

You will also need to develop a timeline for the planning phase and begin 
negotiations for police services during the transition. If the existing service 
provider is not enthusiastic about the prospect of the new department (maybe 
because it is losing a contract), try to cultivate cooperation by emphasizing 
your vision for a working relationship that can benefit everyone in the long run. 
If your local jurisdiction is incorporating, and the incorporation will take effect 
before the police department is operational, be sure that current police services 
will continue until the new department is ready. It is possible that the countys 
responsibility to provide police services may end the day the local jurisdiction is 
formally incorporated. 


Chapter 3: Laying the Groundwork 23
In calculating a timeline for transition, remember that most of the detailed 
planning will not be possible until after a chief is hired. Time must be allotted 
up front for recruiting, screening, and selecting the chief. The new chief should 
also be allowed adequate time between his or her starting date and the date the 
agency is expected to be operational. Successful start-up departments advise 
that this should be 6 months at the minimum. 

Hiring a Chief 

Selecting the departments first chief is perhaps the most critical decision your 
local government will make. Resources are available to help guide communities 
through the selection of a chief, and several aspects of the process (discussed 
below) are of particular importance to new agencies. 

Form a search committee. In addition to the city, town, or county manager 
and other officials, someone with substantial law enforcement experience, such 
as a local police chief or sheriff, should 
be included on the search committee. One resource for helping 
His or her experience will be extremely communities choose the right 
valuable both for recruiting candidates police chief is Selecting a Police 
and evaluating their credentials. Chief: A Handbook for Local 
(Some jurisdictions use a professional Government. Published in 1999, 
executive search firm to conduct the this handbook was part of a joint 
initial advertising and screening and effort of the Police Executive 
present a list of candidates to the search Research Forum (PERF) and 
committee.) Also consider including on the International City/County 
the search committee representatives of Management Association. It can 
the local business community and citizens be purchased through the PERF 
groups. This will help create a sense of web site: www.policeforum.org. 
ownership of the new department in the 
community. 

Decide what kind of experience is needed. The selection process should 
place high importance on the individuals management experience and 
style of policing. Consider how those qualities match with your community, 
the proposed scope of the agency, and the environment in which it will 
operate (rural, suburban, urban). It is possible that candidates from large city 
departments (with lots of support personnel) would be overwhelmed in a 
smaller department where the chief needs to personally take on tasks that 
would be delegated in larger organizations. 

The new chief needs to have not only police management experience but also 
the aptitude and energy to develop a new department from the ground up. The 
chief will be making decisions about everything for the first few months, from 
policies to equipment purchases to the color of uniforms. Not everyone is good 


at making these sorts of detailed decisions; some people prefer to work within 
an existing structure while others thrive on the opportunity to create something 
new. 

Chapter 3: Laying the Groundwork 
The prospective chief candidates should also know to whom they will report 
in the city or town organization. This relationship will be a major factor in a 
candidates decision to accept the job. 

Conduct a background investigation. Choose the candidate the committee 
feels is going to develop the right department for the community. Make a 
provisional, confidential verbal offer to your best choicecontingent on a 
successful negotiation, background check, and medical examination. Make 
sure the offer is confidential so that the other finalists remain interested in 
the position in case your first selection doesnt work out. Once the individual 
indicates that he or she will accept your offer, conduct a thorough medical 
and psychological examination (most agencies dont impose a polygraph 
examination on an experienced police manager) and a background investigation. 
The state police, sheriff, or police agency in a neighboring jurisdiction, a city or 
town attorney, or a reputable private investigator might handle the background 
investigation. The investigation should be more thorough than just reviewing 
historical records; the investigator should interview officials and review in person 
applicable personnel files from the candidates previous agency and city or 
county. So much authority and trust will be placed in the chiefs hands that it is 
critical to know the person you are hiring. 

Review training credentials. The chosen candidates training credentials should 
be reviewed against state standards, especially if the candidate is coming from 
another state. One chief in our study noted that because he was hired from 
out of state, he had to complete 95 hours of training and pass a 300-question 
exam in the new state before he could start working. Even if the candidate 
is hired from within the state, there still may be mandatory training or some 
other requirement, and your community should be prepared to cover related 
expenses. Another chief transferring from within state, for example, was 
required by state law to retake a personality test before the hiring process could 
be completed. 

Negotiate terms of a contract. Jurisdictions in some states have a practice of 
hiring top city or town officials, such as a police chief, to work at will; other 
jurisdictions prefer using contracts. If the local jurisdictions laws and policies 
permit, it is helpful to hire the chief for an established period of years with 
specified termsand put it all in writing. Some of the important terms include 
salary, benefits, severance package, and performance expectations. 
Let the chief get to work. The new chief should be provided with a basic plan 
outlining the desired scope of the department, available budget, decision-making 
authority to hire officers and staff, a timeline to establish the department, and 
the trust of local government leadership that he or she can get the job done. This 


is the time to step back and let the chief assume leadership in creating the new 
department. The city/town manager should expect open communication and 
provide support but should also give the chief the freedom to exercise authority 
and handle responsibilities. 

Chapter 3: Laying the Groundwork 25
First Steps for the New Chief 

Armed with the communitys vision, the chief is now responsible for creating a 
detailed implementation plan for the new department. A recurring theme among 
many survey respondents was not to underestimate the variety and complexity 

of the many administrative tasks that 
need to be done before operations can 
Budgeting Resources begin. Along with the implementation 
plan, a detailed budget is needed for 

Police Executive Research Forum: 

the transition phase as well as for the 
Police Department Budgeting: first few years of operation. Three-year 

Guide for Law Enforcement Chief 

budget forecasting is recommended. If 

Executives.

grant funds are being used to start the 
department, the council and finance 
International Association of officer must work with the chief to 
Chiefs of Police: Police Chiefs 

identify funding sources that will replace 
Desk Reference: Guide for Newly 
the grants in the future. In addition 
to anticipating increases in the cost Appointed Police Leaders.
of salaries and benefits, fuel costs, 


officer, the new chief will need time to recruit and hire additional officers and 
nonsworn staff. A phased approach is recommended over trying to hire the 
entire staff at once. It will be important to the chief to get at least one additional 
person on board as quickly as possible to help with the planning process and 
initial administrative tasks. Additional staff could be brought on incrementally as 
training schedules and workload permit. 


equipment replacement, and other operating expenses, budget forecasts may 
also need to account for capital outlays for facility expansion or acquisition. 
If your local government planned for a police department with more than one 

Chapter 3: Laying the Groundwork 
Promoting the New Department


From the beginning, local government 
leaders and the chief should promote 
the new department to the community. 
It should not come as a surprise to 
anyone the first time a new patrol car 
drives through the community. Once the 
new chief is in place, marketing the new 
department can begin to ramp up in 
intensity as the countdown to the start 
of patrol operations begins. 
Keep the community informed 
throughout the planning and 
implementation phases. Newsletters, articles in local papers, community 
meetings, briefings of government and community leaders, and web sites are 
excellent ways of letting the community know about completed and remaining 
tasks. The COPS-funded communities that responded to the national survey on 
start-up agencies used a variety of promotional techniques, from hosting crime-
prevention seminars to conducting fundraisers for equipment purchases. The 
common theme was that the agencies constantly worked to introduce their staff 
and their services to the community. This is important so that on the day the 
lights are turned on in the new department, citizens are aware that services 
have begun. 
Marketing Ideas 
Ideas for promoting a police 
department are discussed in the 
September 2004 issue of Police 
Chief. The article, Marketing the 
Smaller Agency, addresses the 
ability of agencies to maintain 
good public relations through 
ongoing marketing efforts. 
Finding full support from local city councils and communities is essential. 
Keeping everybody informed on progress and upcoming events is also very 
important. Inform the community about programs and services the police 
department is providing and the benefits of each. 
Steps should be taken to involve the public from the beginning of the 
planning phase, through the funding and to actual start-up. Early community 
involvement helps to ensure community support. 
National Survey Respondent 

Chapter 4
Handling the Details
There are hundreds of details to address during the transition phasethe 
time between when the chief is hired and when the department begins 
patrol operations. This chapter does not cover them all or tell what 
decisions to make, but it does point out critical areas for decision-making, with 
the goal of helping the community and the new agency ask the right questions. 
References to other guides that analyze various options are included to further 
aid in the decision-making process. 

The order in which tasks should be undertaken will not be the same for every 
department. Once you know what decisions must be made before starting 
operations, key personnel can create an implementation timeline identifying 
when each item should be addressed. 

Administrative Decisions 

Vision/Mission Statements. This is the time to translate the communitys 
vision for the new department into a mission statement that reflects the 
departments philosophy and values. It should not state how the department will 


Creating a Mission Statement 
A mission statement might broadly address the following: 
Departments constituencies 
Departments responsibilities to its constituencies and their 
responsibilities 
to the department 
Departments role in the criminal justice system 
Departments role in the community. 
The mission statement used by the Marco Island Police Department: 
The mission for each member of the Marco Island Police Department is to 
consistently seek and find ways to affirmatively promote, preserve, and deliver 
a feeling of security, safety, and quality services to all persons within the City of 
Marco Island. 
 
 
 
 
 
27



Chapter 4: Handling the Details 
function or even its goals and objectives, but it is more than a framed piece of paper 
hanging on the wall. It should convey a commitment to the communitys desire for 
a certain style of policing. When it captures both the departments and communitys 
visions, it serves as a constant reminder of that vision and provides a framework 
for developing goals, policies, and strategies. In creating a mission statement for 
the department it may be helpful to look at examples from other agencies. Many 
departments prominently place their mission statements on their agency websites. 
Some examples of mission statements include: 

The mission of the Department is to work in partnership with the residents 
and businesses of the community to provide a safe and secure environment 
through the delivery of fair and impartial police services, proactive problem 
solving, and increased community partnerships.1 

We, the men and women of thedepartment, are dedicated to providing 
excellent service through partnerships that build trust, reduce crime, create a 
safe environment, and enhance the quality of life in our community. We are 
committed to these principles: Integrity, Respect, Fairness, and Service.2 

TheDepartment, in cooperation with the residents of the Townstrive 
to preserve the Quality of Life which all of its citizens presently enjoy. The 
Department is committed to providing law enforcement services, along 
with Education and Prevention programs that assist and are related to the 
prevention of crime and safety of its citizens.3 

Strategic plan. It also is important to develop a strategic plan for the department. 
It does not have to be overly complex, but it should be developed with community 
input, committed to writing, state how and when major milestones are expected to 
be achieved, and reflect the values and priorities implicit in the vision and mission 
statements. Even a very basic strategic plan will help all new department members 
better understand their roles and responsibilities. In addition, an organization chart 
will clarify lines of supervision and accountability for agency personnel and the 
community. The International Association of Law Enforcement Planners (www.ialep. 
org) can provide examples of strategic plans and job descriptions. 

1. 
Police Department. City of Fairhope, Alabama. 06 July 6, 2006. www.cofairhope.com/index.html. 
2. 
Mission Statement. Dudley (Connecticut) Police Department. 2002. 06 July 2006. www.dudleypolice.com/index.htm. 
3. 
The Town of Freedom Police Department. Town of Freedom, Wisconsin. July 6, 2006. www.townoffreedom.org/index.htm. 



Chapter 4: Handling the Details 29
Job descriptions. Recruitment and 

hiring cannot be done effectively 
without written job descriptions. 
The chief will need to determine 
the key duties, responsibilities, 
expectations, and minimum 
qualifications for each position in 
the department. Related to this, 
written rules of conduct should be 
developed that clearly state the 
expected behavior of all personnel. 
Policies and procedures. One 
of the major tasks to complete 
before the department becomes 
operational is the creation of certain 
critical policies and procedures. 
During the transition phase, the 
chief should take responsibility for 
writing policies that involve high-
risk operations and activities (where liability for improper actions can be costly), 
such as standards of professional conduct, use of force, vehicle pursuit, arrest 
processing, property and evidence control, internal investigations, and others. 
Additional policies and procedures more administrative in nature can be phased 
in during the first year with the participation of officers as they are hired. 
A number of resources and model policies are available to help the chief in the 
drafting process, including the states police standards and training commission, 
which can usually provide state-specific model policies. The policies and 
procedures of neighboring jurisdictions, as well as those developed by national 
Police Policies 
The IACP National Law Enforcement Policy 
Center helps develop and refine policies and has 
produced a wide variety of model policies. Each 
policy is created by experts, incorporates findings 
from research, and is written for practitioners. 
For more information: www.theiacp.org/pubinfo/ 
PolCtr.htm. 
The Commission on Accreditation for Law 
Enforcement (CALEA) administers a voluntary 
accreditation process that includes professionally 
recognized criteria for excellence in management 
and service delivery. For more information about 
developing the new agency within the framework 
of accreditation: www.calea.org. 
police professional organizations, are also excellent resources. 

Report forms. The department will also need to create or adopt a number 
of critical forms such as for reporting incidents, arrests, investigations, field 
contacts, and traffic citations and accidents. In some instances, common forms, 
such as traffic accident reports, may be available from the county or state. 
Depending on agreements made with county or state police for handling certain 
incidents, it may be necessary for your agency to create or adopt forms that are 
compatible with those of the other agencies. Report forms should be designed 
in conjunction with development of the agencys proposed records management 
system. 


Chapter 4: Handling the Details 
Our biggest problem encountered is 
having a court system in place with 
court days two times per month. Prior 
to [our departments creation], 2 days 
a month might have been adequate, 
but we are currently 4 months behind 
in arraignments. Make sure your court 
system is ready to handle an increased 
load of criminal matters. 
National Survey Respondent 
near the state line) agencies in other states. These agreements will help ensure 
that assistance is readily available and that the lines of authority are clear in the 
event of emergencies and in other situations, such as vehicle pursuits across 
geographic borders, investigations of complex crimes, and public safety at large 
events. Issues relating to the jurisdictional authority of the new agencys officers 
in the county also should be resolved. Some sheriffs grant full law enforcement 
authority throughout the county to municipal officers; others may not. 
Working relationships and agreements also need to be established between the 
new department and other criminal justice system agencies. How will incidents 
from the new department affect the prosecutors office or court dockets? Is the 
county jail prepared to book and process suspects brought in by your officers? 
How will the new agency receive interjurisdictional teletypes or other forms of 
communication? Have the state and the Federal Bureau of Investigation formally 
recognized the agency for purposes of filing or accessing criminal records? Are 
Example: New Tribal Department Develops Agreements with Sheriff 
Working relationships with neighboring jurisdictions can quickly become 
valuable for all involved agencies, not just the new department. The 
Pokagon Tribal Police Department (Michigan) is responsible for tribal lands 
spread over 10 counties in two states. With only six officers, coordination 
with county agencies is essential for providing services to those living 
on tribal lands, but the new agency has also proved beneficial to other 
communities. The officers are cross-deputized with county sheriff deputies 
in three Michigan counties and are regularly called to provide back-up for 
those agencies. 
Pokagon noted that with the new police department, the tribal community 
is definitely better off, and so are the surrounding countiesthese agencies 
are thankful that we exist. The department is also negotiating mutual-aid 
compacts with counties in Indiana. 
Interagency agreements. Effective 
policing requires the cooperation of 
many agencies. The new chief will 
need time to develop relationships 
with other departments within the 
jurisdiction and agencies in the 
region, and to establish policies 
and protocols for how incidents will 
be handled and which department 
will have primary responsibility. 
Mutual aid and voluntary 
cooperation agreements should be 
developed with neighboring police 

departments, the sheriffs office, the state police, and (if your community is 


you planning special enforcement actions that potentially could increase the jail 
population or court docket (e.g., crackdown on underage drinking)? 

Chapter 4: Handling the Details 31
Protocols are also needed for working with fire/EMS, animal control, and code 
enforcement. Occasions will also arise when police need to work with children 
and family services, probation and parole, and the local school system. Officers 
will need a list of the appropriate personnel at various agencies and contact 
information. 

If parts of the community are located on private roads, arrangements must be 
made to give officers access so that they can enforce certain laws (e.g., issue 
parking citations); and geographical jurisdiction and boundaries need to be 
researched and verified. On roads that border other communities, is it important 
to know where your jurisdiction ends. 

Department identity. This also is the time 
to make decisions about the departments 
badge and insignia or logo. This might 
seem minor, but the emblem will appear on 
officer uniforms, cars, and other identifying 
items. The police emblem will often include 
a preexisting city or town logo. It has to 
be unique so that it can be distinguished 
from that of the sheriffs office or another 
local police department. Many jurisdictions 
purposely choose to make their cars and 
uniforms look different from those of 
the past law enforcement providers for a 
sharper, obvious distinction. The emblem 
will be a source of pride for the officers and 
will help establish the departments identity within the community. Once the 
emblem has been adopted, use it in marketing the new department. 

Developing an Identity 
An emblem is a very identifiable part 
of a police departments image and the 
symbol of the image the department 
wants the public to see. Creating 
this image starts with the mission 
statement, but it is an ongoing process 
that is discussed further in an April 2004 
Police Chief magazine article, Branding 
Your Agency: Creating the Police 
Departments Image. 
Keeping the public informed. To sustain community support beyond the 
transition phase, it is important to continue to communicate with the public. 
Here are some ideas for communication in the implementation phase: 

 
Create a department web siteusually a section on the local 
governments web site. 
 
Distribute information cards that include the departments telephone 
number. 
 
Hold community meetings to update citizens on progress and give 
them a chance to meet officers. 
 
Negotiate with the local newspaper for space for a monthly column. 
Until patrol operations begin, the column can be used to keep readers 
informed of how plans are progressing. 



Chapter 4: Handling the Details 
Hiring 

Unless the plan calls for a one-person department, human resources activities 
will include recruiting and selecting additional personnel. Before operations 
begin, the chief should decide what positions must be filled and when the 
people should be hired. Phased-in hiring is recommended, rather than trying 
to fill all positions at once. Taking the time to carefully screen and select all 
candidates will benefit the department in the long term. A good fit between the 
officers and the community will result in longer lasting officer retention. 

Before You Hire 

As noted earlier, before recruiting new officers and civilian staff, the chief 
needs to develop position descriptions detailing the duties and responsibilities 
of each position, along with job titles, ranks, and pay grades. State mandates 
may require a civil service process. A fringe benefits package also needs to be 
developed, which alone could prove time-consuming unless there is an existing 
plan for local government employees that police officers can join. Another 
consideration is whether the department will assign take-home cars, which 
many officers consider an attractive benefit. 

Decisions must also be made about shift work; for example, will officers work 4 
days a week and 10 hours a day or 5 days a week and 8 hours a day? How will 
overtime be compensated consistent with Fair Labor Standards Act mandates? 

If the chief hires officers during the transition phase, funds for these salaries 
must be accounted for in the transition budget, not just as part of the ongoing 
operational budget. Finally, background investigations will be needed for each 
new employee and, although they can cost a few thousand dollars per person, 
they are well worth it. 

Give consideration to whether your jurisdiction will impose a residency 
requirement on new officers. While there are arguments both in favor of and 
against residency requirements, the requirement might restrict your potential 
applicant pool. 

Recruiting and Selecting Officers 

Recruiting officers for a new department 
may be more difficult than it would be for 
an established department, particularly in an 
environment where there are more positions 
than there are qualified candidates to fill them. 
Consider why someone would want to join 
a new department. What opportunities will 
they have if they take a position? In joining a 

Selecting Officers 
Not sure how to select the 
best candidate for the job? A 
review of existing research 
on methods for selecting 
police personnel is in Law 
Enforcement Selection: 
Research, available at: 
www.policeforum.org. 

new department, new officers are being asked to risk whether that agency will 
still exist in a few years. They are also being asked to join an organization that is 
just developing its corporate culture. This can be an advantage, but potential 
candidates may conclude that working for an established department has fewer 
risks and will give them better experience. Be prepared to answer their concerns 
and to highlight advantages, such as the chance to help create an organization 
from the ground up and work directly with the executive decision maker, rather 
than going through layers of supervisors. 

Chapter 4: Handling the Details 33
For the departments start up, it is 
desirable to focus recruiting efforts on 
individuals with prior law enforcement 
experience. In particular, your agency 
should try to target individuals who have 
current law enforcement certifications 
within the state. This will greatly reduce 
recruit training costs. Certain precautions 
should also be taken, however, in hiring 
veteran officers. Ask about reasons for 
leaving their current employer. Verify their 
responses with the employers and check 
their history of interpersonal relationships, 
performance, and other records related to 
the job. 

Selecting candidates for a new department 
involves other unique considerations. There 
will be many tasks in starting a department 
that officers in long-established agencies never 
face, so qualities like initiative, flexibility, and 
problem-solving skills will be important. Like the 
chief, these initial officers will set the tone for 
the department. All hires should understand the 
communitys expectations of the department and 
be willing to support the style of policing that the 
leadership has chosen to pursue. 

Survey Results: Hiring 
The Marco Island (Florida) Police 
Department found that there were 
many benefits to hiring officers 
with previous experience. Budget 
limitations left little time or money 
for recruit training, so new hires 
had to be already trained. These 
experienced officers were also able 
to assist in drafting policies and 
procedures and in the selection of 
equipment and supplies. 
Survey Results: Retention 
Retention is a concern not just 
when it comes to line officers. 
The police departments surveyed 
for this guide had been in 
existence an average of 5 years 
and indicated that, on average, 
they had already had two chiefs. 
Other Considerations 

Officer retention should be a concern from the outset. Are the compensation 
packages reasonable compared to neighboring agencies? What sort of pay raise 
and promotional system will the department have? A great deal of time and 
money is needed to train and certify each new officer and orient him or her to 
the community. How will the department handle vacancies when hired officers 
leave the new agency? Keeping turnover to a minimum represents a significant 
cost savings to the department. 


Chapter 4: Handling the Details 
Depending on your state, it might also be necessary to work with an existing 
employees union during the implementation of the department. 


Facility Planning 
For more information on police 
facilities, see the International 
Association of Chiefs of Polices 
Police Facility Planning Guidelines. 
The document can be found 
under Research Reports 
at: www.theiacp.org/pubinfo/ 
researchcenterdox.htm.
Facility Decisions 

Early in the planning stages, the 
departments facility needs and 
options for available space must be 
assessed. Most new departments 
start by sharing a facility with another 
government agency. Whether the 
department takes over a currently 
unused space or has budgeted for 
new construction, many of the same 
considerations need to be addressed. 
For example, the facility should do the following: 

 
Comply with building, health, and zoning codes. 
 
Be accessible and hospitable to the public. This includes compliance 
with Americans with Disabilities Act standards. 
 
Be easy to secure. 
 
Provide suitable working space and furniture for all employees. A 
substandard working environment may have a negative effect on staff 
retention. 
 
Include appropriate space for interviews; secure, fireproof records 
storage; lockers for armory and equipment storage; and lunch or 
coffee breaks. 
 
Provide parking space for fleet vehicles, employees, and visitors. 
 
Provide a secure room for evidence storage. Within the secure 
room, there should be 
a locked safe for storing 
confiscated weapons, drugs, 
and money. Some states have 
legal mandates concerning 
evidence storage and evidence 
transport. 


 
Have sufficient infrastructure 
to support telephone lines, 
computer networks, electricity, 
and HVAC. 
 
Make arrangements for 
maintenance and cleaning. 


Survey Results: Facilities 
Most start-up police agencies that 
responded to the survey were not 
in a newly-built facility. More than 
70 percent made use of existing 
office space shared with other local 
government departments, typically in 
the city or town hall, although other 
locations included the volunteer fire 
department, post office, and library. 
Finally, there should be room to grow: factor into decision making the 
departments long-range plans for staffing and anticipated expansion. 


Chapter 4: Handling the Details 35
Equipment 

To be ready to begin operations, equipment must be procured during the 
planning phase. Vehicles, radios (including radio frequencies and coverage), 
uniforms, computers, gear (flashlights, belts, body armor, helmets), and 
weapons (guns and less lethal weapons such as chemical spray and tasers) 
must be acquired before the department can operate safely and efficiently. The 
types of guns and less lethal weapons must be consistent with community 
needs, officers must receive adequate training in their use, and technical 
support should be available (rangemasters/armorers). 

A number of decisions must be made before acquiring vehicles. Will the 
local government buy or lease the fleet vehicles? If buying, will the vehicles 
be new or used? Once acquired, an experienced mechanic must equip the 
vehicles for police use (prisoner restraints, mounts for special weapons, radios, 
computers, light bars). Can the local government save money by participating 
in a multiagency purchasing plan? Will the cars be part of a pool, or will officers 
take their cars home? Does the jurisdictions geographic setting require different 
kinds of transportation (boats, four-wheel drives, bicycles, motorcycles)? 
If the community experiences flooding or has many unpaved roads, for 
example, vehicles with higher ground clearance may be needed. In addition, 
timelines need to anticipate delays in the procurement process. Trade shows 
and conferences sponsored by state or national police associations provide 
opportunities to see available technologies and interview multiple vendors. 

The budget must provide funds to replace consumables as they are used 
(office supplies, gasoline for the fleet, and ammunition [for practice required to 
maintain firearms certification]). The budget also must include calculations for 
ongoing fleet maintenance costs (engine maintenance, body and equipment 
repair, cleaning) and must differentiate among one-time expenses, yearly 
recurring expenses, and those with a fixed replacement time span. 

Training 

The departments training needs will affect both the budget and day-to-day 
operations. Often, police budgets do not adequately account for the time 
that officers need for the training that enables them to stay current with law 
changes, acquire specialized skills, or maintain certifications in areas such as 
firearms, CPR, impact weapons, and hazardous materials requirements. The 
time required for this training is time not spent on patrol; therefore, will training 
occur during scheduled work hours or on an overtime basis? Managing work 
schedules when officers are away at training is a challenge for any department. 
During start-up, hiring experienced veterans is an efficient way to reduce recruit 
training costs; but all officers, regardless of experience, will still require some 
level of in-service and specialized training. State-mandated in-service training 



requirements must be reviewed and plans developed for all officers to complete 
the necessary hours. At the beginning, the department may have to rely on 
outside resources, such as a regional police academy or sheriffs department, for 
in-service training. Cultivating relationships with other agencies in the area can 
help manage training costs. As department officers become certified trainers in 
specialized areas, more training needs can be met in house, reducing the time 
and financial burdens on the department. 

Chapter 4: Handling the Details 
Operating Plans 

In addition to policies and procedures, the department needs operating 
plans that explicitly state how it will function day by day, and how adequate 
supervision will be providedto prevent crime, respond to calls for service, 
assist crime victims, and address other public safety goals of the department. 
This includes emergency preparedness plans because a major emergency 
(flood, hurricane, tornado, terrorist attack) could occur at any time, and the public 
will expect a competent response from its police department. 

Developing work schedules and shift assignments is only one part of creating 
an operating plan. For example, what will officers be doing when they are 
not responding to calls or fulfilling other obligations like court appearances? 
Residents and business managers appreciate police visibility, but patrolling 
randomly is seldom effective in preventing or solving crime. Questions related to 
developing operating plans include the following: 

 
In what areas should directed patrol and special enforcement efforts 
be concentrated? 
 
Will officers be required to stop and walk or stop and talk as part 
of their routine duties? 
 
What priority concerns were identified through community 
participation and data analysis during the assessment and planning 
processes and how should officers address those concerns each day 
or every week? 
 
Will officers be assigned to permanent geographic areas (i.e., beats) 
and be expected to identify and address the chronic crime and 
disorder problems on those beats? 


In short, your operating plan should include a community policing plan, because 
community policing does not just happen, even when everybody knows 
everybody. It involves deliberate efforts on the part of police and residents to 
solve problems together. It does not have to involve creating special programs, 
but it does require planning, specific actions, and time. Thus, the chiefs 
operating plan will need to include (1) guidance and direction for officers in using 
community policing strategies to accomplish public safety goals, and (2) blocks 
of time in which officers can actually use those strategies. 


Chapter 4: Handling the Details 37
The operating plan also needs to ensure that there is enough support for major 
incidents, such as traffic fatalities, chemical spills, or bomb threats; and that 
additional resources will be available to provide public safety at special events 
(festivals and fairs, sporting events, July 4th celebrations). Determine the 
procedure for calling in support from other agencies that have the appropriate 
resources (see discussion on mutual aid agreements). Creating operating 
plans also entails arranging support for complex cases, including cases that 
require specialized training and time-consuming follow-up investigations, such 
as homicide, arson, computer crimes, fatal traffic accidents, or serial sexual 
assaults. Procedures should be in place so that everyone knows when to call 
other agencies and which agencies to call under different circumstances. 

Measuring performance. How will the department and community know if the 
operating plans are effective? An important part of operational planning includes 
documenting what has been done and with what results. This may includebut 
should go beyondeasy-to-count things that measure police activity such as the 
number of speeding tickets, number of arrests, and number of calls for service. 
Early on, the new chief should make every effort to develop baseline crime 
statistics for each neighborhood in the community to document improvements 
and trends. 

If officers spend time working with community members to solve problems and 
prevent crimes, the department should document and describe those efforts 
and measure their effectiveness. Quantitative measures are valuablenumber 
of block watch groups formed, number of school presentations, number of 
business security surveysand so are success stories. If a community survey 
was conducted as part of the planning process, a follow-up survey could be 
administered (e.g., after a full year of operation) to help document changes in 
public perceptions of policing services, crime, and fear of crime. 

Performance measures are an excellent way of continually assessing how 
well the department is meeting its goals. They provide accountability to the 
community and are essential for demonstrating the departments worth and 
effectiveness when the city or town council considers the departments budget. 

Support Functions 

This section discusses several essential functions that new or smaller 
departments may handle themselves but that are more frequently outsourced 
to other agencies, such as the county police or sheriffs department or a regional 
service. In some instances, it might be necessary to contract for these support 
functions. 



Chapter 4: Handling the Details 
Lock-ups 

Even if the departments long-range plan includes maintaining a secure facility (a 
lock-up) to house arrested persons until they can be transported to the county 
jail, this function should not be included in the initial operating plan. Adequate 
and appropriate space is needed, which can further complicate the selection of 
space for the departments facility. Also, the numerous requirements and state 
mandates associated with maintaining a lock-up would be difficult for a new 
department to manage. In addition, maintaining a lock-up imposes significant 
liability concerns that otherwise would not be a factor for the local government 
(e.g., suicide in the lock-up). A major consideration is the strain that lock-up 
supervision requirements would place on the patrol schedule. The department 
will need to consider the travel time required to process arrested persons into 
the county jail and factor this into scheduling arrangements. For example, if the 
only person on patrol at certain hours makes an arrest that requires booking at 
the county jail, the travel and processing time could result in a significant period 
when no officer is available to respond to calls for service. 

Communications and Dispatch


Survey Results: 
Communications and 
Dispatch 
Sixty percent of the surveyed 
agencies said they participate 
in a regional 911 system for 
dispatch services, and that they 
do not pay a fee for this service. 
About 20 percent contract 
for dispatching services. The 
remaining 20 percent run their 
own dispatch, although not 
necessarily full time or with 
the help of a computer-aided 
dispatch (CAD) system. 
Communications and dispatch 
equipment requires a significant 
capital investment that is out of reach 
for many local governments that are 
starting up police agencies. In addition 
to purchasing hardware equipment and 
software, staffing a dispatch center adds 
significantly to the total costs. Receiving 
services from an existing communications 
center run by the county police or sheriff 
or a regional service is the most efficient 
option. Often, the services are provided 
at no charge beyond the equipment 
purchases necessary to link to the existing 
system. In other instances, the dispatch 
services may be provided for a fee. Make 
these determinations early enough in 
the planning process so that any service 
fees can be properly accounted for in the 
operating budget. 


Chapter 4: Handling the Details 39
Other issues, such as the following, also must be addressed before a new 
department can participate in an existing communications center: 

 
What kind of technology is required to link to the communications 
system (for radio, voice, and data communications)? Will you install 
laptop computers in the police vehicles? 
 
Will the communications center have an advisory board that will allow 
representation from your local government? 
 
Will your new chief have any input regarding dispatching policies? 
 
Can dispatching priorities and policies be customized for your police 
department? 


Another critical communications issue is interoperability. The expectation in 
policing today is that radio and data systems will be able to talk to each other 

counties should work on these issues. 

A 911 communications center is not the 
only way in which citizens can contact the Call Response Strategies 
police. For nonemergencies, your agency 
will need a general telephone number Discussions of alternative call 
and a system to route calls to officers in response strategiessuch 
the field when the office is not staffed. as telephone and Internet 
To prevent potential delays, especially in reportingare found in Call 
redirecting 911 calls to the appropriate Management and Community 
agency, the chief will need to coordinate Policing: Guidebook for Law 
early on with the local telephone company Enforcement, available from the 
and cell phone service providers. The chief COPS Office. 
and community leaders will also need to 
consider developing and advertising various 

in real time in the field. Appropriate communications officials in the states and 
alternative call response and reporting strategies (e.g., telephone or Internet 
reporting for certain kinds of nonemergencies) and consider staffing a reception 
desk for walk-in complaints, service requests, and queries. 

Records Management 

The local government also must determine how the new police department 
will store and manage recordshow officer incident reports will be entered 
into a computer system and accessed when needed. It would be more efficient 
to integrate the police departments records management into an existing 
local government computerized network, instead of purchasing a stand-alone 
system for the police. Certain information security considerations, however, may 
require that police have a separate records management system. A number of 
resources are available to help guide local governments in purchasing computer 
systems, as well as grant programs through both the COPS Office and the 
Department of Homeland Security that can assist in funding. 


Chapter 4: Handling the Details 
Resources on technology 
procurement: 
SEARCH Groups Law Enforcement 
Technology Guide: How to Plan, 
Purchase and Manage Technology 
(Successfully!), available from the COPS 
Office. 
Institute for Law and Justices Managing 
the Risks: Guide for Improving RFP 
and Procurement Practices in Justice 
Technology Acquisitions, available at 
www.ilj.org/publications. 
The local government may also 
consider interfacing records 
management with the county 
police, sheriff, or other regional 
system. Tying into existing records 
networks may be particularly 
advantageous for departments 
that will not have full-time patrol 
operations and will have to rely on 
assistance from other agencies 
during certain hours. In this 
case, be sure that the equipment 
and software purchased are 
compatible with the other systems 
and resolve data retrieval issues. 


Chapter 5
Summary Checklist
This guide will assist communities in developing police departments by 
highlighting important considerations and providing guidance on how 
to accomplish the task efficiently and effectively. Because of the great 
variation among communities, their needs, and their resources, no single plan 
will apply to all, but certain principles and practices are relevant across the 
board. Key questions that communities need to answer are summarized here. 

1. Conduct a Strategic Assessment 

The process of carefully documenting community needs should be 
the first step in deciding whether to create a new department. What 
are the crime problems and public safety needs of the community? 
Are they changing? Has the local government experienced an 
increase in population, or is it planning to incorporate as a new 
city or town? The strategic assessment should also include citizen 
input through community meetings, focus groups, or surveys. 

2. Review the Existing Service Plan and Develop Options 

Most local governments currently receive police services from 
either a county or state agency. Given the findings of the needs 
assessment in step one, above, how is the current agency meeting 
or not meeting community needs? Your analyses should include 
assessing data on current service demand and delivery, including 
response times, style of policing, and other issues. 

You need to review a range of options for policing your community. 
Perhaps meeting with the current police service provider to voice 
community concerns would be sufficient to start addressing those 
concerns. Establishing a contract for dedicated patrol services may 
be another feasible solution. If a service contract exists, perhaps it 
can be revised to meet changing needs. The advantage these county 
and state agencies have over a new, local police department is the 
availability of support services. After reviewing the options and 
discussing them with the existing service provider, you may decide 
that your best alternative is to start your own police department. 
Make sure you have community support for this decision. 


41



Chapter 5: Summary Checklist 
3. 
Hire a Chief 
If the decision is to create a new police department, one of the first 
steps will be to recruit and hire a chief. Throughout the planning 
phase, the chief will provide valuable assistance with the mission 
statement, policies, procedures, equipment procurement, officer 
hiring, and budgets. Having the chief on board early will help the 
community avoid major pitfalls in the planning process, particularly 
in how the police department should operate day to day and 
what is needed to ensure that the department can sustain itself. 

4. 
Prepare a Budget 
The local government should create the overall budget so the 
new chief knows what scope of services is expected for initial 
start-up and for the first years of operation. The chief, however, 
should review and refine this plan. A new department will not 
be able to do everything at once, but with a sound multiyear 
budget plan, it can set priorities and anticipate important issues. 

5. 
Negotiate Agreements with Other Agencies 
Negotiating agreements applies both to other police agencies and the 
rest of the criminal justice system because a new police department 
will have an impact on a number of agencies, such as the jail, courts, 
and various social services. The new department may provide 
comprehensive patrol services, for example, but agreements are 
needed for other services such as dispatching, investigative support, 
crime scene processing, and training. Many new departments may 
be unable to provide 24-hour service, 7 days a week; therefore, 
arrangements must be negotiated with other agencies to respond 
to calls for service during off-hours. In addition, it is essential for 
public and officer safety to have agreements in place that ensure 
appropriate coverage for both planned special events (e.g., large 
festivals) and unplanned events (e.g., hostage situations, natural 
disasters). 

6. 
Establish Critical Policies and Procedures 
Policies, procedures, and operating plans for daily operations are 
essential and must be in place at the outset so that the department 
and community understand exactly what the departments duties and 
responsibilities are. The chief is a valuable asset for drafting these 
policies and procedures and will also establish a style of policing for 
the department. Resources and examples from other departments 
can be used to assist in developing policy. 

Related to this, and before recruitment and hiring can begin, the chief 
must create a job description for each position in the department, 
along with an organization chart and rules of conduct. 


Chapter 5: Summary Checklist 43
7. 
Hire Officers and Support Staff 
All key personnel should be hired before operations officially begin 
to allow time for them to familiarize themselves with the department 
and community, complete required training, and obtain necessary 
certifications. The larger the department, the longer this recruitment 
process may take, and it may be prudent to hire in phases. 
Departments need to carefully consider the qualifications that 
candidates should meet, including the particular skills needed to help 
ensure the new departments success. Adequate wages and benefits 
are essential to recruit quality personnel, and while inexperienced 
officers can be hired for lower wages, experienced officers require 
significantly less training time. Finally, thorough background checks of 
all candidates must be conducted. 

8. 
Acquire Office Space, Equipment,Vehicles, and Supplies 
Before a new department can start patrol services, the basics should 
be in place: office space, furniture, telephones, office supplies, 
radios, record-keeping systems, uniforms, weapons, computers, and 
patrol cars. Equipment and supplies are itemized budget items and 
should be clearly stated as one-time, start-up expenses or ongoing 
expenses. 

9. 
Promote the Department 
Once the department is ready for operations, the focus will turn to 
providing police services. It is not safe to assume, however, that 
all citizens either will know the department exists or support it. 
Promotion is important both before and after the department begins 
operation. Officers should be visible, accessible, and work to educate 
the community on the services the agency provides. Community 
support can be encouraged through talks at schools and community 
group meetings, bike and foot patrols, crime-prevention programs, 
and other events that provide for two-way communication. Many 
of the activities that generally are grouped together as community 
policing activities are also excellent promotional tools for a new 
department. 



Chapter 5: Summary Checklist 
Conclusion 

Regardless of the size of the community, creating a new police department will 
be a major undertaking. While most COPS-funded start-up agencies found that 
the effort was worthwhile, most of the agencies interviewed felt there is no 
such thing as too much planning. 

As you prepare to create your police department, take the time to really think 
through all the steps before you start. Plan the budget carefully, talk to other 
local governments about how their departments operate, and work with 
community members throughout the process. Starting a new police department 
will likely take longer, be harder, and cost more than most people think, but it 
certainly is a way of ensuring that the policing needs of your community are met 
with the style and level of attention that the community desires. 

Some final thoughts from chiefs who have started police 
departments: 
Very expensive and time-consuming, but made a tremendous positive 
impact on the streets. Put a dent in drug activities. Made the town a 
more quiet and safe place. 
Plan ahead for maintaining the operation past the [financially] 
supported years. Once established, nothing can beat it. 
Keep the focus on the future and baby-step your way forward. And 
network. We all need help and our [network of police contacts] is 
always willing [to assist in providing guidance, support, and feedback]. 

References and Resources for Law Enforcement
Many of the publications and web sites listed here are intended for law 
enforcement professionals, but community members should also find 
them valuable in understanding the issues involved in planning and 
operating a police agency. 

Community Policing 

Perkins, Matt, Scott Phillips, Tammy Rinehart, Karin Schmerler, and Meg 
Townsend. Problem-Solving Tips: A Guide to Reducing Crime and Disorder 
through Problem-Solving Partnerships. Washington, D.C.: Office of Community 
Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, 1998. 

Rinehart, Tammy, Anna T. Lazlo, and Gwen O. Briscoe, Ph.D. Collaboration Toolkit: 
How to Build, Fix, and Sustain Productive Partnerships. Washington, D.C.: Office 
of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, 2005. 

Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. www.popcenter.org 

Schneider, Andrea, et. al. Community Policing in Action! A Practitioners-
Eye View of Organizational Change. Washington, D.C.: Office of Community 
Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, 2003. 

Scott, Michael S. Problem-Oriented Policing: Reflections on the First 20 Years. 
Washington, D.C.: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. 
Department of Justice, 2000. 

Ethics and Integrity 

Ethics Toolkit: Enhancing Law Enforcement Ethics in a Community Policing 
Environment. Arlington (Virginia): The International Association of Chiefs of 
Police. 

Walker, Samuel Ph.D. Early Intervention Systems for Law Enforcement. 
Washington, D.C.: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. 
Department of Justice, 2003. 

45 



Reference and Resources for Law Enforcement 
Walker, Samuel, Ph.D., Stacy Osnick Milligan, and Anna Berke. Supervision 
and Intervention within Early Intervention Systems: A Guide for L.E. Chief 
Executives. Washington, D.C.: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 

U.S. Department of Justice, 2005. 

Equipment and Facilities 

Bulletproof Vest Partnership/Body Armor Safety Initiative, Office of Justice 
Programs, U. S. Department of Justice. www.ojp.usdoj.gov 

International Association of Chiefs of Police. Police facility planning guidelines: 
A desk reference for law enforcement executives. Alexandria (Virginia) 
International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2002. 

Marketing 

Margolis, G. and N. March. Creating the Police Departments Image, Police 
Chief 71:4 (April 2004): pp 2527, 29,30, 3334. 

Sprafka, H. Marketing the Smaller Agency, Police Chief, 71:9 (September 
2004): pp 2025. 

Personnel, Leadership 

Aamodt, M.G. Law enforcement selection: Research summaries. Washington, 
D.C.: Police Executive Research Forum, 2004. 

Police Executive Research Forum. and International City/County Management 
Association. Selecting a police chief: A handbook for local government. 
Washington, D.C.: Police Executive Research Forum, 1999. 

International Association of Chiefs of Police. Police chiefs desk reference: A 
guide for newly appointed police leaders. Alexandria (Virginia): International 
Association of Chiefs of Police, 2004. 

International Association of Chiefs of Police. Leadership in Police Organizations 
(LPO) Program. www.theiacp.org 

Scott, M. Managing for success: Police chiefs survival guide. Washington, D.C.: 
Police Executive Research Forum, 1985. 

Scrivner, Ellen, Ph.D. Innovations in Police Recruitment and Hiring: Hiring in 
the Spirit of Service. Washington, D.C.: Office of Community Oriented Policing 
Services, U.S. Department of Justice, 2006. 


Reference and Resources for Law Enforcement 47
Policing Organizations (Web Sites) 

Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies: 

www.calea.org 
International Association of Chiefs of Police: www.theiacp.org 
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives: 

www.noblenational.org 
National Sheriffs Association: www.sheriffs.org 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U. S. Department of Justice: www. 

cops.usdoj.gov 

Police Executive Research Forum: www.policeforum.org 

Police Foundation: www.policefoundation.org 

Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. www.popcenter.org. Problem-oriented 
policing is designed to identify and remove the causes of recurring crime and 
disorder problems that harm communities. This website offers free publications 
and other resources to law enforcement practitioners and others interested readily 
accessible information about ways in which police can more effectively address 
specific crime and disorder problems. 

Strategic Planning, Policy Development 

Contracting for police services. Examples noted in this guide:

 Los Angeles Sheriffs Department: www.lasd.org/divisions/hqtrs/
contract_law.html
King County Sheriffs Office: www.metrokc.gov/sheriff/partners/
contract_program/details.aspx


International Association of Chiefs of Police. Legal Officers Section. www.theiacp. 
org (Resources regarding police agency liability can be accessed, including model 
policies, membership benefits, and current and previous columns of the Chiefs 
Counsel in Police Chief magazine.) 

International Association of Chiefs of Police. National Law Enforcement Policy 
Center: www.theiacp.org/pubinfo/PolCtr.htm 

International Association of Chiefs of Police,. Consolidating police services: An IACP 
planning approach. Alexandria (Virginia): International Association of Chiefs of Police, 
2003. 


Reference and Resources for Law Enforcement 
International Association of Law Enforcement Planners: www.ialep.org 

Kelling, G. and M. Wycoff, Evolving strategy of policing: Case studies of strategic 
change. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of 
Justice, 2001. 

Police Executive Research Forum, Police department budgeting: A guide for 
law enforcement chief executives. Washington, D.C: Police Executive Research 
Forum, 2002. 

Technology 

Harris, K. and W. Romesburg,. Law enforcement technology guide: How to plan, 
purchase, and manage technology (successfully!). Washington, D.C.: Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, 2002. 

McEwen, T., D. Spence, R. Wolff, J. Wartell, and B. Webster, Call management 
and community policing: A guidebook for law enforcement. Washington, D.C.: 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, 
2003. 

McEwen, Tom, et al., Case Studies on Acquisition of Information Technology for 
Law Enforcement. Fourteen case study reports on IT acquisition in the areas 
of CAD/ RMS, crime analysis and crime mapping, Intranet, criminal justice 
information systems, and wireless mobile data communications. Institute for 
Law and Justice, 2001. www.ilj.org/publications.htm 

Romesburg, William H. Law Enforcement Tech Guide for Small and Rural Police 
Agencies: a Guide for Executives, Managers, and Technologists. Washington, 
D.C.: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of 
Justice, 2005. 

SEARCH: The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics. 

www.search.org 


FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

U.S. Department of Justice 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 
1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W. 
Washington, DC 20530 

To obtain details on COPS programs, call the 
COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770 

Visit COPS Online at www.cops.usdoj.gov. 

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