HomeMy WebLinkAboutChula Vista PD Phase 2 Report FINAL 4-4-13
Analysis of the Police Department’s Supporting
Services
Phase 2 Report
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
201 San Antonio Circle, Suite 148
Mountain View, California 94040
v.650.858.0507 f.650.917.2310
April 4, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
2.
INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES
10
3.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
53
4. ANALYSIS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 88
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
Phase 2 Report of the Police Department’s Supporting Services
Matrix Consulting Group Page 1
1. INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This document is the Phase 2 report performed by the Matrix Consulting Group
(MCG) for the City of Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD). Phase 2 covers the
evaluation of various CVPD “Supporting Services” with the intent to meet the following
Scope of Work:
Task: Review and Evaluate Present Operations
1. Assess the current organizational structure relative to efficient and effective
management and communications. Analyze the management of CVPD including
planning, direction and supervision, internal inspection and control, fiscal
management, internal communications and policy development, policy
application.
2. Analyze the investigative division to determine staffing requirements and review
case management techniques:
a. Criminal Investigation Division: crimes of violence, property crimes and
family protection unit.
b. Special Investigations Unit: Narcotics Enforcement Team and police
regulated businesses/Licensing.
c. Cold Case investigations: Alternative staffing methods
3. Analyze the current staffing levels for other sworn and non-sworn support
functions.
4. Analyze the span of control for management and Command staff throughout the
organization.
5. Assess the potential for further use of civilian/volunteer positions in lieu of sworn
positions.
6. Assess the department’s use of technology and what improvements should be
made in order to improve efficiency throughout the department.
This first chapter provides an introduction and an executive summary of the
Phase 2 report. This summary identifies the information and approaches used in this
study and delineates key findings, conclusions and recommendations.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 2
1. INTRODUCTION
MCG was retained by the City of Chula Vista to conduct a two-phased report, the
first focusing on patrol workload and staffing which was conducted in the spring of 2012.
This report provides MCG’s subsequent evaluation and analysis of other important
functions in the CVPD. MCG’s analysis focused on a wide range of issues including
staffing, workload allocation, and other important issues.
Specifically, the scope of work for this project included:
• Executive summary of all key findings and recommendations.
• Analysis of workload, staffing and various operational issues for a variety of “non-
patrol” functions in the Department.
• A clear description of all of the analytical techniques utilized by MCG in this
assignment.
• Recommendations relative to operational and staffing improvement opportunities.
To develop this analysis MCG conducted an extensive number of internal
stakeholder interviews and collected detailed data in an effort to develop a
comprehensive understanding of various support operations of the CVPD.
The two phases of this project have been critical for the Police Department and
the City of Chula Vista. As is the case with many jurisdictions in California, the west
and elsewhere around the country, the past five years have been difficult in terms of the
revenue available to support police and other services as well as the ability of law
enforcement personnel to meet service expectations. Some of these impacts in Chula
Vista have included the following:
• The Chula Vista Police Department has experienced a major decline in the
number of sworn personnel – from 252 positions before the Great Recession
beginning in 2007 to 223 in the current fiscal year (a decline of almost 12%).
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• Particularly hard hit were the administrative and support services functions which
are the focus of this Phase 2 report. This has resulted in managers and staff
having more multiple responsibilities than can reasonably be performed in the
time allocated.
• Added to these financial trends are increases in retirements in key personnel.
Even in this economic environment it is challenging for Chula Vista to compete
against its large competitors in San Diego City and County which are adding
hundreds of positions.
• Increases in the need for the effective use of information technology has placed a
high value on these systems and the need for staff dedicated to this and for
managers to use this information. The difficulty in implementation of the new
NetRMS is a case in point.
Especially in administrative and support services, then, the past few years have
witnessed a decrease in the Police Department’s ability to “get things done” or “get
things done well”.
The following section provides a summary of the major findings, conclusions and
recommendations to be found in this Phase 2 report.
As a reference, the chart, which follows, provides a summary of the organization
of functions and management / supervisory staff in the Investigations Bureau of the
Chula Vista Police Department.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 4
Secondly, the chart, which follows, provides a summary of the organization of
functions and management / supervisory staff in the Administrative Services Bureau of
the Chula Vista Police Department.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 5
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Whereas the core of any policing agency is patrol services, important supporting
services are often overlooked in any organizational evaluation. Generally, such
functions offer a variety of opportunities for refinement to enhance the efficiency and
effectiveness of service delivery to the community.
Unlike the Phase 1 patrol study which ultimately focused on themes of “people
requirements,” this Phase largely focuses on “process requirements.” While there are
some staffing issues, the bulk of recommendations focus on methods for doing things
more effectively. As a consequence, these themes should be considered as a common
thread in CVPD to pursue throughout the entire organization – memorializing best
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practice approaches to conducting business that result in the goal of remaining a high-
caliber policing agency and ultimately a nationally best-in-class operation.
The following exhibit provides a list of the principal recommendations in this
report. The chapters within this report should be reviewed for a detailed discussion and
analysis of each issue and the background behind each recommendation.
INVESTIGATIONS
Develop improved reporting such as year-over-year analysis of data to demonstrate Special
Investigations Units (SIU) outputs and outcomes and the impact on Chula Vista and the region.
Implement SARA problem solving and reporting to help define SIU successes.
Implement Output-based reporting for every SIU on a quarterly basis and include highlights in an
annual report.
Develop a dedicated annual report for the SIU that can be included in the Department’s Annual Report
detailing various performance outputs and outcomes as described in this chapter.
Deploy one (1) Lieutenant position over the Special Investigations Unit Division. This position would be
transferred from Jail and Dispatch.
Formalize the case screening process using a documented solvability factor methodology that includes
a 12-point criteria checklist on all assigned detective cases.
Formalize a detective caseload prioritization system as part of the case screening process using a 7-
priority system as a framework.
Include formal case screening and prioritization of criminal cases in Detective Sergeant duties and
responsibilities.
Develop a detective Standard Operating Procedures Manual to include all important work-related
protocols including a formal case management process.
Create a Civilian Investigator role and responsibility with job duties as described in this chapter. As
necessary based on other recommended changes, hire four (4) CSO positions to serve in this role.
Transfer two (2) agents from the Family Protection Unit to the Property Crimes Unit. Until business
processes are revised and “civilian investigator” positions deployed and reviewed, maintain existing
sworn staffing levels in Criminal Investigations.
In the long term of 3 – 5 years, create a dedicated Youth Services Unit from existing (2) and new staff
(2) positions.
Reallocate non-human resource responsibilities to other positions in the Department – fleet
coordination to patrol and technology coordination to the Police Technology Specialist.
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A Police Sergeant position should be added to oversee the training program – academy, field and in
service training.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Reclassify the Senior Office Specialist to an Evidence Control Specialist.
Authorize one (1) additional Senior Evidence Specialist position.
The unit should maintain its national accreditation.
The Unit should maintain a purging process where evidence is rotated out on a consistent basis.
The current bar-coding system is defective and should be replaced to streamline storage and retrieval
processes and ensure the chain of custody is maintained.
Implement the Net/RMS inventory management system.
Personnel assigned to the property/evidence component should place more emphasis on identifying
property eligible for disposal (i.e., cash deposits, jewelry, etc).
Protocols/operating procedures concerning property/evidence destruction (i.e., destruction slips,
evidence held past statute of limitations, etc) should be formalized to increase accountability for
processing evidence in a timely manner.
Continue with annual inspections and audits of high-risk items.
Create a Lead Police Service Officer job classification to perform as floor supervisor in the jail. Based
on the outcome of the internal DOJNIC staffing review, ensure one Lead is assigned 24/7.
Create a non-sworn Supervisor position to oversee jail operations. The Jail Manager should report
directly to the Captain. Transfer the Lieutenant position to Special Investigations Division.
Collect and utilize dispatch workload information and internally run staffing requirements based upon
the APCO staffing model.
Based upon the MCG model, dispatch staffing is satisfactory with sufficient line supervision to properly
oversee dispatch personnel.
Create a non-sworn manager position to oversee dispatcher operations. The Dispatch Manager should
report directly to the Captain. Transfer the Lieutenant position to Special Investigations Division.
Maintain the current Laboratory staffing level to ensure the timely processing of crime scene evidence.
Develop a comprehensive Crime Scene and Investigations Procedures Manual to ensure that
procedures are consistently performed by both Laboratory personnel and field staff.
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Maintain the current civilian Administrative Services Manager under the existing organizational
structure to include lab, property/evidence, fiscal support, records, research and analysis and IT
support functions.
Continue to use Police Cadets in Support Services.
Consolidate the Police Records Specialist and Police Data Specialist into one job classification.
Transition report data entry staff to more of a quality control set of roles.
Redistribute selective duties from the Police Support Services Manager to other staff in the Unit.
The Information Technology Services Department and the Police Department should jointly develop a
long range technology plan. When funds exist, dedicate a position within ITS but stationed within the
Police Department to plan information technology and assist with its implementation.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Reassign Dispatch to the Administrative Services Bureau. Designate one of the Police Dispatch
Supervisors as a Manager.
If Dispatch is reassigned to the Administrative Services Bureau replace the Lieutenant manager
position with either a Police Sergeant or a Jail Supervisor (civilian) position. Reassign the Lieutenant to
Special Investigations.
Continue the practice of assigning collateral duties to managers and supervisors. Review these
assignments periodically. In the long term (3 – 5 years) consider the creation of a Planning and
Research Sergeant to take some of the administrative, not community oriented, assignments.
The following table summarizes all of the position changes recommended in this
report:
Net Positions Changes Recommended in the Report
Division Function Position # Action
Investigative Services
Special
Investigations
Lieutenant
+1
Transfer one (1) Lieutenant
from the Jail / Dispatch.
Investigations
CSO’s
+4
Create CSO’s to perform
investigative assistant roles.
Investigations
Agents
–
Transfer two (2) Agents from
the Family Protection Unit to
the Property Crimes Unit.
Youth
Services
Agents
+2
–
Within 3 – 5 years create a
Youth Services Unit with two (2)
added Agents and two (2)
transferred internally. One
should be a Sergeant.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Division Function Position # Action
Training
Sergeant
+1
Add one (1) Sergeant to
oversee academy and in
service training.
Evidence
Senior Evidence
Specialist
+1
Add a Senior Evidence
Specialist to improve coverage.
Jail
Lead Police
Service Officer
–
From existing positions,
designate leads to provide shift
oversight.
Jail
Jail Manager
+1
Create a civilian manager
position for the Jail.
Dispatch
Dispatch Manager
+1
Create a civilian manager
position for Dispatch.
Jail / Dispatch
Lieutenant
–1
Transfer position to Special
Investigations
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
Phase 2 Report of the Police Department’s Supporting Services
Matrix Consulting Group Page 10
2. INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES
This Phase 2 report focuses on the City of Chula Vista Police Department’s
(CVPD) various support services outside of patrol core services. The workload and
related information utilized in this phase was obtained from over two dozen one-on-one
interviews with CVPD management, supervisory, line, and technical personnel and a
variety of independent data collection efforts made by MCG with support provided by
CVPD staff. This chapter focuses on particular investigative services.
1. OVERVIEW OF INVESTIGATIVE BUREAU’S FUNCTIONS.
The Bureau, overseen by a Captain, has the following primary specialized,
investigative and support services.
This chapter focuses on the Special and Criminal Investigations divisions as well
as Professional Standards. Jail and Dispatch are discussed with other “support”
functions in the following chapter. In particular, these investigative units include the
following:
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Criminal Investigations Division
• Crimes of Violence – Investigates robbery, homicide, missing persons,
suspicious death investigations, gang crimes, threats, vandalism, lewd phone
calls, various misdemeanors, including some juvenile crimes.
• Property Crimes – Handles various property-related and other crimes to include
burglary, larceny, fraud & forgery, arson, various misdemeanors including some
juvenile crimes.
• Family Protection Unit - Investigates domestic violence, sex crimes, elderly
abuse, child abuse, internet crimes against children (ICAC) and various death
investigations.
Special Investigations Division
• Special Investigations Unit – Maintains intelligence and conducts enforcement
on vice, alcohol and beverage control (ABC), public corruption, high-level
narcotics, threat assessments, organized crimes and processes various vendor
licensing (e.g. card rooms).
• Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT) - Investigates and enforces
regionalized auto theft crime problems throughout the larger County area.
• Jurisdictions for Unified Drug and Gang Enforcement (JUDGE) –
Regionalized unit that maintains intelligence and enforces probationers and
parolees with respect to gang and narcotics violations.
• Narcotics Enforcement Team - Primarily street-level narcotics enforcement,
including surveillance, reporting party follow-up, and other local-level drug
crimes.
• Task Forces – There are a variety of task forces CVPD participates in ranging
from Border-related enforcement to marine to computer crime. These reflect
about eight additional task force groups composed of various local, state, and/or
federal agencies.
The following section discusses all special investigations services noted above.
2. SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE UNITS SHOULD ADOPT VARIOUS PRACTICES
TO HELP ENSURE OPERATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND ULTIMATELY
DRIVE MORE REFINED STAFFING LEVELS.
Any proactive investigative functions such as the variety of task force and internal
enforcement units are more difficult to evaluate than are ‘reactive’ case handling
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investigations performed by core criminal investigations units. CVPD has one of the
most robust special investigations programs MCG has seen throughout the nation, with
four (4) supervising sergeants, 24 officers/agents, and two (2) civilian staff providing
support. These staff do not include other inter-agency personnel assigned. These
“teams” represent a CVPD staffing contingent of approximately one-fourth the size of
CVPD’s entire Community Patrol operations.
While various workload related information is available as illustrated later in this
section, these data alone do not effectively capture workloads and the potential staffing
requirements needed in a proactive special investigations unit. In brief, the allocation of
staff resources to these types of functions is generally a policy decision. There is no
formula to evaluate the level of staff resources a community should allocate to these
enforcement efforts because:
• Proactive investigations are, by their very nature, discretionary. These
investigations relate to a community’s values to address a wide variety of
problems.
• Dedicated proactive investigative units are found in agencies which have, or
decide to deploy, the resources for such specialized full-time activities and which
are committed to addressing important quality of life issues.
• The caseloads of proactive investigative units are typically different from the
kinds of caseloads handled by core investigative units. Caseloads for proactive
investigative units are long-term oriented, rely on specific problem identification
and varied targeting techniques. Results, then, need to be measured differently
than for traditional case handling investigators – clearance rates and active
cases are not a useful measure for proactive investigations.
• Proactive investigations are often regional in nature, and therefore periodically
rely on the support of other additional local, State and Federal agencies in higher
profile cases.
As a result of these factors, and because staffing levels often become an
outcome of performance, the effectiveness of proactive investigative units needs to
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focus more on the process of targeting problems in the community and making
assigned staff accountable for results.
The following represents the type of documentation available to illustrate these
specialized units’ performance1.
Investigations Quarterly Report (Abstract)
Special Investigations Unit (SIU)
In April 2012, SIU conducted a 422 PC related investigation reference Sweetwater School District
Board member ___ The report was forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
In April 2012, SIU finalized security plan preparations for the Village Club’s new location on Bay
Blvd.
In April 2012, SIU forwarded three noise violations to City Finance for Collections.
In June 2012, SIU conducted a human trafficking operation involving undercover resources and
coordination with federal counterparts and social service providers. The operation resulted in the
rescue of a 16 year old female victim and the arrest of two gang-affiliated suspects for human
trafficking, pimping, pandering, and other related charges. The suspects plead guilty with the
primary suspect being sentenced to prison for three years. (Case ___)
In June 2012, SIU conducted multiple ABC operations designed to target juvenile access to
alcohol. The operations resulted in approximately 10 arrests.
UPDATE: In January 2012, SIU served a Search Warrant on ___, the subject who made multiple
threats to kill CVPD and San Diego Probation officers. SIU Detectives recovered three operable
handguns and one rifle. ___ was subsequently charged with seven felony counts including 422
PC, 69 PC, 71 PC, and weapons violations. In June 2012, ___ plead guilty to violation of 71PC.
___was sentenced to a year in jail and mandatory mental health counseling.
SIU Licensing – Apr-Jun 2012
ABC License Reviews (includes license
transfers, PCNs, CUP reviews, complaints) 39
Police-regulated Licenses Processed* 107
* SIU denied one license during the quarter for a massage technician with previous prostitution
arrests.
1 Investigations Quarterly Report, 2nd Quarter, 2012.
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SIU Products and Callouts – Apr-Jun 2012
Officer Safety Bulletins Circulated 6
Intelligence Products Created 1
City Hall/City Council - Special Service Calls 1
Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET)
NET Activity – Apr-Jun 2012
Open complaints 119
New complaints this quarter 65
Complaints closed this quarter 47
NET-initiated arrests 64
Search warrants served 6
NET Case Highlight:
Operation J____. ICE ceased intercepts on this investigation and obtained indictments for 30
suspects. In June, ICE and NET conducted a takedown and executed 30 arrest warrants and
one Federal search warrant. A total of 25 suspects were taken into custody. A small amount of
marijuana and $9,990 was seized. The two principal targets based in Mexico have not been
apprehended as of yet. Below is a summary of the results for this investigation since the
inception:
90 Arrests
201 pounds of methamphetamine
76 pounds of cocaine
1,789 pounds of marijuana and 260 marijuana plants
7 firearms
$80,592.00 USD
Snitch Quarterly Stats – Apr-Jun 2012
Deployments 34
Agency Requests 21
Seizures:
Marijuana (lbs) 24.9
Cocaine (grams) 1044.2
Heroin (grams) 0
Methamphetamine (grams) 223.8
Currency $5,000
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Jurisdictions Unified for Drug and Gang Enforcement (JUDGE)
JUDGE Activity – Apr-June 2012
Compliance checks 37
Arrests 36
Search warrants 3
Seizures:
Cash $25,178
Meth 215.8 grams
Heroin 267.9 grams
Marijuana 21 pounds & 84 plants
Firearms 2
JUDGE Case Highlight:
During a Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Sweep, the JUDGE Unit conducted a 4th waiver
compliance check on a probationer and located a large marijuana grow in the garage of his
residence. Several other items indicative of narcotics sales were located including $8,954 in
cash. Besides the cash, detectives seized 16.5 ounces of marijuana and 84 marijuana plants in
various stages of maturity. The probationer and his brother were arrested and booked on the
violations.
Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT)
Operation L___
RATT Activity – Apr-Jun 2012
Arrests 17
Probation/Parole Contacts 33
Recoveries 26
Seizure Value $261,134
RATT Case Highlight:
This quarter culminated in the final stages of Operation L__. This includes completing Grand Jury
with 31 indictments, preparing three additional cases that would be taken through the preliminary
hearing proceedings which added an additional nine defendants, and securing arrest warrants for
two additional defendants. On May 23rd, RATT conducted an arrest sweep utilizing State, Local
and Federal law enforcement agencies. A total of 19 defendants were arrested with an additional
nine individuals who were not on the target list but were found to be with other suspects and
arrested for various other crimes and warrants. Some of these other crimes included 10851 at a
hotel, check and ID theft ring at a hotel, narcotic for sales at a residence (heroin), and 3 for
warrants. By the end of the day, 44 individuals were in-custody as a result of this case. Evidence
seized during the operation included 85 stolen cars valued at $537,000, 19 firearms and a
miscellaneous amount of narcotics. Additionally, an illegal weapons distribution ring was
dismantled.
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In addition, other metrics were made available to MCG to include the following
data2:
Narcotics Enforcement Team – 2009 to 2011 Statistics3
NET Stats 2011 2010 2009
In Custody reports 305 323 454
Expert Opinions 76 95 115
Citizen complaints 120 158 190
Closed complaints 113 113 179
Initiated arrests 184 193 136
Search warrants 24 22 26
Regional Auto Theft Task Force – 2009 to 2011 Statistics
RATT Stats 2011 2010
Arrests 148 224
Vehicle Recoveries 122 118
Seizures $1,132,926 $1,410,889
Jurisdictions for Unified Drug and Gang Enforcement – 2011 vs. 2012 Statistics
CATEGORY 1st Half 2011 1st Half 2012
PAROLE CHECKS 67 44
PROBATION CHECKS 78 75
TOTAL CHECKS 145 119
- -
GANG SUBJECTS 90 54
NARCO SUBJECTS 74 66
R/S SUBJECTS 64 43
TOTAL # SUBJECTS 355 214
- -
PAROLE ONLY 23 11
PAROLE NEW 5 3
PROBATION ONLY 5 15
PROBATION NEW 22 30
DHS/INS RELATED 11 3
WARRANT 26 10
NON-TARGET 12 15
TOTAL 104 87
- -
2 Some of the following tables were provided by CVPD; some had to be refined or abstracted by MCG from data
provided.
3 A 2009 to 2011 NET Caseload Activity Table was provided, yet the data had numerous duplicated records. While
MCG could cull the data to determine unique cases per year and ultimate dispositions, at issue is such data is not
readily available and used for decision-making.
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CATEGORY 1st Half 2011 1st Half 2012
DEC REFERRALS 7 7
- -
SEARCH WARRANTS 17 11
- -
STRUCTURE SEARCHES 152 108
VEHICLE SEARCHES 78 58
TOTAL SEARCHES 230 166
- -
$$ SEIZED $ 2,004 $ 25,378
ICE - -
METH (g) 382 4,990
MARIJUANA (g) 1,299 543,751
HEROIN (g) 98 273
COCAINE (g) 6 9,979
OTHER - -
- -
GUNS 17 10
AMMUNITION 2 63
KNIVES 12 11
CLUBS 7 -
OTHER - -
- -
POS URINE 23 15
NEG URINE 14 4
TOTAL 37 19
- -
CVPD REF 31 18
SDPD REF - -
PROB REF 29 31
PAROLE REF 45 5
SDSO REF 1 -
NCPD 16 16
OTHER 4 7
INS REF 5 2
JUDGE 31 39
TOTAL 162 118
- -
TRAINING (hrs) 1,072 739
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Asset Seizure Fund History FY 2005 – 20124
Fiscal
Year
Beg
Balance
FY
Revenues FY Expenses End Balance
FY
2004/05 $810 $566,853 ($421,280) $146,383
FY
2005/06 $146,383 $192,368 ($220,860) $117,891
FY
2006/07 $117,891 $236,871 ($353,285) $1,477
FY
2007/08 $1,477 $420,733 ($138,990) $283,220
FY
2008/09 $283,220 $497,452 ($170,000) $610,672
FY
2009/10 $610,672 $739,481 ($419,725) $930,428
FY
2010/11 $930,428 $422,222 ($602,960) $749,690
FY
2011/12 $749,690 $306,658 ($562,049) $494,299
8-year
Avg. $355,071 $422,830 ($361,144)
These metrics reflect the kinds of data available to demonstrate various
accomplishments of the special investigations units. However, with little exception,
information provided is just a reporting of “counts” with no apparent intent to develop
comparative information (e.g. year-over-year percentage differences) that can result in
Key Performance Indicators or Performance Objectives. This kind of information is vital
when noting nearly $1.7M in just CVPD non-reimbursed personnel costs are dedicated
to various task force units as shown in the table below.
4 May not be exclusively related to specialized investigative units.
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Personnel Costs and Subsidization by Special Investigative Unit – FY 2013
FTF Position
FY 2013
Personnel Costs
FY 2013
Funding
%
Funded
POLICE AGENT $154,636 $17,202 11%
$154,636 $17,202 11%
HIDTA Position
FY 2013
Personnel Costs
FY 2013
Funding
%
Funded
POLICE AGENT $151,187 $71,000 47%
POLICE AGENT $151,187 $71,000 47%
PEACE OFFICER $141,116 $71,000 50%
POLICE AGENT $154,356 $71,000 46%
POLICE AGENT $151,187 $71,000 47%
POLICE AGENT $151,979 $71,000 47%
POLICE AGENT $151,979 $71,000 47%
$1,052,991 $497,000 47%
ICAC Position
FY 2013
Personnel Costs
FY 2013
Funding
%
Funded
POLICE AGENT $137,434 $42,504 31%
$137,434 $42,504 31%
JUDGE Position
FY 2013
Personnel Costs
FY 2013
Funding
%
Funded
POLICE SERGEANT $159,961 $39,851 25%
POLICE AGENT $142,979 $39,851 28%
PEACE OFFICER $131,323 $39,851 30%
PEACE OFFICER $132,116 $39,851 30%
PEACE OFFICER $135,284 $39,850 29%
PEACE OFFICER $132,907 $39,850 30%
$834,570 $239,104 29%
NTF Position
FY 2013
Personnel Costs
FY 2013
Funding
%
Funded
POLICE AGENT $159,389 $17,202 11%
$159,389 $17,202 11%
RATT Position
FY 2013
Personnel Costs
FY 2013
Funding
%
Funded
POLICE SERGEANT $165,111 $115,000 70%
POLICE AGENT $137,434 $80,000 58%
PEACE OFFICER $131,323 $80,000 61%
PEACE OFFICER $132,116 $80,000 61%
$565,984 $355,000 63%
SWB Position
FY 2013
Personnel Costs
FY 2013
Funding
%
Funded
POLICE AGENT $142,979 $142,979 100%
POLICE AGENT $142,187 $142,187 100%
$285,166 $285,166 100%
TOTAL: $3,190,170 $1,453,178 46%
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
Phase 2 Report of the Police Department’s Supporting Services
Matrix Consulting Group Page 20
In brief, proactive investigative units require close scrutiny given their unique
roles and should have established performance expectations. To that end, all special
investigations units should report upon the following performance factors:
Best Management Practices Performance Review – Special Investigative Units (SIU)
Performance Target Reporting Criteria
Are decisions made at the
appropriate level?
Major initiatives are documented and approved by the
supervisors in a Tactical Action Plan format. The SIUs
should maintain direct supervision of operations through a
Sergeant position.
Clearly defined mission that
focuses on both street level as well
as large-scale interdiction.
The SIUs have been developed with specific missions
with both a regional and local focus. This information is
noted in the respective Tactical Action Plans.
Internal systems and performance
measures have been designed to
provide for internal accountability.
The SIUs provide monthly or quarterly performance
reports relative to output metrics that foster accountability.
Internal systems provide for clear
accountability and tracking of
property/evidence.
In association with Property and Evidence, clear protocols
are in place and reported upon.
Interaction with local, state, federal
and international agencies is
performed.
The SIUs are involved in several cooperative efforts and
task forces and output and outcome measures are
reported upon.
Secured storage on-site for
narcotics, money, weapons, other
contraband, etc.
Secured facilities are in place and periodically audited for
security.
Asset seizure funds are regularly
audited by an external entity.
Audit trails are in place to ensure the appropriate use of
asset seizure funds.
While the special investigations units have adopted some of these practices,
such as quarterly narrative reporting with some metrics, there are opportunities for
further improvement related to tracking, reporting, managing and using information
based upon outputs and outcomes.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
Phase 2 Report of the Police Department’s Supporting Services
Matrix Consulting Group Page 21
(1) The SIU’s Should Implement More Formal Problem Solving and Reporting
of Outputs and Outcomes.
As is the case with most performance reporting in any law enforcement agency,
proactive enforcement units often report on performance outputs that includes number
of arrests, weapons and drugs confiscated, monies seized, warrants served, etc. CVPD
reports on metrics, but does not consistently translate them into output comparisons
(e.g. year-over-year reporting changes). Although performance outputs and reporting
such as these are important, it is difficult to objectively link such outputs to performance
outcomes—specifically the suppression of illegal activities within Chula Vista and the
surrounding region. Special enforcement activities should be tied to mitigating
“community harm” as a result of these enforcement efforts, and further tools are
necessary beyond the above tables’ reporting metrics, to include performance outputs
to further capture these efforts. To that end, the SIUs should adopt a problem solving
model whereby outcomes from the problem solving can be reported upon. One
approach would be to employ a model that encompasses the four stages of a problem
solving process defined as “scanning, analysis, response and assessment” (SARA).
This problem solving approach can be detailed in formal Tactical Action Plan
documents. The following is an overview of the process:
• Scanning – The initial stage of scanning involves looking for and identifying
problems. Who are the victims, who is harmed by what type of behaviors, who
are the probable offenders, and the nature of the events.
• Analysis – Develop a thorough understanding of a problem and conduct
research using varied resources such as intelligence files, Crime Analysis, Patrol
input, etc. If the problem has been addressed previously, assess the
effectiveness of past responses as a base line.
• Response – This is a three stage objective. Develop a list of possible responses
to the problem and the resources necessary to address the issue that is
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
Phase 2 Report of the Police Department’s Supporting Services
Matrix Consulting Group Page 22
consistent with information analyzed; select the response most likely to succeed
based on information available; and implement the chosen response.
• Assessment – Obtain on-going feedback on how well the response is working
and report upon performance outputs and outcomes related to the response.
Based on the “de-briefing” of the response, make adjustments that can change
the type of response, that will improve future analysis of the problem, or that may
redefine the nature of the problem.
It is important that reporting via the SARA model occurs as this should result in
outcomes—not just outputs – that can be reviewed and measured. Development of
periodic SARA-based Tactical Action Plans should be adopted in addition to the
reporting of performance outputs as in the provided examples. These reports should
assist in justifying activities performed by the SIUs on a yearly and year-over-year basis.
(3) Develop a Consolidated Annual Report for all Special Investigative Units.
The SIUs should develop an annual report through which they can demonstrate
the outputs and outcomes associated with various activities, in addition to identifying
best practices that are in place to help ensure that seized monies, narcotics, informant
pay-outs, etc., are used expeditiously. This annual report can be a consolidation of
monthly information collected from such data sources as the aforementioned Tactical
Action Plans and output-based Quarterly Reports, and should be designed in such a
fashion to help justify existing or increased staffing resources.
(4) Assign a Dedicated Police Lieutenant to Special Investigations Units.
Given the potentially high profile of specialized investigative units, a dedicated
police lieutenant should be assigned over all such operations. In effect, one lieutenant
should be over “core” Investigative Units and one Lieutenant over specialized
investigative units. This span of control for manager positions given these important
endeavors is consistent with best practices.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 23
3. SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNITS RECOMMENDATIONS.
The following recommendations are made based on the analysis, findings and
conclusions noted in the prior SIU sections.
Recommendation: Develop improved reporting such as year-over-year analysis
of data to demonstrate SIU outputs and outcomes and the impact on the Chula
Vista and regional community.
Recommendation: Implement SARA problem solving and reporting to help define
SIU successes.
Recommendation: Implement Output-based reporting for every SIU on a
quarterly basis and include highlights in an annual report.
Recommendation: Develop a dedicated annual report for the SIU that can be
included in the Department’s Annual Report detailing various performance
outputs and outcomes as described in this chapter.
Recommendation: Deploy one (1) Lieutenant position over the Special
Investigations Unit Division. This will require one additional CVPD position at
this managerial level (see Jail and Dispatch for an alternative).
4. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS WORKLOAD, STAFFING, AND
EFFECTIVENESS ARE EVALUATED DIFFERENTLY THAN FIELD
OPERATIONS.
It is more difficult to evaluate the staffing levels required by criminal
investigations because, unlike patrol operations, more subjective and qualitative
determinants of workload and work practices need to be considered. Patrol services
have the benefit of several quantitative measures, such as calls for service and
proactive time, to assist in the evaluation of staffing requirements, whereas investigative
services have fewer such reliable measures. Comparisons with other agencies are
informative, but less than ideal given the vagaries of conducting investigative business
among differing law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. Factors making
comparative analyses difficult include:
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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• What is actually investigated varies by agency. The extent to which agencies
assign misdemeanor level property crime cases to Detectives varies. Also, the
extent to which patrol performs preliminary investigation varies widely and
thereby impacts Detective caseloads. The Chula Vista Police Department
assigns misdemeanors, various informational, and all felony cases to the
Detectives thereby maximizing Detective caseload compared to many other
agencies where caseloads are screened, through various methods, prior to
assignment to a follow-up Detective.
• Approaches used to screen, assign, and monitor cases are different among law
enforcement agencies. By example, Chula Vista relies on different methods
dependent on the investigative unit and the supervisor-in-charge to screen cases
whereas other departments may use crime analysis or dedicate Detective
Sergeants to read and initially screen cases based on various solvability factors.
• Work practices vary tremendously among agencies, relating to interviewing
techniques, mix of telephone and in-person interviews, use of computer
technologies, time devoted to administrative tasks, etc.
• Complexity of caseloads is also a critical factor to consider when examining
quantitative factors relating to investigative activity. Each case is different in
terms of workable leads, suspect description, evidence availability, victim/witness
cooperation, quality of information provided by the original report taker, and
numerous other factors. The way information in a single case may combine with
information on other cases (e.g. serial crime) also impacts investigative actions.
• Additional duties and responsibilities performed by detectives beyond caseload
work. Such activities may include being a specialized trainer, assisting on
warrant arrests or various other administrative duties detracting from casework.
• Finally, the nature of the community itself is a factor in evaluating investigative
workload and staffing needs. Citizen expectations translate into service levels
impacting detectives in terms of what is investigated and how investigations are
conducted. An agency, such as CVPD, may be readily available to take a
victim’s phone call, whether there are available leads or not, whereas another
agency may quickly dispense with “unsolvable” crimes.
As it relates specifically to the Chula Vista Police Department, there are certain
expectations placed upon Detective5 staff that could be considered somewhat atypical in
a variety of other law enforcement agencies. As previously suggested, there is a
perception the Chula Vista community expects exceptional investigative services on
5 Detective and Investigator will be used interchangeably despite the fact CVPD agents and patrol officers fulfill these
roles.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 25
numerous crime types. As a result, the kinds of cases assigned to Detectives exceed
those of many other agencies who implement a case-screening process to minimize the
number of “unsolvable” or “minor” cases forwarded to investigative staff. Whereas
many cases are suspended at this case screening stage in other law enforcement
agencies, this is not the typical operating philosophy in CVPD.
As suggested, investigative workloads have numerous qualitative considerations
when compared to that which depicts typically quantitative-driven patrol workload. In
patrol, workload can be characterized broadly by the following factors:
• High volume/fast turnaround work and deployment practices designed to result in
a rapid response of personnel. These can be linked to such metrics as response
time and on-scene time.
• Work is typically oriented not toward a solution of a complex case, but oriented
toward documenting available evidence at the crime scene and initiating contacts
with victims and witnesses.
• Appropriate availability and use of non-call for service time characterized as
proactive time.
Unlike patrol, investigative workload does not have a wealth of specific measures
that can be converted into quantitative methodologies to arrive at required staffing
levels. There are some important metrics available, yet qualitative issues must also be
considered. Investigative staffing requirements need to be examined from a variety of
perspectives in order to obtain an overall portrait of staffing issues, case handling
issues, and operational philosophies that have an impact on overall staffing needs. The
project team performed the following steps in the analysis of the Division:
• Reviewed case management practices through interviews with unit supervisory
and other line staff and obtained available caseload data for each of the Units.
• Compared CVPD’s Detective staffing and workload with investigative
benchmarks from other law enforcement agencies.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 26
• Examined other qualitative measures of workload, as appropriate, to determine
the effectiveness of Division services.
• Examined organizational and supervisory spans of control.
The sections which follow provide a description of how the project team
conducted its analysis relative to the aforementioned approaches.
As stated above, investigative workload and staffing requirements can employ a
series of indicators to determine the extent to which core investigative staffing and
general workload in the Division compare to ranges observed in other police agencies.
This information is used to determine if the Chula Vista PD is within the ranges
measured by those indicators. Investigative workloads vary depending on the number
and types of cases a Detective is assigned, their complexity, and also the level of
service desired by an agency. Generally speaking, however, the comparative
measures that can be used to determine staffing, efficiency and effectiveness are
displayed in the following table:
Comparative Measures for Investigations
Comparative Measures
Comparative Industry Patterns
Part I Offenses per “line” Detective in core
investigative functions such as persons and
property crimes Detectives. This does not include
those assigned to “proactive” units such as
narcotics or vice.
The Average distribution of Part I Offenses per
“line” Detective developed in police services
studies in the U.S. generally ranges from 300-500
Part I Offenses per investigator.
Case Clearance for Part I Crimes.
The Uniform Crime Report provides data on
average case clearance by major crime type; but
has ceased reporting by jurisdiction.
Active cases assigned to “property” crimes
Detectives (e.g., burglary/theft).
15 to 20 active cases per month based on a
survey of dozens of law enforcement agencies
performed by the Matrix Consulting Group over
the last several years.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 27
Comparative Measures
Comparative Industry Patterns
Active cases assigned to White Collar crimes
Detectives (e.g., fraud).
These have a broader range due to their varied
complexity, from 10 to 20 active cases per month
each.
Active cases assigned to “person” crimes
Detectives.
8 to 12 active cases per month based on the
same survey. 3 to 5 active cases for complex
person crimes such as felony assault (shootings)
to include homicides. Domestic Violence cases
vary widely dependent upon State mandates that
result in varied workloads. Some DV Units can
handle 20 to 30 cases per investigator per month,
whereas others can only handle DV cases
typically attributed to “felonious person crimes.”
Active cases assigned to “generalist” crimes
Detectives.
12 to 15 active cases per month based on the
same survey.
There is no caseload standard for specialized units, such as Narcotics, because
these types of cases are more proactive in nature. One case can consume many
weeks of staff time generating leads, contacts and suspect information; and they may
also often require surveillance and related activities.
2. A COMPARISON OF UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING DATA.
One approach to evaluating the outcome of investigative services or investigative
effectiveness is to benchmark case clearances6 versus other local law enforcement
agencies in similar sized communities. The FBI cautions against using any UCR data
for comparative purposes as noted by the following excerpt from their website:
There are many variables affecting crime and the reporting thereof including the demographic
differences between jurisdictions, the level of training received by agency personnel in UCR, report
writing variations, and technology.
“The FBI discourages ranking agencies on the sole basis of UCR data. The data user is, therefore,
cautioned against comparing statistical data of individual reporting units from cities, counties,
metropolitan areas, states, or colleges or universities solely on the basis on their population coverage
or student enrollment. Until data users examine all the variables that affect crime in a town, city, county,
state, region, or college or university, they can make no meaningful comparisons.”
6 Cases are cleared through an arrest or exceptional circumstances.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 28
“Ranking agencies based solely on UCR data has serious implications. For example, if a user wants to
measure the effectiveness of a law enforcement agency, these measurements are not available. As a
substitute, a user might list UCR clearance rates, rank them by agency, and attempt to infer the
effectiveness of individual law enforcement agencies. This inference is flawed because all the other
measures of police effectiveness were ignored.”
“The UCR clearance rate was simply not designed to provide a complete assessment of law
enforcement effectiveness. In order to obtain a valid picture of an agency’s effectiveness, data users
must consider an agency’s emphases and resources; and its crime, clearance, and arrest rates; along
with other appropriate factors.”
The FBI UCR no longer captures information by unique jurisdiction with respect
to clearance rates. Furthermore, the report available at the State level from the
Attorney General’s Office last reported clearance data in 2009. Consequently when
such data is aged or no longer reported it must be viewed with caution. Nevertheless,
the following table provides clearance information from the most recent year, and this
data can be used along with other UCR information discussed in the following
paragraphs.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 29
CLEARANCE RATE COMPARISONS
Jurisdiction
2009 Violent crimes 2009 Property crimes 2009 Theft
Total
Homi.
Rape
Robbery
Agg.
Assault
Total
Burglary
MV
Theft
Larceny
over $400
Total
Over
$400
$400
and
under
County total 47.1 100.0 37.4 35.8 53.3 --- 13.7 3.1 --- 18.0 --- ---
Sheriff's Department 50.6 76.9 26.2 36.0 57.0 --- 14.6 7.1 --- 16.4 --- ---
Unincorporated 50.6 88.9 28.4 36.6 55.1 --- 13.2 8.4 --- 13.3 --- ---
Del Mar 40.0 0.0 0.0 20.0 50.0 --- 0.0 12.5 --- 3.5 --- ---
Encinitas 46.7 0.0 20.0 42.9 50.8 --- 9.7 5.2 --- 9.6 --- ---
Imperial Beach 50.2 0.0 11.1 37.0 57.1 --- 20.0 4.7 --- 12.7 --- ---
Lemon Grove 44.3 0.0 21.4 32.4 54.8 --- 24.1 8.3 --- 23.0 --- ---
Poway 61.3 0.0 20.0 42.3 69.3 --- 20.1 4.2 --- 18.3 --- ---
San Marcos 48.7 100.0 31.3 35.3 56.4 --- 13.4 5.3 --- 28.7 --- ---
Santee 51.7 0.0 25.0 45.9 56.1 --- 25.4 3.4 --- 24.4 --- ---
Solana Beach 57.6 0.0 50.0 27.3 75.0 --- 2.1 0.0 --- 4.9 --- ---
Vista 52.7 0.0 27.6 33.1 63.9 --- 14.6 7.7 --- 16.5 --- ---
Carlsbad 50.9 100.0 34.6 39.6 54.7 --- 13.9 7.4 22.5 --- ---
Chula Vista 35.5 50.0 26.5 26.9 44.6 --- 8.8 2.0 --- 28.0 --- ---
Coronado 60.7 0.0 0.0 50.0 68.2 --- 36.9 38.5 --- 22.0 --- ---
El Cajon 27.3 100.0 20.7 18.6 37.3 --- 16.0 2.3 --- 7.9 --- ---
Escondido 48.5 25.0 19.0 36.1 61.7 --- 11.0 8.3 --- 19.5 --- ---
La Mesa 67.1 0.0 100.0 53.6 78.4 --- 8.7 7.5 --- 24.4 --- ---
National City 31.2 100.0 21.4 27.3 34.7 --- 18.8 2.3 --- 33.3 --- ---
Oceanside 43.7 125.0 22.6 45.7 44.8 --- 9.5 4.5 --- 17.6 --- ---
San Diego 48.5 117.1 50.9 37.6 53.1 --- 14.2 1.1 --- 16.8 --- ---
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 30
This case clearance rate information, as a single metric, showed there was
opportunity for improvement a few years ago with respect to case clearance, particularly
when compared to most San Diego County counterparts. There could be a variety of
reasons for this performance, ranging from staff level inadequacies, training issues,
reporting issues, case management issues, etc. Case clearance rates dramatically
below or above national averages could be indicative of staffing issues in the respective
investigative areas. The project team does not believe lower clearance rates solely
reflect a staffing issue but also reflect the methods in which investigative services are
conducted. Beyond the reasons for lower clearance rates, achieving national averages
for cities of similar size should be strived for as a noteworthy goal as it reflects an
important law enforcement agency core business function – the investigation and
ultimate clearance of criminal cases.
The number of Part I crimes per Detective in many other law enforcement
agencies in the United States averages between 300-500 crimes per Detective. Part I
Crimes are taken from the annual Uniform Crime Report and compared to actual
detective staffing levels in a police agency. A comparison of this Part I Crimes per core
detective provides a metric to examine CVPD against a variety of law enforcement
agencies throughout the nation with which the Matrix Consulting Group has directly
worked over the last four years is further enlightening:
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Range of Part I Offenses per Core Investigative Staff
Agency
Part I Offenses Per
Core Investigator
Montville Township, NJ Police Department 45
Dane County Sheriff, WI 73
Beverly Hills, CA Police Department 102
Inglewood CA, Police Department 146
Stamford, CT Police Department 153
Boca Raton, FL Police Department 175
Santa Monica, CA Police Department 177
Aurora, CO Police Department 211
Galt, CA Police Department 257
Eastpointe, MI Police Department 259
Newport Beach, CA Police Department 266
AVERAGE OF THESE AGENCIES 295
CHULA VISTA PD 289
Omaha, NE Police Department 326
Hanford, CA Police Department 335
Huntington Beach, CA Police Department 338
Spokane, WA Police Department 352
Roseville, CA Police Department 377
Corvallis, OR Police Department 403
Palm Springs, CA Police Department 437
Goodyear, AZ Police Department 461
Gilroy, CA Police Department 466
Orange Co. Sheriff, FL 494
Grants Pass, OR Public Safety 636
Based on detective staffing levels of the “core detectives7” and based on 2010
UCR data shown above, the ratio of Part I Offenses per Detective is 289:1. This is at
the average of the agencies with which the project team has recently worked. Based
solely on Part I crime incidents, the CVPD is not out of the norm with respect to number
of detective staff assigned to investigate Part I crimes.
To place Chula Vista in a similar population context, the following table is offered:
7 This included officers/agents (detectives) in Crimes of Violence, Family Protection and Property Crimes. It does not include the CSO position.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 32
2010 Part I Uniform Crime Report – Chula Vista and Other Communities
The average number of Part I Crimes for the above agencies reflects 29 per
1,000 population. By comparison, Chula Vista alone is 25 Part I Crimes per 1,000
population. While Chula Vista has its own unique character and crime problems, at
least based upon Part I crime incidents there is nothing excessive relative to California
communities of similar population.
As noted above, UCR data irrespective of the kind of analysis provided should be
viewed with some caution; that is why it is only one method by which the project team
evaluates investigative services. It is, however, one measure that can allude to several
operational characteristics. This information is interesting; however as any standalone
metric, this performance measurement is inconclusive in and of itself as there are other
workload drivers beyond Part I felony crimes. Nevertheless, these data point to key
characteristics that must be considered in a broader analytical context.
5. THE CORE INVESTIGATIVE UNITS WERE EVALUATED BASED ON 2012
CASELOAD INFORMATION FROM THE FIRST TWO QUARTERS.
To analyze staffing and workloads for the described Investigative Units, the
project team obtained various data from NetRMS. Prior to 2012, a Case Management
System (CMS) software product that can maintain significant information regarding
investigative case workloads was not in use and case management was largely a
manual process (and to some extent, remains this way). At CVPD, the lack of a robust
CMS has contributed to important case management issues.
City
Pop.
Violent
Hom.
Rape
Rob.
Ag.
Asslt.
Property
Burg.
Larceny
Motor
Vehicle
Theft
Arson
Modesto 203,890 1,398 10 62 427 899 9,383 2,171 5,786 1,426 56
Fremont 205,477 488 3 40 189 256 4,414 1,167 2,757 490 22
Irvine 217,193 120 0 24 40 56 2,798 480 2,197 121 23
CV 229,060 663 2 54 254 353 5,124 760 3,255 1,109 24
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 33
(1) Workload Allocation by Investigative Unit.
For the first six months of 2012 the three primary investigative units were
assigned caseloads based on the following case and investigative profiles:
Case Assigned by Unit – Total Number and Percentage
Crimes of Violence Top 10 Cases Assigned, (F)elony,(M)isdemeanor, Other
Crimes of
Violence, 760,
16%
Family
Protection
Unit, 675,
14% Property Crimes
Unit, 3289, 70%
0 50 100 150 200
MISSING JUVENILE / RUNAWAY
MISSING ADULT
MENTAL DISORDER 72HR OBS
ROBBERY (F)
BATTERY ON PERSON (M)
ADW:NOT FIREARM:GBI LIKELY (F)
DRUNK IN PUBLIC: ALCOHOL, ETC. (M)
DEATH
THREAT INTENT TO TERRORIZE (F)
BATTERY W/SER BODILY INJURY (F)
182
100
93
64
56
38
29
25
14
12
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Family Protection Top 10 Cases Assigned, (F)elony,(M)isdemeanor, Other
Property Crimes 100+ Case Types Assigned, (F)elony,(M)isdemeanor, Other
The following points are noted by the data:
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
BATTERY ON PARTNER (M)
VIOLATE DOMESTIC COURT ORDER (M)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT (CALL)
SPOUSAL ABUSE - MINOR INJURY (F)
MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS
VANDALISM [$400 OR LESS] (M)
THREAT INTENT TO TERRORIZE (F)
ANNOY/MOLEST VICTIM < 18 YEARS (M)
LEWD ACTS W/CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS (F)
SPOUSAL ABUSE - SERIOUS INJURY (F)
126
73
61
50
46
27
24
13
13
13
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
VEHICLE THEFT (F)
BURGLARY (VEHICLE) (F)
BURGLARY (RESIDENTIAL) (F)
PETTY THEFT(Shoplift) (M)
GET CREDIT/ETC OTHER'S ID (F)
VANDALISM [$400 OR LESS] (M)
VANDALISM ($400 OR MORE) (F)
PETTY THEFT(All Other Larceny) (M)
PETTY THEFT(from Veh) (M)
BURGLARY (COMMERCIAL) (F)
LOST ARTICLE
FOUND PROPERTY
PETTY THEFT(from Building) (M)
436
276
263
205
174
160
155
154
153
142
114
108
105
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Matrix Consulting Group Page 35
• 4,724 cases were assigned in the first six months of calendar 2012 to core
investigative units, the largest portion – 70% – to the Property Crimes Unit.
• With respect to the Crimes of Violence Unit which represents 16% of the
assigned caseload, the top 10 cases represent 81% of all cases assigned to the
Unit. Notably, a large number (79%) of the top 10 cases, as shown in the graph,
are informational reports (e.g. Missing Adult) and misdemeanors (e.g. Battery on
Person); the large proportion of cases are not felonies (e.g. robberies).
• With respect to the Family Protection Unit which represents 14% of the assigned
caseload, the top 10 cases represent 66% of all cases assigned to the Unit. As
with Crimes of Violence, a large proportion (78%) of the top 10 cases, as shown
in the graph, are incident reports (e.g. domestic violence incident) and
misdemeanors (e.g. Violate Domestic Court Order); the large proportion of cases
are not felonies (e.g. spousal abuse).
• With respect to the Property Crimes Unit which represents 7-out-of-10 of the
assigned caseload, those cases exceeding 100 reported incidents by type reflect
74% of all cases assigned to the Unit. Unlike the other two Units, the proportion
of these kinds of cases is more balanced between felony (59%) and
misdemeanors/incident reports (41%).
These caseloads can be further refined based upon what the project team
defines as best management practices benchmarks for Detective active caseloads as
noted in the “Comparative Investigative Measures” table above. The project team has
developed workload ranges through comparative surveying of other law enforcement
agencies engaged in efficient and effective case management processes, as well as
other methodologies, to ensure the benchmarks are representative. Using this, the
project team was able to assess potential staffing issues noted in the following sub-
sections.
(2) Staffing by Investigative Unit.
In brief, caseload and staffing data are provided for each work Unit in the
following format:
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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Case Workload and Performance
Measurement Type
Description
Assigned Staffing Level
The actual staffing level in the Unit as of the
provided 7/1/2012 CVPD organizational chart.
Cases Assigned to Unit
Total cases assigned to the Unit in for first six
months of 2012.
6-month “Minor” Cases Assigned to Unit
Minor cases are defined as misdemeanor or
informational reports that in many agencies are
screened out and assigned to either patrol, or
non-sworn staff; often these do not get assigned
to a Detective Unit. These cases generally
require fewer efforts than felonious counterpart
cases with workable leads.
6-month “Major” Cases Assigned to Unit
Major cases are those types of cases typically
assigned to a Detective Unit (e.g. felonies).
Average Monthly Cases Potentially Assigned to
Each Detective
Total cases to the Unit divided by Assigned
Staffing Levels. Note that potentially is a
consequence of different screening processes
employed.
Average Monthly “Minor” Cases Potentially
Assigned to Each Detective
The average number of monthly minor work cases
assigned. See “Potentially” above.
Average Monthly “Major” Cases Potentially
Assigned to Each Detective
The average number of monthly major cases
assigned. See “Potentially” above.
Benchmark Targets for Active Monthly Caseload
per Detective
A range showing the number of monthly cases
that should be actively worked based on Matrix
Consulting Group methodologies.
Does Unit Meet the Benchmark?
Comments regarding if the Unit meets benchmark
targets.
Utilizing the approaches noted the project team analyzed each unit as presented
below.
(2.1) The Crimes of Violence Unit
The Crimes of Violence Unit is currently staffed with five agents and two gang
staff for a total of seven investigators. They are overseen by a Sergeant. Workload
metrics as defined above are shown as follows:
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Crimes of Violence Unit (1st 6 months 2012)
Measurement Type
Metrics
Assigned Staffing Level 7
Cases Assigned to Unit 760
6-month “Minor” Cases Assigned to Unit 584
6-month “Major” Cases Assigned to Unit 176
Average Monthly Cases Potentially Assigned to
Each Detective 18.1
Average Monthly “Minor” Cases Potentially
Assigned to Each Detective
13.9
Average Monthly “Major” Cases Potentially
Assigned to Each Detective 4.2
Benchmark Targets for Active Monthly Caseload
per Detective
8-12 (person crimes)
Does Unit Meet the Benchmark?
Based on data overall cases assigned exceeds
the benchmark by approximately 50% of the high
end; yet, with regard to Major Crimes it is half the
low-end of the benchmark.
The following points summarize relevant data regarding the CVPD Crimes of
Violence Unit.
• The Unit was assigned 760 cases in the first six months resulting in an average
monthly potential caseload of 18.1 cases per assigned detective. The large
portion of these cases can be classified as “minor” when compared to major
felonious events.
• If only “major” cases were assigned to detectives and all cases were active, the
average monthly caseload of 4.2 cases would fall below benchmark targets;
however minor case work brings the overall caseload well above benchmark
targets.
Recommended staffing levels for the Crimes of Violence Unit will be placed in
further context later in this chapter.
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(2.2) The Family Protection Unit.
The Family Protection Unit is currently staffed with seven agents. They are
overseen by a Sergeant with a secretary in support. Workload metrics as defined
above are shown as follows:
Family Protection Unit (1st 6 months 2012)
Measurement Type
Metrics
Assigned Staffing Level 7
Cases Assigned to Unit 675
6-month “Minor” Cases Assigned to Unit 479
6-month “Major” Cases Assigned to Unit 196
Average Monthly Cases Potentially Assigned to
Each Detective 16.1
Average Monthly “Minor” Cases Potentially
Assigned to Each Detective 11.4
Average Monthly “Major” Cases Potentially
Assigned to Each Detective 4.7
Benchmark Targets for Active Monthly Caseload
per Detective
8-12 (person crimes)
Does Unit Meet the Benchmark?
Based on data overall cases assigned exceeds
the benchmark marginally on the high end; yet,
with regard to Major Crimes it is half the low-end
of the benchmark.
• The Unit was assigned 675 cases in the first six months resulting in an average
potential caseload of 16.1 cases per assigned detective. The large portion of
these cases can be classified as “minor” when compared to major felonious
events.
• If only “major” cases were assigned to detectives and all cases were active, the
average monthly caseload of 4.7 cases would fall below benchmark targets;
however minor case work brings the overall caseload somewhat above
benchmark targets.
Recommended staffing levels for the Family Protection Unit will be placed in
further context later in this chapter.
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(2.3) The Property Crimes Unit.
The Property Crimes Unit is currently staffed with five agents. They are
overseen by a Sergeant with two Community Service Officers (non-sworn) in support.
Workload metrics as defined above are shown as follows:
Property Crimes Unit (1st 6 months 2012)
Measurement Type
Metrics
Assigned Staffing Level 5
Cases Assigned to Unit 3,289
6-month “Minor” Cases Assigned to Unit 1,368
6-month “Major” Cases Assigned to Unit 1,921
Average Monthly Cases Potentially Assigned to
Each Detective 109.6
Average Monthly “Minor” Cases Potentially
Assigned to Each Detective
45.6
Average Monthly “Major” Cases Potentially
Assigned to Each Detective 64.0
Benchmark Targets for Active Monthly Caseload
per Detective
15-20 (property crimes)
Does Unit Meet the Benchmark?
Based on any metric, these caseloads far exceed
the noted benchmarks.
The Unit was assigned 3,289 cases in the first six months resulting in an average
potential caseload of 109.6 per assigned detective (excluding CSO support). The larger
portion of these cases are major felonious events.
Recommended staffing levels for the Property Crimes Unit will be placed in
further context later in this chapter.
6. CERTAIN WORK PRACTICES RESULT IN CASELOADS THAT ARE
DIFFICULT TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE.
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Data in the prior section showing caseloads assigned to various investigative
units is particularly telling as it relates to the way in which Chula Vista PD performs
investigations and the level of service provided to the community. Chula Vista Police
Department provides some of the higher levels of investigative services to a community
that the project team has experienced. In effect, few cases go completely unassigned,
with even minor, likely unsolvable crimes receiving some level of service. While this
level of service is commendable, it certainly carries important direct and indirect costs to
the City. The following points are noted:
• While the CVPD provides a very high level of investigative service to the
community, it also has an “average” ratio of Detectives to Part I crimes; that is,
there are a reasonable number of Detectives assigned in CVPD based solely
upon major crime characteristics when compared to other law enforcement
agencies throughout the United States.
• Despite this level of investigative staffing, CVPD is currently not able to clear
major felonious crimes to the same degree as other law enforcement agencies in
San Diego County, most likely as a result of the way business is conducted (e.g.
the voluminous caseloads in a variety of instances).
• Case clearance is an important (though not the only) performance metric for an
investigative Division. Clearing cases through arrest or exceptional means is an
important effectiveness benchmark that is often referenced by executives and the
community.
• MCG believes that case clearance is, in part, likely impacted by the significant
caseload assigned to each investigative Unit, what we have described as both
minor and major (Part I) cases. The impact of this caseload is exacerbated given
the totality of cases sent to Detectives that are not screened through a formalized
and documented process based upon the likelihood of solvability. Based on the
data provided above, all units are potentially assigned monthly cases well above
the caseload benchmarks recommended for the number of active cases to be
worked. This is particularly evident for the Property Crimes Unit.
• Based on interviews and data provided, it is not entirely clear what level of
workload makes it to a detective’s desk due to different screening processes
employed and a lack of a comprehensive case management information system
deployed over the long term. As such, actual cases worked are higher than the
number of cases reported to be worked.
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• In many law enforcement agencies, only the cases in the Monthly Major
Caseload Assigned column are assigned to a Division. In a number of these
agencies, these types of cases are first reviewed for solvability factors, with those
cases having low to no solvability forwarded to a Crime Analysis Unit or
immediately suspended without further follow-up. Consequently, the Major
Caseloads noted in the column above have been further culled in many police
agencies to reduce the number of cases a detective must actively work.
• As demonstrated in our interviews there are concerns among staff regarding both
caseload and case management.
• In summary, based on the totality of the data, the project team believes that high
level of service provision provided by CVPD in investigative services, combined
with the current process of managing and assigning caseloads, results in staffing
level and case clearance performance issues that should be addressed.
The following sub-sections discuss our recommended operational changes.
(1) The Division Should Formalize the Case Screening Process Using
Solvability Factor and Priority Status Methodologies.
As noted previously, the method for case screening is dependent upon the Unit’s
supervising staff; it is often performed informally by Sergeants and/or each investigative
Unit’s staff, but this is not universal. Because the process is not formalized, MCG
cannot ensure it is accomplished consistently throughout the various investigative Units.
Present case screening practices also have no formal way to help prioritize workloads.
In order to ensure consistency and help prioritize work for investigative follow-up, a
formal case screening checklist with relevant solvability factors should be adopted. This
is consistent with progressive case management philosophies as well as with the
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) case-screening
system criteria (Section 42.1.2).
It should be noted, however, that the Department’s case management system is
in transition. The new NetRMS system will allow several of the recommended
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approaches described below to be part of the process of managing criminal
investigations (e.g., assignments based on solvability factors).
Based on the project team’s review of various case screening processes in use
in varied law enforcement settings, we believe that the following 12-point check-list, in
conjunction with a Priority Status methodology, should be considered for adoption.
(1.1) The Solvability Factor Methodology.
The use of solvability factors is consistent with CALEA’s Section 42.1.2 which
states, “The agency uses a case-screening system and specifies the criteria for
continuing and/or suspending an investigative effort.” This screening can take several
forms. For example, one police agency in which the project team has experience uses
nine criteria to determine the initial disposition of a case. In the course of our research,
the project team believes the following twelve point process is most practical. If a crime
report has any one of the solvability factors noted, it should be assigned for investigative
follow-up. The twelve points are:
• Witnesses to the crime;
• Knowledge of the suspect’s name;
• Knowledge of where the suspect can be located;
• Reasonable description of suspect;
• Identification of suspect possible;
• Property with traceable, identifiable characteristics, marks or numbers;
• Existence of a significant modus operandi;
• Presence of significant physical evidence;
• Reasonable description of the suspect’s vehicle;
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• Positive results from a crime scene evidence search;
• Belief that crime may be solved with publicity and/or reasonable additional
investigative effort; and
• It is unlikely that no one, other than the suspect, to have committed the crime.
These solvability factors should be incorporated into a formal case screening
process whereby the above list, or some derivative, is used as a cover sheet on all
cases to determine whether it is an assignable case to a Detective for investigative
follow-up. For those cases requiring follow-up, the suggested prioritization, as
discussed subsequently, should be noted on the cover sheet.
The project team understands that given the service levels desired in Chula
Vista, most cases should receive some form of attention. However, for those cases with
no solvability factors checked, the maximum service received should amount to one
courtesy telephone call to the victim advising them of their case status and the need for
additional information to continue the investigation.
Effective case screening allows for the bulk of investigative resources to be
dedicated to solvable cases, thereby allowing time to focus on solving and clearing
major crime activities. Case screening based on formal solvability factors and the
implementation of a formalized process is a best management practice that should be
adopted by CVPD.
(1.2) The Prioritization Methodology.
Once a case has been screened for solvability, based on those solvability factors
checked, as well as a review of the qualitative case circumstances, the case should be
prioritized for work based on the following seven-priority rating. Prioritization of
workload has clearly been widely adopted in patrol services throughout the nation
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through call priority classifications, but is used in a lesser capacity in other law
enforcement arenas. The project team believes case prioritization is an effective
management tool to augment case screening. The seven-priority rating includes:
• Priority 1 – Felony Crime with In-custody suspect or excellent chance of arrest.
• Priority 2 – Misdemeanor Crime with In-custody suspect or excellent chance of
arrest.
• Priority 3 – Felony Crime with reasonable chance of arrest.
• Priority 4 – Felony Crime with limited chance of arrest.
• Priority 5 – Misdemeanor Crime with reasonable chance of arrest.
• Priority 6 – Misdemeanor Crime with limited chance of arrest.
• Priority 7 – Courtesy phone call based on no solvability factors.
This priority system can be modified to meet the unique needs of CVPD;
however, the concept should be used as a framework for prioritizing workload, thereby
focusing detective resources on the most important cases. A 1-7 Priority should be
assigned on all case screening cover sheets as noted previously.
(1.3) Detective Sergeants Should Perform Comprehensive Case Screening and
Prioritization on All Cases.
The personnel used for case screening are varied throughout different law
enforcement agencies. Frequently, the Investigative Sergeants perform this role, in
some agencies it is performed by “Screening Sergeants” assigned to a Crime Analysis
or Intelligence Unit, while in other organizations the Patrol desk sergeants perform this
task as part of their crime report approval process.
Currently, there is no consistent process with respect to case screening in the
CVPD. The sergeant’s initial role in case review is largely dependent upon the
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supervisor in charge. Although this practice is functional largely given the experience
and seniority of most existing staff, it is not a common one, and the project team
believes Investigative Sergeants should become more involved in a formally established
case screening and prioritization process.
To that end, the project team recommends that the Sergeants screen, prioritize
and specifically assign criminal cases to the varied Investigative Units. For information-
only (incident) reports, these can be assigned as current practice, allowing Detectives to
screen and prioritize this workload through the methods recommended in this chapter.
The involvement of sergeants in a case screening and prioritization process is an
important element in effective case management, and significantly helps ensure
accountability by identifying where resources should be focused. Formal processes,
overseen by supervisors, assist in clarifying performance expectations and helps ensure
the consistent application of procedure over the long-term regardless of what personnel
are assigned to supervise an investigative unit. Further, such formality at the line level
helps manage workload. Consequently, case screening and prioritization should
become a consistent practice at CVPD.
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(2) Manage Caseloads Effectively.
There is no strong evidence that caseloads are being consistently managed
through NetRMS or other formalized methods as a best business practice. Staff are
essentially in-charge of their own workloads, managing the processes as they see
reasonable. This can result in “unworkable” cases creating backlog, missed emphases
on important case efforts, staff frustration, lack of internal Department continuity and a
variety of other outcomes that could be perceived negatively by the general public.
Case suspension and clearance protocols are not standardized, and the level of effort
expected on particular case types is not documented.
All investigative units should develop Standard Operating Procedures that are
both consistent across units, where practical, and stress the unique investigative efforts
required of certain functions. By example, research suggests that four (4) fully assigned
homicide detectives are the ideal contingent in a homicide investigation. Such protocols
should be formalized throughout the division.
(3) Use a New Job Function Entitled “Civilian Investigator” (CSO) in the
Division to Address Various Cases.
In law enforcement agencies that investigate a variety of cases, emphasizing not
only the Part I felonies but the diligent investigation of misdemeanor crimes and
community-oriented incidents, the benefits of using civilian investigators to augment
sworn detectives can be significant. A variety of agencies throughout the United States
have adopted the civilian investigator classification including the nearby Irvine Police
Department. Additionally, the comparative survey agencies of Boca Raton, Florida and
Huntington Beach, California use civilians to handle caseloads. The general duties,
responsibilities and qualifications of the position are suggested as follows:
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• Responsible for conducting a variety of investigations regarding financial crimes,
property crimes and crimes against persons by gathering, compiling and
analyzing relevant facts, collection of evidence and property for related cases,
and preparation of related reports and court filings.
• Serves as primary investigator on moderately difficult, lower priority criminal
felony/misdemeanor cases assigned to the Division. Reviews crime and arrest
reports and evaluates allegations to determine if a criminal investigation is
warranted.
• Identifies, locates, and interviews complainants and witnesses to obtain details,
information and additional leads.
• Utilizes computer systems to access and retrieve information from local, State
and Federal computer databases. Evaluates information retrieved and takes
appropriate action. Books obtained evidence into property. Requests lab
analyses, medical records, motor vehicle records, and other documents needed
for evidence in assigned cases.
• In cooperation with sworn personnel, initiates proceedings leading to the arrest of
suspects when probable cause is present. Independently researches and writes
search warrants.
• Prepares a variety of reports, declarations, complaints and court documents, and
maintains a variety of records, logs and files.
• Testifies in court as an expert related to assigned criminal cases.
• Provides investigative support, as assigned, to the Division Detectives and other
law enforcement personnel.
.
• Requires Associates degree in criminal justice, criminology or related field and
relevant experience in law enforcement, with demonstrated understanding and
experience in investigations, or any combination of education and experience
that provides needed job specific knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position
requires a valid driver's license and the successful completion of P.O.S.T.
technical courses in investigative and evidence collection techniques. Position
must have ability to obtain a certification of completion for chemical weapons
training.
These job characteristics are representative of what the project team believes
are important elements for a civilian investigator. Given the significant amount of
misdemeanor, community-incident, and lower solvability felonies that are assigned to
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the Division’s sworn personnel, many of these cases could be transferred to a small
contingent of civilian investigators.
Subsequent to the implementation of the aforementioned procedural changes
regarding case management the Department should, dependent upon the level of
workload re-allocated, authorize up to four (4) civilian investigator staff to the three core
investigative units.
(4) Maintain Existing Detective Staffing Levels in the Core Investigative Units.
Based on the entirety of information and data analyses performed, in concert with
the previous recommendations, it is difficult to recommend additional new staffing
beyond non-sworn support in the absence of revised investigative approaches.
Through the adoption of additional case screening and case prioritization practices, as
well as the re-allocation of some investigative caseload to Civilian Investigators,
workload should be reduced to a manageable level for all core Units if some internal
transfers are adopted. This should result in the vast majority of Detectives believing
caseloads are reasonable; additional investigative time available to focus efforts on Part
I and other major crimes in an effort to improve case clearance rates; and the
continuation of exemplary customer service provided to the community of Chula Vista.
It should be re-emphasized that the current expectation of the City and CVPD as it
relates to the focus on customer service is a primary driver to staffing recommendations
noted in this chapter. Indeed, if CVPD operated similarly to most other law enforcement
agencies, staffing levels would largely be driven by “workable” Part I crime
investigations with “minor” incidents being very ancillary. Yet given CVPD’s culture and
the community expectations, there are other efforts that must be undertaken.
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In summary, the project team recommends current authorized sworn staffing
levels be maintained in the core Detective Units with internal adjustments as
recommended below, and the implementation of case management best practices
implemented prior to re-visiting sworn staffing levels.
(5) In the Long Term Investigations Needs to Focus More on Youth Services.
The Chula Vista Police Department does not, at present, have a dedicated Youth
Services Unit. Various ‘youth service’ investigative activities are either assumed into
broader units (e.g., Family Protection or Crimes of Violence), have been recently
eliminated in the budget changes of the past few years (e.g., Internet Crimes Against
Children) or are simply not an investigative specialty (e.g., child abuse). Given the
seriousness of these crimes, the type of investigators who can do these, the types and
amount of specialized training required, this is a major need in Chula Vista and one
which should be addressed.
In the future, as additional funds are available, a Youth Services Unit should be
created in the Chula Vista Police Department. Fashioned from existing resources, a five
(5) person unit of a Sergeant and four (4) investigators should be created – two (2) from
existing investigative positions and two (2) new investigators, the unit would focus on
the following:
• Child abuse
• Internet crimes against children
• Any crime with juveniles as either victim or suspect
• Missing persons
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The City of Chula Vista would benefit from the creation of an investigative unit
specializing in youth services and from the specialized trained staff who would function
within it.
7. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS UNITS RECOMMENDATIONS.
The following recommendations are made based on the analysis, findings and
conclusions noted in the prior criminal investigations sections.
Recommendation: Formalize the case screening process using a documented
solvability factor methodology that includes a 12-point criteria checklist on all
assigned detective cases.
Recommendation: Formalize a detective caseload prioritization system as part of
the case screening process using a 7-priority system as a framework.
Recommendation: Include formal case screening and prioritization of criminal
cases in Detective Sergeant duties and responsibilities.
Recommendation: Develop a detective Standard Operating Procedures Manual to
include all important work-related protocols including a formal case management
process.
Recommendation: Create a Civilian Investigator role and responsibility with job
duties as described in this chapter. As necessary, based on other recommended
changes, hire four (4) CSO positions to serve in this role.
Recommendation: Transfer two (2) agents from the Family Protection Unit to the
Property Crimes Unit. Until business processes are revised and “civilian
investigator” positions deployed and reviewed, maintain existing sworn staffing
levels in Criminal Investigations.
Recommendation: In the long term of 3 – 5 years, create a dedicated Youth
Services Unit from existing (2) and new staff (3) positions.
8. STAFF REDUCTIONS IN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS NEED TO BE
REVERSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
The Professional Standards Section in the Chula Vista Police Department has
responsibility for the full range of internal human resource functions, including:
• Recruiting new staff, including backgrounding
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• Promotional processes
• Training new staff
• In service training for existing staff
• Relevant policies and procedures
• Internal affairs and professional standards
These staff are organized as follows:
The reductions since the financial crash from 2008 have hit this section hard with
reductions in staff to include:
• A Sergeant Training Manager
• A recruiting officer
• An Academy liaison
• A Unit Secretary
• A staff position dedicated to being the Rangemaster as well as developer for
policies and procedures in the Department.
• Recently, a part time background investigator has been added.
As a result, functions which are performed on a daily basis in a large organization
such as the CVPD have become collateral duties of remaining staff, particularly the
Section Lieutenant. The Lieutenant is the Section manager as well as is responsible for
general human resources processes, policy and procedure review and development,
litigation support and, largely the Department’s Training Manager. However, the
Lieutenant also has several roles and responsibilities which have little to nothing to do
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with human resources or professional standards, including – fleet coordination with the
City’s Department of Public Works, coordination with the City’s Radio shop, police
facility cameras and other aspects of technology.
Other key positions in the Section which have expanded scopes of responsibility
significantly include the Internal Affairs Sergeant who assists with background
investigations, tracking of workers compensation cases and other general human
resources functions.
There are a number of gaps in the human resources and professional standards
program now which need to be addressed. These include:
• Training needs assessment and program adjustments.
• Grants for training and shared training opportunities.
• Policy and procedure review (in spite of adopting Lexipol).
• Ways to increase employee safety and reduce injuries.
• Review and oversight for the Field Training Officer program.
• Dealing with the increasing needs of turnover, recruitment and training.
• Career development and staff planning.
These issues can only be addressed through increased staff resources dedicated
to these functions. The project team believes that the City and the Police Department
should do the following:
Recommendation: Reallocate non-human resource responsibilities to other
positions in the Department – fleet coordination to patrol and technology
coordination to the Police Technology Specialist.
Recommendation: A Police Sergeant position should be added to oversee the
training program – academy, field and in service training.
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3. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
As noted previously there are various support services outside of patrol core
services. The workload and related information utilized in Phase 2 was obtained from
over two dozen one-on-one interviews with CVPD management, supervisory, line, and
technical personnel and a variety of independent data collection efforts made by MCG
with support provided by CVPD staff. This chapter emphasizes various findings,
conclusion and recommendations of other supporting services outside of Investigations,
in the Administrative Services Bureau.
1. OVERVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS.
Various administrative or support functions are deployed thorough the CVPD
organizational structure. Analysis is provided on the following work units to varying
levels of detail dependent upon selected factors, largely the identification of significant
strengths or important opportunities for improvement that MCG believes should be
noted, as well as the actual availability of data to conduct independent analysis.
The following work units were interviewed and ultimately examined:
• Evidence Control (Property and Evidence).
• City Jail.
• Dispatch.
• Police Support Services (Records).
• Forensic Services (Laboratory).
• Police Technology.
• Research and Analysis.
• Fiscal Operations.
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.
The chapter begins with the well-regarded Evidence Control operation (Property
and Evidence).
2. THE PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE UNIT CAN GENERALLY BE CONSIDERED
A BEST-IN-CLASS OPERATION.
The CVPD Property and Evidence Unit is the central repository for all items
recovered by police personnel during the course of police operations. The unit is
currently divided into three separate rooms within the CVPD Police Operations Building
and one overnight intake area with total storage capacity of 10,000 square feet. Items
with varying dispositions are stored within the main property storage areas, including
those with dispositions such as: found property, safekeeping, and evidence.
The Property and Evidence Unit has the primary duty for receiving, logging,
maintaining, and disposing of all items that become logged into evidence. Items
received and maintained by the unit may include weapons, narcotics, jewelry, cash,
bicycles and automobiles, biohazard and perishable materials such as DNA samples,
blood, etc. The unit is also responsible for tracking and maintaining an “official” chain of
custody for each item stowed in the warehouse and maintaining accurate records of all
inventory.
There are three full‐time positions within the Property and Evidence Unit, which
consist of one Manager and two certified Property and Evidence Technicians, two part-
time Interns, and two Volunteers.
The time period reviewed during the audit was June 2012. The audit focused on
the following objectives:
Staff Roles and Responsibilities in the Property and Evidence Unit
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National Accreditation and Staff Certifications
Property and Evidence Turnover
Property and Evidence Handling
Evidence Purging and Staffing
(1) The Property and Evidence Unit Operates Well Given Staff Resources.
The unit is staffed with one career supervisor (vacant), two-career civilian
Evidence Control Specialists, one career Senior Office Specialist, two paid part-time
interns and two volunteers with direct oversight by one Crime Lab Manager. The
following position specifics have been established to outline the critical duties and
responsibilities of the positions indicated below:
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Position # of
Pos.
Salary
Range Position Description Ancillary Duties
Senior
Evidence
Specialist
(full-time)
0.0 $3,552,2-
$4,317.77
(Monthly)
Lead and participate in a wide
variety of complex and
specialized duties in support of
the property and evidence
section in the Police
Department; to receive,
process, store, safeguard,
deliver, release and dispose of
police property, evidence and
supplies; maintain an inventory
of evidence and property
submitted to the department; to
ensure safe and careful
handling of evidence; and
perform other related duties as
assigned. This is the advanced
journey or lead level class in
the Evidence Control Assistant
series. Incumbents perform the
full range of duties as assigned
and receive only occasional
instruction or assistance as new
or unusual situations arise, and
are fully aware of the operating
procedures and policies of the
work unit. Employees in this
class are distinguished from the
Evidence Control Assistant
class in that the Senior level
provides technical and/or
functional guidance over
assigned staff.
N/A
Evidence
Control
Specialist/
Assistant
(full-time)
2.0 $3,088.90
-
$3,754.57
(Monthly)
Provides a variety of assistance
in the property and evidence
room in the Police Department;
to receive, process, store,
safeguard, deliver, release and
dispose of police property,
evidence and supplies;
maintain an inventory of
evidence and property
submitted to the department; to
ensure safe and careful
handling of evidence; and
perform other related duties as
assigned.
Call vendors to optimize
efficiency (i.e., evidence
tracking system, fence, cooler,
etc);
Call “scrap yards” to make
additional money;
Gun Desk Agents Duties;
“Go jack” vehicles and move
them from one bay to another;
Supervise and train interns
and volunteers;
All duties listed under the
Senior Evidence Control and
Senior Office Specialist;
Maintain IAPE certification;
Maintain ASCLD lab
accreditation;
Access to secure vault
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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The following illustrates a number of points about the table above:
Uneven distribution of personnel responsibilities
Very little difference when it comes to salary of a Senior Office Specialist and an
Evidence Control Specialist
Two career staff and two paid part time interns have vault access
Senior Evidence Control Assistant position is vacant
The subsequent schedule outlines a “typical” workweek for the unit:
Technicians work on a rotating nine-hour shift configuration.
– Evidence Control Specialist 1: Monday – Friday, 0700 – 1700 hours with
every other Friday off.
– Evidence Control Specialist 2: Monday – Friday, 0800 – 1800 hours with
every other Friday off.
Position # of
Pos.
Salary
Range Position Description Ancillary Duties
Senior
Office
Specialist
(full-time)
1.0 $3,056.19
-
$3,714.83
(Monthly)
Provides a wide variety of
detailed, specialized and
responsible clerical duties in
support of specific functions or
programs within the Property &
Evidence Unit
N/A
Evidence
Control
Intern II
(part-time)
2.0 $9.80-
$11.92
(Hourly)
Assists in assigned
departmental activities related
to the operations of the
Property & Evidence Unit.
Duties may vary widely
depending on the departmental
needs, but typically include
those assigned to Evidence
Control Specialists.
Access to secure vault;
Clerical Support
Evidence
Unit
Volunteer
(non-paid)
2.0 - * File cases
* Sort yellow disposition
papers from investigators
* Will help Evidence Control
staff when needed in
warehouse (must be
supervised at all times)
* Pull case files
* Send letters to owners to
retrieve property
None
TOTAL
PAID 5.0
TOTAL
VOL. 2.0
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Senior Office Specialist works a standard 40-hour workweek from 07:30 – 16:30,
Monday-Friday.
No set schedule for Interns. Schedules are dictated by educational commitments,
however, they are guaranteed 20 hours weekly, Monday – Friday.
As of July 2012, two volunteers work the following schedules:
– Volunteer 1: Every Wednesday for 8 hours
– Volunteer 2: Every Thursday for 4 hours
The next section further describes the operations of the Property and Evidence
Unit.
(2) CVPD Property and Evidence Unit is Nationally Accredited and Staffed with
Certified Evidence Control Specialists.
The importance of a well organized, efficient, and accredited Property and
Evidence Unit cannot be overemphasized. The failure of an agency to recognize
standards in the field could create a myriad of problems. Inventory audits have the
potential to uncover practices that reduce the integrity of the evidence collection
process and thus increase the likelihood for risk.
As a result of our audit, we found that CVPD has obtained CAPE (California
Association for Property and Evidence), and ASCLD (American Society of Crime
Laboratory Directors) standards accreditation and consequently performs best practices
related to most property and evidence duties and responsibilities. By example, the unit
has developed Standard Operating Procedures as well as supporting Directives.
We further recognize that two Evidence Control Specialists are presently certified
by IAPE. According to IAPE, certification indicates, “property and evidence personnel
have met certain training and experience requirements, and is now considered a
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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specialist in the field.”8 As well, certification is good for 5 years and recertification must
prove that the individual/s continue to meet the guidelines established by IAPE.
(3) In Recent Years the Property and Evidence Unit Has Done a Favorable Job
with Respect to Property and Evidence Turnover. However Issues Related
to Records Management System and Cash Depositing Must Be Addressed.
As discussed previously, the unit has obtained accreditation and consequently
performs best practices related to most property and evidence duties and
responsibilities. Despite this, and like many property and evidence operations in law
enforcement agencies, there appears to be a serious issue related to managing the
turnover of property and evidence in the CVPD. However, there is an exception to this.
In 2011, the amount of evidence disposed outweighed the amount received. Indeed, of
the 26,467 items received, 27,581 items were disposed of.
According to the International Association of Property and Evidence (IAPE),
“There is no procedure more important to keeping the inventory of a property room at a
manageable level than an effective purging program. There is also no responsibility
that is ignored more frequently.” In the project team’s experience, inventory turnover
management is one of the most common issues faced by property room managers.
Like most “records management functions,” turnover management frequently, and often
by necessity, takes a lower priority compared to operating the day-to-day business of an
evidence and property room. It is noteworthy to mention with respect to CVPD and their
efforts in 2011, not only exceeded this IAPE benchmark, yet they were able to manage
their day-to-day tasks while doing so. The following graphs break down property and
evidence received and destroyed from 1999-2011.
8 www.iape.org/cerification
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As demonstrated by the graph, significantly more items of evidence and property
have been received than disposed of over the last 12 years. In actual fact, an average
of 31.8% of the property have been disposed in this time period compared to 68.2% of
property and evidence received. However, from 2005-2011, an average of 41.5% of the
property have been disposed of compared to 58.5% of the property and evidence
received. It is obvious efforts in more recent years have improved property and
evidence turnover ratios.
This inventory management issue has a significant impact on the efficiency and
effectiveness of operations. According to IAPE, “Overcrowded evidence rooms require
more manpower to manage simply because the size of their inventory has a tendency to
slow down routine operations involving evidence location and retrieval, inventories of
evidence, and related functions that create general inefficiencies in the overall
operation.”
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Property & Evidence Turnover (1999-2011)
Received Disposed
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Furthermore, the project team identified several additional key issues related to
efficiency and turnover. The present barcode records management system is obsolete.
The software provider is no longer in business, thus an updated version is unlikely. As a
result of this outdated program, technicians experience issues pertaining to running
reports, barcode scanning, and inventory control.
Furthermore, we also found that NetRMS items descriptors do not align with
those found in the barcode system. As a result, technicians are essentially required to
create a “new entry” in the current system. Consequently, this enables technicians to
accurately capture details of each item inventoried.
Additionally, there appears to be a backlog of evidence waiting for processing by
the forensic team. Finally, it has come to our attention a “significant” amount of cash is
held in the vault waiting for a lump sum deposit. However, current practices only allot a
monthly deposit, typically less than $5,000. As an outcome of this procedure, cash is
not being turned over frequently enough.
(4) An items Audit of the Property and Evidence Room Indicates Property and
Evidence are Handled in a Scrupulously Careful Manner Through a Well-
Documented Chain of Custody.
To identify potential issues related to chain of custody and inventory control, the
project team asked for the voluntary assistance of the unit staff to perform a random
field audit. The audit was performed throughout the facility at random. The following
table indicates the results of the MCG field audit.
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Item In System?
Handgun
02-06192 In System
93-13942 In System
B61975 In System
C16517 In System
00-18651 In System
02-16591 In System
03-15628 In System
03-00007 In System
B57386 In System
96-15457 In System
10-14167 In System
09-00690 In System
06-21365 In System
07-14641 In System
02-10825 In System
00-17923 In System
Long Rifle
03-11485 In System
00-23655 In System
97-03450 In System
02-02849 In System
Narcotics
04-08311 In System
02-11697 In System
06-10269 In System
07-13504 In System
07-14805 In System
08-00040 In System
08-12188 In System
08-18835 In System
11-02433 In System
10-18089 In System
08-05139 In System
Jewelry/Cash
01-16949 In System
12-06050 In System
10-09985 In System
11-05373 In System
09-02138 In System
09-12002 In System
Random Floor
07-25133 In System
11-16518 In System
09-16289 In System
08-02031 In System
04-20312 In System
04-24473 In System
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The unit has documented its efforts to improve its process by conducting timely
firearms, currency, and narcotics audits on an annual basis. CVPD’s current audit
process focuses on verifying to ensure that property entered into the tracking system
and other databases is being stowed with integrity. The following are results of the
audits from 2009-2011.
Year Firearms Currency Narcotics
2009 Verified Verified Verified
2010 Verified Verified* Verified
2011 Verified Verified Verified
* Minor discrepancy found and resolved.
Overall CVPD has done a good job of initiating and following through with audits
to ensure property and evidence is being tracked and stowed with respect to
accreditation standards
With attention to our project team’s random floor audit, we discovered a Rolex
brand watch that was essentially ready to be sold at auction. High values items such as
a Rolex watch are essentially sitting on shelves and not either being sold for cash value
or perhaps being returned to its rightful owner.
(5) Lack of Inventory Turnover May Be Partially Attributed to Incomplete
Cooperation Among Other Units With Respect To Expediting Property
Disposal.
Property and Evidence Technicians receiving assistance from investigators is
apparently difficult in the best of circumstances. As a result, lack of receiving destruction
requests in a timely manner impacts the performance of the unit and perhaps
jeopardizes the integrity of the accreditation standards. During the course of the audit, it
was indicated that complete cooperation among investigative units in completing the
essential paperwork is lacking. To confirm this belief, the project was unable to quantify
the process with respect to “tracking” a batch of requests with respects to existing
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tracking limitations. As a result, the following qualitatively confirms CVPD’s efforts to
improve the destruction request process. The following is an excerpt from a recent
interview9 concerning this potentially growing issue.
“In the past, when the officers logged in property/evidence they would
keep the yellow disposition sheets with their report and then the records
department would route those up to investigations. Since those yellows
were being lost and not routed to the correct unit, we told the officers to
leave the yellow disposition sheets attached to the original property slip
when they log in the property/evidence and then we can route the forms to
the correct unit. Since doing this, we are now starting to get the yellows
back. Unfortunately, there is no way to track which ones we sent to
investigations so we just hope they fill them out and return them back to
us as soon as possible. The only way to find out if we never received the
yellow dispo sheet is when we do an inventory, research the case, and
see we never received one. At that point, we will have to find out who the
investigator is and ask him/her to help us dispo the evidence out. Another
example on how we can find out if we never got the yellow is if someone
calls requesting release of his or her property and we have no
authorization on a yellow to release it. We will then have to find out who is
the investigator and ask for him or her to dispo the evidence out for us.
We have never had a problem with them helping us out.
Once the yellows come back from investigations, we will sort them
according to what the dispo says. The dispo can say return to owner now,
hold for statute of limitations or hold pending court action. In the past when
we received the dispos stating hold pending court action we would
automatically file them away. I realized last year that since we have been
filing them away we have no way of knowing if they actually cleared court
unless we physically pull every file and pull out the cases that say hold
pending court action. So I had the volunteers working on that project for a
few months and they were able to pull everything up until 2009. In
November 2011, I created a new tickler file box for "hold court action
pending" cases only. We set it up for one year from the date of crime
occurrence. So, in one year from that date we will pull those cases and
run the suspects. By doing this, it will give the suspect time to clear court
and file any appeals if needed. This new tickler system helps us get rid of
cases faster instead of it sitting in the file drawer for years and years.
Our other tickler file box is for cases where the investigator says hold for
a certain amount of time. The time always varies per case so we will have
different dates. We will list the case on the card according to the time
9 Interview with a technician July 2012.
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indication on the dispo sheet and when that time comes will pull those
cases and dispo the case according to the investigator instructions. This
process is very similar to the court action pending tickler box.”
As indicated above, without full cooperation from investigative units (which are
required to authorize property destruction), evidence turnover cannot be fully
addressed. By example, there is a significant amount of sexual assault evidence
stacked with time stamps in the upwards of 8-10 years. As a result, evidence of this
nature is sitting at the discretion of an investigator/detective despite policy, statute of
limitations, etc. Consequently, full cooperation is not occurring and disposal efforts are
minimal. It appears no mechanism is in place that holds investigators accountable for
processing evidence destruction requests in a timely manner.
(6) Property and Evidence Purging Issues Are Also Related to Under Staffing
Issues.
Based on the aforementioned data, including our personal observations of the
unit, the level of staffing is lacking. Studies conducted on relatively productive large law
enforcement agencies have indicated that evidence positions were able to process
between 4,400 to 6,100 units of property and evidence per annum. With respect to
CVPD’s two career full-time technicians and two paid part-time interns, CVPD is
processing an annual average of over 8,681 units per technician based on a five-year
average of evidence/property received.
With regards to staffing, the project team conducted a small comparative
survey at the County level10. Based on our findings, we found that San Diego agencies
on average employed two full time technicians. Indeed, we have to recognize that most
agencies included in the survey are one-fourth to half the size of Chula Vista (Chula
10 Escondido, Carlsbad, El Cajon, La Mesa, Coronado, and National City
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Vista is the second largest City in the County). As a result of this finding, the project
team decided to conduct a comparative survey at the national level on similar sized
agencies.
Based on the survey findings, we concluded at the national level11, the number
of property and evidence technicians ranged from 4-7 staff (the average being 5.5).
These comparative data, as well as the technician processing outputs noted in the large
agencies above, indicate the current staffing contingent has an impact on the ability to
perform core business functions such as property and evidence turnover. It is
recommended that the property and evidence unit authorizes additional staff and
restructure the rank in order to ensure CVPD continues to operate under best practices.
3. PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE RECOMMENDATIONS.
The following recommendations are made based on the analysis, findings and
conclusions noted in the prior sections.
Recommendation: Reclassify the Senior Office Specialist to an Evidence Control
Specialist.
Recommendation: Authorize one (1) additional Senior Evidence Specialist
position.
Recommendation: The unit should maintain its national accreditation.
Recommendation: The Unit should maintain a purging process where evidence
is rotated out on a consistent basis.
Recommendation: The current bar-coding system is defective and should be
replaced to streamline storage and retrieval processes and ensure the chain of
custody is maintained.
Recommendation: Implement the NetRMS property and evidence inventory
management system.
11 Salt Lake City, Wichita, Cincinnati, and Toledo.
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Recommendation: Personnel assigned to the property/evidence component
should place more emphasis on identifying property eligible for disposal (i.e.,
cash deposits, jewelry, etc).
Recommendation: Protocols/operating procedures concerning property/evidence
destruction (i.e., destruction slips, evidence held past statute of limitations, etc)
should be formalized to increase accountability for processing evidence in a
timely manner.
Recommendation: Continue with annual inspections and audits of high-risk
items.
4. THE CHULA VISTA JAIL NEEDS TO REVISIT STAFFING ALLOCATIONS.
The Chula Vista Police Department operates its own Type I Jail facility. The
Chula Vista City Jail (CVCJ) is an 8,850 square foot facility with 48 beds. In 2004 CVCJ
operated as a Temporary Holding Facility. At that time prisoners were held only long
enough to arrange transport to the County Jail or Las Colinas Women's Detention
Facility. In September of 2005, the facility started operations as a Type I Jail, holding
local inmates up to 96 hours for court pre-arraignment. Approximately one year later
CVCJ also contracted with State inmates for up to 60 days who wished to participate in
the In Custody Drug Treatment Program (ICDTP). This program ended in June of 2011.
In October of 2010 CVCJ entered into a contract to house a small male inmate
population from the United States Marshals Service. After ICDTP ended, the additional
space allowed CVCJ to expand the USM population to 36 inmates daily.
In July of 2011, the USM population transitioned from male to female and remains in
this format. A recent audit of the jail resulted in a passing rating relative to Title 15
requirements.
The present authorized staffing contingent of CVCJ is:
0.5 Lieutenant.
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12 Police Service Officers.
1 Senior Office Specialist.
In the absence of the Lieutenant who oversees both Dispatch and Jail during
normal business hours, the Patrol Watch Commander is in charge of the CVCJ.
The primary issues with regard to jail operations is given the federal inmate
population, CVCJ must operate as a Type II Facility. A Type II facility means a local
detention facility used for the detention of persons pending arraignment, during trial, and
upon a sentence of commitment (e.g. federal inmates). As a consequence,
requirements and expectations are higher for this facility than Type I, with the attendant
impact on staffing levels. Clearly, by example, there is limited supervision at the jail,
with no leads or supervisors in charge of the “floor.” The closest supervision during
most times is the Watch Commander who is engaged in other core duties.
The Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections has developed a very
comprehensive staffing report with respect to jail operations.12 MCG strongly
recommends this be consulted closely to develop a jail staffing organization consistent
with best practice. In support of this, MCG recommends the following minimum
protocols be adopted:
Recommendation: Create a Lead Police Service Officer job classification to
perform as floor supervisor in CVCJ. Based upon the outcome of the internal
DOJNIC staffing review, ensure one Lead is assigned 24/7.
Recommendation: Create a non-sworn Supervisor position to oversee jail
operations. The Jail Manager should report directly to the Captain. Transfer the
Lieutenant position to Special Investigations Division.
12 http://www.asca.net/system/assets/attachments/2086/staffing_analysis-1-3.pdf?1296162143
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5. DISPATCH SHOULD RE-VISIT STAFFING LEVELS BASED UPON THE
VARIETY OF WORK TYPES ACCOMPLISHED, UPON COLLECTING
ADDITIONAL DATA, AND USING THE APCO MODEL.
Professionalizing public safety dispatch, such as in CVPD, is becoming more
commonplace throughout the nation given the benefits derived to the communities
being served. The state of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency mandates
through Chapter 120c dispatcher certification and training to be conducted by the
Pennsylvania State Police. Texas, Kentucky, Florida and Georgia all have similar
dispatcher certification requirements. Twenty-four states have moderate to strict
legislative requirements related to Emergency Medical Dispatch operations. Finally, the
National Academies of Emergency Dispatch13 and APCO strongly advocate formal
training and certification in their respective organizations. Clearly, there is widespread
recognition that well-trained dispatcher personnel are central to effective public safety
service delivery. And indeed, the benefits of specially trained public safety dispatchers
are being recognized as shown by the following abstract from 9-1-1 Magazine:
Most agencies now have Communications Training Officers (CTOs),
whereas just 20 years ago most trainees were assigned to a senior
dispatcher or an unknowing dispatcher who was just working at the
moment a trainee walked in the door. Within a day or two, it was time to
solo. CTOs have been a great addition to our profession (and) they should
also be somehow compensated for that additional responsibility and
pressure, just as patrol Field Training Offices are compensated for this
vital responsibility. In the early 1990s, the California fire service developed
another specialty position that has since blossomed nationally. Based on
the Incident Command System (ICS) “Radio Operator” position, it was
modified into a local-agency based, rapid-deployment function called the
Incident Dispatch Team (IDT). It was discovered that by using a specially
trained dispatcher at a fire scene command post, it enhanced field
communications, unified command, responder safety, and resource
management. By handling a myriad of responsibilities, it freed the Incident
Commander to concentrate on the handling of the event while their IDT or
13 http://www.emergencydispatch.org/cert_home.php?a=cert
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specialized dispatcher handled vital tasks and resource tracking. Shortly
after the rise of fire department IDTs, a now-retired FBI agent, realized
that using professional communicators at hostage stand-offs, SWAT call
outs, and other law enforcement events was a great tactical benefit. This
training also started in California. This idea has gone nationwide.14
In summary, strong evidence exists that the deployment of professional
dispatcher positions--as demonstrated by training, consistent application of common
policies and procedures, certifications, and as-needed specialization--in a public safety
environment is an essential service delivery approach for the most effective dispatch
operations. As a consequence, CVPD has the framework in place for a professional
dispatch agency.
(1) Dispatch Workload is Largely Driven by Calls Resulting in “Community
Generated Calls for Service;” There are, However, Other Important
Responsibilities.
One of the primary duties, and indeed the core responsibility of dispatcher staff,
is the effective handling of a community generated call for service whether arising from
E-9-1-1 or seven-digit telephone lines. Community generated call for service workload
derived from incoming telephone calls can be used as a primary driver in developing a
dispatcher staffing model. This workload element is foundational in developing
dispatcher staffing levels required based on desired services levels. These calls
certainly do not represent all workload, however, such as the variety and differences in
administrative work that a dispatcher undertakes to support public safety staff in the
field, radio traffic related to field unit self-initiated activities, etc. Indeed, the following
exhibit provides a listing of Dispatcher ancillary duties as provided by CVPD.
14 May 2004 article, 9-1-1 Magazine
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EXHIBIT – LIST OF DISPATCHER ANCILLARY DUTIES
Additional Duties other than Dispatch Functions
Performed?
Approximate Amt of Time per
Duty
How Many Times Performed per Day
(Apx)
Stolen Vehicle CLETS Entries 2 minutes 3
Police Impounds CLETS Entries 2 minutes 5
Private Impounds includes CAD & CLETS Entries 3 minutes 11
Repossessions includes CAD & CLETS Entries 3 minutes 3
Missing Person and Runaway Juvenile CLETS Entries 5 minutes 2
Recovered Vehicle CLETS Entries (Our Stolen) 2 minutes 1
Recovered Vehicle CLETS Entries (Outside Agency Stolen) 5 minutes 1
Review Private and Repo CLETS Entries 30 seconds 14
Review Stolen Vehicle CLETS Entries 1 minute 3
Review Police Impound CLETS Entries 1 minute 5
Review Missing Person and Runaway CLETS Entries 3 minutes 2
Business Office, STOP Impounds, Property, Traffic 5 minutes 50
CAST Callouts/Finding a second or third CAST member 10 minutes once a week
CAST Callouts/For other agencies (SDSO Bonita Imperial
Beach) 10 minutes twice a month
ARO Callouts/For other agencies (e.g. explaining protocol to
SDSO) 5 minutes twice a week
Call outs for streets, street lights, water , etc 5 minutes 7 times a week
Saving inquiry printouts for units 1 minute 25
NET RMS unlocking reports and other duties when Sgt
unavailable 3-5 minutes 10
Media calling during a critical incident 1 minute varies with incident
Sick calls from officers for their Sgt's or Lt's 1-2 minutes 3
Looking up phone numbers for other personnel 1-2 minutes Apx 20
NET RMS Updates 3-5 depending varies
updating calls with 10-16 charges info ,etc. 3 minutes numerous
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Notwithstanding the above numerous duties, community generated calls for
service does reflect workload that requires a mandatory response from the dispatch
agency; the community expects immediate service when it telephones for public safety
service. Whereas all other dispatcher activities are vitally important, community
generated calls for service response is the primary core business of a dispatch agency.
Community Generated Calls for Service, as defined herein, represent contacts
from the community, generally via E9-1-1 landline telephone but also non-emergency
lines or cell phones.
Calls for service are a bit different in Chula Vista PD compared to other large
agencies—there is an inordinate amount of 7-digit telephone line calls compared to E9-
1-1. This is far more common for East Coast and smaller communities. While
interesting, it does not have a significant impact on dispatch services other than initial
call screening requirements.
The data below reflect call information for a recent twelve (12) month period.
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E911 Calls Fiscal Year July 2011 thru June 2012
# Calls Cell % Cell Total
Jul 7,893 70.58% 5,571
Aug 7,715 68.65% 5,296
Sep 7,687 70.57% 5,424
Oct 7,441 70.95% 5,279
Nov 7,122 72.63% 5,172
Dec 7,184 71.23% 5,117
Jan 7,588 72.53% 5,504
Feb 7,275 72.63% 5,284
Mar 7,476 73.44% 5,490
Apr 7,300 74.33% 5,426
May 8,203 75.35% 6,181
Jun 8,067 76.69% 6,187
Total: 90,951 72.47% 65,931
7 Digit Call Resulting in a “Emergency” Call for Service
71,196 n/a n/a
7 Digit Non Emergency Calls (in/out) Fiscal Year July 2011/Jun 2012
# Calls PBX%
Jul 21,701 1.49%
Aug 21,701 1.85%
Sep 23,871 1.86%
Oct 22,263 1.68%
Nov 20,797 1.77%
Dec 21,757 1.88%
Jan 21,756 1.88%
Feb 18,712 1.77%
Mar 17,836 2.25%
Apr 16,426 1.52%
May 18,315 1.37%
Jun 25,525 1.61%
Total: 250,660.
These data could be useful for workload projection as discussed in the following
sections.
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(2) APCO Has Developed a Staffing Model Based on Major Workload Elements
Performed by Many Dispatchers.
. In the last few years APCO has published a staffing model as part of their Project
RETAINS efforts, developed by the University of Denver Research Institute. In effect,
the APCO project RETAINS model requires several discreet data elements based on
actual workloads to be effective. These include:
• Net (actual) annual staffing availability (a portion of 2080 hours annually).
• Average telephone busy time (call duration in seconds), from phone or other
records. This should ideally distinguish between E-9-1-1 calls and administrative
calls for service.
• Average call completion time (in minutes, this includes time for keyboard data
entry, radio transmission, address verification, etc.). Average call completion
time is often not accurately available. While some agencies are capable of
collecting accurate radio transmission time, other dispatcher-related workload,
such as records checks or keyboard data entry by staff, is most often not
available.
• Average Processing Time, (APT)— which is the sum of the two above bullets.
What the APCO model fails to account for is the workload directly related to
other activities unrelated to telephone call’s workload; that is, by example, officer
initiated activities and the variety of tasks associated thereto.
• Agent Occupancy Rate (AO) which reflects the proportion of time that the agency
desires a dispatcher to be occupied with workload.
In brief, the APCO project RETAINS staffing model is a generally good
methodology with a few notable exceptions, but it is data intensive to the extent that
many agencies do not possess the level of detail required to properly complete the
model. The MCG, using the APCO model as a baseline, has made some slight
revisions using major work activities captured as well as some assumptions regarding
other types of work. These are discussed in the following sub-sections.
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(3) Total Time Spent on Telephone Calls and Time on Radio “Transactions”
are Major Workload Drivers in this APCO-Based Model.
The APCO-based model uses the actual number of telephone transactions and
radio transmission transactions as primary workload drivers. Additionally, the total time
associated with these activities is calculated to determine an average amount of time
spent per transaction. Radio transmission time for CVPD, as well as accurate call
transaction time was not readily available to MCG. Further, the differentiation of time
requirements between PBX generated calls and other call types is not available. As a
result, the following modeling exercise is necessary.
(4) The MCG Workload Model.
This quantitative approach utilized by MCG ties volumes of community generated
calls for service workload with developed time standards to determine total
communications center workload and the attendant staffing needs based on net staff
availability and other variables. This methodology has been utilized for over twenty
years by members of our organization. This process starts from the premise that there
are relationships among dispatch center workloads that are reasonably constant from
one dispatch agency to another relating to the following:
• The total number of telephone calls received in a dispatch center, such as those
shown above, can be expressed on a community-generated call for service basis
and converted to average time requirements.
• The total number of radio transmissions received in a dispatch center can be
expressed on a community-generated call for service basis and converted to
average time requirements.
• The total number of other workloads (e.g. data entry) handled in a dispatch
center can be expressed on a community-generated call for service basis and
converted to average time requirements.
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These assumptions are critical because while many public safety agencies
believe that counting only incidents entered into CAD and/or capturing telephone calls is
an appropriate reflection of workload, few count other dispatching tasks to include radio
transmissions, keyboard entries, research tasks for officers and other administrative
dispatcher activities related to providing emergency services. Our firm has converted all
these activities to total minutes of workload which are expressed on a per community-
generated call-for-service basis. That is, estimates of total dispatch center workloads
are converted to minutes and expressed on the basis of average minutes per
community generated call for service. The time standards utilized in this study for law
enforcement are as follows:
• MCG has researched that an average of 130 seconds (2.17 minutes) are
allocated to process a community-generated E-9-1-1 service request (phone call)
that is subsequently routed to a dispatch console. This standard incorporates
the fact that multiple calls can be generated by each incident.
• Average call completion time – The average call completion time is related to
dispatcher workload, is estimated at 6.73 minutes for law enforcement and
includes the following time estimates.
- Approximately 327 seconds of total radio transmissions related activity
expressed on a per call for service basis — including call-related and
officer self-initiated field workloads and administrative transmissions.
- Approximately 13 seconds are allocated for records checks.
- Approximately 64 seconds are allocated for other tasks associated with
the dispatch center (e.g. administrative record-keeping, other activities).
Note that these standards represent averages — they do not represent actual
workload per call. For example, it does not take 13 seconds to process a records
request as some calls have more records research and others have none;
however, the overall time required to process a records request averages 13
seconds per community generated call.
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The APCO model requires some specific information that is not readily available.
Consequently, the MCG modeling approach is useful. While FY 2012 call for service
information was not used in the Phase I report, calendar 2011 data was available. As
such, 2011 telephone calls are incorporated into this model. For reference purposes to
the prior table there were 69,698 7-digit emergency calls in 2011 (compared to the
shown 71,196 in the FY 2012 period) and 85,384 E-9-1-1 calls. These resulted in
64,251 community generated calls for service as discussed in the Phase I report, or
approximately 2.4 calls per call for service. Using the MCG formula noted, this
translates into the following table:
Matrix Baseline Staffing Model Based Upon Community Generated Calls for Service (2011 Data)
Workload and Standards Data Elements
Law Enforcement Annual Community Generated Calls for Service (CFS) 64,251
Time Standard in Minutes for CFS 8.9
Total Time in Minutes for Workload 571,834
Time Requirements
Total Hours of Workload 9,531
Net Annual Employee Availability (hours) 1,72515
Utilization Rate (AO) 50%
True Employee Availability (hours) 862.5
Staff Needed
Full Time Equivalent Dispatchers required baseline using CFS Work 11.0
Turnover rate16 17%
FTE's Baseline Required 12.9
In effect, based on the modeling exercise, thirteen (13) CVPD dispatchers should
be fielded to handle common call for service workload; this is in comparison to 18 police
15 Based on provided CVPD leave records.
16 National dispatcher turnover rate.
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dispatchers and 6 supervisors presently fielded. Despite this apparent staff-to-workload
discrepancy, the following should be noted:
• The model does not calculate personnel needed for management, supervision
and ancillary support services (e.g. information technology).
• As in all models, the full-time equivalent (FTE) baseline assumes proportional
workload distributions throughout a 24-hour, seven-day period are equal over the
168-hour work week. Staffing adjustments need to be made based on workload
variances.
• Staffing levels are based on common and major dispatcher-related tasks
performed and do not properly reflect most ancillary duties noted in the prior
exhibit.
It should be noted that the MCG planning model is based on time standards (how
long a call should take overall) versus an APCO-based model (how long work actually
does take overall). Given the totality of data available, MCG believes that CVPD
dispatch is appropriately staffed with sufficient levels of supervision.
Recommendation: Collect and utilize dispatch workload information and
internally run staffing requirements based upon the APCO staffing model.
Recommendation: Based upon the MCG model, dispatch staffing is satisfactory
with sufficient line supervision to properly oversee dispatch personnel.
Recommendation: Over the mid-term create a non-sworn manager position to
oversee dispatcher operations. The Dispatch Manager should report directly to
the Captain. Transfer the Lieutenant position to Special Investigations Division.
6. THE LABORATORY FORENSIC UNIT AND BUSINESS OFFICE HAVE NO
OPERATIONAL ISSUES OF SIGNIFICANCE.
The Chula Vista Police Department Crime Laboratory is made up of three distinct
entities: Forensic Unit, Evidence Control Unit and Business Office. The Evidence
Control Unit (Property and Evidence) has been discussed previously.
The Forensic Unit consists of two sections: Forensic Specialist (C.S.I.) and Latent Print
Examiner. Evidence Technician's work with police investigators at major crime scenes.
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They are trained in the forensic sciences and are responsible for locating, documenting
and collecting physical evidence at crime scenes. Evidence Technicians also process
evidence submitted to the crime lab for various forensic examinations including
fingerprints, high detail photography, and follow-up trace evidence searches.
Latent print examiners examine finger, palm and other prints lifted from crime
scenes or the evidence collected at crime scenes. Prints identified by Latent Print
Examiners often lead to the arrest and conviction of criminals.
The Business Unit personnel perform a variety of clerical duties that support the
specialized operations of the Crime Laboratory Forensic and Evidence Control Units.
These duties include; clerical and secretarial assignments; information request
processing for outside law enforcement agencies; typing crime lab related
correspondence; and filing and computer data entry.
The following matrix reflects the kind of latent evidence processed by the
Laboratory.
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EXHIBIT – LATENT PRINT WORKLOAD – FY 2012
LATENT PRINT UNIT (FY 2011-
2012) 11-Jul 11-Aug 11-Sep 11-Oct 11-Nov 11-Dec 12-Jan 12-Feb 12-Mar 12-Apr 12-May 12-Jun TOT
IMPRESSIONS COMPARED 62 233 33 160 155 79 14 172 68 118 169 142 1405
CARDS / PHOTOS 126 209 122 546 350 362 294 333 339 450 515 411 4057
CAFIS ENTRIES 24 31 43 22 24 63 172 61 248 91 127 111 1017
CAFIS ID'S 4 2 3 6 1 14 10 12 9 12 9 9 91
MANUAL ID'S 37 61 27 40 86 15 7 70 30 59 97 33 562
TLI 0 0 3 0 0 0 446 638 757 859 1110 1108 4921
TECH REVIEW 12 5 7 6 13 10 3 17 11 64 14 19 181
VERIFICATIONS 4 2 3 3 3 5 2 13 19 17 13 8 92
CASES EVALUATED 18 3 5 112 54 96 137 114 76 66 82 88 851
OTHER: ADMIN REVIEW / DISPOS
Created
AFIS
Comp
Test for LPE's 0
15 + 2
Weeks
Acting
Lab Manager CUGI Conf. 0 6 0 0
14 + 1
Week
Acting
Lab Manager 0 Manual Revision
1 Dispo
+
Manual
Revision
+ QA Audit 6
REPORTS 12 10 27 75 58 66 n/a 37 55 52 37 57 486
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Forensics in the Chula Vista Police Department meets most ‘best practices’ for
these functions. Based on MCG’s analysis, there is only one relevant finding with
respect to the laboratory. The following best practices are met or are issues with
respect to forensics in the CVPD:
• Historical issues in the Unit relating to the efficacy of inventory tracking systems
are about to be resolved with the implementation of the Net RMS system.
• Call-outs are effectively controlled by field supervisors.
• Internal processing times are ‘reasonable’ to end users (e.g., investigators).
• Costly yet less highly utilized forensics technology is contracted out or sent to a
regional full service crime lab.
• However, there is not a comprehensive standard operating procedures manual.
As such this should be considered an opportunity for improvement in the future.
Recommendation: Maintain the current Laboratory staffing level to ensure the
timely processing of crime scene evidence.
Recommendation: Develop a comprehensive Crime Scene and Investigations
Procedures Manual to ensure the procedures are consistently performed by both
Laboratory personnel as well as sworn and/or CSO field staff.
7. THE POLICE SUPPORT SERVICES UNIT IS UNDERGOING A SIGNIFICANT
TRANSITION IN STAFFING AND PROCESSES.
The Police Support Services Unit, often referred to as “Records” in many other
police departments, provides support services to the public, all sections of the Police
Department, other law enforcement agencies, county and city staff, alarm permit and
other permit processing, subpoena processing within the CVPD, proper dissemination
and maintenance of police documents and reports. All official reports of the Police
Department are maintained by Police Support Services. Services, such as report
reproduction and fingerprinting are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00
pm with staff arriving one hour before the counter is open to the public.
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Staff in Police Support Services are largely cross trained – both as an efficiency
measure plus as a necessity given workload growth and staff reductions in the past few
years. The classifications of the staff in data and records functions will merge to
facilitate cross training and cross use. These staff are organized as follows:
“Senior” staff are lead workers rather than supervisory and earn slightly more
than their line counterparts. Cadets staff the front counter when it is open to the public.
There are 6 staff working part time on an hourly basis at a 3 FTE level.
With the implementation of the Net RMS system staff are undergoing significant
training in the new system as well as the business processes which result.
Workload with respect to Support Services is quite varied, as reflected in the
following table:
Police Support Services Workload Metrics
PSS GENERAL ACTIVITY FY 2011-12 Jan-Jun 2012
Courtesy and SWC reports entered into NetRMS 130
Stored vehicle notices mailed 1,230
Stolen vehicle validation notices mailed 422
Other agency background checks 1,183
Calls for Service requests processed 446
Officer subpoenas printed/processed** 2,925
Mailed report requests processed** 3,345
Faxed report and call for service requests processed 1,606
Front counter report requests processed 2,862
Mailed requests copied/attached in NetRMS 1,306
Faxed requests copied/attached in NetRMS 1,162
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PSS GENERAL ACTIVITY FY 2011-12 Jan-Jun 2012
Front counter requests copied/attached in NetRMS 1,394
Blood Alcohol Letters processed for HR 78
Juvenile petitions for report requests 45
Juvenile record sealings 22
Arrest summaries 258
Crime summaries 65
Alarm permit renewals processed 3,800
False alarms processed Future impact from Verified Response
New alarm accounts (with/without permits) 1,797
Officer reports transcribed 283
Civil Subpoenas 42
Traffic citations entered into ARJIS 5620*
Field Interviews entered into ARJIS 1643*
Historical cases scanned into Laserfiche* Unknown
* Future workload impacted by further NetRMS activity
FRONT COUNTER ACTIVITY
Customers checked into Activity Log 20,899
Front counter service requests processed 22,167
File a report 2,207
Livescan 977
Customers requesting ink fingerprints (1-4 cards) 646
Parking tickets 2,291
Sign-off tickets 1,371
STOP impound/NIP payment 2,418
Narcotic registration 404
Property pick-up 570
Jail visitation 201
Appointment 3,153
Other 4,644
As shown by the table, there are a variety of work activities performed,
particularly as it relates to Front Counter activities in the service of the public.
An examination of Support Services staffing deployment reveals some issues
deserving resolution:
• The implementation of NetRMS has been a significant undertaking for the Unit.
While the training of trainers and cross training of staff has facilitated this to some
extent, report processing and transcription has witnessed some backlogs as a
result. If these backlogs persist or grow additional overtime or part time hours
will be necessary to catch-up.
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• Implementation of NetRMS and field reporting will eliminate the need for much of
the transcription services provided by the Unit to the Department. The need for
quality control in reports, however, will grow with this transition. Staff should be
redirected and trained in a quality control effort.
• There are two classifications, Police Records Specialist and Police Data
Specialist that have been cross trained to perform many of the same functions.
These positions are to be broad-banded under one job classification. There are
many impending changes with Net/RMS and the Department should evaluate
these changes and the impacts on these supervisory classifications.
• The Police Support Services Manager performs many duties which should be
performed or shared with others. These duties include the following:
– Supervision of staff and all that this entails.
– Quality control of reports to, for example, other agencies.
– Development of Chula Vista’s Uniform Crime Report to the FBI and State
agencies.
– Subpoenas.
– NewRMS implementation during this implementation period.
Several of these duties should be transferred to other staff in the Unit – quality
control of reports and other documents as well as subpoenas should be the
responsibility of the Senior staff positions in data and reports.
• The use of Police Cadets for public support and “minor” service to the public has
been growing in this country (and abroad). While its use has grown largely
because of declining revenue since the financial system crash in 2008, there are
valid reasons to use low-compensated staff for such functions – for example, it is
an effective proving ground for future police positions. Their use should continue
and, where appropriate be expanded into areas such as minor report taking.
As it relates to the Research and Analysis, Fiscal Operations, and Police
Technology, there are no notable issues. These small units, ranging from 1-4 personnel
in size, provide a variety of support services (e.g. financial, purchasing, analysis, IT
support, etc.) that are consistent with other typical law enforcement agencies. As such,
there are no findings, conclusions and ultimately recommendations of relevance.
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Recommendation: Maintain the current civilian Administrative Services Manager
under the existing organizational structure to include lab, property/evidence,
fiscal support, records, research and analysis and IT support functions.
Recommendation: Pending the results of internal study, merge the Support
Services Manager and Senior Police Data Specialist into one supervisor position.
Recommendation: Continue to use Police Cadets in Support Services.
Recommendation: Consolidate the Police Records Specialist and Police Data
Specialist into one job classification.
Recommendation: Transition report data entry staff to more of a quality control
set of roles.
Recommendation: Continue the use of Cadets to provide service to the public.
Recommendation: Redistribute selective duties from the Police Support Services
Manager to other staff in the Unit.
8. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE CHULA VISTA POLICE
DEPARTMENT IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE CITY.
Currently, the maintenance, new system development / implementation and
support for information technology in the Chula Vista Police Department is a shared
responsibility between it and the Information Technology Services Department in the
City. The Police Department has a position (a Police Technology Specialist) which is
responsible for certain information technology support; the City Department has other
roles which are described below. The general division of these responsibilities is
summarized in the following table:
Police Department
Police Technology Specialist
Chula Vista Information Technology Services
Department
• Support of the Mobile Data Computers.
• Support for Dispatch (radios, telephones and
cameras).
• Support for common software – Microsoft
Office, Java, Internet Explorer, Acrobat.
• Set ups of computers and peripherals.
• Upgrades.
• Network and security issues, etc.
• Planning future system upgrades and
acquisitions.
• Interface with system vendors and system
implementers.
• System operations.
• Selective applications development.
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Responsibility division in a large department, especially a police department, is
common in local government – with an internal representative tasked with day to day
support of end users and external responsibility for large system development and
operation. It does require some coordination which is accomplished in Chula Vista
through shared responsibility for tasks and extensive meetings. There is a single point
of responsibility in the ITS Department which is essential for the City.
Coordination and system evaluation / development has been impacted in the
past few years because of downsizing of the Information Technology Services
Department. This has impacted the Police Department (as well as other municipal
departments), notably in the implementation of the Net RMS system which has been
largely the responsibility of the Police Department. New systems such as a vehicle
locator system, implementing changes to CLETS, new MDC’s for the Department, etc.,
have been impacted.
With growth in the economy, certain capabilities in ITS Department and support
to the Police Department should be reversed in the next few years. As a first step, the
Information Technology Services Department together with the Police Department
should develop a long range information technology plan to guide the next 5 – 10 years
of technology.
The Information Technology Services Department in Chula Vista suffered deep
budgetary reductions in the past few years, taking away their ability to keep up with day-
to-day issues, not to mention to proactively plan and implement new technologies. This
will change within the next few years. When it does dedicated focus will need to be
added to plan and implement new police systems. The project team recommends that
CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
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a Police Information Systems Specialist be added when funds are available. However,
while this position should be dedicated to police systems and be located within the
Police Department it should be a staff resource in the Information Technology Services
Department. This approach assures a balance of prioritized attention in Police but
within the context of overall City information technology strategies and directions. Given
the magnitude and number of new and upgraded systems in the next few years, this
recommendation can only be effectively implemented with a dedicated resource to the
Police Department.
Recommendation: The Information Technology Services Department and the
Police Department should jointly develop a long range technology plan.
Recommendation: When funds exist, dedicate a position within ITS but stationed
within the Police Department to plan information technology and assist with its
implementation.
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3. ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The final chapter in this report focuses on the organization and management
staffing of the Chula Vista Police Department. The first section identifies the criteria that
the project team believes should be utilized for evaluating organizational structures.
1. KEY TO EVALUATING ANY ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IS THE NEED
TO IDENTIFY CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT.
In order to evaluate the organizational structure of the Chula Vista Police
Department, the project team first had to identify the criteria by which the organizational
structure would be judged. The paragraphs, that follow, describe those criteria as well
as describe what is meant by each of them:
• Accountability and responsibility are clearly identified: The organizational
structure must be consistent with the concept that clear lines of authority and
decision making are essential for any organization to achieve excellence. Areas
of responsibility are clearly delineated and points of accountability are readily
identifiable.
• Spans of control or communication are optimal depending on functional
complexity and location of staff: While there is no span of supervisory /
management control which is appropriate for every organizational unit (they vary
due to such factors as non-personnel-related responsibilities, the complexity of
unit business processes and the dispersion of assigned staff), they should be
‘reasonable’ with no one-over-one reporting relationships.
• Structure is based on task requirements and work flow as opposed to
specialized skills of individual members: There is a tendency in some
organizations to organize work patterns around the specific passions or skills of
individual members. This results in high friction levels for most work processes
and the relationships between group members and groups.
• Similarly titled positions have similar responsibilities and levels of
accountability: The organization should be structured such that decision
making authority and the ability of decisions to impact the organization in a
strategic way are all found at similar levels of the hierarchy.
• In a public safety function, positions performing or managing
administrative / support functions are civilianized. This not only better
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matches the background, skills and experience of the job to be done but also
provides a career path for the line staff in each of these administrative / support
functions.
The section, that follows, provides our analysis of the current organizational
structure and opportunities for improvement.
2. THE CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IN THE CHULA VISTA
POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERALLY MEETS EFFECTIVE
ORGANIZATIONAL CRITERIA.
The current organizational structure of the Chula Vista Police Department is
along fairly typical lines for a municipal law enforcement agency, as shown below.
In this organizational structure – Bureau commands are simply allocated to those
associated with field services, investigative services and administrative services.
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The table, below, provides a graphical assessment of the current organizational
structure. Note the “” mark in a box indicates that the organizational unit meets that
criteria described in the preceding section of the report and there is no issue as a result.
Organizational
Division
Account-
ability
Span of
Control
Functional
Alignment
Similar
Titles /
Duties
Civilianize
Office of the
Police Chief √ √
√
√ N/A
Patrol Operations
Division √ √
√
√ N/A
Investigations
Division √
√
√ N/A
Administrative
Services Division √ √
√
√ √
The paragraphs that follow provide a summary of the project team’s findings and
conclusions regarding the current organizational structure of the Chula Vista Police
Department:
• The Department has a traditional management organization structure with a
Chief and three (3) top commanders – two (2) Captains and a civilian
Administrative Services Manager. Functions within each Bureau are aligned to
the core mission within it.
• In spite of this conclusion, spans of control are mixed but tend to be on the
narrow side:
– Chief 1:4 (including his Assistant)
– Patrol Captain 1:6 (at the low end of a typical range of 1:6 – 9).
– Investigations Captain 1:3
– Administrative Services Manager 1:6
– Watch Commanders 1:3
– North District Commander 1:6; South District Commander 1:4 (though
supervision of Tough on Crime and Community Relations is shared).
– Investigations Lieutenant 1:11 (direct and indirect supervisions)
– Professional Standards Lieutenant 1:3
Spans of control at the supervisory to line levels are similarly mixed but tending
to be narrow.
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• There are, however, no instances of one-over-one reporting relationships in
which a Sergeant or Lieutenant is the only direct report to a Lieutenant or
Captain.
• There are no functional issues associated with unit placement in the
organization, with the possible exception of the following:
– Forensics within Administrative Services. However, placement elsewhere
would be difficult – with Patrol and Investigations it would be a direct
report to a Captain. Moreover, as a non-sworn staffed and managed
function it is a best fit in an administrative area.
– Dispatch in Investigations. This is not only unusual but is counter the
effective job the Department has done in placing civilianized functions
under civilian management. Placing this function within Administrative
Services would not stretch the span of control of the manager. One of the
12 Supervisors should be designated as a Manager.
• Levels of management and supervision are comparable throughout the
Department with the exception of the Lieutenant over the Jail and Dispatch if
Dispatch is transferred to the Administrative Services Bureau.
• Within the Administrative Services Bureau, civilianized management
(Administrative Services Manager) and supervision (various senior staff and
managers) is effective.
The project team also reviewed the roles and responsibility of management and
supervisory staff as that related to collateral responsibilities now and how these roles
have changed with staff reductions in the past few years. In some respects for some
managers collateral duties have expanded to the point of impacting core duties
associated with the assignment. There are several recommendations which will impact
the allocation of collateral and other duties. However, in a department the size of Chula
Vista’s the allocation of such duties to managers and supervisors in the organization is
desirable for career development purposes as well as to minimize the number of
management and supervisory positions.
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In the long term of 3 – 5 years, however, it would be appropriate to create a
Planning and Research Sergeant position reporting to the Administrative Services
Manager who would be tasked with the more administrative (as opposed to community
program oriented) assignments.
Recommendation: Reassign Dispatch to the Administrative Services Bureau.
Designate one of the Police Dispatch Supervisors as a Manager.
Recommendation: If Dispatch is reassigned to the Administrative Services
Bureau replace the Lieutenant manager position with either a Police Sergeant or a
Jail Supervisor (civilian) position. The Lieutenant position would be reassigned
to Special Investigations.
Recommendation: Continue the practice of assigning collateral duties to
managers and supervisors. Review these assignments periodically.
Recommendation: In the long term (3 – 5 years) consider the creation of a
Planning and Research Sergeant to take some of the administrative, not
community oriented, assignments.
The table, below, shows the net changes recommended in this report by function
and position. It should be noted that not all recommended changes are reflected in this
table, only the recommendations resulting in changes in staffing levels. Finally, only
Phase 2 recommended position changes are reflected in the table The notes after the
table describes how this information should be interpreted.
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Net Positions Changes Recommended in the Report
Division Function Position # Action
Investigative Services
Special
Investigations
Lieutenant
+1
Transfer one (1) Lieutenant
from the Jail / Dispatch.
Investigations
CSO’s
+4
Create CSO’s to perform
investigative assistant roles.
Investigations
Agents
–
Transfer two (2) Agents from
the Family Protection Unit to
the Property Crimes Unit.
Youth
Services
Agents
+2
–
Within 3 – 5 years create a
Youth Services Unit with two (2)
added Agents and two (2)
transferred internally. One of
these staff should be
designated as a Sergeant.
Training
Sergeant
+1
Add one (1) Sergeant to
oversee academy and in
service training.
Evidence
Senior Evidence
Specialist
+1
Add a Senior Evidence
Specialist to improve coverage.
Jail
Lead Police
Service Officer
–
From existing positions,
designate leads to provide shift
oversight.
Jail
Jail Manager
+1
Create a civilian manager
position for the Jail.
Dispatch
Dispatch Manager
+1
Create a civilian manager
position for Dispatch.
Jail / Dispatch
Lieutenant
–1
Transfer position to Special
Investigations
• Positions with a “+” sign before the change number are newly recommended
positions.
• Positions with a “( )“ sign before the change number are positions recommended
to be eliminated through attrition.
• Positions with neither a “+” nor a “( )“ sign before the change number are
positions transferred to and from the functions described in the “Action” column.
The project team believes that these recommendations better position the Chula
Vista Police Department to be proactive and internally support itself.