Charlottetown Police Review

1

AN ORGANIZATIONAL REVIEW & EVALUATIONOF THE CHARLOTTETOWN POLICE SERVICEByVerheul & Associates

26 January 2009nelluPmailliWluehreVnairB Director,Verheul & Associates IncManaging Principal,Gordon Pullen Consul

t

ng Inc.

2

C o n t e n t s

Part A: Introduction & Background 3

Aim & Objectives .........................................................................3Scale and Scope ..........................................................................3Our Approach ..............................................................................3Methodology ...............................................................................5

Part B: Policing In Charlottetown 6

A Systems Approach ....................................................................6The CPS Environment ...................................................................6Resource Inputs ...........................................................................6Organizing Policing Services .........................................................7Delivering Policing Services ..........................................................8Accomplishments, Results, & Outcomes .......................................8Responsibility & Accountability .....................................................9

Part C: Organizational Review & Evaluation 10

External Relationships ................................................................10Governance ...............................................................................12Strategy ....................................................................................13Structure ..................................................................................15Systems ....................................................................................16Style ........................................................................................17Staff .........................................................................................18Skills .........................................................................................19Shared Values ...........................................................................21

Part D: Conclusions & Recommendations 22

Our General Conclusions ............................................................22Speciﬁc Conclusions ...................................................................24Recommendations .....................................................................25Implementation .........................................................................29

Appendix 1: CPS Current Organization Chart 31Appendix 2: CPS Proposed Organization Chart 32

3

Part A: Introduction & Background

On September 15, 2008 the City of Charlottetown issued a Request for Proposal (RFP)for a review and evaluation of the organization and operation of the CharlottetownPolice Service (CPS). In response, Verheul & Associates submitted a proposal to conductand complete an organizational review within 90 days of engagement. The proposal wasaccepted by the City and our engagement began in early November of 2008.This report is the result of our review. It details our review of documents and ﬁles, themany conversations we had with stakeholders, and our analysis of the information givento us. Our report has been prepared in four parts. Part A describes how we approachedthe assignment, Part B describes how policing services are provided in Charlottetown,Part C is our review of nine categories that collectively describe the CPS, and Part Dreports our conclusions and recommendations, including a proposed implementationstrategy. Separate annexes provide technical and procedural details.Before proceeding, we want to record our sincere thanks and appreciation to thosewho helped us arrange and coordinate the work; we could not have accomplished ouraim without their willing and enthusiastic support. We also need to thank the manypeople who generously gave their time and energy to help us understand the CPS andshare their perspective on the organization. The interest, passion, and commitment ofeveryone we spoke to in helping the CPS become the best it can be were evident fromthe start. We thank you all for your insight and support. Whatever future lies ahead, theCPS will be well served by its dedicated and committed staff and the support that existswithin Charlottetown.

Aim & Objectives

Our aim was to complete a comprehensive review and evaluation of the CharlottetownPolice Service within 90 days of engagement. In order to accomplish this aim, wewanted to find the answers to two broad questions:• Is the Charlottetown Police Service doing the right thing?and• Is the Charlottetown Police Service doing things right?The first question deals with overall direction and leadership, the degree to which theCPS meets expectations, and the extent to which it has earned the confidence of thecommunity it serves. The second deals with the internal arrangements, structures, andprocedures by which the CPS answers the first question. We answer both questions inthis report by applying an approach and working through a methodology.

Scale and Scope

In undertaking this work, we assumed that it included all elements of the CPS that areused to deliver policing services to Charlottetown. We included in this the relationshipbetween the CPS and the City of Charlottetown Police Committee and the governing roleof this committee in providing guidance to the CPS.Organizations have history and the collective memory of CPS employees forms atrajectory – an arc of remembrances that moves from the past, through the present, andshapes the future. Our understanding of the CPS begins with its amalgamation in 1995and moves forward from that time to the present. We believe our recommendations willassist the CPS in becoming the very best that it can be in the future.

Our Approach

We approached the assignment by seeking to understand the extent of alignment andﬁt between the CPS and the citizens of Charlottetown. We hope to provide some adviceas to how this might be strengthened.