21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

21st Century Policing in the City

of Central Point: 2021 Report
to the Community

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

What’s Inside

A Message to the Community………………………………………………….3

Pillar 1: Building Trust and Legitimacy……………………………………..4

Pillar 2: Policy and Oversight……………………………………………………7

Pillar 3: Technology and Social Media……………………………………10

Pillar 4: Community Policing and Crime Reduction………………..13

Pillar 5: Training and Education……………………………………………..16

Pillar 6: Officer Wellness and Safety………………………………………19

CPPD 21st Century Policing Committee………………………………….22

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

A Message to the Citizens of Central Point

The Central Point Police department is proud to present our first report on 21st Century
Policing. In 2015 the President's Task Force released their Final Report of the President's Task
Force on 21st Century Policing. In response to recent events, we felt it was time to ensure the
community of our commitment to community policing by basing our report on the
recommendations from the task force's report.

Within the 21st Century Policing report are six pillars that cover different aspects of modern-
day policing that can build a more inclusive and trustworthy relationship between a community
and its police department. In our report, we have identified each pillar and highlighted things
we are currently doing or will soon be following the task force's recommendations.

We feel it is important to note that this report is a snapshot in time, and we will continue to
make changes and improvements as time goes on. We will intend to update this report
overtime to keep you, our valued community members, in the know.

Central Point has a solid and proud culture of inclusivity and civility. Our department has been a
strong proponent of community policing and customer service-oriented action for quite some
time. We are dedicated to continuing this culture into the future, and we are truly grateful for
the support and trust of our citizens. We welcome comments and feedback on our website:
https://www.centralpointoregon.gov/police/page/contact-us

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

PILLAR 1: BUILDING TRUST & LEGITIMACY

The Central Point Police Department has been a local leader in community policing for many years.
Defending our community's culture and values is our number one priority. We strive to accomplish this
during every single one of our contacts with our fellow community members. The Central Point Police
Department takes pride in the city and is proud of those who help make our town one the safest in all of
Oregon. However, despite our accomplishments in community policing, we realize we cannot do it alone.
We recognize that we cannot rest on our laurels and become complacent. We believe in earning the trust of
citizens and partners and will continue our belief in transparency and trustworthiness.

Below are examples of both how we are obtaining these goals and plans to continue doing so as time goes
on:

Transparency:
As mentioned, transparency is a critical value in our police
department's culture. Our administrative staff, including the Chief of
Police and the Captain, regularly attend city council meetings and are
available to interact with citizens who wish to attend. Our department
has several Public Information Officers who communicate with local
media outlets for informational purposes and answer questions when
requested. We have a highly active social media presence, and online
reporting is available. Our department adopted utilizing body
cameras in 2007, the first agency to do so in Jackson County. Each
Officer is issued a body camera and must follow policy in its use. We
also equip almost all department-issued vehicles with forward-facing
cameras and cameras in the backseats. We have a robust records
department in which we keep track of various statistical data useful to
both the department and the community. We believe transparency is
one of the best ways to begin to earn trust, and without it, all other
attempts to garner that trust are foolhardy. i

Tracking Community Satisfaction:

As mentioned, our records department works to keep comprehensive
statistics so that our staff has the best possible information to serve
the city better. We believe knowing trends for criminal activity is
essential to determine how to protect our citizens' values. However,
we also think citizens need a voice in telling us how we are doing.
Since 2010 the City of Central Point has been regularly surveying
community members to understand satisfaction, expectations, and
priorities better. These survey results included strategic planning for
the future of city departments, including the police. Each year this
has been done has seen an overall increase in participation and
satisfaction with the police department. In 2019 we were pleased to
see our Police Department scored very well based on the
independent research firm's results, Northwest Research Group.
However, we vow never to become complacent and never feel we
have plateaued with no room for improvement. ii

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Procedural Justice:
At the Central Point Police Department we believe in treating
everyone with dignity and equality. Our mission statement explains
that our police department sees ourselves first and foremost as "Peace
Officers." We want each person living in or visiting our city to
experience peace. We believe in treating everyone with the same
level of respect, fairness, and professionalism is paramount in
achieving a community of peacefulness. Giving community members
a voice and being transparent are cornerstones to attaining justice and
impartiality. Our officers continually attend training concerning
ethics, diversity, implicit bias, and many other related topics. In 2015,
the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing found that
departments who follow the principles of procedural justice lead to
communities with better relationships with their police agencies. In
turn, communities were much more willing to support officers and
laws. We believe that our community members, and our staff, all
have the similar goal of a safer community and we can make that
more possible through training. Our officers, and other city
employees, receive over ten hours of training in topics of bias and
equality and 8 hours of ethics training annually. This is in addition to
8 hours of class room ethics training and 6 hours of implicit bias class
room training each recruit receives at the police academy. Academy
recruits receive many hours more of related training while doing
scenarios and other activities during their 16 weeks at the police
academy. We believe there is never a right time to do the wrong
thing, and there is never a wrong time to do the right thing. iii iv

Community Interaction:
Our department truly is dedicated to the community. We encourage
our officers to engage in many non-enforcement programs. In 2006
our department started a volunteer program, or V.I.P.S., for
community members over 18. V.I.P.S offers members of the
community training opportunities to assist the police department with
non-enforcement activities and serve their community in various
ways. Many of our officers are also A.L.I.C.E. instructors who offer
to teach courses on mass casualty survival tips and strategies to any
interested individuals or groups, including businesses, churches,
schools, and other facilities. Our officers are also heavily encouraged
and provided support to participate in any charitable activities or with
charity organizations. Charity involvement included a heavy
presence with the Special Olympics, St. Jude’s, Sparrow Clubs, and
other local and national charities. Our department actively
encourages citizens to participate in ride-a-longs. Our staff is
continually coming up with new ideas on interacting with the
community in positive ways. We believe this is a great way to foster
new relationships and strengthen existing ones.

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Youth Involvement:
That same year we also introduced an Explorers program for
community members under the age of 21. Much in the same way the
V.I.P.S. program allows volunteers to participate with the police
department, so does the Explorer program. Students under the age of
21 are welcome to sign up for the program and in addition to assisting
with community events, they can attend trainings to learn about law
enforcement. Many of our Explorers have gone on to work with the
Central Point Police Department or other neighboring agencies. Our
officers can also sign up to become D.A.R.E. instructors who teach
classes at all our local elementary schools.

Diversity:
Our community's diversity is increasing every day. At the Central
Point Police Department, we celebrate diversity both within the
community and within our department. We have several initiatives to
help support our diversity. We have done purposeful recruitment of
underrepresented members of our community. We have increased
female representation and Hispanic representation within our
department over the last few years. We will diligently make attempts
to continue this trend going forward. We offer educational and bi-
lingual financial incentives to help encourage a wide variety of
diverse applicants. The President’s Task Force on 21st Century
Policing found a diverse agency leads to in improvement in internal
culture and a perception of increased legitimacy within a community.
We feel this is important as our community continues to diversify, we
wish to maintain a level of diversity so that we can better respond to
each segment of the population in a positive and proactive way.

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

PILLAR 2: POLICY & OVERSIGHT

Policies and Community Values:
At the Central Point Police Department, public trust is of extreme importance.
Our department provides policies that guide our staff to provide the best service
possible and reflects our community's values. Not every situation is covered by
a policy, so we also follow several core values:

Honor – Integrity – Character – Trust – Courage – Accountability.

Use of Force Policy and Accountability:

Our department believes that good policy builds the foundation for a thriving and
community service-based organization. The Central Point Police Department uses
Lexipol, an organization comprised of public safety professionals and attorneys, to guide
the current and best serve the community. We have a lieutenant who is dedicated to
constantly review policies and ensure they are both up to date and practiced throughout
the department. All our members are tasked with checking their Lexipol accounts daily to
sign off updated policies or other policy-related topics.

The Central Point Police Department values life and the safety of all members of the
community. Unfortunately, there are occasions when force is needed, and when force is
used, we take it very seriously. All our officers are required to use de-escalation
techniques when able. Officers are also tasked with providing medical care if force is
used. After force is used, and if possible, a supervisor will interview the individual on
whom force was used. Each officer involved in a use of force incident will provide a
standard report and a separate use of force report. All documentation will be collected
and reviewed by a lieutenant who is tasked with providing use of force reviews. Each
officer is required to attend at least 8 hours of annual use of force training that is
recognized through the Oregon Department of Safety and Standards.

Racial/Bias-Based Profiling:

The Central Point Police Department prides itself on its

dedication to each member of the community. We will
not tolerate racial and bias-based profiling, and our
policies reflect this. Our officers are taught not to partake
in this behavior as a matter of ethics and policy. Officers
are trained from the moment they begin at the Police
Academy and throughout their careers to be fair and treat
everyone equally. Our department has annual implicit
bias and procedural justice training, and our Lexipol
daily policy updates and training often highlight this. We
also provide data to the Statistical Transparency of
Policing Data Collection Project (STOP program). The
STOP program tracks officer-initiated stops and contacts
to ensure there do not seem to be any profiling issues
with individual officers or in the department. Should
there appear to be a trend of profiling or bias, it is
reported to the department and would require
explanation and changes to be made. Information and
annual reports, including individual agency performance,
are available here on the Oregon.gov website. v

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Community Trust and Transparency:

As mentioned above, we do not shy away from sharing our
policies. We are transparent with the data collected from
our interactions with the public. The Central Point Police
Department believes that part of gaining public trust is not
just in our actions but also in our transparency. Along with
this information and data sharing, our department website
has a way for community members to voice their concerns,
complaints, and praise for the department or individual
employees. We also encourage interested parties to visit
city council meetings to speak with our staff members
present or attend our annual open house or other various
activities we participate in throughout the year. Each
officer is trained and expected to take citizen complainants
or concerns seriously while on duty and required to
document these types of interactions thoroughly.

Oversight through Accreditation:

The Central Point Police Department has held itself to a
high standard historically, and this is a trend that we will
continue. We do this by finding the appropriate
accreditation organizations and meeting their requirements
to increase our level of professionalism. We are accredited
through the Oregon Accreditation Alliance. To become
accredited, the agency must first apply and then go through
a comprehensive self-assessment phase to determine the
level of compliance. During this self-assessment, any
policies or practices that deemed outside of compliance
must be corrected. Once an agency meets these criteria, it
must go through an onsite assessment by one of the Oregon
Accreditation Alliance (OAA) assessors. After this has
been done, after months of arduous work and necessary
compliance is met, the governing board of the OAA will
review and decide to award or defer accreditation. An
agency must then provide annual documentation for
continued accredited status and undergo an onsite
assessment every three years. Our department dedicates a
lieutenant who constantly self-assess our compliance in this
regard and stays up to date with the requirements put forth
to stay accredited. Although managing accreditation is not
a full-time assignment, it does take many months to prepare
correctly and is thus included in our administrative
lieutenant's duties. vi

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Benefits of Accreditation:
When an agency is accredited, the community benefits in a
variety of different ways. Accreditation creates ways for
police and citizens to work together to so that the agency
can learn the desires of a community, leading to more
public confidence in the agency. Accreditation can also
help the community better understand law enforcement's
challenges and the impacts they have on the community. In
turn, this leads to an agency with a better ability to prevent
and control crime. Accreditation also has a positive impact
on recruitment and promotional processes for quality
individuals and employing practices that are fair, equitable,
and non-discriminatory. Accreditation leads to better-
prepared officers and increased professionalism as
standards must be met, reviewed, and continued to obtain
and retain accreditation.

No Quotas:
At the Central Point Police Department, we do not require
our officers to issue a predetermined number of tickets,
citations, or arrests. The President’s Task Force on 21st
Century Policing backs up our stance on not making such
actions a barometer of successfully partaking in a
community. viiWhile our way an officer can be proactive.
Our officers are encouraged to be seen in neighborhoods, at
public parks, schools, and businesses. We believe having a
presence and making connections with community
members to be positive proactive activities.

Mass Demonstrations:
While our community has not seen many mass
demonstrations, it is always a possibility. The
President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing
recommends officers use respectful conversations as one
of the most effective ways to interact with
demonstrators. viiiWe agree with this recommendation,
and all our officers are expected to give respect. We
intended to have several officers attend training on
implementing de-escalation techniques with dealing
with large crowds and then bringing that information
back to their respective peers. Our officers are already
trained and expected to communicate in respectful ways
with our community. We believe this will be a
successful tactic if the time comes in which Central
Point sees more mass demonstrations in the future.

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

PILLAR 3: TECHNOLOGY & SOCIAL MEDIA

The use of technology helpfully and responsibly has been a long-standing focus of the Central Point Police Department. It is our
stance that we can use current and future technology to assist our community best and build trust with those we serve. The
President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing strongly suggests police departments do this with a great deal of citizen
involvement and constant training for officers to utilize current and future technology best. When we begin to use new
technologies and the policies that dictate their use, we are diligent in checking with our city council and asking for citizen input
through town hall meetings. Each year, our officers spend many hours being updated or refreshed on the technologies and media
usage outlined belowix.

Body Worn Cameras:

As mentioned before, the Central Point Police Department has long been an
advocate for wearing body-worn cameras. We adopted the use of these devices
in 2007. Our department was the first to use them in Jackson County and one of
the first in Oregon. The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing found
that when officers wear cameras, there are 87.5 % fewer incidents of use of
force and 59% fewer complaints.x Most of our officers have never worked
without body-worn cameras and are proficient with their service. We are
constantly reevaluating the devices we utilize to keep up to date with cameras
that provide the best value and quality. We are also continually updating body
camera policy to serve the community and respect privacy concerns best.

Vehicle Dash Cameras and In-car Cameras:

In addition to our body-worn cameras, our patrol vehicles are equipped with
multiple cameras. Consistent with our transparency beliefs, vehicle-mounted
cameras catch multiple angles outside of our cars and in the backseat. Both
vehicle cameras and body-worn cameras are uploaded and cannot be modified
or deleted by an officer. Camera usage increases officer safety, reduces
complaints, reduces false reports, and generally improves the behavior of
involved parties who know they are being recorded. xi

Digital Evidence Management System:

Currently, our department utilizes Axon camera systems in conjunction

with Axon's cloud-based digital evidence management system,
Evidence.com. With the increasing quality of video and audio recordings
and evidence, room for storage and the cost of storing these files is
drastically increasing. In 2016 we began to use Axon and Evidence.com
to be both fiscally responsible and more efficient with storage. Saving
money can allow us to provide officers with more training and thus
providing the community with better service.

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Unmanned Aircraft:

In 2020, the Central Point Police Department began a

program to introduce unmanned aircraft, or UAVs, for
limited use. Because of the sensitive nature of giving our
police aerial vantage points, we are easing into this
program with the city council's input. We intend to utilize
UAVs for crime scene investigations, assisting with traffic
issues, and officer safety when performing high-risk
activities like arrest warrants. After the devastating fires in
September of 2020, we would also use UAVs to better
assist our officers and firefighters on the ground during
future fires or other disasters.

Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task

Force:

The Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force

provides cyber-crime investigations and digital evidence
forensic analysis for federal, state, and local law
enforcement agencies in Oregon. This task force includes
local, state, and federal law enforcement members. Cyber-
crimes are ever-increasing and show no signs of slowing
down. It is imperative for police departments to continually
train and learn how to investigate cyber-related crimes to
provide the best service level for our citizens. The Internet
Crime Complainant Center (IC3), a division of the FBI,
reported that even from 2019 to 2020 there was an increase
of over 69% in internet crime complaints. This trend is
predicted to continue in the years to come, showing the
need for more law enforcement with specialized abilities in
the world of high-tech criminal investigations.xii Having
this as a local resource is beneficial for quicker response for
our citizens and being fiscally responsible.

Less Lethal Options:

We at the Central Point Police Department value the life of

all people. We work diligently to put the safety of all
members of the public as a priority. Given that there are,
unfortunately, times when force is necessary to maintain
public safety, we put a great deal of emphasis on keeping
up-to-date on less-lethal options. All our officers carry
conducted electrical weapons (Tasers) and incapacitation
agents (sprays). Each of our patrol vehicles comes
equipped with flexible baton round shotguns (more
commonly referred to as a bean-bag round). Each officer
has trained annually, in 4 to 8 hours classes or range days,
on these various less-lethal weapons. We have two less-
lethal instructors who also keep up to date on the latest in
less-lethal technology and information to keep our
department current and best able to maintain public safety
with an as minor injury to others as possible.xiii
(FOOTNOTE 38)

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Records Management System:

Before October of 2020, the Central Point Police

Department and other local agencies had records and report
systems that were not necessarily compatible with one
other. The various law enforcement agencies of Jackson
County agreed to use a shared system so that each agency
could easily access each other's records and information.

Web Site:

Our department has an easy to navigate and informative

website at https://www.centralpointoregon.gov/police.
Through this website, citizens can make online reports,
make records requests, thank an officer, or file a complaint.
Response to any of these requests is prompt and monitored
by the appropriate command staff members. Members of
the public can also find information on upcoming events,
sign up for the crime watch surveillance program, Guardian
Angel’s program, request vacation home checks, and much
more.

Social Media Presence:

Our department began using social media platforms many

years ago, and it has proven to be invaluable as a way to
connect with our community. We have a presence on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and we are
always adding more platforms as they become more
popular with the public. Through social media, we do daily
updates on criminal activity in the city. We also provide
alerts for action or danger, such as fires, throughout the
area. We share informative videos, such as our traffic
safety series. We highlight upcoming city-related events
and great work from the members of our staff and other
community partners. We also often will share some
information from ongoing investigations and have had
great success in asking the community for assistance when
appropriate. We believe that the use of social media
increases transparency and accessibility.xiv

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

PILLAR 4: COMMUNITY POLICING & CRIME

REDUCTION
A Culture of Community Policing:

The Central Point Police Department agrees with the sentiments echoed
throughout the President's Task Force's Final Report on 21st Century Policing
that community policing must be a department's culture and not just a policy. xv
We expect each of our officers to treat every person they encounter with
dignity and respect. We encourage every employee within the department to
engage with the community in a variety of different ways. When a community
member feels the need to bring up a concern regarding a staff member, we take
that very seriously. Any complainant received will be properly vetted by a
supervisor. However, our goal is never to receive a complainant. If we fail to
provide the most professional and courteous service possible, we will do our
best to solve the issue constructively.xvi Our department has long believed in
community engagement and we have been on the forefront of community
policing in our local area.

Community Involvement in Preventing Crime:

One of the most effective ways to stop crime is to be noticed in the community.
Our officers are required to spend a significant amount of their shifts patrolling
neighborhoods, doing business checks, and checking other locations such as
parks both during the day and at night. However, we know that we cannot
prevent all crime by ourselves. We have been utilizing various programs to
allow our citizens to play an active role in crime-fighting. One such program is
the Crime Watch Video Surveillance Registration. We provide an easy way for
citizens to register their surveillance equipment within our database. This
program allows officers to look, by location, if there are registered cameras that
could assist in investigations. Citizens who register are not required to share
this information; it is purely voluntary. We also will help with neighborhood
watch programs in a variety of ways.xvii

Mentorship Programs and Education Engagement:

We encourage any of our staff who wish to participate in mentorship,
coaching, or teaching programs. None of this is in an official capacity.
However, employees who want to participate will be worked with to ensure
they have the time to make these positive connections. We are currently
working with community members to design official mentorship programs
based on the Arlington Police Department's Mentoring Arlington Youth
Program. This program would pair a staff member, or other participating
community adults, with a student who could benefit from positive adult
interaction. According to the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing,
procedures and practices of "Zero Tolerance" with school-age children can put
them on a path to future criminal behaviors as early as kindergarten. It is
recommended that communities identify those who would be able to mentor
and tutor children and have a high success rate of stopping the school to
prison pipeline. xviii

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Central Point Police Association and the Willie Mott

Scholarships:
On January 14th, 2008, Central Point Police Officer Willie Mott
tragically lost his life in a car accident. Willie was a strong supporter
of youth in the city of Central Point. In honor of Willie, the Central
Point Police Association, comprised of participating Central Point
Police Department members, set up an annual scholarship program
for graduating Central Point High School Seniors. Seniors who intend
to move further with their education are invited to apply for two
scholarships under this program. Criteria for receiving this
scholarship are both academic and showing positive community
engagement. We hope to encourage students to stay engaged in both
their school and their community as much of the scholarship is not
just academics but also based on citizenship. xix

Community Forums with the Chief:

What is community policing without the involvement of the
community? In addition to regular city council meetings, our Chief of
Police has an open forum monthly. The Chief and other Central Point
Police Department members will meet with community members to
discuss any current concerns in the city or individual neighborhoods.
Anyone who attends is allowed to discuss issues. The U.S.
Department of Justice suggests in their Community Relations Toolkit
for Policing xx that personal interactions between police officers and
community members build mutual trust and collaboration. Mutual
trust and cooperation then lead to ideas to make neighborhoods safer
and has a real impact on reducing crime. Information for upcoming
open forums is located on the Central Point Police Department
website and social media platforms.

Multi-Disciplinary Teams and Community

Partnerships:
In the theme of working with our community members, we also
believe working with other agencies is imperative. Our department
teams up with other agencies for a variety of issues. Our department
is considered core members of the Jackson County Children's
Advocacy Center Multi-Disciplinary Team, Senior Services Multi-
Disciplinary Team, Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit, and
the new Southern Oregon Anti-Sex Trafficking Unit. We work with
other law enforcement agencies, child welfare, adult protective
services, local medical and mental health specialists, and various
other community members to best serve those that are the most
vulnerable. Teams must have weekly or monthly meetings and
review all cases involving that specific team. The President's Task
Force for 21st Century Policing mentions that having collaborative
teams from multiple professions is much more effective in obtaining
sustainable changes and providing the appropriate resources for
affected individuals.xxi If our goal is a safe community and a crime
reduction, sometimes the best response is not law enforcement but
rather compassionate and empathetic responses from a team of
community members. xxii

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Victim's Advocacy and Domestic Violence:

One of the most devastating issues in a community is
domestic violence. This crime is tragic for the victim, and it
often also involves children who are victimized or witness
this violence. Children who see this type of violence have a
much higher chance of suffering adverse effects, and
childhood trauma can increase criminal activity.xxiii Our
department has been working with Community Works to
serve best those who are harmed from domestic violence,
sex abuse, and sex trafficking. Community Works is a not-
for-profit group of advocates who assist our officers
provide the best level of service who have suffered the
before mentioned tragedies. We currently have an in-house
advocate through Community Works that will respond
when requested by officers or community members.
Detailed information about Community Works can be
found at their website, Home - Community Works
(community-works.org).xxiv

We believe reducing domestic violence is one of the ways

we can help improve our community. In 2012 the U.S.
Department of Justice released a report on The
Effectiveness of Coordinated Outreach in Intimate Partner
Violence Cases: A Randomized, Longitudinal Design.
Their findings found that domestic violence survivors who
received outreach, or advocacy, were less likely to be
assaulted again. It was also found that survivors had more
engagement and success in court, had lower instances of
PTSD and other mental health-related problems, and were
much more likely to find appropriate resources. Reducing
the cases of this type of violence will improve many of our
citizens' lives and have a ripple effect on the rest of the
community by reducing present and future crime.xxv xxvi

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

PILLAR 5: TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Crisis Intervention:
Recognizing those in a mental health crisis is of the utmost
importance to our agency and our officers. As mentioned in the Final
Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, Crisis
intervention training (CIT) has been shown to improve a police
officer’s ability to recognize symptoms of a mental health crisis and
enhance their confidence in addressing such an emergency. xxvii Our
officers receive multiple CIT and related fields at the DPSST Police
Academy before beginning as police officers. In addition to this, all
our sworn employees are required to attend a 16-hour CIT course and
biannual refresher courses.

One of the most significant challenges facing Jackson County and the
city of Central Point is the increase in homelessness. Access of
Jackson County found in their Point in Time (PIT) report that one of
the most prominent disabling conditions of homelessness included a
severe mental illness. Training our officers to best assist during a
crisis is necessary to show dignity to both the individual in crisis and
the rest of the community. We value the life and liberty of all the
community members. We are dedicated to giving the best possible
outcome when an individual is in crisis. xxviii

Working with Addiction and Recovery:

One stark reality our officers and community face regularly is that of
the connection between addiction and crime. The President’s Task
Force on 21st Century Policing points out that a 2004 survey by the
U.S. Department of Justice estimated that about 70% of state and
64% of federal prisoners regularly used drugs prior to incarceration.
xxix Our officers are trained to recognize that addiction is a disease

and although crime has consequences, empathy for those who are
addicted is essential. Assisting those with addiction issues is
necessary for not simply helping them as fellow human beings but
also improving our overall community. In various ways, we have
partnered with several of our local addiction and recovery centers. It
is a great pleasure to see those who have struggled with addiction
beat this disease.

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Scenario-Based Training:
Contrary to what is often seen on TV, most police and citizen
contacts are not critical incidents. Because most contacts are
relatively low stress, we have our officers partake in scenario-based
training to prepare for those less frequent critical incidents properly.
Scenario-based training includes confrontational simulations in which
role-players will interact with officers in a safe but realistic
environment. These situations are presented so that officers who are
partaking in the scenario will have to utilize fundamental skills,
including verbal de-escalation techniques, to work their way through
a given scenario. We also have several training officers certified in
the use of MILO. This interactive virtual training simulator allows
officers to practice their judgment skills in true-to-life situations. As
virtual technology improves, we plan to utilize it to best practice and
maintain our officer’s abilities to respond to critical incidents. As
pointed about by the President’s Task Force on 21st Century
Policing, this type of training enhances the effectiveness of the
learning exercises, reduces instructional costs, and ensures the broad
dissemination of training through platforms that do not require time
away from the department. We have invited members of the media
and community members to partake in some of these scenario events.
We believe this can give our community a better idea of what officers
are sometimes faced with during their shifts. Opportunities like this
invite conversation and understanding. xxx

Leadership Training:
At the Central Point Police Department, we believe in developing
future leaders from within our organization. We give our employees
opportunities throughout each level of their careers to develop
leadership skills. Our department has sent employees and will
continue to do so to the FBI National Academy. The National
Academy is a 10-week program for law enforcement managers and
is world-renowned for its coursework in developing upper-level
leaders. We also utilize various more local-based programs such as
the Oregon Executive Development Institution, a five-day-long
annual leadership skills training seminar for those in law
enforcement management or likely future candidates. These are only
two of the many examples of leadership training our officers can
attend. We recognize that leadership is often a role that anyone can
find themselves in, not necessarily due to rank. We encourage all
our employees to build the skills necessary to become future leaders
in any capacity. “If there is good leadership and procedural justice
within the agency, the officers are more likely to behave according
to those standards in the community.” xxxi

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Education Incentive:
To incentivize our employees and future applicants to pursue higher
education, our department offers an education incentive. Officers
who achieve or have completed degrees receive additional pay based
on their degree level. In addition to this, extra pay employees who
have not yet received their degrees but are in the process of earning
them will be reimbursed approximately 50% of their tuition if they
meet specific criteria. The President’s Task Force for 21st Century
Policing suggests that higher education programs will enhance the
quality of law enforcement culture, knowledge, skills, practices, and
policies. xxxii

Implicit Bias / Cultural Diversity Liaisons:

At the Central Point Police Department, we value the input from all
our increasingly diverse community members. We require annual 4 to
8-hour training sessions on the topic of implicit bias for all city
employees. We also actively look for cultural diversity training from
the law enforcement community and other community groups.

We are building a cultural diversity liaison program in which

particular department members will be paired with any interested
community group. We hope that this program will allow both the
police department and said group to interact and better understand
one another. We believe the better we understand and know our
community, the more effectively we can serve our community. xxxiii

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

PILLAR 5: OFFICER WELLNESS AND SAFETY

Mental Health Training and Programs:
Our Officers, and other first responders, are often exposed to
some of the most horrific acts and stressful scenarios a person
can endure. Officers are expected to maintain professionalism,
selflessness, and neutrality. However, constantly being exposed
to this level of stress can compound mentally. We recognize that
our employee's mental wellbeing is as important, if not more so
than even their physical health. Our officers are given several
mental health training seminars throughout the year. We also
recognize that many times it is beneficial to utilize mental health
days, and employees can utilize their sick time off for this rather
than using their vacation or holiday hours.

The Central Point Police Department started a partnership with

Chiron Center, INC. in 2015. The Chiron Center, INC. is a non-
profit organization that provides behavioral health education,
support, and resources designed specifically for first responders.
Through this program, our officers receive both classroom
training and one on one opportunities to speak with mental
health experts should they feel the need. By partnering with
Chiron, we are dispelling the negative stereotypes of mental health
assistance to ensure our officers have the opportunity to be mentally
strong and healthy. xxxiv

Encouraging Physical Health and Nutrition:

There is a strong correlation between mental health wellbeing and
physical health. Police offices are required not just to work a stressful
job, but the job's very nature can be counter-productive to a healthy
lifestyle if not kept in check. One of the leading causes of death for
police officers is cardiac issues. Heart attacks are estimated to be
around 10% of all line of duty deaths for police officers.xxxv Our
department is introducing several initiatives to assist our employees
to live a healthy lifestyle. We allow officers to utilize at least one
hour of a shift to exercising, so long as there is no emergency.
Officers can work with their team and shift supervisors to determine
when to utilize this time best. Our department is also working with
the police union and city management to set a physical fitness
initiative program. This program could give participating employees
a financial or time off incentive to perform appropriate physical
fitness tests throughout the year. We also offer yearly training on
physical fitness and proper nutrition. Our department has a fully
functional kitchen for employees to bring and make their own food to
encourage good nutrition practices. Good physical health and
nutrition lead to happier employees who are more productive,
experience less injury, and make better decisions. xxxvi

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Modified Work Schedule:

As mentioned, police officers work a job that demands a lot of their
time and can make physical fitness challenging to find time to work
out. Police work is also a 24/7 job, meaning we have officers who are
working throughout the night and early morning hours. Employees
working these hours can quickly become exhausted and find it
challenging to maintain a regular sleep schedule, especially on their
days off. As the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing
mentions, officers fatigued and stressed can experience problems
with their immune system, experience poor morale, and make errors
in judgment that can have disastrous results xxxvii. We at the Central
Point Police Department recognized the need to follow experts'
advice in limiting the number of hours officers work in a 24 hour to
48 hour period. We also work ten hours shifts so that officers can
have three days off, rather than just two. In addition to this, we offer
a training day every other week. Our training day sees one team take
responsibility for patrol while the other team can utilize their training
day in several beneficial ways; the following week, the teams switch.
If there is no scheduled training on an officer's training day, then they
have the option of either finding their own approved training,
utilizing time off or working as extra coverage in patrol. xxxviii

Employee Safety:
The Central Point Police Department requires employees to maintain
best practices to ensure their safety best. A leading cause of line-of-
duty deaths is traffic-related incidents. In 2018 to 2019, there were 50
officer line-of-duty deaths due to traffic related incidents.xxxix While
officers do have some legal exceptions to wearing safety-belt, our
officers are required, by policy, to wear their safety belts while
driving city-owned vehicles. Furthermore, the President's Task Force
mentioned deploying cars with the latest "smart car" technology,
including vehicle collision prevention. Most of our patrol vehicles are
now equipped with these features, and all future cars will be. xl

Firearms related shootings are another primary cause of death for

officers in the line of duty. In 2018 there were 52 officers killed by
firearms in the United States, many more were injured by firearms.
At the Central Point Police department, we provide all our sworn
personnel with anti-ballistic vests and require they are worn while in
the field.

Quality Anti-Ballistics Gear:

At the Central Point Police Department, we are keeping up to date on
officers with the best anti-ballistic vests to stop handgun rounds.
With recent improvements, we are now buying all sworn personnel
vest capable of stopping even high-powered rifle rounds. Because
these vests are now being offered with weight reductions, these new
vests can be worn at all times and not just during high-risk incidents.
Each of our patrol vehicles also includes a tactical anti-ballistic
shield. We are purchasing each officer anti-ballistic helmets to keep
in their patrol vehicle as well. xli Investing in these items can
significantly reduce officer deaths.

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Tactical First Aid:

While we believe vests are essential and will save countless lives,
we are also following other President's Task Force
recommendations that suggest other life-saving gear. Taskforce
witness Dr. Alexander Eastman, a trauma surgeon and law
enforcement professional, suggested that "tactical first aid kits
would significantly reduce the loss of both officer and civilian lives
due to blood loss." (PAGE 66) We have equipped each sworn
member of our department with tactical first aid kits and no less
than two high-quality tourniquets. Each officer must do bi-annual
training to practice and maintain their skills in utilizing these kits
and tourniquets. Much of the simulation training also features some
cross-training of both self-administered first and first aid on others.
xlii

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

Our Mission
Each and every member of the Central Point Police Department is first and foremost a "Peace Officer,"
entrusted with the fundamental duty of representing and defending the deeply held values of our
community.

We are granted the authority to perform our duty, by way of the public trust. To preserve this trust, we
will strive to build and nurture meaningful relationships with those who we have sworn to serve and
protect.

The Central Point Police Department believes deeply in all of our core values
and every staff member and volunteer strives to possess each one of our values:
Honor – Integrity – Character – Trust – Courage - Accountability

Along with following our core values our members and volunteers follow the 5
Pillars of Character below:

Trustworthiness -- live with integrity, be honest, be reliable, and be loyal.

Respect -- value all persons, live by the Golden Rule and respect the dignity, privacy and freedom of
others, be courteous and polite to all, and be tolerant and accepting of all differences.

Responsibility -- meet the demands of duty, be accountable, pursue excellence, and exercise self-
control.

Fairness -- be fair and just, be impartial, listen, and be open to differing viewpoints.

Caring -- be loving, compassionate, considerate, kind, and charitable.

Citizenship -- be a good citizen, do one's own share, help the community, play by the rules, and respect
the law.

Our Motto:

Dedicated to service, committed to excellence.

Central Point Police Department Report on 21st Century Policing Committee

Det. Josh Abbott

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21st Century Policing in the City of Central Point: 2021 Report to the Community

i
www.centralpointoregon.gov/police
ii
www.centralpointoregon.gov/community/page/2019-sruvey
iii
www.centralpointoregon.gov/police/page/central-point-police-department-mission-core -values
iv
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf
v
https://www.oregon.gov/cjc/stop/Pages/default.aspx#:~:text=The%20STOP%20program%20stems%20from,initia
ted%20traffic%20and%20pedestrian%20stops.
vi
https://www.oracall.org/index.html
vii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 27)
viii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 25)
ix
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 34)
x
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 32)
xi
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 32)
xii
IC3 Releases 2020 Internet Crime Report — FBI
xiii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 38)
xiv
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 37)
xv
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 43)
xvi
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 43)
xvii
www.centralpointoregon.gov/police/webform/crime-watch-video-survelliance-registration
xviii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 47)
xix
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 47 - 50)
xx
https://www.justice.gov/crs/file/836486
xxi
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 44)
xxii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 44)
xxiii
https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/domviolence/impact/children-youth/
xxiv
https://www.community-works.org/
xxv
https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/248781.pdf
xxvi
https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/238480.pdf
xxvii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 56)
xxviii
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Programs | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
xxix
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 57)
xxx
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 60)
xxxi
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 54)
xxxii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 55)
xxxiii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 58)
xxxiv
Chiron Center, Inc. - HOME
xxxv
Heart Disease and Law Enforcement | Officer
xxxvi
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 68)
xxxvii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 65)
xxxviii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 65)
xxxix
Police deaths: 144 killed in the line of duty in 2018 (usatoday.com)
xl
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 68)
xli
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 66)
xlii
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf (page 66)

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