Fort Worth Police Department Strategic Plan
Reduce Span of Control by Adding One Sergeant to each Division CIU. The FWPD should consider adding one additional sergeant to each division CIU to reduce the span of control to one sergeant per seven to eight detectives. Although there are no fixed rules regarding span of control, it is PERF’s experience that the current ratio will lead to a lack of supervision and case oversight due to the sergeant’s sheer volume of responsibility. There should be no more than ten detectives per sergeant. Maintaining a proper span of control is essential in promoting safety, accountability, productivity and carrying out the department’s and unit’s mission and goals. Adjusting this span of control should be an agency priority. Add 59 Patrol Officers. The FWPD should add 59 officers to ensure that officers do not spend more than 50% of their time responding to calls for service. This will leave officers with more time available for proactive work. This may be accomplished by redeploying 60 Neighborhood Police Officers immediately or adding 59 officers over a three-year period, with 20 the first year, 20 the second year and 19 the third year. Add Office Assistant to North Division. The department should consider filling the vacant civilian office assistant position to handle the unit’s administrative tasks. This will avoid sworn staff from conducting routine tasks better suited for a civilian position maximizing efficiencies and focusing their efforts on criminal investigations. Examine Call Intake Process. The FWPD should closely examine the Communication Division’s process of how calls for service are transitioned from the call taker to the dispatcher to the officer to eliminate delays and enhance efficiency. Move Crime Prevention Specialists to Patrol Divisions. The FWPD should consider moving the five civilian crime prevention specialists under the command of their respective patrol division captains. It is the patrol division captain who is responsible for their division, and creating bureaucracy between crime prevention specialist and the end user, the patrol division, is an unnecessary barrier.
Agree (Part of Sixth Patrol Division)
General Fund
High
In process
Patrol
In process as part of Sixth Patrol Division implementat ion
General Fund
Moderate
Agree
Patrol
General Fund
Moderate
Agree
Yes
Patrol
No Funding Needed
High
Agree
Yes
Support
No Funding Needed
High
Agree
Yes
Support
APPENDIX E
Page E-3
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