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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAudit Reports - Public - City of Glendale - Police Staffing Review - 9/8/2021 This report is intended for the internal use of the City of Glendale, and may not be provided to, used, or relied upon by any third parties. FINAL REPORT City of Glendale POLICE STAFFING REVIEW September 8, 2021 Moss Adams LLP 999 Third Avenue, Suite 2800 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 302-6500 City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 A. Objective 1 B. Conclusions 1 Detailed Report 4 A. Introduction 4 B. Background 4 C. Objective 5 D. Scope and Methodology 5 Findings and Recommendations 7 A. Patrol 7 B. Criminal Investigations 17 C. Administrative Services 24 City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 1 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Moss Adams LLP was Contracted by the City of Glendale to perform a Staffing Review of its Police Department. Based the priorities and perception of need within the Department, three divisions were included in the scope of this review: Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Administrative Services. Moss Adams analyzed the last three fiscal years of data and year-to-date data for FY 2021 where possible, and interviewed representatives from each division in order to understand workloads, staffing levels, overtime utilization, scheduling, and resourcing strategies. The Staffing Review was conducted between March and June 2021. This engagement was performed in accordance with Standards for Consulting Services established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Accordingly, we provide no opinion, attestation, or other form of assurance with respect to our work or the information upon which our work is based. This engagement was also performed consistent with the guidance issued by the Institute of Internal Auditor (IIA)’s International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF). This report was developed based on information gained from our interviews and analysis of workload in comparison to staffing levels. The procedures we performed do not constitute an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards or attestation standards. Our objective for this engagement was:  To determine whether the Department had adequate staffing levels in its Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Administrative Services divisions. The following findings compare the Department’s workload-based staffing levels with industry-standard ratios, where feasible. Recommendations presented are intended to support right-sized workloads across the Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Administrative Services divisions. Patrol Officer Staffing Levels 1. Finding Over the past three fiscal years, patrol officer productive time ratios have exceeded the industry standard of 60% by 11.1% to 23.2%, which restricts the amount of time available for proactive community policing activities. Recommendation A. This analysis demonstrates that 13.75 additional officers may be needed in order to achieve the 60% productive time ratio that is industry standard for municipal law enforcement agencies with a community-oriented policing philosophy. B. The Department should consider contracting with a third party to conduct a deployment study to determine how efficiently resources are deployed to serve the community and ensure appropriate scheduling to meet community demands. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 2 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY C. As discretionary time for each officer is increased, provide refresher community policing training to ensure officers are well equipped to effectively use available time in support of the community. Property Crime Staffing Levels 2. Finding In FY2019 and FY2020, property crime caseloads exceeded the industry standard of 180 to 240 annual cases by between 142 and 29 cases; however, in FY2021 caseloads were within the industry standard range. Recommendation To ensure appropriate workload for property crime detectives, the Department should continue to evaluate caseloads as the pandemic’s effects subside. Person Crime Detective Staffing Levels 3. Finding Caseloads per detective exceed industry standards for the Adult Crimes Unit, Child Crimes Unit, and Family Violence Unit. Recommendation To right-size caseloads, the Department should consider adding the following detectives: ● One detective to the Adult Crimes Unit ● Two detectives to the Child Crimes Unit ● Three detectives to the Family Violence Unit Forensics Unit Staffing Levels 4. Finding Due to vacancies and staffing shortages, the Forensics Unit had a backlog of 681 cases as of April 2021. Recommendation A. Fill existing authorized positions to help reduce the backlog of cases. A. Similar to other regional cities of similar size, consider establishing a separate Crime Scene Unit and Forensics Unit with appropriate staffing as the City’s Crime Lab is established. Vacancies and Recruitment for Sworn Positions 5. Finding The Department has been experiencing high levels of retirements and overall vacancies for sworn positions; additionally, the number of applications for sworn position openings has declined sharply in the last fiscal year. Recommendation A. Develop a Department-wide recruitment strategy to fill sworn positions. B. Hire a dedicated recruiter on a limited-term basis to support ongoing recruitment efforts and increase the number of qualified applicants to open positions. C. Develop succession plans to support smooth transitions as an increasing number of employees retire. Real-Time Crime Center Staffing Levels 6. Finding The Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) lacks sufficient staffing to operate 24/7 and does not deploy existing employees during peak activity hours. Recommendation A. Deploy existing RTCC staff resources when activity levels are the highest in the community, to be most effective with current resources. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 3 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY B. Develop a plan to ramp up staffing for 24/7 operation, which will require an additional four sworn and four civilian employees. Although the focus of this internal audit was to identify opportunities for improvement, it is important to note the areas of commendable operations. The Department should be commended for the following accomplishments:  Continuous Recruitment: The Department has a continuous recruitment process for open sworn positions, which helps reduce the amount of time that vacancies are open.  Leveraging Civilian Positions for Community Policing: The Department has a Community Action Team that is staffed by a combination of both sworn and civilian personnel to proactively perform community policing.  Targeted Policing: The Department implemented targeted policies for high-crime areas based on time to help prevent crimes from occurring due to a nearby police presence. We would like to thank Department staff and management for their willingness to assist with this project. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 4 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY DETAILED REPORT Moss Adams LLP was Contracted by the City of Glendale to perform a Staffing Review of its Police Department. Based the priorities and perception of need within the Department, three divisions were included in the scope of this review: Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Administrative Services. Moss Adams analyzed the last three fiscal years of data and year-to-date data for FY 2021 where possible, and interviewed representatives from each division in order to understand workloads, staffing levels, overtime utilization, scheduling, and resourcing strategies. While this Staffing Review uses workload data and compares the Department’s staffing levels to industry standards, it is important to note that deployment of resources was not within the scope of this engagement. Therefore, this report does not provide any conclusions related to how efficiently or effectively the Department is leveraging existing staffing. The City of Glendale (the City) Police Department (the Department) included 429 sworn officers and 141 civilian employees operating out of three police stations in FY 2020–21. The Department is funded through a combination of general fund dollars and a citizens’ initiative that established a public safety sales tax of 0.5%. The Department receives two-thirds of the sales tax revenues, which was estimated to provide $17,580,130 in FY 2020–21. Overall, the Department’s budget in FY 2021 was $105,066,600. Over the last three years, the Department has experienced relatively high levels of sworn position vacancies, which has impacted overall staffing levels across divisions. The table below shows the total number of sworn position vacancies and patrol officer vacancies as of July 1 of the last three fiscal years. As of May 2021, there were 22 sworn position vacancies. Sworn Position Vacancies Fiscal year Total Sworn Vacancies Patrol Office Vacancies FY 2019 6 3 FY 2020 5 5 FY 2021 16 10 The mission of the Department is to “protect the lives and property of the people we serve” using its core values of integrity, courage, excellence, respect, dedication, and compassion. Similar to other municipalities, the Department leverages community policing strategies to pursue its mission. Community policing is a well-known philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address immediate City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 5 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime1. As such, the Department’s goals include:  Reduce crime and the fear of crime in the community  Ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of all processes within the Police Department  Increase community-based activities to enhance the community’s trust of the organization  Enhance our customer service activities to ensure solid partnerships both internally and externally, and open communication with all. Our objective for this engagement was:  To determine whether the Department had adequate staffing levels in its Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Administrative Services divisions. In order to obtain an understanding of existing staffing levels and workloads, we performed the following procedures: a. Interviews: We conducted interviews with an Assistant Chief, Commanders over the three divisions included in the study, all Patrol Lieutenants, the Forensics Manager, the Administrative Services Manager, all Criminal Investigations Lieutenants, and other key leaders in the Department. b. Document Review: We reviewed multiple documents, including but not limited to: i. Organizational charts ii. Department budgets spanning FY 2018–2021 iii. Applicable internal policies and procedures iv. Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with bargaining groups c. Detailed Analysis: In order to evaluate staffing levels, we analyzed workload per employee and additional trends in the Department. A detailed methodology for the staffing-level analysis is included within each sub-section. We examined performance and workload data such as cases assigned per detective, ratio of productive and undesignated time for patrol officers, turnover and recruitment trends, and coverage for the Department’s Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC). d. Industry Standards Research: Based on the functional areas included in this Staffing Review, we conducted research to understand industry best practices and guidance for police department staffing. Industry standards commonly referenced throughout the report 1 Community Policing Defined: https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-p157-pub.pdf City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 6 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY include the International City and County Managers Association (ICMA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and a law enforcement agency survey regularly conducted by Matrix Consulting. We worked with Department personnel and leadership to obtain the most currently available information and insights. The Staffing Review was conducted between March and June 2021. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 7 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Finding Over the past three fiscal years, patrol officer productive time ratios have exceeded the industry standard of 60% by 11.1% to 23.2%, which restricts the amount of time available for proactive community policing activities. Recommendation This analysis demonstrates that 13.75 additional officers may be needed in order to achieve the 60% productive time ratio that is industry standard for municipal law enforcement agencies with a community-oriented policing philosophy. The Department should consider contracting with a third party to conduct a deployment study to determine how efficiently resources are deployed to serve the community and ensure appropriate scheduling to meet community demands. As discretionary time for each officer is increased, provide refresher community policing training to ensure officers are well equipped to effectively use available time in support of the community. Criteria According to the International City and County Managers Association (ICMA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), staffing decisions should be made based on workload analysis that reflects the supply and demand of police resources. As a general guide, ICMA applies a “rule of 60” in which the average workload (including public-initiated calls for service, police-initiated calls for service, administrative, and out-of-service time) for patrol staffing should not exceed 60%. The remaining 40% of time is considered “discretionary” time where officers should be available to address community concerns, remain available to respond to emergencies, and perform proactive community policing. ICMA recommends that patrol staffing is optimally deployed when saturation is slightly less than 50%. Condition The Department has two Patrol units, Gateway and Foothills, that respond to calls for service and serve the community. Both divisions operate on the same shift schedules and minimum staffing levels, as reflected in the table below. Each division contains four zones, and each zone contains six beats, which has formed the basis for minimum staffing level requirements. There are a total of 187 authorized sworn officers who actively work patrol shifts and respond to calls for service, excluding command staff. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 8 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY Shift Schedules and Staffing Levels SHIFT HOURS DESIRED MINIMUM STAFFING TRUE MINIMUM STAFFING Day 5 am to 3 pm 6 am to 4 pm 26 officers 24 officers Swing 12 pm to 10 pm 2 pm to 12 am 28 officers 26 officers Graveyard 8 pm to 6 am 9 pm to 7 am 26 officers 24 officers The Department is currently authorized for 252 sworn officers within its Gateway and Foothill divisions; however as noted previously, only 187 sworn officers are considered patrol officers who actively respond to calls while other sworn officers are in special divisions or command staff. As with any municipal law enforcement agency, the Department often carries vacancies that impact overall staffing levels and the ability to meet minimum staffing requirements. The table below reports the total number of authorized and vacant sworn positions for each fiscal year as of July 1 of that fiscal year. The number of vacancies varies throughout the year as staffing changes are made. Authorized and Vacant Sworn Positions GATEWAY FOOTHILLS Total Sworn Authorized Patrol Officers Vacancies Total Sworn Authorized Patrol Officers Vacancies FY 2017 125 93 2 121 94 4 FY 2018 131 93 2 122 94 1 FY 2019 130 93 3 128 94 2 FY 2020 128 93 6 124 94 4 The table above demonstrates that vacancy rates within the department are rising, and have risen from 10 vacant sworn positions as of July 1, 2020 to 16 vacant sworn positions as of April 2021. This indicates that there are significant challenges to recruiting qualified officers, and ultimately impacts the ability of the Department to maintain safety for both its community and its workforce. In order to maintain minimum staffing levels when there are vacancies, the Department must utilize overtime. Overtime can also be used for a variety of additional reasons, such as coverage for employees out on leave or assigned to light-duty work, special event coverage, and other factors. The table below shows the number of overtime hours worked by patrol officers and provides an FTE equivalent for total overtime usage. Overall, the Department had the equivalent of 10.6 to 13.9 FTEs in overtime, which indicates a significant reliance on overtime to serve the community. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 9 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY Overtime Hours Worked by Patrol Officers GATEWAY FOOTHILLS TOTAL Overtime Hours FTE Equivalent Overtime Hours FTE Equivalent Overtime Hours FTE Equivalent FY 2018–19* 11,587 5.6 10,769 5.2 22,356 10.7 FY 2019–20 15,258 7.3 13,691 6.6 28,949 13.9 FY 2020–21* 12,198 5.9 9,916 4.8 22,114 10.6 *FY 2018–19 and FY 2020–21 data are year-long projections from partial-year data. This review attempted to determine the ratio of productive and undesignated time available to patrol officers who actively work out in the community. In order to calculate these ratios for the past three fiscal years, our methodology was as follows: 1. We calculated the total number of authorized work hours by multiplying the number of authorized patrol officers by 2,080 (the standard annual work hours for a sworn officer). We used actual leave data to project the hours officers spent out of work and subtracted this figure from the total authorized hours to calculate the Total Authorized Work Hours. The Total Authorized Work Hours represents the number of work hours that the Department would have available if all positions were filled. 2. We used the vacancy rates as of July 1 of each fiscal year to determine the number of work hours that were not actually available due to open positions. This figure was subtracted from the Total Authorized Work Hours to determine the Actual Work Hours Available to the Department each year. The Actual Work Hours Available reflects an estimate of the total number of work hours that the Department actually had available to respond to calls for service. These calculations are reflected in the table below. Actual Work Hours Available FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021–YTD* Authorized patrol officer FTE 187 187 187 140.25 Total authorized FTE hours 388,960 388,960 388,960 290,921 Projected leave hours if all vacancies filled 67,490 63,974 63,161 56,524 Total authorized work hours 321,470 324,985 325,799 234,397 Vacant sworn positions in patrol 6 3 5 10 Vacancy hours (work hours and leave) 10,315 319,772 317,088 221,862 Actual work hours available 311,155 319,772 317,088 221,862 *FY 2020 only includes data through March 31, 2021 and therefore figures appear lower than other years because three months are not included in the analysis. Authorized and Actual Available hours were pro-rated to reflect this same time period. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 10 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY 3. We requested and received CAD data that detailed the time spent (from arrival on the scene to close) and number of units that responded to each call for the Patrol Group. To determine the total time spent by patrol officers on each call, we multiplied the time spent on the call by the number of responding units (each unit represents one officer). By performing this analysis, we identified several outliers in the data that showed hundreds of hours spent on a single call for service. After discussion with the Patrol Commanders at the Department, we removed the top 2% of all service calls, for the following reasons: 1) the CAD data showing time spent was not reflective of individual time spent by each officer, but instead showed the longest duration of time spent on the call, and 2) calls that required extensive time were often staffed by commanding officers in Patrol and thus did not have the same impact on frontline patrol officer staffing needs. 5. We requested and received the Out-of-Service time spent by officers on other key tasks, such as administration, training, and booking, detention, and court. 6. The time spent on calls for service and out-of-service time were added together to determine the total number of productive hours expended by the Department for the last three fiscal years and FY 2021 between July 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, which is reflected in the table below. Total Number of Productive Hours FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021– YTD* Out-of-Service Hours Administration 116,175 117,190 111,910 60,581 Training 6,323 4,754 5,093 1,176 Booking, Court, & Detention 9,080 2,850 1,608 700 Calls for Service (#) Police-initiated calls for service 23,852 24,395 23,418 17,884 Community-initiated calls for service 103,287 109,756 106,621 77,760 Calls for Service Hours Total time spent responding to calls for service 258,717 258,945 248,650 157,801 *FY 2021 only includes data through March 31, 2021 and therefore figures appear lower than other years because three months are not included in the analysis. 7. In order to calculate the workload ratio and determine whether or not the ratio aligned with the industry standard of 60%, we compared the Authorized Available Hours to the Productive Hours and the Actual Available Hours to the Productive Hours. These ratios approximate the amount of time officers spent actively responding to calls for service on their shift and are reflected in the table below. These calculations show that officers spent between 71.1% and 83.2% of shifts actively responding to calls, which exceeds the industry standard of 60%. If the Department had been fully staffed, officers likely would have spent between 67.3% and 80.5% of their shifts actively responding to calls. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 11 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY Time Spent Actively Responding to Calls for Service FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021–YTD* Authorized Available Hours 321,470 324,985 325,799 234,396 Actual Available Hours 311,155 319,772 317,088 221,862 Productive Time 258,717 258,945 248,650 157,801 Workload Ratios Workload ratio for all authorized positions 80.5% 79.7% 76.3% 67.3% Workload ratio for actual staffing levels 83.2% 81.0% 78.4% 71.1% *FY 2021 only includes data through March 31, 2021 and therefore figures appear lower than other years because three months are not included in the analysis. Authorized and Actual Available Hours were pro-rated to reflect this same time period. Cause Cities are fiscally constrained and have many competing priorities. The Department also must prioritize which of its internal positions are most vital to its service to the community and has struggled to fill sworn positions over the last 12 to 18 months. Nationwide, police departments have struggled to retain and recruit officers in recent years. Finally, the Department has not completed a staffing study in several years in order to identify the trends and changing community dynamics driving staffing needs. Effect When the Patrol Division of a Police Department is perceived to be or is actually understaffed, this may undercut the efficacy and availability of proactive problem-solving efforts that align with the community policing philosophy. In order to achieve minimum staffing levels and meet community needs, the Department had to rely heavily on overtime utilization, which can result in increased costs and officer burnout if leveraged as a workforce solution for long periods of time. Additionally, when undesignated officer time is restricted, community engagement and connection can suffer. Finally, without enough officers, there can be increased response times, more challenging triage for calls, and ultimately a perception from the community that the Department is not responsive to safety concerns. Recommendations A. This analysis demonstrates that additional officers are needed in order to achieve the 60% productive time ratio that is industry standard for municipal law enforcement agencies with a community-oriented policing philosophy. Based on the actual productive time worked in FY 2020, the most recent complete fiscal year, an estimated 13.75 FTE additional authorized patrol officers would be required to achieve the workload ratio. This was estimated by using the total productive time to calculate the appropriate number of available work hours required to achieve a 60% City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 12 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY productive ratio. These hours were then subtracted from the Authorized Available Hours and divided by 2,080 (the standard annual work hours for a patrol officer) to determine the additional staff requirements to achieve a 60% productive ratio. B. This review did not include an analysis of how officers are deployed or evaluate minimum staffing levels. Therefore, the Department should consider conducting a deployment study to determine how efficiently resources are deployed to serve the community and ensure appropriate scheduling to meet community demands. It is particularly important to conduct this type of study prior to the addition of new employees, in order to determine how efficiently existing resources are utilized. C. As discretionary time for each officer is increased, provide refresher community policing training to ensure officers are well equipped to effectively use that time in support of the community. Based on the workload analysis, it would appear that existing patrol officers have had minimal opportunities to practice community policing due to elevated workloads. As workloads right size, it will be imperative to prepare officers with the appropriate tools and techniques to proactively support crime reduction and the sense of safety in the Glendale community. Management Response We concur with the finding and agree that an additional 13.75 officers would help close the gap towards a 60% productive time ratio. Additional Police Officers will be requested through the FY23 budget process by the Police Chief. The Glendale Police Department is also currently exploring grant opportunities to enhance hiring. a) These additional officers along with filling our current vacancies, would assist in a more efficient deployment model. b) Arizona State University is currently working with the patrol division and conducting research on a deployment model. The police department plans to leverage the results and identified efficiencies of this study into the annual deployment plan moving forward. This plan is expected to be completed and presented to department staff in December of 2021. c) The culture and philosophy of the department revolves around community policing. All officers receive ongoing refresher training in community policing, our crime control strategies, and deployment plans on an annual basis. Each officer must attend one 10-hour block of Advanced Officer Training (AOT) three times per year. Our department’s day to day commitment to serving the community all reinforce this approach. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 13 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY 2. Finding In FY2019 and FY2020, property crime caseloads exceeded the industry standard of 180 to 240 annual cases by between 142 and 29 cases; however, in FY2021 caseloads were within the industry standard range. Recommendation To ensure appropriate workload for property crime detectives, the Department should continue to evaluate caseloads as the pandemic’s effects subside. Both the Gateway and Foothills Patrol Divisions have a distinct detective group for each patrol area that investigates property crimes, including fraud/forgery, animal cruelty/neglect/abuse, arson, burglary, and theft. These detectives are separate from the Criminal Investigations Division, which investigates person crimes. Criteria Investigations can vary significantly in terms of complexity, scale, and requirements to close a case. Therefore, there are no absolute quantifiable standards to determine the appropriate caseload for detectives. However, industry surveys indicate that a caseload of property crimes between 15 to 20 active cases per month (or 180 to 240 cases per year) per detective appears to be reasonable for most jurisdictions. Condition The table below shows the total number and types of crimes that occurred in the City, were assigned for investigation, and were closed by the Property Investigations Unit. The Property Investigations Unit includes a total of 14 detectives and two case managers. The Case Managers are civilian employees that review referred cases, conduct follow-ups and research, and ultimately assign solvable cases to sworn detectives. Given the role of Case Managers in actively working cases, their staffing is included in the workload analysis for this unit. Detectives often use overtime to work cases. The total among of overtime worked by the 14 detectives in the Unit over the last three fiscal years is reflected in the table below. Overall, overtime rates are relatively high for this small group and equate to approximately one additional FTE. Most overtime is concentrated in the Gateway division. Overtime Hours Worked by Property Detectives GATEWAY FOOTHILLS TOTAL Overtime Hours FTE Equivalent Overtime Hours FTE Equivalent Overtime Hours FTE Equivalent Average Overtime hours per Detective City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report | 14 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY FY 2018– 19* 612 0.6 179 0.2 791 0.7 113 FY 2019–20 1,808 0.9 805 0.4 2,614 1.3 187 FY 2020– 21** 1,620 0.8 372 0.2 1,993 1.0 142 *FY 2018–19 includes hours from 12/22/2018 to 6/30/2019; FTE equivalents are adjusted for this time period. *FY2020-21 includes data from 7/1/20 to 6/4/2021l; FTE equivalents are adjusted for this time period. Because the Department transitioned its records management system in 2018, this analysis was only able to incorporate data from FY 2018–19, FY 2019–20, and July 1, 2020 to April 13, 2021 of FY 2020–21. Over the past three fiscal years, the closure rate has improved from 35.2% to 60.3%, a 25% increase. However, the total number of crimes investigated appears to be decreasing: between FY 2020 and FY 2019, the total crimes investigated decreased by approximately 550 cases. According to Department leadership, this drop is likely due to COVID-19 and may escalate again after the pandemic has subsided. City of Glendale Police Department Staffing Review Report| 15FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY Total Number and Types of Property-Related Crimes  FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021* Total Cases Assigned Cases Closed Closure Rate Total Cases Assigned Cases Closed Closure Rate Total Cases Assigned Cases Closed Closure Rate Assault N/A N/A N/A N/A 1 1 100.0% 1 1 1 100.0% Auto Theft/Stolen Tailgates/Plates 1118 680 125 12.6% 1075 701 155 22.1% 866 453 195 43.0% Family Violence 1 1 1 100.0% 1 1 1 100.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A Hit & Run 2 1 1 100.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 2 2 100.0% Narcotics 19 19 18 94.7% 16 15 15 100.0% 22 22 15 68.2% Animal Cruelty/ Neglect/Abuse 11 4 4 100.0% 11 7 6 85.7% 11 4 4 100.0% Arson 26 7 4 57.1% 18 9 6 66.7% 16 10 6 60.0% Burglary 3265 590 444 75.3% 2223 394 238 60.4% 1519 444 270 60.8% Theft/Criminal Damage 402 217 137 63.1% 194 126 92 73.0% 145 187 160 85.6% Request for Service 4 1 1 100.0% N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Robbery, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping 5 5 5 100.0% 5 5 5 100.0% 4 4 4 100.0% Fraud/Forgery 1256 714 88 12.3% 764 424 115 27.1% 638 275 189 68.7% All Crimes 6109 2,239 789 35.2% 4308 1,683 634 37.7% 3224 1,402 846 60.3% *FY 2021 data may appear lower because totals reflect actual year-to-date data from July 1, 2020 through April 13, 2021. Police Staffing Review Report | 16 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY The table below uses the total number of cases investigated as reported in the table above to calculate the annual caseload for each employee in the Unit. Annual Caseload per Detective FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021* Total Cases 6,109 4,308 3,224 Number of Detectives 14 14 14 Number of Case Managers 2 2 2 Caseload per Unit Employee 382 269 202 *FY 2021 data is a projection of total cases for the fiscal year using historical data from the prior fiscal years and actual data between July 1, 2020 and April 13, 2021. Based on this analysis, the caseload per unit employee ranges between 202 and 382 per year. In FY2019 and FY2020, employee caseloads exceeded the industry standard of 180 to 240 annual cases by between 142 and 29 cases; however, in FY2021 caseloads were within the industry standard range. Cause The Department has a case manager in both the Foothills and Gateway units who evaluates incoming cases and assigns them for investigation depending on how likely they are to be solved. Over the past three fiscal years, the number of property crimes reported and assigned for investigation has decreased; however, case closure rates have increased during the same timeframe. Department employees report that the COVID-19 pandemic may have temporarily reduced property crimes in response to statewide Shelter-In-Place orders. Effect Although case closure rates have increased, the number of crimes that are being investigated is not in alignment with industry standards. By lowering the number of cases investigated by detectives, the community may be forced to accept the presence of low-level crimes, which could enable the proliferation of more serious crimes to warrant investigation. Recommendation To ensure appropriate workload for property crime detectives, the Department should continue to evaluate caseloads as the pandemic’s effects subside. If cases begin to rise, additional detectives may be warranted to maintain caseloads within the industry standard range. Management Response We concur with the finding. The police department’s crime analysts will continue to evaluate data and update department executive staff. These updates have already begun and occur on a monthly basis during an executive staff meeting. Police Staffing Review Report | 17 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY 3. Finding Caseloads per detective exceed industry standards for the Adult Crimes Unit, Child Crimes Unit, and Family Violence Unit. Recommendation To right-size caseloads, the Department should consider adding the following detectives: ● One detective to the Adult Crimes Unit ● Two detectives to the Child Crimes Unit ● Three detectives to the Family Violence Unit The Criminal Investigations Division investigates person crimes, such as adult crimes, child crimes, family violence, and violent crimes. Criteria As noted previously, a number of qualitative factors impact investigations and hinder the effectiveness of relying on quantitative factors alone to determine appropriate detective staffing levels. For example, the complexity of each case is a critical factor to evaluate when determining investigative activity; cases differ in terms of workable leads, suspects, availability of evidence, individual cooperation, and other key factors. Consistent with what is typical of most municipal law enforcement agencies, the Department’s records management system is not designed to track the time spent by each detective on a case or number of detectives working a case. Therefore, we were only able to assess the caseload for each detective. Industry surveys suggest that person crime detectives typically work from 8 to 12 cases per month, or 96 to 144 cases per year. Detectives of complex cases, such as homicides or sex crimes, typically work between three to five active cases per month, or 36 to 60 cases per year. Although cases vary widely, these industry trends were used to evaluate the appropriateness of existing staffing levels for each crime type investigated by the Criminal Investigations Division. Condition The Criminal Investigations Division includes separate units to investigate Adult Crimes, Child Crimes, Family Violence, Homicides, and Violent Crimes. The Division is staffed on a rotating basis by interested patrol officers who test into the detective role. When staffing shortages occur within the Department, filling the Criminal Investigations Division sworn positions is prioritized over patrol positions in order to actively pursue violators and serve crime victims within the Glendale community. Police Staffing Review Report| 18FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY The table below reflects the total number of cases in each division, the number of detectives in each division, and the cases assigned per detective for the last two fiscal years and a projection for FY 2021 cases based on partial year data. Criminal Investigations Division, Person Investigations Units – Cases per Detective FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021* Assigned Cases Number of Detectives Cases per Detective Assigned Cases Number of Detectives Cases per Detective Assigned Cases Number of Detectives Cases per Detective Adult Crimes Total 327 5 65.4 310 5 62.0 301 5 60.2 Sex Crimes 316 5 63.2 299 5 59.8 287 5 57.5 Vulnerable Adult Abuse 11 4 2.2 11 5 2.2 14 5 2.7 Child Crimes Total 582 6 97.0 552 6 92.0 525 6 87.5 Abuse/Neglect 244 6 40.7 214 6 35.7 179 6 29.8 Sex Crimes 338 6 56.3 338 6 56.3 346 6 57.7 Family Violence Total 1,314 5 262.8 1,313 5 262.6 1,311 5 262.3 Death Investigation Total 80 5 16.0 68 5 13.6 126 5 25.2 Violent Crimes Total 225 5 45.0 558 5 111.6 505 5 101.0 Robbery 67 5 13.4 149 5 29.8 119 5 23.9 Assault 158 5 31.6 409 5 81.8 386 5 77.2 TOTALS 2,528 26 97.2 2,801 26 107.7 2,768 26 106.5 *FY 2021 data is a projection of total cases for the fiscal year using historical data from the prior fiscal years and actual data between July 1, 2020 and April 13, 2021. Police Staffing Review Report | 19 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY In comparison to industry standards, caseload data suggest the following for each unit:  Adult Crimes: Based on caseload data alone, this unit is at the top range of the industry-standard caseload for complex crimes, including sex crimes. This suggests that an additional detective would benefit the Adult Crimes Unit.  Child Crimes: Based on caseload data, this unit may benefit from an additional detective to maintain the appropriate staffing level. Both FY 2019 and FY 2020 caseloads exceeded the suggested maximum number of complex cases by 37 and 32 cases, respectively. As of March 26, 2021, the caseload-to-detective ratio exceeded the suggested range by over 27 cases, which indicates the need for additional detectives. In order to reduce the case count per detective to fall within the industry standard, at least two detectives would need to be added to the Child Crimes Unit.  Death Investigation: Based on caseload data, the number of cases assigned to homicide detectives falls within the industry standard. However, it should be noted that homicide cases nearly doubled between FY 2020 and FY 2021; therefore, the Department should remain diligent in evaluating staffing levels in this area.  Family Violence: Based on caseload data, the actual caseload has exceeded the per-detective count of 144 case per year by about 118 cases in each of the three fiscal years analyzed. This suggests that the Family Violence Unit could benefit from three additional detectives to right-size caseloads.  Violent Crimes: Caseloads in this unit have increased in the number of investigations, but appear to be reasonably staffed based on industry-standard caseloads. The Department’s FY 2021–22 budget also authorized an additional detective to investigate assaults, which will help support this unit in addition to enabling the Department to investigate lower-level assaults before offenders potentially escalate to other types of crime. Case-carrying detectives are overtime-eligible and may work additional hours to pursue leads and evidence to support case resolution. The table below shows the total hours of overtime worked by sworn employees and the FTE equivalent for those hours. FY 2021 includes information from July 1, 2020 to April 13, 2021 of the fiscal year. Overtime Hours Worked and FTE Equivalent FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 YTD** Overtime hours worked 7,755 11,125 6,847 FTE equivalent for overtime hours 3.7 5.3 3.3 *Due to a system change, only six months of FY 2019 data were able to be provided for this analysis; therefore, these figures represent projections rather than actual totals for FY 2019. **FY 2021 reflects year-to-date data from July 1, 2020 through April 13,2021. Overtime utilization, while to be expected, can impact the quality of investigations and ultimately case resolution. The Department should continue to closely monitor overtime utilization of detectives in relation to its staffing needs. Police Staffing Review Report | 20 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY Cause Cities are fiscally constrained and have many competing priorities. The Department also must prioritize which of its internal positions are most vital to its service to the community and has struggled to fill sworn positions over the last 12 to 18 months. Nationwide, police departments have struggled to retain and recruit officers in recent years. Although the Department has prioritized filling detective positions for person crime investigations, it has not evaluated caseloads for several years. Effect If the Criminal Investigations Division is not adequately staffed, victims in the community may not receive the response expected from law enforcement, criminals can remain active in the community and perpetuate additional and potentially more severe crimes, community trust can be eroded, and case resolution will decrease. The actual and perceived sense of safety in the community will be impacted in the absence of proper staffing levels. Recommendation To right-size caseloads, the Department should consider adding the following detectives:  One detective to the Adult Crimes Unit  Two detectives to the Child Crimes Unit  Three detectives to the Family Violence Unit The Department may consider repurposing some Property Investigation detectives to fill these roles. The Department could also leverage additional civilian employees, to enable sworn detectives to be more effective in their roles. Civilian employees in investigations are often engaged to perform background work, review surveillance, conduct research, and other tasks critical to a successful investigation. Management Response We concur with the findings and recommendation for adding an additional six detectives to the Glendale Advocacy Center. Additional Police Officers will be requested through the FY23 budget process by the Police Chief. The Glendale Police Department is also currently exploring grant opportunities to enhance hiring. Police Staffing Review Report | 21 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY 4. Finding Due to vacancies and staffing shortages, the Forensics Unit had a backlog of 681 cases as of April 2021. Recommendation Fill existing authorized positions to help reduce the backlog of cases. Similar to other regional cities of similar size, consider establishing a separate Crime Scene Unit and Forensics Unit with appropriate staffing as the City’s Crime Lab is established. The Forensics Unit within the Criminal Investigations Division provides support to detectives and patrol officers by collecting and analyzing evidence collected by Department. For some situations, the Forensics Unit will respond to crime scenes and take photographs, collect DNA samples, identify and collect latent prints, and conduct preliminary biological testing. After reviewing evidence, the Forensics Unit also conducts fingerprint comparisons and packages evidence for testing by the state crime lab. Criteria Although there are no clear industry standards related to Forensics Unit staffing levels, in general, staffing should be sufficient to enable timely collection and processing of evidence to support investigations. The quality and speed of investigations is often determined by the ability of forensics employees to gather and process evidence; therefore staffing should be appropriate to enable these activities. In the Phoenix metropolitan region, three other cities have approximately the same population as Glendale: Scottsdale, Gilbert, and Chandler. Both Scottsdale and Chandler have their own crime labs to process biological evidence within 30 days of collection, and have also established separate Crime Scene and Forensics Units with a total of between 19 and 21 FTEs. Crime Scene Units typically respond to crime scenes to collect evidence, while Forensics Units review, process, and test evidence. Condition The Forensics Unit in the Criminal Investigations Division is authorized for six civilian positions, which includes one supervisor. All employees are salaried and are not overtime-eligible; employees rotate the on-call schedule to ensure coverage for after-hours crime scenes that require processing. Because employees cannot work in excess of 40 hours per week, these calls can result in a significant amount of compensatory time off, which can interfere with additional work that needs to be completed to pursue investigations. At the time of this review three positions were vacant, which had a significant impact on the Forensic Unit’s operations and timeliness in responding to requests. The table below reflects the workload of the Forensics Unit from calendar year 2019 through year-to- date 2021 figures as of April 2021. Police Staffing Review Report | 22 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY Forensics Unit Workload CY2019 CY2020 CY2021 YTD Cases Opened 1591 1291 331 Crime Scenes Processed 230 245 50 Evidence Processed 160 125 31 Fingerprint Comparisons 1135 881 248 TRU NARC 29 11 N/A DNA Collection 37 22 2 Workload Crime Scene Call outs 114 scenes, 710 hours 19 scenes, 142 hours Evidence Items Processed 682 376 28 Fingerprints Compared 218 1798 3738 DNA Swabs Collected 96 323 197 In interviews, staff noted that a backlog of cases emerged in the Forensics Unit approximately one year ago and was rising due to staffing shortages and vacancies in authorized positions. As of April 2021, this backlog impacted 681 cases that were not yet assigned or completed. 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 Forensics Unit Case Backlog Cases Completed Incomplete/Unassigned Cases New Cases Received Police Staffing Review Report | 23 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY This trend is unsustainable and is reportedly exacerbated by the lack of differentiation between crime scene response and traditional forensic evidence processing. Cause Cities are fiscally constrained and have many competing priorities to weigh in making budgetary decisions. The Department also must prioritize which of its internal positions are most vital to its service to the community. Vacancies of open positions have not been filled in a timely manner and therefore the backlog has increased significant since April 2020. Effect When there are staffing shortages in the Forensics Unit, evidence cannot be processed in a timely manner which can have an overall negative impact on the efficacy and timeliness of investigations. Additionally, the requirement for all employees to be on call can present disruptions in processing lab- related work such as fingerprint processing. Because Forensics employees are not overtime-eligible, these call-outs further contribute to the existing backlog of cases requiring analysis. Recommendation A. Fill existing authorized positions to help reduce the backlog of cases. These additional positions are critical to helping clear the backlog and prevent a future backlog from occurring. B. Similar to other regional cities of similar size, consider establishing a separate Crime Scene Unit and Forensics Unit. This differentiation can improve specialization, create a career ladder for forensics employees, and support more timely evidence processing to expedite investigations. As the Department moves forward with plans to establish its own crime lab, it should evaluate staffing needs on an ongoing basis. Peer cities employed between 19 and 21 FTEs in their forensics function, with half serving on the Crime Scene Response Unit and half in the Forensics Unit primarily processing evidence in the lab. To start, the Crime Scene Unit should have four civilian FTEs to provide around-the-clock coverage for crime scene calls based on the Department’s current shift model. Management Response We concur with the findings and recommendations. a) All identified vacancies have been filled and/or a formal hiring process is underway. b) The separation of responsibilities would allow for a focused approach and would drastically reduce case backlog. Additional positions would be ramped up to 4-6 employees over the course of three years. The Criminal Investigations Commander will coordinate this effort and work with the Chief’s office. A formal plan will be presented to the Chief by 12/31/2021. Additional full-time employees will be requested through the FY23 budget process by the Police Chief. The Glendale Police Department is also currently exploring grant opportunities to enhance hiring. Police Staffing Review Report | 24 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY 5. Finding The Department has been experiencing high levels of retirements and overall vacancies for sworn positions; additionally, the number of applications for sworn position openings has declined sharply in the last fiscal year. Recommendation Develop a Department-wide recruitment strategy to fill sworn positions. Hire a dedicated recruiter on a limited-term basis to support ongoing recruitment efforts and increase the number of qualified applicants to open positions. Develop succession plans to support smooth transitions as an increasing number of employees retire. The Personnel Management Unit is responsible for recruiting and conducting thorough background investigations to hire qualified sworn and civilian personnel. This unit also supports all personnel actions of the Department and coordinates relevant actions with the City’s Human Resources Department. Criteria There are no relevant industry standards that determine the ideal staffing levels of the Personnel Management Unit. However, in order to successful fulfill its role, it is imperative that the unit has sufficient staffing to meet personnel demands by recruiting and processing applications to fill vacant positions that are critical to the Department’s operations. Condition The Personnel Management Unit is currently staffed by a Sergeant, three sworn officers (two are permanent and one is a two-year limited-term position), a civilian employee to coordinate city employment processes, and a contract employee to support recruitment efforts. The three sworn officers in the Unit primarily conduct background checks to ensure qualified candidates are hired at the Department. Unlike traditional background checks, background checks for law enforcement agencies are extensive and require significant testing and research to be accurate and complete. Similar to other municipalities, the Department has been experiencing high levels of retirements (between 10 and 16 retirements per fiscal year) over the past several years. The table below shows the total number of hires, separations (retirements, resignations, or other employee departures), and overall net gain or loss in Department staffing levels. Since the beginning of FY 2020, the Department has seen a net loss of 15 employees. Police Staffing Review Report | 25 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY Additionally, the Department noted challenges in securing a sufficient number of capable applicants to fill vacant sworn positions over the last year. As noted previously, the Department has approximately 16 vacant patrol officer positions and despite running a rolling recruitment, has struggled to fill these positions. Since July 2020, there has been a significant (approximately two-thirds) decrease in the number of applicants for sworn position openings, as noted in the table below. Applicants for Sworn Position Openings Date Range Number of Applicants FY 2018 1,439 FY 2019 834 FY 2020 1408 FY 2021 YTD 471 The need to recruit and fill positions (including using recruiters and adhering to appropriate background check protocols) and the increasing number of vacancies in the Department have an impact on the staffing needs of the Personnel Management Unit. Cause FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 YTD Hires 29 16 15 11 Separations 25 17 25 16 Net Gain 4-1-10-5 29 16 15 11 25 17 25 16 4 -1 -10 -5 Department Hires, Separations, and Net Gains Police Staffing Review Report | 26 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY Nationwide, police departments have struggled to retain and recruit officers in recent years.23 The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) noted that there seem to be fewer young people who have interest in a policing career while more people are leaving the profession. In a recent study, PERF reported that a robust economy and strong job growth create alternative options to those entering the labor marketing, resulting in increased competition for police agencies. Additionally, the rigid and quasi-military structure of most agencies does not align with the preferences of today’s job applications. Effect If positions are not filled in a timely manner, the Department will experience elevated levels of overtime, which contributes to stress and burnout of existing sworn and civilian employees. When high workloads persist for long periods of time, this can eventually have a sufficiently negative impact on team culture and morale, which in turn may increase employee churn. Recommendation A. Develop a Department-wide recruitment strategy to fill sworn positions. As the Department struggles to fill vacant sworn positions, it should develop a recruitment strategy that outlines how it attracts applicants and targets specific groups to fill open positions. This is a best practice that local law enforcement agencies are dedicating resources to around the country. B. Hire a dedicated recruiter on a limited-term basis to support ongoing recruitment efforts and increase the number of qualified applicants to open positions. To implement a recruitment strategy, the Department requires a dedicated employee who actively targets recruits and works with applicants to fill open positions. C. Develop succession plans to support employees with a smooth transition as retirements are ongoing. Succession planning helps retain institutional knowledge and supports operational continuity in the midst of significant changes. Management Response We concur with the findings. a) A department-wide recruitment strategy is currently being developed. b) Hiring a dedicated recruiter is not needed due to future strategy (in development as noted above). c) As part of our recruitment strategy under development, each division commander will be responsible for ensuring a suitable succession plan is implemented and followed. The recruitment strategy will be presented to the Chief by 12/31/2021. 2 The Workforce Crisis and What Police Agencies Are Doing About It: https://www.policeforum.org/assets/WorkforceCrisis.pdf 3 Police Face See Recruitment Struggles, Surge in Retirements: https://apnews.com/article/shootings-police-philadelphia- death-of-george-floyd-racial-injustice-044da7c63aa4bc07770c75755aec459f Police Staffing Review Report | 27 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY 6. Finding The Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) lacks sufficient staffing to operate 24/7 and does not deploy existing employees during peak activity hours. Recommendation Deploy existing RTCC staff resources when activity levels are the highest in the community, to be most effective with current resources. Develop a plan to ramp up staffing for 24/7 operation, which will require an additional four sworn and four civilian employees. Real-Time Crime Centers (RTCC) are a growing trend in the law enforcement industry. RTCCs provide a variety of surveillance technologies such as automated license plate readers, gunshot detections, predictive policing, and “eyes on the ground” to right-size the police response to an incident. RTCCs have been developed as an additional tool for obtaining relevant information to support efficient responses. Criteria RTCCs are most effective when operated fully or close to 24/7. Operations should be concentrated on when crime risk, traffic incidents, and calls for service are elevated to best support right-sized patrol response. Typically, RTCCs are staffed by a combination of sworn and civilian personnel at an approximately 50/50 ratio. Condition The Department’s RTCC was established in 2018 and is currently staffed by a Sergeant, two sworn Officers, and one Civilian Crime Analyst. These employees work day shift from Monday through Thursday, or from Friday through Wednesday. This shift was selected because of the original shift that assigned employees worked, which initially allowed employees to actively train on RTCC operations in the morning when activity levels are typically lower. The Department noted that modified-duty personnel are sometimes used to augment RTCC staffing levels, and typically remain on the shift they were originally working (day, swing, or graveyard). Therefore, permanent staffing of the RTCC does not allow for 24/7 coverage to support patrol and other emergency services. Additionally, staff are not optimally deployed for crime response given their day shift schedules, given that most Department employees report the highest level of need during swing-shift hours. Cause The RTCC is a new operation at the Department and resources have been deployed to it as available; however, the Department has several other pressing needs that also need to be addressed to support the Glendale community. Effect RTCC information is not available to assist patrol officers and ensure an appropriate response during peak activity hours. The Department only has the ability to provide additional layers of information Police Staffing Review Report | 28 FOR INTERNAL USE OF CITY OF GLENDALE ONLY during certain hours and days, which impedes the efficacy of the RTCC and impacts the overall efficiency of patrol operations. Recommendation A. Deploy existing staff resources at RTCC when activity rates are the highest in the community. Although day shift assignment may have been appropriate at the initiation of the RTCC to provide staff with time for training, these resources should be diverted to times when activity levels are high, in order to increase the overall efficacy of the operation and contribute to Department efficiency. B. Develop a plan to ramp up staffing for 24/7 operations, which would require an additional four sworn and four civilian employees. Because the Department has a number of other competing priorities, this plan may span several years and should establish a process to increase the RTCC’s overall staffing and availability. Management Response We concur with the findings. a) Current staffing within the RTCC has been redeployed when activity levels are the highest within the community. The department will also continue to leverage long-term modified duty personnel and is currently seeking grant opportunities for extended coverage. b) Adding an additional two sworn positions along with four civilian positions will allow for 24/7 coverage and coverage during vacations etc. The Administration Commander will ensure this request is submitted to the chief’s office prior to the next budget cycle. The Police Chief will submit the request through the formal FY23 budget process.