You Are the Police
You are the Police
THE ENGAGED COMMUNITY
THE PURPLE MARTIN CAPITAL OF AMERICA!
Issued 2006; Updated 09102007, 11102009 & 07012018, 10/01/2018, 01/01/2020, 06/21/2021
A personal guide to the values and mission of policing. And a personal guide to listening to, working with, and learning from the most important person in our business - - THE CITIZEN!
Example of an Agency Motto: "Excellence with a Personal Touch"
MISSION STATEMENT
Mission Statement - The Mission Statement defines why we exist, what we do, and why we do it:
Our mission is to partner with our community to protect our citizens and make the City of Parsons a safe and desirable place to live, work or visit. We are problem solvers using Pride, Professionalism and Dedication to guide our actions in an ethical and legal way.
The goal of this department is to improve the quality of life in the community by actively participating in a partnership with citizens to keep our neighborhoods and businesses safe and free of crime.
The Department has as its main objectives, prevention and deterring crime, apprehending offenders, reducing traffic crashes and the maintenance of public order, toward which our efforts must constantly and consistently be directed. Police service does, however, consist of many diverse activities. Because there are no other public
or private agencies available, the public very often relies on the Department for assistance and advice in the many routine and emergency situations that can develop in society, for this reason, the Department responds to many incidents that have no criminal potential, but do represent a service need to the community.
Operations
*Professional and exceptional service that serves our commitment to 'WOW!"
* Prompt response.
*Firm, fair and friendly attitude.
* Follow-through and case ownership.
* Problem solvers.
* Problem Oriented Policing to remove problems at their source.
* Involve partners from throughout the region to solve community problems collaboratively.
Administration
*Market agency accomplishments, guide and coach the organization and develop strong community communication.
*Liaison with community, city council, and community partners, and plan for the future of the agency.
*Aggressively look at traditional and nontraditional funding sources.
Community
*Committed to be Guardians and not merely Warriors.
Tactical.
*Build a realistic Strategic Plan to guide our agency.
Identify and address staffing.
* Proactive use of volunteer resources and programming.
* New permanent public safety facility to meet growing community needs.
*Matching tactical needs to planning for community risks and budget accordingly.
POLICE VALUES
WE ARE PROFESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMBERS, SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN AND DEDICATED TO SERVING OUR GROWING COMMUNITY.
Visioning - The City of Parsons markets itself as an ENGAGED COMMUNITY. Department has the agency slogan of "PRIDE - PROFESSIONALISM - DEDICATION" which is the guiding light for our agency. The mission, vision and guiding principles is incorporated into agency operations, to serve as beacons guiding responsible service to our community and attainment of our goals and strategies.
We are evolving to meet the changing needs of our community, while maintaining our commitment to excellence in the highest traditions of police service.
This Vision Statement recognizes that we cannot continue to chase crime using just an enforcement-oriented approach, but that we must seek to prevent and deter crime by identifying and eliminating its causes, sources, and elements. We must posture for the future, before it arrives, while continuing to be a service-oriented department.
The Department espouses individual and organizational principles or CORE VALUES that guide how we provide our service and direct the manner in which we treat each other and our community.
- Pride: We strive to take pride in our actions, appearance and community.
- Professionalism: We are well-trained, competent employees and volunteers who demonstrate the highest level of performance and teamwork. We work in a serious, thoughtful manner and prepare to succeed.
- Dedication: We treat members of our Department and community equitably and are consistent in protecting the constitutional rights of all. Our team is dedicated to performing our very best at all times. We take responsibility for our actions to ensure they are legal, moral and ethically sound at all times.
A MESSAGE from OUR CHIEF
The process of evolving as a law enforcement agency can be can a challenge since it involves change and venturing into the unfamiliar will result in some organizational stress. But, this should be an exciting time for everyone. You have faced and will continue to face challenges, funding issues, and hurdles as we move forward to evolve our police department.
Over the next five (5) years, the agency will create and implement a strategic plan, make monumental steps forward in our quest toward professionalism and to benchmark ourselves against similar sized in Kansas and across the United States.
The Police Department will continue to evolve and become more responsive and proactive to enhance the level of service available to our community. But, as we all know, our community has many expectations which will stress our organization as it evolves.
While this booklet is designed to re-enforce several basic tenants of service to our community, it is also designed to kick-start us all to think about not just the traditional issues of officer safety, the importance of thorough investigations, balancing community expectations against core requirements to respond to critical incidents and major crimes, but to look deep down at our foundation - our mission, vision and values. This foundation allows us all to appreciate the true scope of our policing, our service mission, and if done correctly prepares our agency and the community alike to be positioned for the growth and the expanded demands that will and are already facing our growing community
The reality that faces us and our success really rests on your shoulders. How we provide service, how we market our agency, how we develop support and loyalty in our community is won or lost every day by the contacts each and every one of us make. Every contact is an opportunity to market our services and to dispel the myths that face every police agency in America. We know the challenges that face us, now we have to market service and factual information to our community.
Chief Robert Spinks, MA, MS
How Do You Measure Up?
- Citizens don't talk to "the Department." They talk to YOU!
- Great service starts with a good attitude. You attitude.
Would you want to talk to you? if the answer is "no," it's time for an attitude adjustment!
Check gossip at the door. You can't professionally represent PPD when you talk smack. - There's only one judge of great service: The Citizen
Do you ask citizens how they rate our service? If not, how do you know what they think?
REMEMBER: We should be rating ourselves against internal targets & productivity every week. But, are we having an impact with our policing or just adding stats to a board? Think again - not only must we be productive, but we have to be productive in winning community support and building community confidence in our agency - everyday. - Citizens don't think of themselves as "victims and witnesses." They think of themselves as people who need help.
Would your family members be happy with the type of service they might receive from our Department? - There's no "right way" to talk to citizens. Every person is different. Every problem is unique. So every conversation is different.
REMEMBER: Talk to people and not at people.
While you may have handled hundreds of similar calls and events, this may be a very new and stressful situation for the person you are talking with. Take a moment and be empathetic, especially be sensitive to our unique community's demographic make up. - Don't just talk to citizens - talk to us!
You are the voice of the citizen inside the Police Department.
Give Yourself This Test: Did a citizen say something to you that all of need to hear? Did you pass that message along? - It's not enough to take care of citizens. You have to care about them. Great Service isn't just a Transaction. It's a Bond.
- Don't just solve problems - create opportunities. You can turn a slip-up into a win.
REMEMBER: All departments make mistakes. At our Department we make good on our mistakes. Don't forget: every mistake is a chance to prove how good we can be. Act wisely, and you create a supporter for life. - Don't just listen - learn. Small complaints can generate big improvements.
- Learn to anticipate problems. If you listen to people and look for patterns, you can read citizens' minds!
It's not someone else's responsibility to make things better, it's all our responsibility! - Every call for service is a judgment call. The deeper your knowledge, the better your judgment.
- If you really want to help citizens, Don't be afraid to ask for help yourself. Your questions to your peers, supervisors and the Chief, will improve your answers to citizens.
REMEMBER: There's no such thing as a stupid question. Our customers aren't embarrassed to ask us anything they want to know. If we're going to answer those questions, we've got to be willing to ask their questions of each other! What you don't know can hurt. So ask away! Invest time in keeping up to date with both your Policy Manual and State Law. That's OUR responsibility!
BONUS!! Customer Service is everyone's business. Provide the same level of service you would expect your family to receive if they needed help.
Act as if you're on the front lines - even when you're in the back office.
Program for Success:
WOW!
Exceed what people expect from our Agency. Wow Citizens as a routine!
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Treat Our Citizens Like They Were Your Family.
Treat our citizens with the same level of service that you would expect your own family to receive. We work long hours. It is easy to become jaded, tired and frustrated working long hours, missing family events, working through holidays, and not having the resources that we would all like.
Citizens need our help in their moments of crisis. Our response to our citizens must be responsive. If your parents, spouse, children, or family members were in crisis or had been victimized and came to our police department seeking help, you would have high expectations for outstanding service. Achieve that for all of our citizens.
Response Time Counts! But, Our Motto Must be Golden.
Response time is a national benchmark for policing. The philosophy of response is even more important for our agency.
Our motto is "Pride - Professionalism - Dedication." That motto must guide each of us daily. It means quickly extending service to our citizens for the very critical call as well as to the routine and minor calls. If a citizen calls the police, then that issue or incident is the most important incident in their mind-and it should be just as important to every member of the police department.
Patrol Must Always be Tenacious; Go the Extra Mile.
As a small city, we depend on you to be curious, tenacious, and to always go that extra mile to achieve success. While there are many times that a shift or work group are busy, there are also times when we have the time to dig deeper, investigate further and collect additional information.
If our motto means something, and it does, then our routine level of service must always exceed what other agencies might do.
It Really Is Your Responsibility.
The Police Department is a team. Each member of the Department plays an important role and that involves much more than merely responding to calls and making arrests.
You are responsible for making our organization the best that it possibly can be, even if resources are limited. You are encouraged to bring forth ideas, process improvement suggestions and to be proactive in seeking out partnerships with citizens, groups and organizations in our community.
Our goal is to be the very best policing agency that you can help make are agency be.
Professionalism Means Doing the Small Things Perfect.
There is an old saying that any task worth doing is worth doing right the first time!
That saying applies to our Department. Some people presume that the police may be less professional, have less ability and are less concerned today. Nothing could be farther from the truth-but, it requires every member to focus keenly on our command presence, our thoroughness, attention to detail, creative approaches and continuous improvement, to market the professionalism that we live.
People Expect more from their Police - Give it to Them.
Perceptions are always challenging and may not always be based in fact. You have a responsibility to share factual information about the police department with citizens-you have more contact with our citizens that almost any other group of city employees and you can make a huge positive response in the community.
If you are faced with a minor call, use that opportunity to share additional information with that citizen about city operations.
"Each day is another step down the road to achieve exceptional service and superior professionalism in each employees' career" - Chief Robert Spinks, Parsons Police Department
Examples of Police Core Vision
The Department structures itself and provides service in accordance with this core vision:
- To establish a progressive and innovative organization that seeks to provide the highest level of police service to the community;
- To establish a solid partnership with citizens in our efforts to work collaboratively with partners to facilitate a safe and secure community;
- To establish a standard of performance for which we strive that is predicated upon total professional commitment to the police service and the general well-being of the community.
- To provide for the prevention of crime utilizing our citizen partners and all available resources;
- To provide for expeditious and prudent apprehension of suspected offenders;
- To provide for services that contribute to the preservation of life and protection of property, the preservation of community health and safety, and the general public assistance under all conditions;
- To provide for the safe and effective flow of vehicular traffic in and around the community;
- To provide for thorough and appropriate police related investigations;
- To provide for positive measures against established organized crime activities;
- To provide for social order during times of unusual occurrences and disasters;
- To provide for efficient and effective departmental administration and for the career needs of department personnel;
- To provide referral to services that contribute to relief from psychological trauma suffered by victims of crimes, misfortune and personal loss - as well as to recognize the need to invest is proactive psychological support services for all agency personnel who are routinely exposed to the
trauma of crime; - To provide for active free flow of public input into conceptual ideas, along with an open media awareness philosophy in order that the public can, on a dayto-day basis, evaluate the continuing performance of their Police Department and it's effectiveness in meeting community expectations for service to all citizens
Get Involved with Policing
Parsons Police Department
MAKE A CAREER AT YOUR CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 2019
The Parsons Police Department (PPD) is a full-service law enforcement agency serving our community since 1870. PPD works in concert with other local, state and federal agencies to ensure the safety and security of our growing and dynamic city.
Unlike traditional police departments, PPD is evolving to take on additional responsibilities from traditional 1st responders to crimes and criminal investigation, to emergency management duties, crisis intervention, and we are growing to partner with community agencies and organizations to enhance services to families in crisis, people with mental health problems, and at-risk juveniles. Over 10,000 people come to the police front counter every year for help, while our police officers contact over 30,000 citizens every year.
Recruiting for Police Officer and Dispatcher are now open. We're not recruiting for the average. We are recruiting mature individuals who are self-motivated, service-oriented and place helping on par with enforcement.
Currently patrol officers and dispatchers work 12-hour shifts working 15 days a month. In 2019, we are investing in our staff with specialized training including Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, active shooter response, crime prevention, Pressure Point Control Tactics (PPCT) certification and 105 hrs. of (on-line) Sexual Assault Response and Investigation training.
PPD is positioning itself to work in partnership with the Labette County Sheriffs Department and the Labette County Attorney to target illegal narcotics through the development of a new drug task force.
A new Bicycle/ATV Officer option is being reviewed that would include being assigned a mountain bicycle, and access to ATV units as a supplemental assignment to regular patrol duties.
We hope to develop a Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program in 2019 that will support our Investigations Unit in a new Police Annex Facility. These volunteers will assist detectives in working with crime victims, families and juveniles in crisis and to provide front counter support for investigators.
We Value:
- Diversity in our workforce.
- Communication skills, empathy and problem-solving.
- Prior military service with progressive responsibility.
- Candidates that care about community.
- Current police officers enter the pay scale with credit given for their prior police experience.
You can check for job openings at www.parsonsks.com/jobs
- Testing consists of a written test (evaluating reading, writing and arithmetic skills), oral board interview, background investigation, polygraph or VSA exam, psychological screening, medical and drug testing.
- Officer candidates may be required to complete physical ability testing.
- Felony convictions are disqualifying as are convictions for domestic violence and selected misdemeanor crimes.
Parsons Police Department
217 North Central * Parsons, KS 67357
620-421-7060 * www.parsonspd.com
Pride * Professionalism * Dedication
Chief Robert Spinks, MA, MS