Report offers recommendations to improve Park Rapids PD

A study of the Park Rapids Police Department by an independent firm revealed some shortcomings in the mission and management structure, but overall a strong community police force.
The study, conducted by the Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute (UMCPI) earlier this year was presented to the city council Tuesday.
One key finding is the lack of a clear mission statement establishing department vision and goals.
The report is a result of a request by the city to conduct the study in an effort to identify strengths, current issues, challenges and areas where effectiveness and efficiencies can be made in the department.
The study assessed the department in areas of leadership and communi-cation; organizational structure and staffing; rules, regulations, policies and procedures; workplace culture and teamwork.
Dennis Cusick, executive director of the UMCPI, presented the report Tuesday.
“You have a group of fine, dedicated officers. They’re not only dedicated to the organization and the city, but they care about the profession of policing,” Cusick said in summarizing the report. “That’s just a sample of the talent you use in hiring people. You’re hiring character, and so they are committed to the policing profession.”
The lack of effective communication between shifts as officers prepare for their work assignments was a key finding in the report.
The consultants strongly recommend the addition of a shift supervisor to improve structure.
The report identified five policy areas that require immediate attention: Social media, allegations of employee misconduct, computer aided dispatch and records management, personnel performance evaluation, and investigations.
Cusick wrote in the report: “Despite the competencies and good intentions of the department’s employees, the department lacks sufficient and critically needed formal direction and guidance to provide necessary structure and consistency for its management operations.”
Some of the leadership recommendations include develop written vision, mission, and values statements; develop performance expectations for all positions within the department; conduct evaluations for all personnel at minimum on an annual basis.
In the area of communication social media was identified as an area that should be formalized within the department, and the management of it should be assigned as part of the duties of the person doing this work. The department currently does not have a formal comprehensive social media policy.
The department currently uses a 10-hour work day with a four on three off rotation divided between four shifts. Day shifts are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; afternoons, 2 p.m. to 12 a.m.; nights, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.; and floater shift, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Officers with this schedule currently work 208 shifts per year. One officer also works only the day shift, primarily as an administrative aide to the police chief.
One key recommendation of the report is to create a minimum of one supervisory position between the hours of 4 p.m. and 2 a.m., and include part of weekends and holidays. Based in part by this recommendation and that of a request by interim chief Harlan Johnson the council approved two sergeant positions within the department.
The analysis of the investigative function showed this part of the department is not guided by a policy for the assignment, management, supervision and follow-up of criminal investigations. A recommendation is the department develop a comprehensive investi-gation policy to include: case assignment, case management, investigation priorities, case dispositions, on-call responsibilities, and patrol officer investigative procedures.