FY2011 Hiring Questions

COPS Hiring Program

Community Policing Progress Report Questions

Note for OMB Examiners: These questions have not yet been incorporated into the merged progress report system. Since they will be used for FY2011 grantees, these questions will not go live until 10/01/2011. Once they do go live, they will be incorporated into the document entitled, “Hiring Non-Hiring Active Progress Report”. While the formatting will change, the content of the questions will remain the same.

COPS Office grants must be used to reorient the mission and activities of law enforcement agencies toward the community policing philosophy or enhance their involvement in community policing. Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies, which support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues, such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.

Prior to receiving grant funding under the fiscal year (FY) 2011 COPS Hiring Program (CHP), your agency was required to describe in your grant application how hiring additional officers would assist in implementing and/or enhancing community policing strategies.  The purpose of the community policing section within this COPS Progress Report is to assess your agency’s progress in implementing your community policing plan (CP Plan) and specific community policing activities during the grant reporting period. It is also intended to ensure that your agency satisfies the requirements for COPS funding under this program.

Instructions:

In completing your CP Plan under the FY 2011 CHP grant, your agency identified specific crime or disorder problem(s) and the partners with whom you would engage through your requested COPS funding. Additionally, your agency was asked to provide plans regarding your proposed organizational transformation strategies.

Based on your original CP Plan, this report includes the following required four sections for completion:

1. Problem Solving*

2. Partnerships*

3. Community Policing Plan Goals*

IV. Organizational Transformation

*Sections I, II and III are specific to each problem type previously identified in the CP Plan.

For instructions and guidance on submitting a modified CP Plan under this grant, please refer to www.-------------

________________________________________________________________________

1. Problem-Solving

This section requests information about your agency’s progress in identifying, assessing, and addressing the specific problem(s) types identified in your CP plan. It also requests information about community policing activities implemented during the reporting period.

1) Your agency previously identified <3> problem(s) under your FY 2011 CHP grant which you committed to direct agency resources in a problem-solving effort. For each problem type below, please indicate the current status of your problem-solving efforts within this grant reporting period.

Previously Identified Problem Type(s)	(a) Plan to address	(b) Currently being addressed	(c) Problem addressed or completed	(d) No longer intend to address this problem
Youth Gangs				
Theft From Vehicles at Shopping Malls				
Unlicensed Dogs				

1a) Describe the community policing activities that were implemented during the current reporting period and/or how your COPS-funded positions* were further integrated into problem-solving activities and partnerships to address <<INSERT PROBLEM>>. [2000 characters or less]. *If your agency hired new officers for the COPS-funded positions but deployed experienced locally-funded officers to fulfill the community policing requirements of the COPS grant, please describe the community policing activities of the deployed experienced officers.

1b) The COPS Hiring Program requires that COPS-funded positions are used to implement and advance community policing. Your agency indicated that it has addressed and/or completed the problem areas identified in your community policing plan. However, your agency is still required to continue community policing throughout the grant period. Upon successful completion of all objectives and tasks proposed in your Community Policing Plan, in what other ways will you use grant funds to promote and advance Community Policing in your agency?

S haring of relevant crime and disorder information with community members through town hall meetings, public awareness campaigns, etc.

T rain citizens in community policing (e.g. community mobilization and problem solving)

C onduct or sponsor surveys of citizens to identify and prioritize neighborhood problems

R egularly meet with community groups and/or local government agencies to address community problems

C ollaborate with other agencies that deliver public services (e.g. parks and recreation, social services, public health, mental health, code enforcement, school safety services).

U se COPS funded officers to support organizational change and the implementation of community policing strategies

E ngage the community in the development of responses to community problems

D evelop tailored responses to crime and disorder problems that address the underlying conditions that contribute to them

E nhance technology equipment to better prevent and/or respond to crime and disorder incidents

E valuation of techniques employed which improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the community policing plan

O ther: Please describe other activities you plan to engage in to help promote community policing.

1. Describe briefly why the following problem-solving type(s) are no longer a focus of this grant. Reasons may relate to shifting priorities in your agency/community or other reasons which should be explained below. NOTE: Do not provide details in the response below on new problem-solving types that your agency may have initiated. You will be given the opportunity to describe any new problem types in Question 1.2 and 1.3.

Problem Solving Type	Identify the reasons this problem-solving type is not longer being addressed
Youth Gangs	Determined no longer a priority for our agency and/or community but will divert grant resources to address other problems Resources provided under this grant do not allow for addressing all problems identified in application. Chose not to address the problem due to the following reason(s): Text field <limit to 500 characters>
<<Problem Type>>	Determined no longer a priority for our agency and/or community but will divert grant resources to address other problems Resources provided under this grant do not allow for addressing all problems identified in application. Chose not to address the problem due to the following reason(s): Text field <limit to 500 characters>

1.2 Did your agency initiate any new problem solving types during this reporting period? New initiatives are those not identified in the original grant proposal, not referenced in previous progress reports, and which are supported through funds/personnel provided by this grant.

 Yes  No

1.3 Please define your new problem-solving type(s) below. You may reference the attached problem solving matrix to identify the type or you can define it in your own terms. The matrix is available as Appendix A or accessible at <<insert URL>> Briefly define the new problem-solving type(s).

Please note: When identifying a problem(s), it is important to think about the nature of similar incidents that taken together comprise the problem, and accordingly describe it in precise, specific terms (e.g. “burglary of retail establishments”, rather than just “burglary”). In doing this, it can be helpful to consider all aspects of the problem, including the likely offenders, the suitable targets/victims, and how these come together in time and space.

New Problem Type (Problem-Solving Initiative)	Briefly describe the nature of this new problem and why it has become a priority
<<New problem 1>>	Text field <limit to 90 characters>

4. For each of the newly identified problem-solving type(s) your agency is now addressing (or will be addressing), please update, as necessary, the source(s) of information you now are using (or expect to use) to better understand the problem. The box to the right indicates the sources of information you indicated in the original grant or your most recent progress report. It is common that you may have modified your approach to the problem.

Information used to improve our understanding of <<Youth Gangs>>
Currently Examining	Plan to Examine	Information Source
		Routinely collected law enforcement data/information related to the problem (e.g., arrest, incident reports, calls for service)
		The location and/or time aspects of the problem (e.g., mapping)
		The conditions and environmental factors related to the problem
		The strengths and limitations of current responses to the problem
		Non-law enforcement data/information related to the problem (e.g., insurance crash data, census data, survey data)
		Existing research and best practices related to the problem
		Data/information from community partners related to the problem (e.g., resident associations, business groups, non-profit community service organizations)
		Information about offenders contributing to the problem (e.g., offender interviews, arrest records)
		Information about victims and/or stakeholders affected by the problem (e.g., crime reports, victim interviews)
		Strengths and weaknesses of existing or previous responses to the problem

1.5 Name the most important external groups/organizations that your agency will initiate or enhance a partnership with to develop responses to <<identified problem>>. You will be limited to listing no more than three partners per public safety problem.

Partner 1_____________________ (3 fields provided)

Partner 2_____________________

Partner 3_____________________

1.5 (a) For this partner, please indicate the statement that best characterizes this partner [ASK FOR EACH PARTNER IDENTIFIED]:

___ Local government agencies (non-law enforcement, e.g., probation/parole, parks and recreation, code enforcement, etc.)

___ Community based organizations (e.g., faith based, community redevelopment groups, social service providers, resident associations)

___ Businesses operating in the community

___ Tribal law enforcement agencies

___ Federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies (non-tribal) including through multi-jurisdictional/regional partnerships

___ Local educational institutions (schools/colleges/universities)

___ Individual stakeholders (persons residing, working, or with an interest in the community or problem)

1.6 For each of the newly identified problem-solving type(s) your agency is now addressing (or will be addressing), please update, as necessary, the source(s) of information you now are using (or expect to use) to assess your agency’s response to the problem. The box to the right indicates the sources of information you indicated in the original grant or your most recent progress report. It is common that you may have modified your approach to the problem.

Information used to assess your agency’s response to <<Youth Gangs>>
Currently Examining	Plan to Examine	Information Source
		Routinely collected law enforcement data/information related to the problem (e.g., crime data, arrests, incident reports, calls for service)
		Data/information regarding whether the response was implemented as planned
		Police data collected for this specific problem (e.g., problem-specific surveys, field interview contact cards, etc.)
		Non-police data/information related to the problem (e.g., insurance crash data, other government agency data, census data, survey data)
		Data/information from the community related to the problem (e.g., resident associations, business groups, non-profit community service organizations)
		Information about offenders contributing to the problem (e.g., offender interviews, arrest records, probation/parole data)
		Information about victims and/or stakeholders affected by the problem (e.g., crime reports, victim interviews)

1.7 To the best of your ability, please identify your primary goal(s) in responding to <<identified problem>> (please select up to 3):

___ Eliminating the problem

___ Reducing the number of incidents

___ Increasing public trust in your agency

___ Reducing the seriousness of the incidents or the amount of harm

___ Reducing the number of victims and/or repeat victims

___ Reducing the number of offenders and/or repeat offenders

___ Moving the problem to another area

___Getting other agencies and/or stakeholders to assume responsibility for the problem

___ Improving the response to the problem (i.e., more comprehensive and coordinated way of

dealing with the problem, providing better services to victims, or greater efficiency in dealing with the problem)

___ Improving citizen perceptions of the problem

___ Increasing the number of arrests/citations

___ Reducing the number of calls for service

___ None of the above

2) For the <<Youth Gangs>> problem your agency is currently addressing (or plans to address), please identify the source(s) of information you are currently examining (or plan to examine) in order to better understand the problem?

The box to the left indicates the information source(s) identified in the original grant or most recent progress report.

<Youth Gangs>

Information Source(s)	Previously Indicated	(a) Plan to examine	(b) Currently being examined	(c) Completed examining	(d) No longer intend to examine
Routinely collected law enforcement data/information related to the problem (e.g., arrest, incident reports, calls for service)					
The location and/or time aspects of the problem (e.g., mapping)					
The conditions and environmental factors related to the problem					
The strengths and limitations of current responses to the problem					
Non-law enforcement data/information related to the problem (e.g., insurance crash data, census data, survey data)					
Existing research and best practices related to the problem					
Data/information from community partners related to the problem (e.g., resident associations, business groups, non-profit community service organizations)					
Information about offenders contributing to the problem (e.g., offender interviews, arrest records)					
Information about victims and/or stakeholders affected by the problem (e.g., crime reports, victim interviews)					

3) For the <<Youth Gangs>> problem your agency is currently addressing (or plans to address), has your agency or will your agency address the following source(s) of information in order to assess your agency’s response to the problem?

The box to the left indicates the source(s) of information indicated in the original grant or most recent progress report.

<Youth Gangs>

Information Source(s)	Previously Indicated	(a) Plan to examine	(b) Currently being examined	(c) Completed examining	(d) No longer intend to examine
Routinely collected law enforcement data/information related to the problem (e.g., arrest, incident reports, calls for service)					
Data/information regarding whether the response was implemented as planned					
Police data collected for this specific problem (e.g., problem-specific surveys, field interview contact cards, etc.)					
Non-police data/information related to the problem (e.g., insurance crash data, other government agency data, census data, survey data)					
Data/information from the community related to the problem (e.g., resident associations, business groups, non-profit community service organizations)					
Information about offenders contributing to the problem (e.g., offender interviews, arrest records, probation/parole data)					
Information about victims and/or stakeholders affected by the problem (e.g., crime reports, victim interviews)					

2. Partnerships

Community Policing relies heavily on partnerships and relationships between law enforcement and the community it serves. This section requests information about your agency’s effort in establishing and/or maintaining partnerships identified in your CP plan.

4) Your agency previously identified the following external groups/organizations (column 1) with whom you would initiate or enhance a partnership to develop responses to the problem area identified. What progress has your agency made in working with the partners listed below?

<Youth Gangs>

Partnerships	(a) Partnerships planned	(b) Partnerships Active	(c) Partnership established during grant period but no longer active
<<Partnership 1>>			
<<Partnership 2>>			
<<Partnership 3>>			

4a) Have you established any new partnerships during this reporting period?

 Yes  No

4b) Name the most important external groups/organizations that your agency will initiate or enhance a partnership with to develop responses to <<identified problem>>. Note: You will be limited to listing no more than three partners per public safety problem.

Partner 1_____________________(3 fields provided)

Partner 2_____________________

Partner 3_____________________

4c) For this partner, please indicate the statement that best characterizes this partner [ASK FOR EACH NEW PARTNER IDENTIFIED]:

___ Local government agencies (non-law enforcement, e.g. probation/parole, parks and recreation, code enforcement, etc.)

___ Community based organizations (e.g. faith based, community redevelopment groups, social service providers, resident associations)

___ Businesses operating in the community

___ Tribal law enforcement agencies

___ Federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies (non-tribal) including through multi-jurisdictional/regional partnerships

___ Local educational institutions (schools/colleges/universities)

3. Community Policing Plan Goals

This section requests information about the goals previously identified by your agency in response to the public safety issue(s) identified in your CP plan. Although you may have multiple goals, a maximum of three primary goals were allowed in the CP plan. During the grant period, we encourage agencies to create a system that documents your progress towards achieving their identified goals.

5) Based on the original goals identified for the <<INSERT problem-solving type >>, please indicate what goals were accomplished, as they relate to your response to the problem areas identified and your implementation of community policing within this reporting period.

The box to the left indicates the goal(s) identified in the original grant or most recent progress report.

<Youth Gangs>

Previously Identified Goal(s)	(a) Plan to accomplish/ Currently being accomplished	(b) Goal accomplished	(c) No longer intend to accomplish this goal
Eliminating the problem			
Reducing the number of incidents			
Increasing public trust in your agency			
Reducing the seriousness of the incidents or the amount of harm			
Reducing the number of victims and/or repeat victims			
Reducing the number of offenders and/or repeat offenders			
Moving the problem to another area			
Getting other agencies and/or stakeholders to assume responsibility for the problem			
Improving the response to the problem			
Improving citizen perceptions of the problem			
Increasing the number of arrests/citations			
Reducing the number of calls for service			

5a) Did your agency initiate any new goals during this reporting period?

 Yes  No

5b) To the best of your ability at this time, would you say your primary goal(s) in responding to <<identified problem>> include which of the following (please select up to 3):

___ Eliminating the problem

___ Reducing the number of incidents

___ Increasing public trust in your agency

___ Reducing the seriousness of the incidents or the amount of harm

___ Reducing the number of victims and/or repeat victims

___ Reducing the number of offenders and/or repeat offenders

___ Moving the problem to another area

___Getting other agencies and/or stakeholders to assume responsibility for the problem

___ Improving the response to the problem (i.e., more comprehensive and coordinated way of

dealing with the problem, providing better services to victims, or greater efficiency in

dealing with the problem)

___ Improving citizen perceptions of the problem

___ Increasing the number of arrests/citations

___ Reducing the number of calls for service

___ None of the above

4. Organizational Transformation

As one of the three pillars of community policing, organizational change is integral to ensuring that your agency’s management, structure, personnel, and information systems support, and ultimately help sustain and institutionalize community partnerships and proactive problem-solving efforts. These changes focus on the way that departments are organized and managed, and how the infrastructure and operations can be changed to support the philosophical shift behind community policing.

In this section, you will be asked to provide information on your agency’s progress in implementing the organizational change(s) identified in your agency’s CP plan. The information provided in this progress report helps to ensure that your agency satisfies the requirements for COPS funding under this program, and that the use of these funds will initiate or enhance your agency’s capacity to implement community policing strategies.

6) As identified in your CP plan, what progress has your agency made in implementing internal changes to personnel management?

Internal changes to personnel management:	Previously Indicated	(a) Plan to implement	(b) Currently implementing		(c) Change successfully implemented	(d) No longer intend to implement this change
Flexibility in officer shift assignments to facilitate addressing specific problems						
Assignment of officers to specific neighborhoods or areas for longer periods of time to enhance customer service and facilitate more contact between police and citizens.						
Recruitment and hiring practices that reflect an orientation towards problem solving and community engagement						
In-service training for officers on basic and advanced community policing principles						
Field training officer (FTO) programs that teach and test problem solving, community engagement, and critical thinking skills						
Further define and clarify community policing roles and expectations for officers						
Personnel evaluation systems that assess officer activities, accomplishments, and performance related to problem solving and community engagement						
Early intervention systems that help identify officers who may be showing early signs of stress, personal problems, and questionable work conduct						
First-line supervisory skills to support officer problem solving and community engagement activities						
Career development and/or promotional processes that reinforce problem solving and community engagement						

7) Based on the information provided in your CP plan, what progress has your agency made in implementing the following internal changes to agency management?

Internal changes to agency management:	Previously Indicated	(a) Plan to implement	(b) Currently implementing		(c) Change successfully implemented	(d) No longer intend to implement this change
Agency mission statement, vision, and/or goals that reflect the core values of community policing						
Agency strategic plan that outlines the goals and objectives around community policing and other departmental priorities						
Organizational performance measurement systems that include community policing metrics, and conduct annual assessments of agency performance						
Technology systems that provide officers, analysts, and the community better and more timely access to data and information						
Mediation strategies to resolve citizen complaints						
Collection, analysis, and use of crime data and information in support of problem solving goals						
Formal accreditation process						
System to capture and track problem solving and partnership efforts and activities						
Conducting an organizational assessment of community policing						
Level and frequency of communication with the community on crime problems and agency activities to enhance transparency						

8) Has your agency utilized any COPS Resources (e.g., On-line materials, Publications, Problem-Solving Guides, COPS-funded Training, etc.) to assist in your community policing efforts? Yes / No

9) Do you need any technical assistance in implementing your agency’s CP Plan? Yes / No

10) Do you have any best practices or success stories that you would like to share with the COPS Office related to your community policing activities? [2000 characters or less].

SAMPLE

The town of Weaverville, North Carolina received a $250,000 COPS Office grant to hire two police officers.  These two new police officers were placed on patrol on and around the local high school, where there had been a substantial increase in school violence.  As a result of these new officers engaging in community policing activities with the students, parents and surrounding neighborhood, the reported of incidents of school violence have dropped dramatically and the police department will have officers on permanent duty in this area.

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