CC Minutes - 06/22/05 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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that same level of analysis. He said a criticism of the Hobson Report was its assumption of a level of service that had not been verified by the community. City Manager Taylor added that the capacity for problem-solving policing where the officer made decisions and collaborated had to be considered in level of service assumptions that drove staffing needs. Mr. Pryor observed that reports had been focused on systems, procedures, policies and plans as appropriate. He asked how the work would impact the organizational culture that currently existed within the department and how well would it be integrated. Chief Lehner acknowledged that systems problems played a role in the current situation and organizational recognition of the interplay of various systems had improved during the process. He said that the department recognized that solutions could not be done in isolation and had ties to the entire system; solutions should be prioritized and implemented in a planned way. He said the department was not a system unto itself but rather a system unto the entire community and one of the eventual goals in the strategic plan would be a recognition that the system was also part of a bigger system. He did not sense great resistance within the department to change or developing the process. City Manager Taylor said there was a framework for action that resulted from the ICMA-PERF report and specific recommendations would be forthcoming from the Police Commission. He said there was leadership commitment from both himself and Chief Lehner that this was a priority and resources were available to implement recommendations. He said that leadership, expectations and outcomes had a fundamental effect on the organization. Ms. Bettman related the efforts of the Police Commission to complete its work. She appreciated the department's ambitious short-term plan for the next two years that emphasized a number of key components of the ICMA-PERF recommendations. She shared Mr. Kelly's concern regarding the staffing analysis to update the Hobson study and wanted to see a comprehensive review of the department, including administra- tive and support services, with respect to priorities and interplay among functions. Ms. Taylor asked to what extent neighborhood organizations would be involved in community policing. Chief Lehner said the department's draft recommendation to adopt a community policing program was based in part on his early meetings with neighborhood associations, which repeatedly emphasized the level of involvement they wanted in community policing and the department. He said the strategic plan had selected a community policing model that made the neighborhoods primary partners in the delivery of policing services in the community. He gave several examples of neighborhood concerns and said that neighborhood leaders had been asked to participate with command staff to develop strategies for deploying resources, which was a typical approach to community policing. He expected that the vast majority of proactive work done by police patrol officers would be done in full consultation and partnership with the neighborhoods in which they worked. Ms. Taylor remarked that neighborhood associations and neighborhoods were not necessarily the same and suggested it might be necessary to split neighborhood associations into smaller groups for consultation. City Manager Taylor said that issue would arise during discussions of neighborhood initiatives and neighborhood capacity. He said the entire city was covered by certified neighborhood associations and the community policing model might require some ~tweaking" of geographic assignments. He said the City's new portal for internet access envisioned a neighborhood page that would portray law enforcement activities specific to neighborhoods. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 2005 Page 5 Work Session