What do all of our Madison police officers do?

In the police department 2020 budget they are allocated $86,783,406 and has 116.70 civilian positions and 482 sworn positions.  About 200 are patrol officers, what does everyone else do?

The memo at the end is the best answer I’ve ever gotten to the question.

CIVILIANS = 116.7

The civilians include accounting, admin support, clerks, crossing guard supervisor, property room, records, report typing, coordinate training, grants and more.  Here’s the break down of what you can find on page 9:

Parking Enforcement = 31

• 28 parking enforcement officers
• 1 lead worker
• 1 field supervisor
• 1 supervisor

Admin Support = 30.5

• 13 clerks
• 3 Admin clerks
• 2.5 Admin assistants
• 1 Admin supervisor
• 9 program assistants
• 1 Training Center Coordinator
• 1 police admin services manager

Report Typists = 23.5

• 21.5 Report Typists
• 1 leadworker
• 1 supervisor

Records = 11

• 9 Police records services clerks
• 1 Police records custodian
• 1 records section manager

Property = 6

• 5 property clerks
• 1 property supervisor

IT = 5

• 5 IT specialists

Others = 8.7

• 1 accountant and 1 accountant assistant
• 1.7 Crossing Guard Supervisor
• 1 Forensic Video Analyst
• 1 grant admin
• 1 HRA??
• 1 public information specialist
• 1 court services supervisor
• 1 info systems coordinator

SWORN OFFICERS = 482

This info is available on page 10

Officers and direct supervisors = 339

• 310 Police officers
• 46 police sergeants
• 23 police luitenants

Detectives/Investigation = 85

• 68 detectives
• 13 police investigators
• 4 detective sergeants

Command Staff = 15

• 1 chief
• 3 assistant police chiefs
• 11 captains

New position = 3

• Budget just says “NEW POSITION” so I don’t know where to put these

OF THE 310 POLICE OFFICERS ONLY ABOUT 200 ARE PATROL OFFICERS, WHAT DO THE REST DO?

Here’s where I get completely lost.  We have 310 police officer positions and 69 supervisors and only 190 – 200 cops actually on patrol.  What are the other 110 officer positions doing?  That’s over 1/3 of our police officer positions that are not on patrol.

This is my email to the chief on March 3rd of this year:

This was the chief’s response:

Brenda – this is a memo I put together for the Mayor’s office last year that provides a pretty good overview.  The narrative discusses the elimination of some non-patrol officer positions that occurred this year.

The 2020 budget (completed after this memo) included 4 additional police officer positions for MPD.  We will hire for these spots; I anticipate 3 of them will go to patrol.  The other is fully grant funded and will create an addiction resource officer to serve on a small task force focused on opioid addition.

We have six full-time mental health officers (MHOs)…they focus on mental health issues as their full-time assignment.  Each district also has mental health liaison officers, who assist in reviewing cases involving mental health issues, etc.  They all have other full-time assignments (mainly as patrol officers).  We have a number of similar functions that officers perform in addition to their full-time duties (SWAT, SET, Honor Guard, Amigos en Azul, etc.)…

Let me know if you have any questions…

POLICE STAFFING MEMO

Here’s the attached memo – MPD Staffing Overview.  They’ve added 41 police officers in the last 9 years.  The second chart below will answer what all the officers not on patrol are doing.

DATE: July 31, 2019

TO:   Cam McLay, Deputy Mayor

FROM: Vic Wahl, Assistant Chief of Police

SUBJECT:  MPD Staffing Overview

As requested, this document provides an overview of MPD staffing, along with data and background on specific staffing allocations (promoted ranks, non-patrol positions, etc.).

MPD Overview

MPD’s 2019 budget provides for an authorized strength of 479 commissioned employees, and 119.7 civilian employees. This document will focus on commissioned personnel.

The department’s authorized commissioned strength has increased from 438 to 479 over the last decade. This reflects an increase of 9.3%, which is consistent with the City’s population increase during the same period. An overview of these increased positions:

2011 – Eight (8) new positions; four police officers and four detectives. The added detective positions were designated during the budget process for a new unit (the Special Investigations Unit – SIU – to implement a focused deterrence initiative).

2012 – Three (3) new officer positions to complete staffing for SIU. Grant funded.

2015 – Eight (8) new officer positions. Three were grant funded and designated for the creation of MPD’s Community Outreach and Resource Education (CORE) unit. The remaining five (5) positions were specifically approved during the budget process for the creation of the Neighborhood Resource Officer (NRO) position.

2016 – Two (2) new sergeant positions and two (2) new officer positions. All grant funded, to complete the formation of CORE and to implement a Use of Force Coordinator position.

2017 – Seven (7) new officer positions, all specifically tied to the creation of the Midtown District.

2018 – Nine (9) new officer positions. One was the final added position tied to the creation of the Midtown District. The remaining eight were added after the final budget process. The adopted budget had authorized MPD to increase authorized strength by fifteen officers, contingent on approval of a COPS hiring grant. The budget included a funding match in anticipation of the grant, but the grant was ultimately not awarded to MPD. The Common Council subsequently voted to amend the budget and add eight positions to MPD (reflecting the amount budgeted for the match).

2019 – One (1) new detective position and one (1) new officer position. The detective position was designated to focus on the emerging issue of human trafficking in Madison.

MPD’s authorized strength is allocated by rank as follows:

Authorized strength does not reflect actual strength, which varies throughout the year due to retirements and resignations. For example, as of July 30, MPD’s actual strength (excluding officers in the pre-service academy) was 451 (28 positions below authorized strength). Officers undergoing training in the pre-service academy appear to bolster staffing numbers on paper, but are not available operationally for about nine months after they are hired.

If MPD was at full staffing (of 479), with no officers in the pre-service academy, there would be 211 police officer positions assigned to the patrol function. This is based on the 2019 organizational structure and does not reflect the movement of twelve (12) non-patrol positions to the patrol function in 2020. However, MPD is never at full staffing without a pre-service academy, and patrol staffing is always short of 211. As of July 30, there were 189 officers assigned to patrol. Of those, ten (10) were unavailable due to long-term leave (military leave, injury, family leave, etc.). So, the MPD patrol function is operating with 179 available officers (to staff 95 beats daily). Current shortages are a result of higher than average attrition, and have resulted in non-patrol officer positions being assigned to patrol for one-month periods (through the start of 2020) to provide sufficient patrol coverage and mitigate overtime expenditures.

Currently, MPD’s officer positions are allocated as follows (these reflect authorized/designated assignments, not actual current staffing):

Most of these positions/units were created with express endorsement of the Common Council through the budget process or contract/MOU (TEST, NROs, Gang Unit, SROs, DCNTF, CORE). Also, the K9 unit and Mounted Patrol have robust community partnerships with nonprofit groups (Capital K9’s and Madison Mounted) that exist simply to raise funds for the units. These relationships have allowed MPD to provide these services to the community with greatly reduced impact to the City budget.

Almost all non-patrol positions support the patrol function through the staffing contingency program, which requires non-patrol positions (officer and sergeant) to fill patrol shifts throughout the year. The SROs and Mounted Patrol officers also ride patrol full-time for several months each year (during the summer and non- riding season, respectively). In addition, most command level positions (lieutenants, captains and assistant chiefs) ride two or three patrol coverage shifts every summer.

In 2020, twelve of the non-patrol officer positions reflected above will be eliminated:

• • • Six (6) Community Policing Team officers (one per district)
    • Two (2) Gang Unit officers
    • Two (2) CORE officers
    • Two Neighborhood Police Officers (NPOs) – the exact neighborhoods to lose their NPOs will be determined later this

These reassignments will result in 223 police officer positions being assigned to patrol and 87 being assigned to non-patrol positions. This will mean that 72% of police officer positions will be assigned to patrol in 2020.

Civilianization

For years MPD has continued to examine the work performed by sworn personnel, and when appropriate consider transitioning it to civilian employees. This practice has accounted for the addition of a number of civilian employees over the years, freeing up the commissioned officers previously performing those duties for other assignments requiring sworn officers. Examples include:

2010 – MPD’s court services function was civilianized, allowing for the re-assignment of six (6) commissioned officers.

2018 – MPD added a civilian position to serve as the primary public records coordinator, allowing for the re-assignment of a lieutenant position.

2019 – MPD added a civilian position to coordinate the internal HR function, allowing for the re-assignment of a lieutenant position.

Prior Staffing Reports/Analyses

MPD staffing has been the subject of multiple studies over the years. In 1993, 1998 and 2003, committees were established to review MPD staffing levels and make recommendations. The groups included MPD command staff, MPPOA representatives, City Alders and Mayor’s Office representatives. The 2003 staffing report recommended that MPD reach a staffing level of 2.0 officers per 1,000 City residents by 2010, and maintain that level moving forward.

In 2007, the City contracted with Etico Solutions to perform a staffing analysis. This work included the process that MPD has performed regularly since then, focusing on the patrol function. Etico has reviewed the methods and analysis that MPD has continued to use since then and confirmed the validity of the process.

In 2008 Etico also was contracted to assess staffing levels at the ranks of Investigator and Detective. This will be discussed further below.

In 2016 MPD and City Finance – as required by Common Council resolution – completed an MPD staffing report. The report did not make any recommendations, but provided a great deal of information to provide context and background on MPD staffing.

Allocation by Rank

Supervisory/Command Staffing – As indicated above, 88 MPD positions are allocated to command or supervisory roles (this reflects about 18% of the commissioned workforce; it does not include civilian supervisors/managers). The remaining 391 positions reflect non-supervisory positions (82% of the commissioned workforce; again excluding civilian employees). For context, MFD (the most comparable City agency in terms of size and function) has about 23% of sworn personnel in supervisory ranks.

Over the last few years, new emphasis has been placed on the importance of adequate supervision in police agencies – to ensure professionalism, accountability and behavior consistent with agency/community expectations. In addition, the job of a supervisor has continued to become more complex, with increasing demands being placed on supervisors’ time (use-of-force reviews are one example). The core evaluation point for determining appropriate supervisory staffing is span of control; examining how many subordinates (direct reports) a supervisory employee is responsible for. FEMA recommends an optimal span of control of 5:1 (five subordinates for every one supervisor). A recent PERF report also recognized the importance of an appropriate span of control, with participants reporting an ideal span of control of 6:1. Span of control can generally be higher at lower levels of the organization, with upper management positions serving optimally with lower spans of control (due to the varied nature of command level positions).

Maintaining appropriate span of control for a 24/7 organization that is decentralized with eight physical locations is challenging. Also, a few supervisory positions have a job function/description that does not include any subordinates (the Use of Force Coordinator is an example). Many supervisors also have civilians or outside agency personnel who report to them.

The average span of control for patrol sergeants (based on 2020 allocations) will be 7.7:1, higher than recommended levels (demonstrating a need for additional patrol sergeant positions). The actual span of control for individual patrol sergeants will vary, with some higher and some lower than the average (this is a function of shift and district assignment). Span of control for non-patrol officer positions/units and detectives are generally in the 4:1 – 7:1 average. One outlier is in the Forensic Services Unit, where the span of control is 13:1. Overall, however, MPD’s supervisory spans of control are either at or worse than recommended averages.

Finally, MPD’s supervisory/command structure is dictated to some extent by the department’s organizational configuration. Decentralization – fully endorsed and funded by the Mayor and Common Council over the years – limits organizational flexibility in some ways.

Non-supervisory positions/units – 391 of MPD’s 479 authorized positions are non-supervisory positions. The bulk of these (310) are at the rank of police officer. The remainder include 68 detectives and 13 investigators. Of the 310 police officer positions, 211 are designated for patrol, with 99 in non-patrol positions (based on current structure). The adjustments in 2020 will leave 223 positions designated for patrol and 87 assigned to non-patrol positions.

The non-supervisory promoted positions are investigators and detectives. MPD’s 68 detectives are allocated as follows:

*This number includes the new human trafficking detective position first approved in the 2019 budget; this position will not actually be filled until early 2020.

Fifty-eight (58) of the sixty-eight detective positions are dedicated to case investigations. The four detectives assigned to the Criminal Intake Unit (CIU) perform all the necessary review and documentation to process arrests to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The number of detectives assigned to CIU has not changed in 20+ years. The Special Investigations Unit coordinates MPD’s focused deterrence initiative (an evidenced based effort to focus attention on repeat offenders). The unit was initially larger, but has been downsized to free up detectives for investigative functions. Four detectives are assigned to the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, a number that has also remained constant for many years.

Evaluating needs for investigative staffing is challenging and can be somewhat imprecise. In 2009, the City contracted with Etico to perform a staffing study for the ranks of detective and investigator. The full study is available here:

\\fps4\Data4\Common\MPD Staffing Studies\Detective Staffing Study Final Report.pdf

The Etico report recommended the addition of ten detective positions, and two investigator positions (to specifically address computer forensic analysis). At the time of the analysis MPD had fifty-four (54) detectives assigned to case investigations. The current number is fifty-eight (58), so MPD has only realized an increase of four (4) detective positions in the last ten years. The Etico analysis examined both quantitative and qualitative criteria, and it is not feasible to repeat the process with internal resources. However, a few data points can be examined that reflect on current needs.

Case assignments: detective workload is generally based on cases assigned for follow-up investigation. In 2008, 1,891 cases were assigned – an average of about 35 per detective per year. In 2017, 2,522 cases were assigned to detectives – an average of about 44 per detective per year. This does not reflect the increasing complexity and time often needed to investigate individual cases, but demonstrates the increased investigative workload demands placed on the MPD detective function.

Crimes: the total number of crimes reported to police has remained very consistent since the time the Etico analysis was completed: 18,648 in 2008; 18,525 in 2018. These figures do not account for additional complexity/work demands for individual criminal cases or for detective case workload that is not related to criminal incidents (missing people, significant exposures, etc.).

Violent Crimes: violent crimes (UCR categories homicide, sexual assault, aggravated assault and robbery) are most likely to be assigned to a detective for follow up. Violent crimes in Madison have increased slightly from 2008 (891 violent crimes; 16.5 per detective) to 2018 (1,036 violent crimes; 17.9 per detective).

Personnel ratios: The Etico analysis looked at ratios between detectives and overall sworn staff, for MPD and several peer city agencies. At the time, MPD had one detective position for every 8.1 sworn positions, slightly below average when compared to the peer cities (suggesting that MPD should have more detective positions). The ratio has increased in 2019, with one detective position for every 8.25 sworn positions. Interestingly, the 1997 MPD Staffing Report recommended that the detective rank account for 15.4% of the overall commissioned force. Detectives currently account for 14.2% of MPD’s sworn positions.

Many solvable criminal cases are not assigned to MPD detectives due to limited resources. Similar cases are assigned for follow-up by other agencies in Dane County. While the community would certainly benefit from expanding MPD detective positions, our immediate focus is on providing sufficient resources for patrol staffing. However, the available data do not suggest that MPD has allocated too many positions to the detective rank, and are more indicative of the need for additional detective positions.

The remaining MPD non-supervisory promoted positions are thirteen (13) investigators. The investigator rank – making up MPD’s Forensic Services Unit – is dedicated to evidence collection and crime scene processing. Eleven of the investigators are assigned to primary services, providing 24/7 coverage. The remaining two positions focus on computer forensic analysis.

The 2009 Etico analysis concluded that the “general” investigator function (24/7 coverage) was appropriately staffed, but that two additional positions were needed for the computer forensic analysis function (at the time one detective and one investigator were assigned to this function; the detective position has since been re-classified as an investigator). Investigator workload has increased significantly since 2009. Overall lab requests have increased from 1,336 (2009) to 2,882 (2018). Forensic computer analysis workload has also increased as well. In 2009 the unit handled 71 cases (214 devices); in 2018 they handled 254 cases and 286 devices). MPD is unable to process a substantial amount of this work due to resource limitations, and outside agency assistance is utilized regularly.

Non-Patrol Officer Positions

As indicated above, MPD has 310 authorized police officer positions. Currently, 211 of those positions are assigned to patrol with the remaining 99 assigned to non-patrol units/positions (these figures refer to authorized positions and not actual staffing at any given time; due to the current staffing shortages faced by the department a number of promoted ranks and non-patrol officers positions are being held vacant temporarily). In 2020, 12 non-patrol officer positions will be eliminated and returned to patrol. This reflects a reduction of just over 12% of MPD non-patrol positions.

These cuts will result in 223 officer positions being assigned to patrol, and 255 total sworn positions being assigned to patrol (223 police officers, 29 sergeants and 3 lieutenants). This reflects 72% of MPD’s police officer positions being dedicated to the patrol function and 53% of MPD’s total commissioned strength being dedicated to patrol. This is very consistent with other similar agencies. As an example, the 2016 MPD/City Finance MPD Staffing Report identified five peer cities for comparison. Those cities (Boise, Idaho; Des Moines, Iowa; St. Paul, Minnesota; Greensboro, North Carolina and Baton Rouge, Louisiana) averaged having 50% of their commissioned staff assigned to the patrol function, with a high of 56% (Boise) and a low of 45% St. Paul).

MPD’s non-patrol positions were created in response to identified community service needs. Many were expressly approved/funded by the Mayor and Common Council through the budget process (NROs, CORE, TEST, Gant Unit, etc.) or contract/MOU approval (SROs, DCNTF). Measuring workload drivers for non-patrol functions can be challenging, as their work is generally not captured directly on the CAD (which is the case for the patrol function). This is a consistent issue faced nationally by police agencies.

The 2016 Staffing Report examined various workload drivers for certain MPD units/positions. The full report is available here:

\\fps4\Data4\Common\MPD Staffing Studies\PoliceStaffingReportFinal.pdf

The function and mission of these units varies considerably, so the ability to measure workload and effectiveness varies as well. A summary of select units/positions and links (where appropriate) are included below:

Training – The MPD training staff is responsible for an annual pre-service academy (training newly hired officers) and for providing/coordinating continuing in-service training to all sworn MPD personnel. A heightened emphasis on police training has emerged in recent years, requiring training officers to spend time and effort researching and developing quality training that is consistent with national best practices. Training officers also must obtain and maintain instructor certifications in a number of disciplines. In 2009 there were five training officer positions, for 438 sworn MPD officers (1 training officer for every 87.6 sworn positions). In 2019 there are seven training officer positions for 479 sworn MPD officers (1 training officer for every 68.4 sworn positions). While the ratio of training officers to personnel has improved, the expectations and demands on training officers have increased. Also, MPD opened a dedicated training center in 2010, with additional administrative and maintenance requirements.

CORE – The Community Outreach and Resource Education (CORE) Team addresses a range of community engagement needs. CORE works in partnership with a host of agencies and non-profits to implement mentoring and develop trust. Some of CORE’s partners include MSCR, MMSD, Centro Hispano, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Intentional Mentoring, Carbon World Health, the YMCA and many others.

CORE has worked to improve relationships in our communities of color by partnering with established outreach efforts such as Amigos en Azul. The team has been and continues to run two different Youth Academies in the summer, one in partnership with MSCR and one specifically targeting Latinx youth. CORE is also responsible for the coordination and oversight of all restorative justice efforts by MPD. This includes our municipal diversion program for all 12-16 year olds as well as the Dane County Community Restorative Court for 17-25 year olds.

The CORE positions were created with grant funds. Two positions are being eliminated (and moved to patrol) in 2020; the remaining three officer positions are still grant funded through late-2020.

Mental Health Unit – MPD, like most police departments nationally, frequently are called upon to address mental health crises in the community. Last year, MPD personnel spent almost 20,000 hours of work on incidents related to mental health issues. The community expects MPD to address these issues in a professional and appropriate way. Several years ago, MPD formed a mental health unit, now consisting of six officers (one per district) a sergeant, and three civilian mental health crisis workers. The unit strives to engage in collaborative problem solving with other stakeholders to address those with mental health issues, hopefully reducing the need for them to interact with law enforcement (also reducing MPD workload). Also, the mental health unit seeks to engage with those suffering from mental illness who regularly require police intervention, determine strategies for successfully interacting with them, and share that information with patrol officers. This background information reduces the likelihood of undesirable outcomes and improves officers’ ability to reach a positive resolution.

MPD’s Mental Health Unit is recognized nationally as a model for police agencies, and was identified by the Bureau of Justice Assistance as one of ten “learning sites” in the country for other agencies to look to and learn how to improve their response to mental health interactions. Other agencies have visited Madison to research the Mental Health Unit and formed similar units as a result.

The Mental Health Unit completes an annual report which provides an overview of the unit’s activities for the year. The 2018 report is available here:

https://www.cityofmadison.com/police/documents/MHOYearEndRpt2018.pdf

In 2016, the unit was able to secure volunteer assistance from a UW Madison researcher to evaluate the unit’s effectiveness. That analysis is available here:

https://www.cityofmadison.com/police/documents/MentalHealthProgramEvalRpt.pdf

The analysis reached two findings that demonstrate the effectiveness of the unit. First, most individuals who received services from an MHO generated no further police interactions. Second, the number of police interactions an individual generates after receiving services from an MHO is lower than the number generated before services were provided.

Criminal Intelligence Section – Four officers are assigned to CIS. The unit serves a critical function, compiling, analyzing and distributing vital information internally and externally. CIS officers provide analytical support to MPD patrol and investigative personnel, prepare data summaries for City policymakers, share intelligence with other agencies, and work with state and federal partners to monitor threats to the Madison community. CIS processes more than 1,500 intelligence/information requests annually.

K9 & Mounted Patrol – Both the K9 unit and Mounted Patrol team serve critical operational and engagement functions. The Mounted Patrol provides critical presence at many of Madison’s special events and helps address weekend crime/disorder in the central entertainment district. The K9 teams respond to hundreds of patrol calls each year, allowing MPD to handle incidents in a safer and more efficient manner. Both teams make numerous public appearances throughout the year, building relationships with the community.

DCNTF – MPD is currently obligated to allocate positions to the Dane County Narcotics Task Force by MOU. DCNTF focuses on drug trafficking related to violence or the opiate epidemic, both of which have a significant impact on the community. DCNTF personnel also provide critical assistance in other MPD investigations – particularly those involving gang members or violent crimes. Aside from personnel costs, DCNTF does not receive any funding from the City budget. The 2018 annual report:

https://www.cityofmadison.com/police/documents/TF2018AR.pdf

Community Policing Teams – In 2003-2004 MPD underwent a significant organizational transition, resulting in the elimination of the uniformed operations section of the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and the formation of district community policing teams (CPT). The model for the newly formed CPTs contemplated their time as being allocated 40% for district problems/issues; 35% for drug investigations and 25% for traffic enforcement. Over the years the focus of the CPTs has varied due to emerging trends or district needs. However, the CPTs have clearly been the primary resource for district problem-solving; if a community member, alder or other stakeholder contacts a district with a long-term problem or complaint, it’s likely that a CPT will be tasked with addressing it.

MPD has found adequately capturing CPT workload/efforts to be a challenge over the years. A CPT database was in use for a number of years, though it focused on traditional measures (arrests, citations, etc.), and the software was phased out by City IT. District CPTs have been using individual spreadsheets to capture workload more recently, though these also have some significant limitations. We are in the process of exploring the expanded use of CAD/Mobile to capture MPD workload, with a focus on improved CPT data collection. The cuts to CPT positions in 2020 reflect a significant reduction in allocation of personnel to the CPTs (6 out of 30 positions; or 20%).

Traffic – speeding and traffic violations remain among the top concerns expressed to MPD by members of the community. The Traffic Enforcement Safety Team (TEST) is comprised of five officers and provides full- time focus on traffic enforcement and safety to address traffic safety. TEST also administers traffic grants, allowing for enhanced MPD attention to particular areas or problems. TEST officers issued almost 3,500 citations and more than 3,000 warnings in 2018. Two officers also serve as traffic specialists, leading investigations in to fatal and serious injury accidents.

NPO/NRO – MPD has been committed to neighborhood policing for decades. Neighborhood police officers (NPOs) are assigned to a particular geographic neighborhood, where they focus on long-term problem solving and relationship building. Neighborhood resource officers (NROs) are assigned one per district, to focus on smaller areas where problems are emerging (in an attempt to avoid geographic areas deteriorating into problem neighborhoods). Neighborhood officers complete annual reports, and the department evaluates the need for officers in particular areas annually. The number of NPOs has fluctuated over the years as NPO positions are added or phased out. There are currently ten (10) NPOs and six (6) NROs, though two NPO positions will be eliminated in 2020 (due to patrol staffing needs, not as a result of specific neighborhood improvements). The department is working on a process to enhance the data utilized to evaluate neighborhoods.