Gorham  Police  Department   Organizational  Assessment   March  11,  2015   Executive  Summary     With  the  retirement  of  Chief  Shepard,  the  Town  Manager  wanted  an  objective   understanding  the  current  and  future  issues  and  needs  of  the  department,  the   challenges  a  new  chief  will  face,  and  a  description  of  the  ideal  next  chief,  which  the   Manager  will  use  in  the  recruitment  process.     Over  a  period  of  two  weeks,  Dacri  &  Associates  interviewed  42  Gorham  staff,   residents  and  Councilors  in  order  to  get  an  objective  overview  of  the  Police   Department.  Specifically,  we  met  all  members  of  the  Police  Department,  the  Fire   Chief,  School  Superintendent,  High  School  Principal,  Public  Works  Director,  three   residents,  the  Director  of  the  Cumberland  County  Dispatch  center,  two  members  of   the  Family  Crisis  Center,  and  all  Town  Councilors.     The  overall  perception  of  the  Police  Department  was  split.  Although  the  internal   respondents  highlighted  significant  issues  with  morale  and  leadership,  external   respondents  were  predominately  positive,  with  the  exception  of  one  external   agency  that  expressed  concerns  regarding  domestic  violence  issues  within  the   department  and  the  process  of  investigating  these  claims.     While  there  was  not  a  universal  consensus  among  those  interviewed,  we  were  able   to  conclude  the  following:   • Gorham  is  a  rapidly  growing  bedroom  community  of  Portland   • Nearly  all  interviewed  enjoyed  living  and/or  working  in  Gorham     • Gorham  was  described  as  both  an  ideal  place  to  live  and  work   • Growth  has  brought  significant  challenges  to  the  town,  stressing   infrastructure  and  budgets   o The  community  is  becoming  more  diverse;  the  university  brings   younger  people  to  town;  as  a  bedroom  community  families  and   retirees  are  attracted  to  Gorham;  its  older  population  poses   challenges  for  the  police   o Traffic  continues  to  increase,  putting  strains  on  both  police  and  rescue   o The  increased  demand  for  services  must  be  balanced  by  fiscal  issues   o Like  most  growing  communities,  crime  has  increased  (drugs,   domestic  violence,  cyber  crime,  burglary,  etc.)     Police  Department  Organizational  Assessment   March  11,  2015   • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The  Police  Department  is  viewed  positively  in  the  community;  people  feel   safe   Other  town  departments  and  County  Dispatch  have  excellent  working   relations  with  Police   The  Police  Department  lacks  clear,  written  strategic  direction    No  mission  statement  or  departmental  values  are  evident   Expectations  and  accountability  standards  for  staff  are  not  in  place   Performance  standards  have  not  been  developed  for  each  employee  and   performance  appraisals  are  not  being  done   Internally,  the  Police  staff  is  generally  engaged,  but  morale  is  poor     With  the  retirement  of  Chief  Shepard  and  the  naming  of  Lt.  Sanborn  as  Acting   Chief,  the  department  has  been  divided  over  whether  the  recruitment   process  should  be  open  to  external  candidates  or  whether  to  hire  Lt.  Sanborn   While  no  formal  headcount  was  taken  by  Dacri  &  Associates,  most  Police   Department  staff  interviewed  believe  the  town  should  look  to  the  outside  for   their  next  chief   Most  staff  agree  that  the  morale  issues  in  the  department  began  before   Sanborn  was  named  Acting  Chief;  many  noted,  however,  that  Sanborn  has   not  made  any  improvements   Lt.  Sanborn  has  a  very  good  professional  reputation  with  residents  and   department  heads   The  staff,  County  Dispatch  Director  and  some  of  the  Councilors  believe  the   department  is  operating  with  insufficient  staff;  no  one  suggested  that  staffing   has  put  any  officer  or  members  of  the  community  at  risk   Many  in  the  staff  believe  there  has  been  insufficient  training  and  equipment   beyond  the  minimum  required   No  formal  succession  plan  is  in  place;  Lt.  Sanborn  was  “designated”  as  the   likely  successor  to  the  Chief,  but  no  formal  development  plan  was  in  place  to   prepare  him  or  any  other  employees  for  succession   Supervisors  lack  formal  training  in  management   All  agreed  that  the  new  facility  will  be  a  major  improvement  and  morale   builder     Based  on  these  findings,  we  recommend:   1. Develop  a  process  to  communicate  the  results  of  this  study.  Staff,  Councilors,   department  heads  and  residents  wanted  to  know  the  results  and  what  the   Town  Manager  plans  to  do  with  this  study.   2. Further  analysis  of  the  findings  should  follow.  Conduct  focus  groups  with   staff  to  get  additional  objective  data  around  employee  responses,   clarification  to  their  meanings  and  help  in  finding  the  root  causes  to  any   problems  identified.  Develop  an  action  plan.   3. Develop  a  formal  candidate  profile  of  the  ideal  new  chief.   4. Formalize  a  candidate  interview  process.  A  number  of  inquiries  were  made   as  to  how  this  would  be  structured.   Dacri  &  Associates,  LLC   2   Police  Department  Organizational  Assessment   March  11,  2015         5. Conduct  an  open  search  process  for  your  next  chief.  Invite  Lt.  Sanborn  to   become  a  candidate.   6. Develop  an  action  plan  to  immediately  address  the  issues  of  staffing  levels,   morale,  training,  equipment  and  the  K-­‐9.   7. Provide  staff  with  ongoing  training  in  addressing  alcohol  and  drug  abuse;   mental  health  issues,  including  suicide  prevention;  elderly  issues;  and   student/school  concerns.   8. Determine  why  few  qualified  women  and  minorities  do  not  apply  for  open   positions  in  the  department.   9. Develop  a  formal  strategic  plan  for  the  department  that  is  consistent  with  the   needs  of  the  town.   10. Develop  a  formal  performance  management  program  for  the  department.   Include  a  succession  planning  process  and  mentoring  program.   11. Develop  a  communication  program  to  update  staff.  Consider  different   methodologies  to  regularly  update  the  community.  Better  utilize  social   media.   12. Procedures  should  be  developed  to  ensure  that  internal  investigations  are   properly  handled,  objective  and  transparent.   Dacri  &  Associates,  LLC     3   Police  Department  Organizational  Assessment   March  11,  2015     Feedback  from  Individual  and  Group  Interviews     Outlined  below  is  the  feedback  I  received  during  the  interviews.  I  have  tried  to   capture  the  comments  made  and  in  some  cases  provided  direct  quotes.       View  of  Gorham     Council  Feedback   • Used  to  be  a  farm  community  and  but  is  now  experiencing  rapid  growth   • 13th  biggest  community  in  state  (same  as  Waterville)   • Bedroom  community   • Trying  to  balance  cost  with  services     • Well  run  and  respected  police  department   • Hear  few  complaints  about  the  Police  Department   • Property  taxes  are  reasonable     • Need  to  balance  needs  of  young  and  older  residents   • Great  place  to  live   Resident  Feedback   • Need  to  manage  growth   • Excellent  schools   • Safe   • Growing  community       View  of  Police  Department   Acting  Police  Chief’s  Feedback   • Staff  is  very  intelligent     • Talented  officers     • Made  some  good  hires     • Some  long  term  staff  need  motivation     • Need  additional  staff  in  patrol,  special  enforcement  team  and  community   relations  program     • Department  does  not  reflect  community  (23  officers  with  only  one  female   and  one  minority)   • Difficult  to  address  paperwork  with  only  a  Chief  and  one  Lt.     • Need  a  deputy  chief     • Good  relationship  with  union   Police  Department  Feedback   • Good  department  and  good   • Employees  are  engaged  and   team     like  working  for  the  Gorham   Police  Department     • Quality  supervisors     • Easy  to  come  to  work     • Good  reputation  amongst  other   police  departments     • Need  to  tap  into  individual’s   interest  and  talents   • Staff  treats  residents  well  and   with  respect   Dacri  &  Associates,  LLC   4   Police  Department  Organizational  Assessment   March  11,  2015   Pay,  retirement  and  time  off   • Department  lacks   are  good     accountability,   communications  and   • Individuals  are  attracted  to   camaraderie     department  and  ultimately  stay   due  to  excellent  pay   • Stagnant     • Professional  staff     • Front  end  of  building  can  be  a   safety  concern     • Response  time  is  good     • Facility  falling  down,  not  clean;   • Need  a  systematic  approach  to   driveway  not  plowed  well  in   things   winter     • Internal  investigations  lack   • Frustrating     transparency   • Contentious     • Nepotism  exists   • Lacks  focus     • Department  lacks  leadership     • Always  fighting  for  resources     • Frustrated  by  the  “do  more   with  nothing”  mentality     • Favoritism  exists     • Need  a  great  chief  to  pull   • Inconsistent  application  of   department  together     rules • Reactionary   Council  Feedback   • The  Police  Department  has  lots  of  issues  without  enough  time  and  staff     • DARE  program  well  received     • Police  have  a  good  reputation  in  town     • Handle  traffic  and  parking  issues  well     • Understaffed  by  4  according  to  Cumberland  County  standards  (could  use  a   detective,  2  patrol  officers  and  a  community  relations  officer)     • Staff  is  promotable     • Council  has  different  perspectives  on  Police  Department  morale  (some  think   good,  others  think  staff  divided)   Resident  Feedback   • Feel  safe     • Positive  attitude  about  police  department   Cumberland  County  Dispatch   • Very  well  run  department     • Good  staff   • Involved  in  the  community  (Community  Care  program;  Yellow  Dot;  vehicle   lock  out)     • High  traffic  enforcement   • Police  Department  willing  to  share  resources  (Blood  techs)     • Offer  intox  to  others  agencies     • Created  a  foundation  for  training     Police  Department’s  Relations  With  Other  Departments   Fire   • Positive  working  relationship     • Dacri  &  Associates,  LLC   5   Police  Department  Organizational  Assessment   March  11,  2015   • Some  of  the  police  are  members  of  the  fire  department  and  some  of  the  fire   staff  are  reserve  police  officers  which  enhances  the  working  relationship     The  leadership  works  hard  to  work  together  on  joint  projects   • School   • Strong  partnership  with  police   • Teachers  and  admin  have  respect  and  trust  in  the  Police  Department   • Kids  supportive  of  police     • The  police  have  a  subtle  visibility  (there  when  you  need  them)     • Do  a  lot  of  training  with  police     • SRO  for  6th-­‐12th  grade  is  stretched   • School  police  are  the  school’s  allies   Public  Works     • Good  relationship  with  police   Cumberland  County  Dispatch   • Works  well  with  department     • Transition  to  County  Dispatch  went  well  because  of  Chief’s  support  (some  in   police  feel  the  transition  has  not  gone  well;  department  has  lost  controls  and   it  has  added  work)     Traits  of  Ideal  Next  Police  Chief   Town  Department  Heads  Feedback   • Open  minded     • Can  see  the  big  picture     • Willing  to  look  beyond  the   • Sees  beyond  reactions     police  department     • Advocate  for  resources     • Views  public  safety  as  a  whole     • Moral  compass     • Must  be  about  serving  the   • Takes  school  issues  seriously     community  and  public     • Respects  students     • Good  communicator     • Passion  for  innovation     • Public  speaking  before   • Willing  to  try  new  things     community  groups     • Supports  staff     • High  moral  standards     • Provides  guidance     • Secure  in  own  skin   • Involves  employees  in   • Confident     decisions   • Competent     • Recognizes  employees     • Willing  to  partner     • Creates  a  department  mission     • Works  well  with  others     • Mentors  staff     • Articulate     • No  ties  to  current  employees     • Loyal     • Invests  in  people  and  facilities     • Someone  who  will  stay  with   • Addresses  weak  performers     department  for  10  years     • Advocate  for  staff     • Good  listener   • Can  work  with  the  Council     • Supports  values  of  families     • Effective  communicator  to   • Sense  of  humor     community     • A  cop’s-­‐cop     • Politically  astute  on  local  issues     Dacri  &  Associates,  LLC   6     Council  Feedback   • Calm  force  (not  a  politician)     • Strong  leader     • Answers  Council’s  questions  or   finds  someone  who  can   • Receptive  and  available  to   public     • Problem  solver     • Face  of  the  police  department     • Intelligent     • Well  spoken   • Calm   • Handles  difficult  tasks  with   ease   • Someone  like  Chief  Shepard     Resident  Feedback   • Good  administrator     • Reachable     • Connected  to  the  community     • Attends  council  meetings   • Prefers  that  he/she  lives  in   town   • Team  player     • Can  make  unpopular  decisions     • Can  explain  decisions     • Visible  in  town,  in  and  out  of   uniform   • Maintains  our  small  town  feel   • Trust     Police  Feedback   • Leads  by  example     • Has  integrity   • Willing  to  listen     • Open  to  different  ideas     • Well  organized     • Sets  priorities     • Understands  budgets   • Prepares  for  future     • Well  spoken  and  trained     • Presence  in  the  community     • Cares     • Motivator     • Brings  people  together     • Common  goals       • • • • • • Has  a  big  department   perspective     Career  oriented     Fiscally  responsible   Balances  law  and  order  with   constitutional  liberties     Integrates  self  into  community     Media  savvy     An  out  of  the  box  thinker     Charismatic     Empowers  and  engages  staff     Psychologically  sound   • • • • • • • • • • • • Listener     Selfless  leadership     Unassuming     Reserved     Caring     Acts  in  terms  of  “us”     Confident     Decisive     Problem  solver   Collaborative   Handles  critical  situations   Good  instincts   • • • • • • • • • • • Professional     Accessible     Listens     Keeps  on  top  of  his  supervisors     Advocate  for  department     Values  people     Follows  through  to  the  finish     Sets  an  example     Fair  and  open  minded     Conducts  ride-­‐alongs  with  staff     Understands  the  chain  of   command     Supports  officers     Maintains  transparency   • • • • • • Police  Department  Organizational  Assessment   March  11,  2015   • • • • • • • • • Can  effectively  use  discipline     Personable     Engaging     Utilizes  team  approach     Holds  people  accountable     Gets  things  done  quickly     Confident     Has  energy     Does  his  homework     • • • • • •     Traits  To  Avoid  in  Next  Chief   Town  Department  Heads  Feedback     • Egotistical     • Close  minded     • Doesn’t  look  beyond  own   department     • Arrogant     • Imbued  with  self-­‐importance     • Background  in  a  large,  urban   population     Resident  Feedback   • Comes  from  away  and  wants  to   initiate  dramatic  changes     • Wanting  to  spend  a  lot  of   dollars  beyond  town  means     • Racist     • Has  an  attitude     • Big  talker     Police  Feedback   • Not  open     • Doesn’t  listen     • Not  a  good  fit     • Ignores  morale     • Not  approachable     Council  Feedback   • Looking  for  a  retirement  job     • Thinks  he  has  all  the  answers     • Cocky     • Thinks  he’ll  get  everything  he   wants     • Doesn’t  get  out  into  the   community     Dacri  &  Associates,  LLC   • • • • • • Fights  for  department     Interested  in  improving   education  of  members     Strong  personality     Deep  thinker     Business  savvy     Consults  with  staff  about   decisions   Sees  position  as  a  stepping   stone     Focuses  more  on  budgets  than   people     Susceptible  to  political   pressure     Directive  rather  than   collaborative     Short  sighted     A  good  ole  boy  approach     • • • Someone  who  bulls  ahead  with   no  facts     Makes  knee  jerk  decisions   Loves  authority   “My  way  or  the  highway”     • • • • Stays  in  office  all  the  time     Not  accessible     Dictatorial     Cocky   • Doesn’t  understand  the  5   districts     Not  willing  to  change  with  the   town     Tries  to  push  his  agenda   without  considering  staff   • • •   8       Professional  Experiences   Town  Department  Heads’  Feedback   • Community  policing     • Knowledge  of  communication  centers  and  their  functions     • Working  relationships  with  schools   Council  Feedback   • Worked  with  universities   • Worked  with  unions     Education/Experience   Town  Department  Heads’  Feedback   • Degree  in  criminal  justice   • Grad  of  police  academy   Resident  Feedback   • Degree  (BA  or  AS)   Police  Feedback   • BA   • Certifications     • Police  academy     • Well  rounded  experience  in  patrol,  specialties,  detective  and  comes  from  a   multifunctional  police  department     • Prior  command  experience   Council  Feedback   • Mixed  on  need  for  degree  or  not     • Small  and  big  town  experience     • College  town  experience  with  resident  facilities     • Understands  growing  community     • Grant  writing       Immediate  Challenges  Facing  New  Chief   Town  Department  Heads’  Feedback   • Budget  not  keeping  up  with  the  demands  for  services     • Town  is  the  fastest  growing  community  in  Maine     • Building  a  new  facility  with  the  need  to  share  resources     • Significant  increase  in  crime  and  drugs     • Council  that  doesn’t  fully  realize  the  extent  of  the  issues  (crime,  drug   overdoses,  attempted  suicides)  facing  the  police     • Transition  from  a  farm  town  to  a  bedroom  community  of  Portland     • Divided  town  where  people  in  the  different  sections  of  town  do  not   understand  the  needs  and  impacts  of  the  other  sections     • Not  creating  a  silo  between  Police  Department,  fire  and  schools   • Rising  issues  of  mental  health     • Need  more  police  officers  who  can  work  with  students       Police  Department  Organizational  Assessment   March  11,  2015   Deal  with  school  violence,  preparing  students  &  staff  and  conducting   investigations  replacing  “Pooch”  when  he  retires     • Dealing  with  multigenerational  populations     County  Dispatch  Feedback   • Insufficient  staffing  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  town     • Need  to  add  AVLs  (vehicle  locators),  driver  license  locators,  and  in  car   document  scanners   Council  Feedback   • Fiscal  issues     • Expansion  of  information  regarding  different  crimes     • Growth     • Changing  community     • Working  with  the  university     • Traffic  and  growing  crime     • Mental  illness     • Infrastructure  needs  review     • Opening  a  new  facility  and  operating  while  the  facility  is  being  built   Resident  Feedback   • Must  be  comfortable  with  the  university  and  the  university  community     • Dealing  with  the  drugs  and  domestic  violence     • Keep  up  with  the  complexities  of  policing     • Putting  an  SRO  in  every  school     Police  Feedback   • Fiscal  issues   • Little  Fall’s  crime   • Rapid  populating  growth     • New  facility     • Significant  drug  problem     • Need  additional  staff     • Rise  in  crime  (domestic  violence,  OUI,  burglary,  drugs)     • Aging  population     • Mental  health  issues     • Building  bench  strength  within  department     Priority  of  the  New  Chief   Town  Department  Head  Feedback   • Building  rapport  and  trust  with  the  employees     • More  outreach  to  community     Council  Feedback   • Building  a  new  facility     • Staffing  issues     • Understanding  the  budget  process     • Forging  positive  relations  with  Council     • Dacri  &  Associates,  LLC   10   Police  Department  Organizational  Assessment   March  11,  2015   Police  Feedback   • Improve  morale     • Show  leadership     • Better  use  of  regional  resources     • Training  of  staff  beyond  the  minimum     • Get  into  new  building     • Pay  attention  to  night  shift     • Hold  staff  accountable     • Address  growing  mental  health  issues     Department  Morale   Police  Department  Feedback   • Mixed  perspective  on  morale  (some  say  good,  most  say  poor)     • Relationship  between  admin  and  union  is  also  mixed     • Department  lacks  common  goals     • Minimal  communication  about  the  state  of  department  business     • Little  communications  between  shifts     • No  performance  appraisals  or  feedback  on  performance     • No  fairness  or  consistency     • Minimal  reaching  out  to  the  night  shifts     • Department  lacks  consistency  between  shifts     • Lt  has  made  little  change  since  becoming  Acting     • Problems  in  the  department  have  existed  for  years     • Questions  have  been  raised  about  the  fairness  and  transparency  of  the   internal  investigation  process   • Nepotism     Canine   • School  would  like  to  have  the  K-­‐9  back  with  rising  drug  use  and  the  threat  of   school  violence;  hampered  by  loss  of  the  dog  for  searches  and  the  inability  to   quickly  access  dog  from  the  County   • Police  would  like  to  bring  K-­‐9  back   • County  Dispatch  believes  need  dog  as  County  is  not  always  able  to  provide  a   dog  to  town  on  a  timely  basis   • Council  is  mixed  on  the  dog  (some  want  its  return,  others  concerned  about   the  cost)       Dacri  &  Associates,  LLC   11