July Mayor’s Report: Alton Police Department’s Strategic Plan

The Alton Police Department faces many challenges including:  increasing service expectation by the public, more dynamic criminal activity, and limited financial and human resources.  Recognizing these challenges, Chief David Hayes and the leadership of the Alton Police Department, has created a six month strategic plan. 

Strategic planning helps define, articulate, and refine a department’s mission and vision. This strategic plan will be a “road map,” guiding the Police Department to their goals and objectives. 

The mission statement, developed by Chief Hayes and endorsed by the Police Department, develops organizational values, provides guidance and direction, and sets standards for employee behavior.  The mission of the Police Department is to work in partnerships to provide a professional, progressive, and community oriented police department. The Department will enforce the law, protect citizens’ rights and serve the community with courtesy and concern for their needs with emphasis on integrity and fairness.  

The vision statement improves the quality of service with training, state of the art technology, innovation, and the ability to adapt to changing situations. The Police Department strives to build successful relationships with all Altonians.

The core values of the Police Department are a commitment to the protection of human rights and improving the quality of service.  The Police Department values public opinion, courtesy, respect, compassion, and the public trust.

The strategic plan includes several action items:

• Expanding Community Oriented Policing Initiatives by increasing the Weed & Seed Neighborhood Problem Solving Groups from two to three, with new meetings held on the west side of town in addition to the existing meetings in the Mexico, Hunterstown, and Middletown Area, and the Milton Area. 
• Beat Patrol Officers will get more acquainted with residents in their districts.  Some of these officers started attending Weed & Seed meetings. 
• Cultural Diversity Training for all officers and interested civic groups will be held. 
• The top criminal “hot spot” areas will be identified based on statistics.  Saturation patrols will be implemented in those areas.
• A new Procedure & Policy Manual will be published, including a plan for public speaking. 
• A New Drug Education Initiative in the Middle School will be implemented.
• New equipment and information technology initiatives will be continually pursued.  Radio communications technical advancements from a 2006 plan have been completed and in-car video system for DUI Traffic Enforcement will be added.

I commend Chief Hayes and his staff for their continual efforts to offer quality services to the residents of Alton.

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