Audit of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department

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Audit of the MetropolitanNashville Police
Department
May 31, 2002
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Outline of Presentation

• Overview of Project
• Description of MNPD
• Findings
• Recommendations
• Fiscal Impact
• Conclusions

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Overview of Project

• MGT retained to conduct performance audit of
  MNPD.
• Study included operation, policies, practices,
  use of technology, planning budgeting, resource
  allocation and use of performance measures
• Compared MNPD performance to that of Peer
  Agencies
• Specific recommendations were developed to
  enhance effectiveness and/or efficiency

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Description of MNPD

• Primary law enforcement agency for all of
  Davidson County - main station and five sector
  stations and various other facilities
• In excess of 1200 sworn officers, over 600
  non-sworn personnel
• Current budget exceeds 109 million annually
• Nationally accredited

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Commendations

• Accredited by Commission on Accreditation for Law
  Enforcement (CALEA)
• Many high quality staff members
• Dept. is implementing second generation Automated
  Fingerprint Identification System
• The SWAT team has received numerous awards

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Major Findings

• Overall Budget was within expected range
• Overall Staffing was consistent with peers
• Percentages of sworn and non-sworn close to peers
• High percentage of officers in specialized
  assignments - non-Patrol uniformed assignments
  (Bikes, Mounted, K-9, Aviation, Traffic, School
  Services)

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Findings - Patrol

• Lowest percentage of officers assigned to actual
  Patrol duties of the peers
• MNPD has about 32 of its officers on patrol -
  the average was 46 - as high as 60 for Memphis

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Findings - Crime

• Although homicides have declined significantly
  over 4 years, Nashvilles major crime rate has
  been consistently high when compared to the peer
  agencies
• The only significant difference between Nashville
  and the peers is the low percentage of officers
  assigned to Patrol

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Findings - Other Areas

• Each area of the department was reviewed
• Specific findings were developed for each area
• A common deficiency was the lack of useable
  performance measures
• Many findings had to do with opportunities for
  more effective use of technology, space needs, or
  the need to study staff utilization

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Findings - Planning, Budgeting, Staffing

• A major issue is the lack of an integrated
  planning and budgeting process
• Strategic planning has not been occurring
• Sworn officers are being used in several areas
  where arrest powers are not needed

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Recommendations

• Support philosophy of Community Oriented Policing
  by beginning decentralization
• Increase Patrol Division staffing by reassignment
  of existing personnel
• Study all areas of the department to determine
  where shifts in officers and staff can occur
• Absorb the current Traffic Division into Patrol

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Additional Recommendations

• Assign Sector Stations responsibility for all
  Traffic Enforcement in their area
• Assign Sector Stations responsibility for all
  School related activity in their areas (DARE,
  GREAT, School Crossings, etc.)
• Transfer some detectives to the sector stations
  to begin decentralization of investigations

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Additional Recommendations (Continued)

• Reorganize department to increase focus on field
  operations
• Reduce the number of direct reports to the Chief
  to allow him greater operational involvement
• Balance responsibility among command personnel so
  that duties are comparable
• Formal Strategic Planning effort should be
  conducted

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Recommendations (Continued)

• Planning and budgeting processes should be
  integrated
• Internal staffing adjustments should be made
  prior to any requests for additional staffing
• Conduct department wide space needs study

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Fiscal Impact

• Capital budget recommendations of 1,845,000
  (includes technology, space study, vehicles,
  driving simulator)
• Operating budget recommendations of 1,371,500
  (includes training funds, some personnel costs,
  magistrates, audit implementation support)

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Conclusions

• The department has a positive attitude about
  improvement and was supportive of this audit
• The recommendations made by the audit are
  consistent with the existing focus on Community
  Oriented Policing
• Based on our interaction with MNPD staff, the
  department has a pool of developing talent that
  can serve it well in the future