Accreditation Works
Case Number 54
The
City of Roanoke, once known as the “Magic City” due to the speed of the city’s
growth, was chartered in 1884. Roanoke has since developed to become a regional
center for health care, shopping, transportation, and technology and prides
itself on being a livable city with vibrant neighborhoods. The history of the
Roanoke Police Department predates the chartering of the city itself, as it was
developed in 1874. The city’s growth and success can be partially attributed to
the accomplishments and innovative crime prevention initiatives provided over
the years by the Roanoke Police Department.
In an effort to continue the traditions of the “Magic City”, the Roanoke Police Department began working towards accreditation in 1989. The department streamlined the organizational structure and promoted greater efficiency and accountability within the agency, becoming the 311th agency to be nationally accredited in July 1994. Since then, Accreditation through CALEA has played a key role in the department’s success. Accreditation has assured improved service delivery to citizens, has assisted the department in continuing to improve the public’s perception of its law enforcement agency, and has required training that would enable officers and civilian employees to meet the demands of contemporary law enforcement in a dynamic service area. Importantly, the CALEA Standards have assisted in providing defense against civil lawsuits brought against the agency of 250 sworn members.
In March 2003, a civil lawsuit alleging reverse racial discrimination against the Roanoke Police Department was dismissed. A Chief U.S. District Court Judge wrote in an opinion that the chief of police was not limited to test scores in deciding whom to promote and that race was not involved in a decision to promote a sergeant. The Court determined that it was appropriate for the chief to make recruitment and retention of minority police officers important and that this did not mean that he was discriminating against the others. The Court also cast aside claims that the plaintiffs were victims of an effort to increase diversity in the police department. While the case was before the Court, the department's promotional and recruitment policies were highly scrutinized. After reviewing the law and the department's compliance with CALEA Standards 34.1.1 (The agency's role in the promotional process), 34.1.4 (Elements used to evaluate candidates for sworn personnel for promotion are job related and non-discriminatory), and 34.1.6 (Criteria and procedures for the development and use of eligibility lists), the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a rehearing. The department was also found legitimate in its efforts to remain in compliance with CALEA Standard 31.2.1, making an effort to have personnel composition in the sworn law enforcement ranks in approximate proportion to the makeup of the available work force in the agency's service community.
In September 2003, a City of Roanoke police officer appeared before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on a case alleging violation of a citizen's constitutional rights in a shooting of an unarmed citizen. The Judge ruled that the officer had applied the policies fairly and in accordance with federal and state guidelines. The Court affirmed the jury verdict in favor of the officer and the city. Due to the nature of the civil lawsuit, the department's use of force, law enforcement role and authority, and pursuit policies were targeted for scrutiny. The case also involved intense media publicity. Through the policies and procedures adopted and implemented based on CALEA Standards, as well as federal and state laws, the City Attorney was able to prove that the officer acted in accordance with the law and the department's accreditation based guidelines as outlined in Chapter 1 (Law Enforcement Role and Authority) of the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies. The Roanoke Police Department's written directives and use of force protocol were reviewed extensively by outside professionals and were strengthened in their legitimacy as a result.
In the spirit of professional law enforcement practice and in compliance with CALEA Standards, the Roanoke Police Department reviews the Use of Force policy at least annually. Just recently the policy was reviewed, at which time a recommendation was made to amend the data captured on the Use of Force form to provide more meaningful statistics and information for the Use of Force analysis. Recommendations were made to change the thresholds to better suit the department and to coincide with the new Early Warning System.
Standards developed by CALEA have also enabled the Roanoke Police Department to meet the ever changing demands of law enforcement.
In November 2003, the agency incorporated the Incident Command System into the Unusual Occurrences Manual and the departmental policies as required by CALEA. The Roanoke Police Academy personnel worked in conjunction with the Fire Department to provide mandatory training on the Incident Command System to all personnel. Sworn personnel have utilized components of the ICS at major crime scenes and in tactical response situations. Sworn personnel have also participated in numerous training exercises with Fire Department personnel, the National Guard, law enforcement in other jurisdictions, and the city’s emergency management personnel. During the unusual occurrence training exercises, components of the ICS are utilized. CALEA Standard 46.1.11 has supported the department’s established homeland defense initiatives.
CALEA Standards have also helped to shape other department initiatives. Recently the department changed its patrol deployment system from a citywide deployment to a geographical plan that defined 14 patrol districts grouped into four patrol zones. The implementation of the Geographic Policing system was, in part, a result of the periodic workload assessment required by CALEA Standard 16.1.2 (Allocation of Personnel). The assessment identified the need to shift and redeploy manpower. Since its implementation, the Geographic Policing initiative has served to empower patrol officers, foster teamwork among units, and improve response times. Community problems are being resolved in a shorter time than before and supervisory personnel and officers are being held responsible for problem solving in their zone. Officers are also depending more heavily on crime analysis information to improve calls for service and are working with neighborhood organizations in their zone. The initiative further established Community Resource Officers in each zone to identify community problems within the zone and to act as liaisons with officers, crime prevention, investigators, traffic engineers, and other city officials to address problematic areas.
In Roanoke, the CALEA program is important and is a part of daily life. The values and objectives of the program are shared by agency employees and by city administration. As a result, the department has provided better service delivery to the community and has established a good reputation in the service area as a progressive police department. CALEA Accreditation status, reaffirmed in the July 2005 reaccreditation hearing, is just another measure of the Roanoke Police Department’s effectiveness and professionalism.
Atlas L. Gaskins, Chief of Police
Roanoke City (VA)
Police Department
