The Blog that Explores the Application of Business Administration and Management Principles for the Policing Industry
7 Things That Improve the Quality of Police Services
LinkedInJanuary 6, 20159 Comments
Most of us know excellent customer service when we see it. The best experiences stay with us and we share them with people we know. I have had a few amazing experiences in the last year that have stood out. The ones that come to mind were not simply one customer service representative (which granted, always speaks well of the employee); these were times when everything from my arrival to my departure, were off the hook great.
The short list is a resort in Jamaica, a couple of casinos in Indiana and Ohio and most recently a huge resort in Nashville Tennessee. No detail was left unchecked, every employee was on board and strangely enough, management was virtually invisible (yes, invisible). How could this be?
It is not a big mystery or luck that some businesses outperform others in customer service; it’s a matter of having the right culture, based on a well thought out value chain and driven leadership that lifts the best to the top of the game. This is what gets the ‘wow’ response from customers, encourages them to return over and over again and reminds them to tell friends about the experience.
The same concepts that these businesses use can be implemented in policing. I know that it’s not easy or simple; the policing culture is unique unto itself and that brings a different set of challenges and demands. But at a core level, likely to go unnoticed by the community and sometimes by members of the police department, there are several ways a department can improve to run smoother and develop progressive cultures that support better customer service. The trick is to add value to every step that is taken and every step must support the mission of the agency.
Here is a starter list. Trust me, every one of these are related and are part of a composite end that creates a better service culture through a process of ongoing improvement:
Double check to make sure community relationships are developed and cultivated sincerely. That is our bread and butter, where our bottom line can be found. Maybe triple check this one, it is that important. Don’t assume any of this. Ever. These are long-term relationships, as in, forever, so they have to be worked on constantly. Every department member, sworn and unsworn, is on this front line.
Culture eats strategy for lunch. Check on the morale and motivations of the personnel in each function of the police department. Make sure that everyone understands the importance that they play in the operation of the agency as a whole. Every department employee should be aware of the mission and strategy of the PD. Everything that takes place must support the same. If there is any uncertainty, put your best leaders to work in these areas to get buy in and ownership. Recognize and reward exceptional behavior and develop those that are lacking, but have the heart and ability to do better. For those that do not respond to your best efforts? Unload them. Yes, I said that. I am heartless I guess.
Identify and support the dependencies between the functions of the PD. Admittedly, this can be difficult in police departments. Fiefdoms, vacuums and silos are not uncommon in the industry; often established and fortified because of individual personalities. Sad? Frustrating? Counter-productive? Absolutely. Find the walls and tear them down.
Regardless of the industry, internal policy is the biggest threat to efficiency. Be wary of traditional approaches and processes. The worst philosophy known to man is ‘we’ve always done it this way’. If ‘this way’ really works, leave it alone. But test it thoroughly first to make sure it is effective and relevant.
Explore the possibility of using Lean, Six Sigma and the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to improve quality and efficiency. At the least, start using them in individual functions then bridge them together. I will be exploring these in the near future as part of the Process of On-Going Improvement.
Verify that money spent is well spent. Each area in the PD should be examined to verify that all of the operations and projects that are in place are subordinated to the mission and strategy of the police department. If explanations as to how a given process or project are related to to the mission of the agency meander and take too long to explain, those items need a little more scrutiny. Make sure that the returns on investments are the best they can be and that time (which is money and opportunity) is being spent on worthwhile ventures that support the current strategic plan.
Identify opportunities to outsource processes that are bearing down on your personnel resources. The make-or-buy decision cannot be made if no one understands what the impact of an in-house operation is having on the organization as a whole. Why develop software and technology that is already available? Never steal from Peter to pay Paul, Peter does not like it.
What do you think are some other things that will improve the quality of police services?
Mark Comeau
Police Officer at East Lyme Police Department
David, thanks for the post. Everything contained within is so accurate. I especially think that suggestion number two is very important and often a lacking component. I feel that If the employee dosent have high moral customer service will be lacking no matter what other improvements are implemented.
Can I identify with #5… Lean Management… you know that 18 months after i retired I undertook Lean Management Training and ‘got it’ because i had been ‘subjected to it’ for many years and simply not appreciated what it was supposed to be and why we were doing it. Knowledge is Power and those in the Met Police London who were ‘lean management trained’ clearly kept that ‘knowledge’ to themselves and were never so open (or appeared not to be….) so as to explain that what we were doing was Lean Management and why… IF only they had been more open/transparent and not just brought back to the work place a new fangled idea that they had picked up on a course to be and inflicted on others…so as to use it for their own gain in the (self) promotion game that was MPS middle management 1990-2010…. which is reflected in your #3….
Hi David, they all sound very sensible. I particularly like the last one where you ask the question, Why develop software and technology that is already available? I see police IT departments time and time again developing an application in house when it already exists in the market place. In almost every case their developments never quite come up to the mark and are often plagued by problems. They then enter a phase of playing catch-up with the commercial applications. Eventually the people involved in the original development move on and the organisation then struggle to keep an increasingly obsolete solution working.
So true! It is very tempting to ask an officer with a strong programming or technology background to take these things on, and they initially will be interested in helping. But they will tire of it, and want to move on, because they took the job to simply be the police. There is also a failure to recognize the opportunity cost lost when the trained and equipped officer is not out on the road. There are tons of excellent solutions in the market now and it gets stronger every year.
So true! It is very tempting to ask an officer with a strong programming or technology background to take these things on, and they initially will be interested in helping. But they will tire of it, and want to move on, because they took the job to simply be the police. There is also a failure to recognize the opportunity cost lost when the trained and equipped officer is not out on the road. There are tons of excellent solutions in the market now and it gets stronger every year.
I agree that Officer Wilson became a victim in all of this. It is suspicious that the initial “witness” who was paraded in front of the media, Dorian Johnson, was involved in the strong-arm robbery and had a motive to lie but was willingly believed by the media and a biased public.
The credibility of this witness versus the store’s video and the other eye-witnesses who say Michael Brown was never surrendering but trying to evade arrest.
I disagree that Officer Wilson did not know he was dealing with the potential suspects since he was monitoring the radio traffic and would have heard and remembered the suspect description since it was in his general patrol area.
The culture of the Ferguson, MO department is unknown to those of us who do not work there so we cannot make blanket statements. It is imperative though that we in law enforcement need to have the cooperation and support of the communities we serve. Without that, the police department becomes an occupying force and we can all agree that none of us want this.
Unless l have clumsy in reading this, and l am open to being told l have, the input from Mr Lyons are spoken like are true Manager, primarily about financing and technology. Whilst l accept point 4 Managers need to recognise that loyalty and commitment – the culture that is desired and which brings the greatest control upon its workforce moralities, or should do – is a two way thing. I was lucky and served when PC’s were valued and the desire was to keep them, although towards the end the Chief Constable sent out a general e-mail to personnel saying ‘there were to be changes and if didn’t like it they could leave as there were plenty more people just waiting to fill our boots’. That e-mail was probably the most demoralising factor in my entire 30 year service and was closely followed by the disclosure that the service now only really cared about getting ten years service back for their investment. I am so concious that the officers now serving are working within a culture that says; regardless of who you are, how good you are; you are merely a warrant number and we don’t really want to keep you full term. Thank Heavens the men and women who do the job are primarily doing so because of the old ethics of wishing to keep their society the way they would wish it to be and they are happy to be public servants. If managers want good, faithful, honest and upright men and women they have to do more than pay a wage. A skilled manager acts as if every employee is an individual that is valued in their own right and, providing they are suitable, they wish to return. Until the ‘police family’ returns the loyalties of their workers will logically be focused on themselves and their families rather than the policies and targets of their employers. Policing as a business is so short sighted.
mohamed khoraga
SECURITY /Safety, Healthy, Environment, Quality (SHEQ) MANAGER at ENERGYA POWER CABLES ELSEWEDY-HELAL
some times have no option to change u r in loop no stop no end so what when and how
Mark Comeau
Police Officer at East Lyme Police Department
David, thanks for the post. Everything contained within is so accurate. I especially think that suggestion number two is very important and often a lacking component. I feel that If the employee dosent have high moral customer service will be lacking no matter what other improvements are implemented.
David Lyons, MBA
Author of PoliceBusinessAdvisor.com
Thanks Mark. #2 is definitely critical and given the environment, it will take more effort than ever before to make it work.
Can I identify with #5… Lean Management… you know that 18 months after i retired I undertook Lean Management Training and ‘got it’ because i had been ‘subjected to it’ for many years and simply not appreciated what it was supposed to be and why we were doing it. Knowledge is Power and those in the Met Police London who were ‘lean management trained’ clearly kept that ‘knowledge’ to themselves and were never so open (or appeared not to be….) so as to explain that what we were doing was Lean Management and why… IF only they had been more open/transparent and not just brought back to the work place a new fangled idea that they had picked up on a course to be and inflicted on others…so as to use it for their own gain in the (self) promotion game that was MPS middle management 1990-2010…. which is reflected in your #3….
Alf McCarthy
Sales Manager at Panoptech Limited
Hi David, they all sound very sensible. I particularly like the last one where you ask the question, Why develop software and technology that is already available? I see police IT departments time and time again developing an application in house when it already exists in the market place. In almost every case their developments never quite come up to the mark and are often plagued by problems. They then enter a phase of playing catch-up with the commercial applications. Eventually the people involved in the original development move on and the organisation then struggle to keep an increasingly obsolete solution working.
So true! It is very tempting to ask an officer with a strong programming or technology background to take these things on, and they initially will be interested in helping. But they will tire of it, and want to move on, because they took the job to simply be the police. There is also a failure to recognize the opportunity cost lost when the trained and equipped officer is not out on the road. There are tons of excellent solutions in the market now and it gets stronger every year.
David A. Lyons, MBA
So true! It is very tempting to ask an officer with a strong programming or technology background to take these things on, and they initially will be interested in helping. But they will tire of it, and want to move on, because they took the job to simply be the police. There is also a failure to recognize the opportunity cost lost when the trained and equipped officer is not out on the road. There are tons of excellent solutions in the market now and it gets stronger every year.
Ernest DeLong
Life Coach / Fitness Guide
I agree that Officer Wilson became a victim in all of this. It is suspicious that the initial “witness” who was paraded in front of the media, Dorian Johnson, was involved in the strong-arm robbery and had a motive to lie but was willingly believed by the media and a biased public.
The credibility of this witness versus the store’s video and the other eye-witnesses who say Michael Brown was never surrendering but trying to evade arrest.
I disagree that Officer Wilson did not know he was dealing with the potential suspects since he was monitoring the radio traffic and would have heard and remembered the suspect description since it was in his general patrol area.
The culture of the Ferguson, MO department is unknown to those of us who do not work there so we cannot make blanket statements. It is imperative though that we in law enforcement need to have the cooperation and support of the communities we serve. Without that, the police department becomes an occupying force and we can all agree that none of us want this.
Unless l have clumsy in reading this, and l am open to being told l have, the input from Mr Lyons are spoken like are true Manager, primarily about financing and technology. Whilst l accept point 4 Managers need to recognise that loyalty and commitment – the culture that is desired and which brings the greatest control upon its workforce moralities, or should do – is a two way thing. I was lucky and served when PC’s were valued and the desire was to keep them, although towards the end the Chief Constable sent out a general e-mail to personnel saying ‘there were to be changes and if didn’t like it they could leave as there were plenty more people just waiting to fill our boots’. That e-mail was probably the most demoralising factor in my entire 30 year service and was closely followed by the disclosure that the service now only really cared about getting ten years service back for their investment. I am so concious that the officers now serving are working within a culture that says; regardless of who you are, how good you are; you are merely a warrant number and we don’t really want to keep you full term. Thank Heavens the men and women who do the job are primarily doing so because of the old ethics of wishing to keep their society the way they would wish it to be and they are happy to be public servants. If managers want good, faithful, honest and upright men and women they have to do more than pay a wage. A skilled manager acts as if every employee is an individual that is valued in their own right and, providing they are suitable, they wish to return. Until the ‘police family’ returns the loyalties of their workers will logically be focused on themselves and their families rather than the policies and targets of their employers. Policing as a business is so short sighted.