Public Safety HR News Roundup – Week of September 17, 2018

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

Maine firefighters head south to help responders to Mass. explosions

Bangor Daily News | A crew from the York Village Fire Department may have been the most welcome people in Lawrence and North Andover, Massachusetts, Thursday night, as they worked to feed upward of 500 firefighters, police officers, ambulance workers and other first responders battling multiple fires in a three-town area.

Hero Thrill Show returns to raise funds for fallen heroes’ kids

metro.us | On Sept. 12, 75 members of the elite Police Highway Patrol Motorcycle Drill Team displayed their finery during a pep rally to raise awareness of the upcoming Hero Thrill Show, to be held on Sept. 22 in South Philadelphia. Sixty-four years running, the Hero Thrill Show helps raise funds to educate the children of fallen heroes.

Dissolution of NY Fire District Sparks Outcry

Firehouse | Town of Oneonta Fire District commissioners voted Thursday night 3 to 2 for dissolution, turning the job of negotiating a fire protection contract over to the Oneonta Town Board, which objects to the step.

Former Bears star Matt Forte goes on ride-along with Chicago police

ABC 7 News | Former Chicago Bears star running back Matt Forte says he has a whole new respect for police officers after going for a ride-along on the South Side in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. “The narrative, even to the young kids is that, all police officers are bad, and that’s not the case, so we gotta find some common ground,” Forte said.

PTC cops send hurricane relief to North Carolina

The Citizen | The Peachtree City (PTC) Police Department and members of the community lent a hand to those impacted by Hurricane Florence by collecting 21.5 tons of needed goods that were shipped to North Carolina on Sept. 19.

Federal court orders Dallas County to change its bail system

CorrectionsOne | In a major victory for civil rights groups, a federal judge has banned Dallas County from using a predetermined schedule to set bail without considering other amounts or alternatives that would allow the suspects’ release from jail. Though U.S. District Judge David Godbey’s order is temporary, his ruling Thursday indicated that the groups that sued the county earlier this year “are substantially likely to prevail on the merits” of their arguments.

Could Riverside County cities leave the Sheriff’s Department over a rate dispute?

The Press-Enterprise | Seventeen of the 28 cities located in Riverside County have a contract with the Riverside Sheriff’s Department. All are happy with the services they receive, but none are happy with the cost. But county officials say if anything, it’s the county that’s been getting a raw deal. County government, they say, isn’t getting enough to cover the cost of sheriff’s services to cities.

Text-to-911 Program Showing Early Benefits, Palm Beach County Says

Emergency Management | Since the program’s launch on June 25, 299 text messages had been sent to dispatchers across the county as of Aug. 21, although Koenig noted that figure includes test messages that were used in training. The sheriff’s office said that as of Aug. 21, it had received 23 emergency calls that originated as texts since the program’s launch.

HERO HIGHLIGHT

Police officer runs free boxing class for lower income and at-risk kids

WFLA | One police officer is watching out for the kids he serves, most of them Hispanic and Spanish speakers, by getting them off the streets and into the ring. He has the community saying Vamos Tampa Bay. He’s training kids to fight. In the ring and in life.

In his dying moments, Sheriff’s Deputy Kunze saved at least two lives

The Wichita Eagle | After a convict on a crime spree shot Deputy Robert Kunze above his protective vest and before the mortally wounded deputy collapsed, the lawman managed to kill his attacker. If Kunze had not kept fighting in his dying moments, Sheriff Jeff Easter says, at least two other people could have been murdered.

By Jenny Donovan|2018-09-22T13:56:59-04:00September 21st, 2018|From Across the Web, News, Police-Community Relations|Comments Off

Public Safety HR News Roundup – Week of September 3, 2018

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

50-State Report on Public Safety

The Council of State Governments Justice Center | While many policymakers are keenly aware of how spending on prisons has changed over the last 10 years, they often know less about how spending on probation and parole supervision has changed or what recidivism outcomes are for people leaving prison or starting probation.

NJ Transit Police have responded to a huge number of overdose cases so far this year

NJ.com | NJ Transit Police along with other first responders have used the overdose drug Narcan to save the lives of 100 people this year who were overdosing on opioids, agency officials said.

Explosive Growth Is Pushing Arizona Emergency Responders to New Training Resources

government technology | Both Gilbert and Chandler have grown so explosively that their police and fire departments no longer can rely on other municipalities to train officers and firefighters. As a result, Chandler opened the first phase of its new public safety training complex – a $26.3 million facility – in July.

Alaska State Troopers getting raise in contract with State

KTUU | Gov. Bill Walker said Wednesday that Alaska State Troopers will get a 7.5 percent raise later this week, and another 7.5 percent if the Alaska Legislature approves the increase next session. … “For me it was a retention crisis,” Walker said. “When we have wonderful, dedicated law enforcement officers, troopers, that are going elsewhere because it’s better pay, better benefits, I pay close attention to that.”

Pay disparity has Santa Fe officers heading to Albuquerque

KOB 4 | Since July, the police department has lost more than 12 officers, some of them went to APD, which pays more. A starting wage for a Santa Fe police officer is $19 per hour. At APD, the starting wage is $29 per hour.

(For more on this, see: “Santa Fe, Calif., Police Department to City Council: We’re ‘Bleeding out Officers‘”)

Drones Will Supplement Fire, Police Departments in National City, Calif.

government technology | California’s National City police and fire departments have a new type of tool: drones intended to provide officers and firefighters a bird’s-eye view for public safety efforts, such as to find a missing person, document a crime scene or assess a fire.

IAFC Human Relations Committee – Interview with Chief Deryn Rizzi

IAFCTV | At FRI 2018, IAFC TV spoke with Chief Deryn Rizzi about some of the important issues in the fire service right now surrounding the topic of human relations and the initiatives the committee will take on during her tenure.

Houston chief warns pay parity measure could cause at least 800 layoffs

FireRescue1 | Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña on Tuesday warned of dire consequences — including possible layoffs of more than 800 firefighters and deferred maintenance or upgrades on aging equipment, if voters approve the firefighters’ pay parity initiative on the November ballot.

HERO HIGHLIGHT

Michigan Gas Station Owner’s Facebook Posts of Officer’s Act of Kindness Goes Viral

Police Magazine | Kazz wrote on Facebook, “An elderly woman came into my station today and gave me $3 in change to put on her gas pump. A police officer was standing behind her and happened to hear the amount and saw she was using a cane, struggling to walk back to her car. He went outside and told her to sit in the car as he would pump the gas for her. After a few minutes of getting to know one another he realized she was really struggling and didn’t have any gas or money left.”

By Jenny Donovan|2018-09-07T11:35:01-04:00September 7th, 2018|From Across the Web, News, Police-Community Relations, Recruitment|Comments Off

Public Safety HR News Roundup – Week of August 27, 2018

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

Kentucky looks at new reforms to cut jail, prison population

The Sentinel Echo | Some solutions are expected to come from 2017 Senate Bill 120, sponsored by Rep. Whitney Westerfield, R-Crofton. The legislation, now law, is expected to reduce the inmates in Kentucky jails and prisons through alternative sentencing–including reentry programs–and so-called prison industry enhancement programs.

In last four fatal fires, firefighters didn’t call the closest reinforcements

Journal Star | The calls instead went to other departments staffed by trained volunteers, either personally selected by a fire officer on scene or according to a predetermined order on file with the agencies and dispatchers, contradicting the most basic tenets of firefighting.

Calling 911 in rural California? Danger might be close, but the law can be hours away

The Sacramento Bee | A McClatchy investigation found that large stretches of rural California — where county sheriffs are the predominant law enforcement agencies and towns often run only a few blocks — do not have enough sworn deputies to provide adequate public safety for the communities they serve.

Podcast | Influence vs. control: Why COs need to know the difference

CorrectionsOne | In this episode of Tier Talk, Anthony Gangi discusses the difference between influence and control, particularly when it comes to prison gangs.

Montgomery County has a shortage of 911 dispatchers. They’re racing to find more — and fast

The Philadelphia Inquirer | … And as the calls pour in, the county — like so many other counties and states nationwide — has grappled with a dire shortage of 911 call-takers and dispatchers, jobs with long hours, high stress and a salary that nets less than $45,000 in Montgomery County.

New Day in the Firehouse

Governing Magazine | The workload of fire departments has grown substantially, even as their core mission — putting out fires — has dwindled. “Communities tend to lean on the fire service in times of crisis,” says Charlottesville Fire Chief Andrew Baxter. “People are looking to the fire service for leadership and partnership for all aspects of emergency response.”

How to train and equip SROs to be a school’s first line of defense

PoliceOne | Unfortunately, it’s not the program’s success as a component of an overall community policing model, but rather the alarming rise in the lethality and frequency of school shootings that has been a major driving factor for requests for SROs in our schools. These requests come not only from law enforcement agencies with established SRO programs, but from elected officials, school officials and the public who may not be aware of the many facets of an SRO program.

Why correctional facilities need a social media policy

CorrectionsOne | You represent your agency every time you don your uniform, and your social media presence does the same thing. If a citizen sees a derogatory image on a CO’s Facebook page, he or she wonders, “Is the whole agency like that?” COs who think there is privacy when posting content online are sadly mistaken.

HERO HIGHLIGHT

Not all Heroes Wear Capes … Or Walk on Two Legs

First Coast News | Therapy dogs help 911 dispatchers at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office process their emotions after dealing with a deadly mass shooting on Sunday.

By Jenny Donovan|2018-08-31T15:05:02-04:00August 31st, 2018|From Across the Web, News|Comments Off

Public Safety HR News Roundup – Week of August 20, 2018

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

Join forces with other first responders for stronger opioid response

PoliceOne | Addressing the opioid epidemic requires a coordinated and collaborative effort by police and other first responders. New approaches must expand beyond simple street enforcement and detaining subjects for possession or transporting them to the hospital after an overdose. This will require detailed information sharing and cooperation between police, public safety agencies, hospital personnel, fire and EMS.

Stop-And-Frisk Settlement Requires Significant Milwaukee Police Department Reforms

WUWM | Last year, the ACLU sued the city of Milwaukee, based on the police department’s stop-and-frisk program. An analysis of police stops in Milwaukee found significant racial bias in who was being stopped and the areas where these stops were occurring. A settlement was reached in July.

$10M grant allocated to improve NY 911 response

FireRescue1 | According to a press release, the Public Safety Answering Points Operations Grant, administered by the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, will be allocated to 57 counties and New York City to allow them to improve dispatch operations and 911 response.

Canadian Police Association Urges Officers to Seek Help after 3 Officers Die by Suicide

Police Magazine | The president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association is urging members to seek help to deal with trauma they experience on the job after learning that three officers in the force took their lives over a three-week time period, according to CTV News Toronto.

5 concepts for effective contraband control training

CorrectionsOne | Approaches to a contraband control module will vary, with the institutional training officer and warden having the final say on specifics. The main goal for any corrections facility is a well-prepared body of staff willing and capable of identifying, removing and documenting contraband in order to maintain a safe facility. Here are the top five contraband control concepts.

A Plague of Deadly Hesitation, De-Motivation, and De-Policing in America

Police Magazine | Police in a variety of places have talked about trepidation to act when action is the only reasonable response. They have spoken about fearing the aftermath of a deadly force encounter more than the incident itself. The author of the article speaks of two serious ramifications of this hesitancy.

Update: Firefighters sue Verizon over slow data speeds

FireFighting News | From The Mercury News … Santa Clara County firefighters deployed to the two Mendocino Complex fires experienced internet speeds slashed to 1/200 that of previous speeds by Verizon. Despite multiple requests to Verizon to turn off the throttling — the slowing down of data speeds — in order to communicate with other firefighters, Verizon did not do so and even suggested the department should pay more for a better data plan during the fire, according to Bowden.

Tier Talk: Should we follow up on the charges we write? (Podcast)

CorrectionsOne | In this episode of Tier Talk, Anthony Gangi discusses whether corrections officers should or shouldn’t follow up on charges that they write.

HERO HIGHLIGHT

We have two for you this week, both from firefighters.

Firefighters rescue kids from quicksand-like mudflats

FireRescue1 | In Shaker Heights, Ohio, two children, aged 7 and 10, were rescued by a group of firefighters from quicksand-like mudflats at Horseshoe Lake. “We’ve practiced for it. We had everything we needed,” Chief Patrick Sweeney said. “These kids, they stayed calm, which really helped us out a lot.”

Video: Firefighter speaks out about first responder suicide risk

FireRescue1 | We’re including this story in our Hero Highlight because this man (Phil Hall) had the courage to speak up about his personal experience of seeking treatment for his suicidal thoughts — and did so in an effort to help others. “The stuff just starts piling up, right?” he said. “(You think) the only way to stop all the nightmares, the flashbacks, and all the other life stresses that pile up on you is to tap out.” Hall is now urging other firefighters to not feel ashamed and to seek help in dealing with the high stress that come with the job.

By Jenny Donovan|2018-08-24T18:07:25-04:00August 24th, 2018|From Across the Web, News, Police-Community Relations|Comments Off

Public Safety HR News Roundup – Week of August 13

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

The Effects of Body-Worn Cameras on Police Activity and Police-Citizen Encounters: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology | … This study reports the findings of a randomized controlled trial involving more than 400 police officers in Las Vegas, Nevada. We find that officers equipped with body-worn cameras [BWC] generated fewer complaints and use of force reports relative to officers without cameras. BWC officers also made more arrests and issued more citations than their non-BWC counterparts. …

Changing hands: Making the firefighter generational transition

FireRescueOne | The substantial constancy of service by Baby Boomers is diminishing with their inevitable departure. At the same time, bereft of social baggage, a new generation of firefighters is gaining a necessary foothold in today’s firehouse. As swing music is to rock and roll, is to rap, there is the predictable breach in generational crossover messaging.

iPads could change how Harris County deputies assess mental health crises

PoliceOne | To help alleviate a slew of problems that come with over-jailing or over-hospitalizing people who have a mental illness, the sheriff’s department unveiled a Telepsychiatry pilot program. Since its launch in December, the program has garnered attention from California to Canada. Harris County officials believe it’s one of the first programs of its kind, if not the first program of its kind.

Cole County jury awards Missouri prison guards $113 million in back pay

St. Louis Post-Dispatch | On Tuesday a jury awarded $113.7 million to Missouri prison guards as compensation for unpaid work that they performed before and after their shifts — both straight time and overtime. The class action lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court represents 13,000 current corrections officers or those who worked at the Department of Corrections since 2007.

FRI 2018 Quick Take: Providing results with fire chief leadership and risk management

FireRescue1 | In this session at Fire-Rescue International, “Doing More With Less: How Leadership and Risk Management Provide Tenfold Results,” risk management guru Gordon Graham (Lexipol) and Deputy Fire Chief Billy Goldfeder, Loveland-Symmes Fire Department, offered leadership strategies for fire chiefs to effectively mitigate the risks of lawsuits, injuries, deaths, embarrassments, internal investigations and even criminal filings.

HERO HIGHLIGHT

We have two for you this week …

Glendale police officer hailed as hero for saving 2-year-old girl from near-drowning

Fox10 News | Glendale police say officers were responding to a call of someone in crisis at a home when a father began pounding on the front door asking for help. Officer Jacob Gonzales ran to the front door where the father was holding the lifeless 2-year-old girl in his arms. The father was asking for help, saying that the girl had drowned in the family‘s pool.

Tennessee boy rides fire truck to first day of school after firefighter father dies

FireFighting News | The youngest son of a deceased volunteer firefighter of the Sullivan County Volunteer Fire Department was able to carry on the family tradition of riding a fire truck to school in a show of support from the department.

By Jenny Donovan|2018-08-17T19:09:59-04:00August 17th, 2018|From Across the Web, News, Police-Community Relations, Succession Planning in Public Safety|Comments Off

Public Safety HR News Roundup – Week of August 6

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

How Many Black Police Commissioners Has Boston Had? None, Until Now

The New York Times | Boston is a city that prides itself on making history. It created a volunteer night watch in 1636 and established a publicly funded police department with full-time officers in 1838. But it took until Monday for Boston to swear in its first African-American police commissioner, William G. Gross, 54.

What’s the difference between Texas law enforcement agencies? Curious Texas investigates

The Dallas Morning News | Though they all wear a badge, vow to protect and serve and have statewide jurisdiction, not every Texas law enforcement officer is the same. From the local to state level, from homes to the highway, there are different groups that each handle a variety of duties uniquely assigned to them.

Maine Police in Labor Dispute Shed Duty Uniforms in Favor of T-Shirts

Police Magazine | Lewiston, ME, police union representatives say that officers are “ditching their uniforms to show ‘dissatisfaction’ over contract negotiations with the city,” according to WGME-TV.

Dear Future Police Officer

Law Enforcement Today | I want to share some things with you before you start your journey as a police officer. I’m sharing this because I am a proud widow of a fallen hero, and now I have a son who is months away from starting his journey as an officer honoring his father. I was asked how I felt about that and had to sit back and really think about it. Charlie and I taught our children to find a career that makes them happy and proud and to never settle in life with “just a job.” So, who was I to question him? Besides, it’s in his blood.

Human Dignity and the Fire and Emergency Service: A Statement from the IAFC Board of Directors

IAFC Press Release | The IAFC will continue to lead by example to ensure an equal opportunity and fair treatment for all. When warranted, the IAFC will call out and draw attention to attacks on our members who are victims of this type of hatred. Further, the IAFC strongly recommends that all fire and emergency service organizations and agencies develop written policies and have procedures in place to support these position recommendations.

911 Emergency: Call Centers Can’t Find Workers

The Wall Street Journal | Cities across the U.S. are struggling to find 911 dispatchers as a historically tight labor market makes it harder to fill a job that was already a tough sell.

HERO HIGHLIGHT

Cop jumps off overpass to save boy’s life

PoliceOne | According to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News, Officer Jessie Ferreira was driving to work on Friday when she witnessed a 12-year-old boy jump over a guardrail and fall several feet onto concrete.

By Jenny Donovan|2018-08-10T16:53:48-04:00August 10th, 2018|From Across the Web, News, Police-Community Relations, Recruitment|Comments Off

Public Safety HR News Roundup – Week of July 30, 2018

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

Justice Assistance Grants (JAG): Federal application period for local and state funds just announced

PoliceOne

The Federal application period for the annual state and local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) has just opened with an application deadline of August 22, 2018. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) will make up to 1,147 awards to local jurisdictions totaling an estimated $84.5 million.

Video to aid in Columbia County Sheriff’s Office recruitment

The Augusta Chronicle

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office’s newest recruitment tool is a video produced by a pair of Grovetown High School students, in hopes of attracting more people to a profession having difficulty finding applicants.

Tribal Access Program Expanding

Department of Justice

The Department of Justice is expanding the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information, which provides federally-recognized tribes access to national crime information databases for both civil and criminal purposes. Tribes interested in participating in TAP must submit the application by October 1. TAP allows tribes to more effectively serve and protect their communities by ensuring the exchange of critical data.

Police-Youth Dialogues Toolkit Provides Guide for Improving Relationships and Public Safety Through Engagement and Conversation

COPS

The Center for Court Innovation and the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office developed this toolkit as a resource for communities that wish to implement police-youth dialogues. Drawing from projects across the country that use dialogues, the toolkit consolidates expertise, providing strategies and promising practices.

Ill. lottery game to help families of fallen officers

PoliceOne

On Monday, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law that will create a new scratch-off game, funds raised from the game will help the families of LEOs killed or severely injured in the line of duty.

The value in participating in the #LipSyncChallenge and other viral crazes

PoliceOne

It’s become “a thing” with multiple mainstream media outlets picking up on the craze and reporting on their local agency’s entry into the challenge. Do they do anything to “move the needle” in reducing anti-police sentiment? Probably not (or at least, not much). But they do serve some purpose.

Citing increased danger, union for Minn. corrections officers demands higher staffing levels

Minnesota Public Radio

AFSCME Council 5 Correctional Policy Committee, the union representing corrections officers in Minnesota prisons, demanded the state hire more staff to address what it calls unsafe conditions. The union stated “assaults on staff have skyrocketed since January.”

HERO HIGHLIGHTS

Frederick County woman commends deputy, good Samaritan who came to her aid

The Frederick News-Post

Rita Potter was having one of the worst days of her life when she met one of the kindest people she knows, a Frederick County sheriff’s deputy named Bryce McGuire.

How one patrol officer goes beyond the traffic stop to make a lasting difference

Quiet Warrior blog

When Austin PD Officer Jason Borne responded to a call this summer about a pedestrian in a busy roadway, he had no idea it would become an opportunity to make a big difference for a struggling single mother of two.

By Jenny Donovan|2018-08-03T19:49:58-04:00August 3rd, 2018|From Across the Web, News, Police-Community Relations, Recruitment|Comments Off

Public Safety HR News Roundup – Week of July 23, 2018

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

3 Factors that Motivate Volunteer Firefighters to Join the Service

FireRescue1

It will come as no surprise to members and chiefs of combination fire departments that the faltering volunteer firefighter system is one of the largest and most daunting issues in the fire service today. Allowing volunteer firefighters to be emotionally fulfilled by serving their communities and [to] feel a part of firehouse camaraderie will help recruitment and retention efforts.

What Seattle’s new police-chief pick Carmen Best means for law enforcement

The Seattle Times

Public-defense leader Lisa Daugaard, a longtime criminal-justice reform advocate, explains why community activists and the police union are happy about Mayor Jenny Durkan’s police-chief choice.

Cleveland City Council OKs hiring consultant to tackle backlog of complaints about police conduct

Cleveland.com

A Chicago-based company that specializes law enforcement consulting will begin working through nearly 380 unsettled complaints made in 2015, 2016 and 2017 to Cleveland’s Office of Professional Standards about police officer behavior.

Veteran officer to be Boston’s 1st black police commissioner

PoliceOne

Boston police veteran William G. Gross made history yesterday when he was named the city’s first black police commissioner. “It shows that any kid in Boston … will have the opportunity to be the mayor, the commissioner or the chief,” Gross said. “If you want to change, you need to change, that is why I became a police officer.”

Sheriff: Shortage of 25 correction officers at St. Joseph County Jail shows need for better pay

South Bend Tribune

St. Joseph County Sheriff Mike Grzegorek estimates a shortage of 25 correction officers at the jail, contending raises are needed to correct the problem. He said the shortage of correction officers is mainly because they’re being promoted to county police officers or leaving to take higher-paying jobs at other police agencies.

Palo Alto raises police pay but recruiting is rough — even with 25K signing bonus

Palo Alto Daily Post

A $25,000 hiring bonus for officers transferring from another police department, implemented in September and one of the highest in the state, hasn’t been enough to attract more cops to work for Palo Alto, Keene said. A $10,000 hiring bonus was offered to new police-academy graduates. An official said in September that the department had 12 vacancies overall.

HERO HIGHLIGHT

Video: Officer helps homeless man shave beard for job

PoliceOne

A homeless man said he needed to be clean-shaven to get hired at a McDonald’s, so Officer Tony Carlson of the Tallahassee Police Department stepped in and helped.

By Jenny Donovan|2018-07-26T16:38:15-04:00July 27th, 2018|From Across the Web, News, Recruitment|Comments Off

Weekly Public Safety HR News Roundup – Friday, July 20, 2018

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

Alabama troopers concerned about road safety amid trooper shortage

WKRG News | During the 2018 Independence Day travel period, Alabama State Troopers worked 18 traffic fatalities. They say many of those accidents are a result of fewer troopers on the road. Right now, Alabama has about 342 troopers on the highway, but they say they need 700 more.

How to Succeed as a First-time Supervisor

POLICE Magazine | … For those who aspire to become supervisors, your preparation for the test and process started the day you walked across the police academy stage. Those who wait to read the announcement for sergeant testing and only then start preparations will probably fail. Read the requirements ahead of time, as some may take some time and effort to meet.

How should you handle negative employee morale in corrections?

CorrectionsOne | In this episode of Tier Talk, Anthony Gangi discusses how to deal with staff members who have a negative view of the workplace. Listen in as he talks about being the voice for positive change and fighting through the negativity.

Heroes of Public Safety Highlight

We have not one, but three Hero Highlights this week!

Officers go above and beyond to help elderly woman in flooded house

PoliceOne | Three Moss Point police officers responded to a call for a busted water pipe at the home of an elderly couple early Thursday morning.

It’s not like police officers don’t do that sort of thing as part of their job to help the community. But in this case, they not only braved a spewing kitchen water pipe to turn it off, but they also stayed to clean up the mess.

Student who walked 20 miles to work helped by officers, gets new car

PoliceOne | An Alabama college student who walked 20 miles to work after his car broke down was gifted a new vehicle, and it all started after he was helped by a group of officers.

Off-duty Calif. deputy stops assault on woman

PoliceOne | The video – with more than 600 shares on Facebook as of Tuesday afternoon – showed a woman struggling to get out of the driver’s seat of a car as a man in the car wrapped his arm around her neck, choking her from behind. The incident occurred Monday in the Walmart shopping center on Harter Parkway. As the woman just manages to free herself, a man pointing a gun approaches and tells the suspect to get out of the car.

The Good Samaritan was an off-duty Sutter County sheriff’s deputy, Undersheriff Jeff Pierce said Tuesday.

By Jenny Donovan|2018-07-20T17:00:11-04:00July 20th, 2018|From Across the Web, News, Police-Community Relations, Recruitment, Resources, Succession Planning in Public Safety|Comments Off

Weekly Public Safety HR News Roundup – Friday, July 13, 2018

Headlines from around the web regarding hiring, assessment and other human resource issues in public safety.

Staffing concerns taking toll on Mo. prisons

CorrectionsOne

Gary Gross, director of the Missouri Corrections Officers Association, said inmate tensions are growing across the state over restrictions that stem from staff shortages, the News Tribune reported. Currently, there are about 700 open starting-level corrections officer positions statewide.

“In some institutions, they’re using non-correctional staff to work as corrections officers,” Gross said.

Baltimore Police assign 115 extra officers to patrol the streets in hopes of curbing overtime spending, crime

Baltimore Sun

Front-line patrol officers are regularly referred to as the “backbone” of the police department, but commanders have struggled to fill shifts, forcing them to draft officers into overtime work. That costs money and leaves officers exhausted.

The reassignments come as the City Council has announced plans to more carefully scrutinize the department’s overtime spending.

Yuma Police Department faces critical officer shortage

KYMA News

The Yuma Police Department is faced with a major police officer shortage after losing nearly 40 officers to higher-paying agencies over the last three years.

“We’re losing our officers to other agencies who are offering these incentives,” Chief John Lekan said. “Offering higher pay, unfortunately, maybe even offering a little more community.”

According to Chief Lekan, those losses have critically affected the Yuma Police Department.

Heroes of Public Safety Highlight

Star Spangled Summer Hero: police officers buy shoes for barefoot man

WBIR News

“When the initial call came in, they thought he was intoxicated. When I got up there, I realized he wasn’t under the influence. He didn’t have shoes. It was 90 plus degrees that day, so the ground was hot,” Gibson recalled.

Shoeless, friendless, and homeless, Gibson says the man said he was heading south where he heard the people were nicer. But, on that hot highway in Rogersville, he met one of the nicest.

By Jenny Donovan|2018-07-20T16:27:28-04:00July 13th, 2018|From Across the Web, News, Police-Community Relations, Recruitment, Resources|Comments Off