Animated Awesomeness
If you haven’t seen the new video featuring our police assessment products, then you’re missing out on pure animated awesomeness!
Want to know more about IPMA-HR’s line of police assessment products? Visit us online!
Want to see the best videos ever?
They may not be of a baby panda sneezing, but they’re still pretty awesome! Take a few minutes to check out our new “everything you wanted to know about IPMA-HR’s assessment products in two minutes” video and our new “everything you wanted to know about IPMA-HR’s fire service products in just over a minute” video. You won’t regret it. We promise, it’s better than “CATS.”
The 2019-2020 Catalog is Available!
Woohoo! The new Assessment Services catalog is available online for viewing — or download your very own copy! What’s new? SO MUCH! I can’t even tell you how cool it is. You really should see for yourself.
Well, okay, here’s a sneak peak: new tests (paging Public Works …), new services (I can take my test from where?!), new and updated publications (setting that passpoint like a pro now!) and new ways to communicate with you (your awesome sense of humor is now available on social media?!) — oh, my!
Check it out! Tell your friends! Tell your dog! Tell your friends and your dog. It’s that awesome.
Public Safety Voices | Sheriff Ty Trenary
Creativity is key to meeting the challenges we face.
We’re facing four major challenges – all equally big. First, we’re one of the top five fastest growing counties in the country, and we’re having a hard time keeping up with that growth. We’re not currently staffed appropriately to provide the level of service we’d like to. Most days it feels like we’re throwing mud on the wall and seeing what sticks. We’re working with other elected officials on growth, helping them see why we need add staff, but it has been and continues to be a serious challenge.
We also police the transit system. Plus, a new commercial airport is set to open where Boeing is, and we have to police that also. We have got to staff up to these changes, and it’s been a challenge, especially in the current climate. We’ve had to become a lot of more engaged with the community and connect with youth.
Then come the big three: mental illness, homelessness, and the opioid crisis. All three affect how we manage policing. We’re constantly thinking about how to keep everyone safe and in the loop. These issues create challenges that force us to look beyond traditional policing. How do we retool ourselves?
We’re in the midst of a public health crisis: 60-70 percent of our inmate pop have reported metal illness in the last five years. The Snohomish County Jail isn’t staffed for or designed to be a mental health hospital. We can’t use the jail in this way. People aren’t getting the help they need. We can’t make them healthy and are thus sending them back out with same issues. We’ve enhanced our medical staff, brought in outside vendors, we use Facetime for therapy with outside providers, and partnered with the state to bring folks in part-time. But the state is backlogged.
And there’s the opioid crisis. Over 90 percent of our homeless population is suffering from an addiction or mental health issue. Some of our deputies are partnered with social workers, and they’re going out to homeless camps to try to figure out who needs help with addiction and get them treatment.
This is a nationwide crisis that’s on everyone’s mind; everyone wants to talk about it, and it’s going to be here for a while. The thing I’m proud of are the changes we’ve made: a pair of handcuffs and a trip to jail doesn’t work with this crisis. It won’t get us out of this. People say “take them to jail” all the time, but when we give people a hand up, we connect with them, we get them help, they’re not in our system anymore.
Ours is the one business that doesn’t want repeat customers. It’s not fair that we have to fix it, but nontraditional methods are working. We’re trying to be creative as we can. I deal with a lot of people — good families — who are dealing with this. These are human beings. We don’t choose who we protect and serve, it’s everybody.
Over 30 years in law enforcement has taught me a lot.
I’m getting ready to start my 32nd year in this profession. Back when I joined the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy, I was chosen to be part of a community policing program. My experience with that program is something that has stuck with me and set me on a path toward working very closely with the community. I learned a lot from it. For example, I learned the importance of saying, “I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have done that.” And I’ve learned the importance of sitting with people and working together to find solutions.
Our motto is “community first,” and it’s the defining value of my career.
We understand our role as law enforcement; it’s a very honorable but contentious task.
If there’s one thing I’d like the people of Snohomish County to know about our job, it’s that we understand our role. We’re very fortunate to live in a community that supports law enforcement, and in turn we work really, really hard to reduce crime and be engaged in the community.
Every single day we work to engage and connect — and take our lumps when we need to. We don’t ever lose sight of that. Our is a very honorable but contentious task, and we have to be compassionate in everything we do.
-Sheriff Trenary, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Washington
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.