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Minutes-050207 MINUTES Call to Order Attendance/Roll Call The meeting was called to order by Chair Tanick at 7:03 PM. Present at the meeting were Commissioners Gloria Kumagai, Marshall Tanick, Bruce Peterson; and staff members Bob Hernz, Roger Johnson, and Amanda Johnson. Approval of Agenda Hernz advised of a correction to the agenda. Item #5, Approval of Minutes- “Revised” should be omitted after “Monday, May 24, 2004.” Peterson moved to make additions to the agenda. Dispatch Agreement and Hennepin County Cold Case Investigation were added as items #4 and #5 under Director’s Report. The additions to the agenda were unanimously approved. Opening Comments Chair Tanick stated it has been a privilege to serve as Chair for the past year and he appreciates the help he’s received from staff and Commissioners. Approval of Minutes Kumagai moved to approve the minutes of the May 24, 2004 meeting, seconded by Tanick. Approved. Staffing Projections for 2005 and Beyond Hernz advised the department is now fully staffed with police officers, following approximately three years of vacancies. Peterson inquired how the shortages were compensated for and Hernz advised officers worked many overtime hours. Hernz stated two CSO positions were cut in 2003, resulting in a diminished response to animal complaints. He has looked into contracting out for animal control services; however, this would be costly and the City would receive better service if CSOs continued to oversee animal issues. Currently, the Department is fully staffed with 6 CSOs. Hernz reported four new Police Reserves will be starting this year. The unit’s staffing goal is 15 reserves, but currently has approximately 10. Tanick inquired how to attract potential reserves and Hernz commented that one of the keys to recruiting and retaining quality reserves involved the ability to provide reserves with meaningful projects and activities. Roger Johnson advised recruiting is done well currently for the Police Reserves. Hernz stated five officers will be turning 50 this year, making them eligible for PERA retirement benefits. He has explored with the city manager the possibility of providing incentives for officers to give earlier notice of their retirement; i.e. more sick leave, etc. Currently, officers are required to give a two-week notice of their intent to retire, which makes it difficult to plan for vacancies. If a hiring process is conducted too early many of the candidates are hired by other agencies before a vacancy opens up in the Department. Approval of Addition to Police Officer Eligibility Register Roger Johnson reviewed the Officer Eligibility Register, stating that David Kuhnly is now eligible to be licensed and is at the top of the list with a score of 93. He recommended approval of this addition to the register. Peterson clarified that the eligibility register with an origination date of 05/24/04 was being updated. Tanick moved to approve this addition to the Eligibility Register, seconded by Kumagai. The update to the May 24, 2004 Eligibility Register was unanimously approved. Election of Police CSC Officers In accordance with state law, which states the member in the last year of their term shall be Chair of the Commission, Bruce Peterson will serve as Chair during the coming year. Peterson moved to elect Tanick as the secretary, seconded by Kumagai. Motion carried and Tanick was elected secretary. Director’s Report Crime Trends (Handout Distributed) Hernz presented crimes reports with year-end totals; showing serious crimes remained steady in 2004. Residential burglaries rose from 60 in 2003 to 78 in 2004; however, Hernz stated the numbers are still relatively low. It is difficult to know the reason for the increase; a possible reason may be due to the unemployment rate. Motor vehicle crash trends were also presented. The number of crashes decreased in 2004, most likely due to the completion of the construction project on Hwy. 100 at I-394. Technology Update Hernz advised the department has experienced the most significant change in technology in the past 6 months that it has seen in over 20 years. New systems have been implemented for CAD, officers’ mobile computers and records. Electronic reports are now being distributed instead of paper copies. New document imaging software will also be implemented within a couple weeks. Peterson asked if there continued to be concern over Data Privacy issues relating to the sharing of data between law enforcement agencies. Hernz advised that law enforcement now recognizes the need to pursue data sharing opportunities with other agencies, even though there has continued to be concerns raised by some state legislators. MJNO was a system designed to share records information with surrounding agencies; however, the program was shut down as a result of a legislator’s prior arrest information being discovered. 2005 Department Work Plan (Handout Distributed) Hernz advised that the department budget includes the purchase of a Taser for each officer. Officers will be trained not only in the use of the Taser, but will also receive significant training in dealing with the mentally ill. Peterson asked why officers need to each have a Taser, and Hernz advised officers need to have Tasers more readily available if a situation requires one be used; rather than waiting for an equipped officer to respond to assist. In addition, the Tasers will last longer if each officer is responsible for their individual equipment. Tanick inquired about the cost of the Tasers and Hernz advised they are approximately $800.00 each. Hernz reported the Department will be sending Sgt. Denny Arons to the FBI Academy this year. The last sergeant was sent approximately ten years ago. Tanick asked how the selection process is handled by the FBI and Roger Johnson stated a department makes a nomination and is placed on a waiting list. He stated the size of a department factors into the selection process as well. Hernz advised of the formation of the Labor Management Committee through the help of the Bureau of Mediation Services. This committee was designed to help staff better communicate internally and help resolve issues that arose during the contract negation process. Hernz stated the Department is also exploring ways to help develop future leaders for the agency as there will be vacancies in key positions within a few years. Roger Johnson advised longer training courses may be made available in 2006 or 2007. Peterson asked if the Department could partner with other cities to train personnel for administrative positions and Hernz stated it would be best handled by an outside company or trainer. Dispatch Agreement Hernz stated Golden Valley, St. Louis Park, Richfield and Brooklyn Center were involved in a study of a possible partnership for dispatch services. In the end, Richfield decided to remain independent and Brooklyn Center decided to join Hennepin County Dispatch. Golden Valley will be negotiating a contract with St. Louis Park within 4-6 weeks, which will cover at least another 5 years. Peterson asked if the new records system software was compatible with Hennepin County and Hernz advised it was not. Tanick asked if the dispatch agreement would allow for other cities to join in and Hernz stated it would be similar to the agreement currently in place. Hennepin County Cold Case Investigation Hernz advised in the summer of 2004 Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office assisted in re-examining two homicide cases from 1995 and 1996. However, no new information was developed and those cases remain unsolved. Envision Discussion (Handout Distributed) Tanick presented the Commission mission pertaining to Envisionand the Connection Project. Regarding the hiring of “visionary” candidates, Peterson suggested posing particular questions to new hires in order to help identify candidates who “think outside the box.” Hernz stated he and Roger Johnson meet with new officers and discuss the culture of the community as well as expectations, but the discussion could be more formalized. Hernz stated a candidate’s past behavior in situations is the best indicator for future success. Peterson advised the candidates could be questioned as to how they will contribute to department goals, etc., how they will explore potential conflicts, and how they will contribute to moving the Department and the City ahead. Tanick stated candidates should be evaluated on a forward-looking approach that will positively impact the organization. Tanick also stated the Commission would like ideas of the Golden Valley Police Department put into writing by 04/01/05. Regarding the expansion of police-community involvement, Peterson recommended taking a fresh look at current relations to see how they could be improved. Hernz stated the Virtual Block Club should be up and running by the end of February and the technology will help the Department communicate better with the community. Tanick gave an example of designating neighborhoods by name. Hernz expressed concern of losing participation in Neighborhood Watch if topics other then crime and safety are introduced. Peterson stated the Commission members want to be used as a resource to help create a dialogue in discussing and exploring the best practices in policing. The Commission feels such an initiative would be consistent with the visionary intentions of the City of Golden Valley. The Commission does understand its formal versus informal role and responsibilities attendant to police department personnel and operational matters. Other Business Council Member Paula Pentel is now the Police CSC council representative. Closing Comments Chair Tanick stated he enjoys his continued tenure on the Commission and feels a lot of ground has been covered. Peterson thanked the Department for its diligence in 2004, and stated it is not easy work. He encouraged partnership with the Envision/Connection initiatives and stated it would benefit the Department as well as the community. Kumagai stated she enjoyed her ride-along with Officer Huber and would like to do another one this summer. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 PM. Respectfully submitted, Bruce Peterson, Secretary