What is "policing the Olympia way” all about?

The Olympia Police Department believes that protection of lives and property, maintenance of public order and the fostering of a feeling of safety are the mutual responsibility of the Department and the community.  The Department also believes that proper police authority is derived from the community, within the context of codified law, not imposed on it.  This philosophical approach to policing is popularly known as "community policing.”

For community policing to be practically applied, it needs to be defined in a manner that reflects community values, priorities and realities.  Olympia’s working definition of community policing is the award-winning, citizen-developed policing chapter (Chapter 13) of it’s Comprehensive Plan. The Department refers to that tailored-to-Olympia approach to policing as “policing the Olympia way.”

Department employees are the community's law enforcement professionals.  They are supported by public funds with the expectation that they will:  maintain a level of readiness to deal with public emergencies that others in the community are not expected to maintain;  accept risks that others in the community are not equipped to assume; model good citizenship;  maintain a professional level of current knowledge and skill in the field of public safety and crime prevention; exercise the best in judgment with regard to maintaining community safety and individual rights; demonstrate outstanding interpersonal skills; and demonstrate solid leadership in community organization and problem-solving.  Department employees work within the framework of a set of General Orders that define the core values, policies and practices of the organization.

The Department strives to provide Olympia citizens with the best law enforcement service available at a reasonable cost.  This is accomplished by hiring employees who possess the knowledge, skills and commitment to successfully carry out the City's and Department's philosophy and mission, and by providing those employees with an organizational environment that is innovative, professionally rewarding and conducive to producing the high quality of service the community expects.

Mutual trust between citizens and police is a cornerstone of effective law enforcement.  For OPD, one element in creating that trust is being very open with the public about the way we do business.  That's why we have the policing chapter of the Comprehensive Plan and our manual of rules and regulations right here on our web site for anyone to view.  Our feeling is that the more you know about your police department the more comfortable you can be interacting with our employees and the more confidence you can have in our ability to do our job effectively.


What are the Department's Mission and Values?

Mission

The Olympia Police Department is community centered, ethically grounded, and accountable for the protection of life, property and individual rights.

• identifying and apprehending those who violate the law;
• maintaining a safe and civil community environment;
• treating people equitably and with respect for individual rights;
• being sensitive and responsive to community needs;
• being accountable to the community for sound use of resources and reasonable, ethical behavior;
• using analytical thinking and innovative methods to resist crime and solve community problems; and
• fostering community sustainability by encouraging active citizen participation in community safety.

 
What services does the Department provide?

The Olympia Police Department operates three primary programs – Policing Services, Corrections Services and Public Safety Enhancement Services.  Each of the programs employs specific strategies developed for the efficient and effective delivery of services.

Policing Services Program

The Policing Services Program is responsible for carrying out the law enforcement services the City is mandated to provide by State law.  These services include the enforcement of all criminal and traffic laws within the municipal boundaries of the City.  While the most visible elements of the Policing Services Program are those done by uniformed officers out in the community, the Program also involves both civilian and commissioned staff doing the full range of investigative, administrative, record-keeping and support tasks that are required to fulfill the Department’s legal obligations and provide Olympia residents with top quality police services.

Corrections Services Program

The Corrections Services Program is responsible for ensuring that the City meets its legal mandate to provide for the incarceration of misdemeanor offenders.  To that end, the City operates a 28-bed, short-term municipal jail and contracts with other providers for longer-term service.  The Corrections Services Program also works closely with the Olympia Municipal Court and Olympia Probation Department to assure that alternatives to incarceration are appropriately used.

Public Safety Enhancement Services Program

The Public Safety Enhancement Services Program includes a variety of activities that contribute to the overall mission of the Department, but which are not mandated by law.  The Program includes a dynamic and vigorous volunteer unit, support for community events, security alarm response and a Police Explorer youth program.  The Department’s crime prevention and crime resistance efforts are all built on a foundation of self-help activities staffed by citizen volunteers.


How is the Department organized?

Functional organizational chart

Office of the Chief

Field Operations Division

Support Services Division

Administrative Services Division


How are Department employees held accountable?

An important element in earning and maintaining community trust is holding officers and other employees to high standards of integrity, behavior and service (see General Orders 1.1 and 26.1).  When citizens have complaints about service or treatment from employees, OPD thoroughly investigates every complaint.  Olympia has developed a very sophisticated system for handling complaints about police employees that involves independent review at two levels (see General Order 52.1).  The purpose for having such a system is to provide citizens with as much assurance as is practically possible that they get a fair shake when they have a problem with one of the Department's employees.
 
On the management level, investigations of complaints about serious misconduct are conducted by a Professional Standards Lieutenant who works directly for the Chief of Police.  Those investigations are subject to active review and oversight by an independent attorney (i.e., not a City employee).  The attorney actually participates in the investigation process and has the authority to direct additional work, as needed, to assure that finished cases are thorough, complete and fair, and that the rights of all parties are respected and protected.

On the policy-making level, the City Council employs a Police Auditor who reviews all completed complaint investigations involving use of force, civil rights violations and other allegations of serious misbehavior, plus a random selection of complaint investigations about service.  The Auditor's job is to look with a critical eye at investigations and report directly to the City Council about any instances in which a police complaint investigation is not up to the community's expectations.  The Auditor makes regular reports to the City Council.  If you'd like to read those reports, click here.  


How does the Department measure effectiveness?

The Department has developed an extensive set of performance goals that it uses to make sure the police resources you pay for with your taxes are being used to produce the maximum benefit in terms of law enforcement services to the community.  The data we develop is also used to help us accurately anticipate future policing needs in the City.  In turn, that same data helps the City Council do informed budget planning to provide the community with policing resources that meet demands for service.

We currently track 34 different performance elements.  The elements measure both input (workload) and output (effectiveness).  Taken as a whole, they paint a quantified picture of overall Department performance.  Each month, Department supervisors and managers meet to review the data, identify and analyze community problems, develop and evaluate strategies to address those problems, and assess how effectively our resources are being deployed.  "Policing the Olympia way" involves being thoughtful, directed, data driven and creative.  To make sure we stay true to that path, we hold each other accountable for doing our respective parts to keep Olympia a great, safe place to live, work and play.       


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