Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/74973
UP-CLOSE: POLICE MANAGEMENT Personnel Early Warning Systems SUMMARY Personnel Early Warning Systems (EWS) help correct personnel problems before they become major issues, building trust and support from the community. PERSONNEL EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR SMALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES By Paul Schultz P Every department should have a Personnel EWS. Do the traffic stops include an unusually high number of teenage girls? Or other inappropriate patterns? ersonnel Early Warning Systems (EWS) first appeared in 1981 when the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights recommended all law enforcement agencies have an early warning system. Among the first perma- nent early warning systems were systems found in the po- lice departments in Kansas City, Mo. (1972), Miami Dade County, Fla. (1980), Los Angeles Police Department (1991) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (1992). The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) requires law enforcement agencies of all sizes have an early warning system to be certified. The liability watch words for police admin are, of course, "you know or should have known." From the police admin view, the EWS documents if you looked for problems and when you saw them, you tried to fix them. Importantly, EWS saves careers – not ends them. An effective and efficient Personnel Early Warning Sys- tem is also something the department should make the community aware of. Being able to correct personnel prob- lems when they are small, and before they become a major 48 LAW and ORDER I July 2012 July 2012 issue, will build trust and support from the community. (This will help extend the tenure of the Chief of Police.) Additional benefits from an effective Personnel Early Warn- ing System include: 1) improved officer performance, 2) re- duction in number and severity of citizen complaints, 3) more accountability from first line supervisors, 4) problem employees leaving the agency, 5) improved morale, 6) reduction in lawsuits and department liability, and 7) identify training needs. Leading By Legacy A current leadership philosophy is the concept of Leading by Legacy. The concept is, "How do you want to be remembered?" Specifically, what have you created in your law enforcement agency that will stand the test of time, that will make the agency better, stronger and more effective? The development and imple- mentation of a Personnel Early Warning System is one of the best ways to do this. The creation of a Personnel Early Warning Sys- tem will not only make the agency better in many regards, it will also create a positive, long-lasting legacy for the Chief of Police who implements it. Smaller agencies might find it a daunting task to develop and then administer a formal early warning system. Yet the benefits of such systems, and consequences for not having them, matter just as much in a smaller department as a larger one. The EWS