A local deputy chief explains the police department's "road map" for the next few years.
The Tracy Police Department is updating its strategic plan, which will help the department be more efficient and effective over the next three to five years.
Our strategic-planning effort is designed to achieve and maintain positive links between our organization’s goals and Tracy’s changing social landscape. It also allows our department to establish a vision for the future. We will develop well-defined objectives and strategies to accomplish our goals. Given the financial challenges facing the city for the immediate future, the strategic plan serves as a “roadmap” to ensure prudent resource allocation and budget planning.
A strategic plan is a “living document” that establishes what we commit to do, how we intend to do it and how we will measure progress and success. As a living document, this plan will change and adapt to the social landscape to help the department adjust when necessary so we can provide the best service possible. Generally, the police department’s operational goal is to make sure that we are a proactive, “problem solving” organization. To do this effectively, we have to continuously examine how we do business and deliver services to our community.
The police department’s previous plan was based primarily on our own internal priorities. That internal work was important, because it allowed for organization-wide participation and involvement. It gave our staff, the people who deal with the public on a daily basis, a chance to have a say in how the department should operate and to participate in the organization’s development. It provided an opportunity for them to have a say in their work and improve morale and productivity.
While the prior plan was an excellent, it was based upon the vision, the circumstances and the priorities that existed in 2002. Our 2008 Strategic Plan will incorporate community input. It will be responsive to goals of the citizens of Tracy, our peers and partners throughout the city, and the City Council. The updated plan will identify our mission, vision, strategic priorities, objectives and strategies.
The chief of police and the entire command staff (deputy chief, captain and lieutenants) are responsible for leading the implementation of the strategic plan. The department’s rank and file will be responsible for its successful development and implementation. Members of the police department, drawn from our various work groups and disciplines, are participating again as well. We intend to craft a document that will build upon our accomplishments and enhance our ability to deliver matchless service through clearly definable goals and performance measurements. It will reflect a commitment to our employees to develop their abilities and skills to ensure that our core values of “Service, Excellence, and Integrity” are exemplified in the entire spectrum of police services.
Our first steps in the planning process are in progress. We have distributed both the internal surveys for our staff and external surveys for Tracy residents. We are still looking for more community input. We are holding community meetings to gain additional input from interested parties and to establish community support for our organizational direction. We anticipate completing this project in the early fall. I wholeheartedly invite all Tracy residents to participate in this effort.
• Deputy Chief Rick Golphin is a 21-year law enforcement veteran. Before joining Tracy Police Department, he served 19 years with the city of Oakland. He is a 25-year U.S. Coast Guard reserve officer and a board member for the Tracy Boys & Girls Clubs.
At a glance
• WHAT: Next public forum with Tracy Police Department
• WHEN: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday
• WHERE: North Elementary School, 2875 Holly Drive
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