Strategic Plan

The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office Strategic Plan is designed to be an evolving document, constantly reviewed, updated, and brought into line with the desires of the community. It is a culmination of a series of exercises all designed to ensure that the vision, mission, and objectives of the agency are successfully achieved.

The plan ensures that the elements within this document are understood, supported, and reflect the wishes of the community. An outgrowth of this process is the enhanced ability to effectively manage resources, provide accountability through measured results, and adjust to change.

Successful planning requires the fortitude to change course when opportunities and community demands arise. Ultimately, it is the planning process itself that keeps the agency focused on what it wishes to accomplish and the best route to get there. This product consists of three interrelated exercises:

1. CITIZEN SURVEY

A community survey will be accomplished on an annual basis. The citizen survey results well demonstrated how the community rated the Sheriff’s Office in recommending need for improvement to excellent.

2. INTERNAL SURVEY

This segment of the plan focuses upon the most defining element of an organization – the employees. This survey attempts to gain insight from employees about their recommendations and suggestions for improvement, to advance and ultimately determine what obstacles we face to achieve our goals.

3. FISCAL PLANNING

As diverse as ideas may be, funding will ultimately determine the level of services that the organization can provide. Innovation, the detection of grants and other funding mechanisms must be aggressively explored.

This document articulates the goals that the agency plans to accomplish over the next year. Most importantly, it is designed to be an overview for the agency as a whole, allowing us all to work together developing strategies and objectives that support the plan. In the most basic sense, it is the roadmap for our future.

METHODOLOGY

At the core of the Strategic Plan are a variety of steps, all designed to assist the organization in keeping our eyes on the horizon. Each objective is discussed and a definition or an explanation of the objective is provided. A performance indicator will be articulated and defined, as will target dates by which we hope to accomplish the task. Most importantly, numerous strategies will be employed, all designed to ensure success.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office is to provide the community a safe environment with professional quality police service through positive interaction with its citizens.

What we seek to do and to become is at the core of the mission statement. A mission statement also allows us to maintain direction, eliminate complacency, and remain focused on our goals.

The primary purpose (mission) of the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office is to maintain social order within prescribed ethical and constitutional limits, while providing professional law enforcement services. To attain this goal, the Agency enforces the law in a fair and impartial manner, recognizing both the statutory and judicial limitations of police authority and the constitutional rights of all persons. The Agency recognizes that no law enforcement agency can operate at its maximum potential without supportive input from the citizens it serves. The Agency actively solicits and encourages the cooperation of all citizens to reduce and limit the opportunities for crime and to facilitate the maximum use of resources.

A. Protection of Life and Property
To provide services that contribute to the preservation of life, the protection of property, and the safety of the community.

B. Prevention, Detection and Investigation of Criminal Activity
To prevent crime through aggressive patrol that limits the opportunity for a crime to occur, and through education of citizens that reduces the likelihood of them becoming victims. To provide a thorough, appropriate and efficient investigation of criminal activities.

C. Apprehension of Offenders
To provide for the expeditious and prudent apprehension of suspected violators of the law, regardless of his status in the community, by thorough, appropriate, and efficient investigations.

D. Maintenance of Public Order
To maintain peace and public order. To assist during times of natural and technological occurrences or disasters.

E. Recovery of Property
To secure and maintain an inventory of all property, evidence, lost and recovered or stolen property being held by law enforcement agency; thereby ensuring that all property and evidence is available when needed.

OBJECTIVES

The Sheriff’s Office objectives involve five separate divisions of operation which include Administration, Detective Division, Patrol Division, Jail Operations, and 911 Communications. Each of these operations have proposed goals for the current year.

Setting objectives for the Agency converts the mission of the organization into targets and performance milestones. They represent a commitment to producing specific results in a specified time frame.

• • Improve the quality of law enforcement services
• • Reduce the incidents of crime
• • Provide a safe, efficient traffic flow on the roadways of Catoosa County
• • Improve services for citizens
• • Implement new technology to improve service

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Sheriff’s Office Administration

Goal #1: Better document citizen encounters and interaction with inmates for officer and citizen safety and improved prosecution.

Strategy: Purchase body cameras to be utilized in Enforcement and Detention and purchase car cameras with the body cameras for frontline patrol cars. Video storage will be cloud based for better retention and ease of use.

Goal #2: Coordinate and provide security and traffic control for COVID-19 Vaccine Points of Distribution.

Strategy: In conjunction with Emergency Management, we will develop traffic and security plans for points of vaccine distribution and coordinate with local law enforcement agencies to provide the resources needed.

Goal #3: Develop team strategies to encourage divisions to help support each other in these trying times with COVID.

Strategy: Due to COVID some divisions staff have been challenged more than others at different times. Working with Division Commanders and Shift Supervisors we will cover shortages and provide support by sharing resources (manpower) across Divisions when needed so not to overwork any one Division.

Uniformed Patrol Division

Goal #1: Enhance cases and case reports by utilizing upgraded technology.

Strategy: With the agency’s updated technology base, i.e., new RMS/CAD, in-car and body worn cameras, and tablets, the UPD will begin a more aggressive campaign to provide better cases for prosecution.

Goal #2: Provide supervisors with the opportunity to work on the divisional level to have a better understanding of the agency administrative functions.

Strategy: Each supervisor will be given time to work with the division commander or a division level leader to assist the supervisor so they will have a better understanding of the administrative duties that affect the Agency and County as a whole. This would build better leaders and enable the supervisor to better answer the front-line employee’s questions.

Goal #3: Implement a drone unit for unusual occurrences.

Strategy: Check for grants or other opportunities to purchase a drone. Look at policies that will be consistent with the FAA guidelines, federal, and state laws. Identify deputies who will obtain FAA part 107 licenses.

Criminal Investigations Division

Goal #1: The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) will become more proactive in the area of gang investigations and gang intelligence.

Strategy: To achieve this goal, CID will work with other local, state, and/or federal agencies to increase the information and intelligence sharing involving gang activity. CID will ensure additional training in the area of gang investigations is provided to the crime suppression unit. The crime suppression unit will partner with other agencies such as Probation/Parole to conduct proactive investigations with known gang members.

Goal #2: The Criminal Investigations Division will create a community information team to host classes to discuss identified community issues.

Strategy: To achieve this goal, CID will create a team of investigators which will research the community issues and then host classes in their areas of expertise. Each class will be on different community topics. The team will utilize the RMS system, social networks, and other sources to identify the community’s issues.

Goal #3: The Criminal Investigations Division will research obtaining a Cannabis Analyzer to test THC levels of marijuana for court prosecution.

Strategy: To achieve this goal, the Criminal Investigations Division will price and investigate cannabis testing machines. The machine would aid in identification between hemp and illegal marijuana.

Detention Division

Goal #1: Complete Human Capital and Implementation Plans for new Work Release Facility.

Strategy: A detailed implementation plan for the new facility including the description of the levels, sentencing, requirements, testing, etc. will be established to ensure that all planning has been completed for the new facility. A human capital plan will be completed and finalized, outlining the positions needed to make the new facility viable for opening and success.

Goal #2: Upgrade security camera infrastructure in division.

Strategy: Partner with a security consultant and begin a feasibility study to address replacing and upgrading of DVR’s and cameras throughout the jail by identifying outdated equipment.

Goal #3: Manufacture and Install ladders for beds.

Strategy: Due to certain medical conditions and body sizes, many inmates are assigned to bottom bunks or portable bunks causing housing locations to be difficult to find. Ladders will be added to predetermined rooms. By adding ladders, it will help officers in determining where an inmate can be housed who would otherwise meet the criteria of being housed on bottom locations.