CITY OF FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF POLICE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROVIDED BY STRATEGIC GOVERNMENT RESOURCES
THE COMMUNITY Located on the Arkansas River at the Arkansas- Oklahoma border, scenic Fort Smith is where the New South meets the Old West. Covering just over 65 square miles, the City sits at the crossroads of Interstates 40 and 49 and US Highways 64 and 71 in Sebastian County. Fort Smith is the second largest city in the state and has a population of just over 88,000. This thriving community is a hub for commerce and boasts a diverse economy, a rich history, and a promising future. The U.S. Army established Fort Smith as a military outpost in 1817. The City was incorporated on December 24, 1842 and still has an active military presence with the Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center operated by the Arkansas National Guard and the 188th Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard. Steeped in Old West lore from books and films like True Grit to famous and infamous real-life characters like Belle Starr, Judge Isaac C. Parker, U.S. Deputy Marshall Bass Reeves, and the founder of the U.S. Army Rangers, General William O. Darby Fort Smith honors its colorful past while embracing development opportunities that will both preserve the uniqueness of the community and ensure its future growth. Forbes Magazine has named Fort Smith the number one city in America for cost of living and also highlighted the City for having the highestpaying tech jobs in the nation. The City is a regional economic center for a seven-county area in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The economy is diversified with numerous manufacturers, two major hospitals, many retail and entertainment centers, transportation companies, and corporate service/call centers. Fort Smith is headquarters for major national corporations including ArcBest Corporation (ABF Trucking), Baldor Electric (electric motors), and Rheem (heating, cooling, and water heating product manufacturing). The area offers a variety of unique cultural and recreational attractions for residents and visitors. Fort Smith is home to Arkansas s oldest symphony orchestra and the state s oldest continuously operating volunteer little theater. Other attractions include the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, the Museum of History, and the Western Arkansas Ballet. The City has completed a $10.9 million aquatics center, accomplished jointly with Sebastian County, and constructed ten new softball fields for tournament and league play. 2
THE COMMUNITY CONTINUED From parks and walking trails to the Parrot Island Water Park and the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center, the City offers outdoor activities for all ages. Fort Smith is also a gateway city for the beautiful Talimena Scenic Byway, which winds 54 miles along the crest of Rich Mountain and Winding Stair Mountain in the Ouachita National Forest. Fort Smith is served by the Fort Smith Public School District which is one of the largest districts in the state. It has 29 campuses and an enrollment of more than 14,000 pre-k-12 students. Eight of the district s elementary schools and all its secondary schools have earned honors as Arkansas Schools of Excellence. There are also several private schools in the area, including Immaculate Conception Elementary School, Christ the King Elementary School, St. Boniface Elementary School, First Lutheran Elementary School, the Montessori School of Fort Smith, Harvest Time Academy, Union Christian Academy, and Trinity Junior High. For those seeking higher education, the University of Arkansas has a Fort Smith campus. The University is part of the University of Arkansas System and offers 76 academic programs. Carl Albert State College, Northeastern State University, Webster University, and John Brown University are located within 60 miles of Fort Smith. The average effective property tax rate in Fort Smith is 0.634%. The City s median income is $36,777 and the average home price is $125,200. 3
GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATION Fort Smith s city government operates under the council-manager form of government. An elected Board of Directors establishes programs and policies. A professional City Administrator employed by the Board executes the Board s decisions and assists the Board with developing policy. Citizen involvement is important in Fort Smith. Many committees and commissions, including an audit committee, advise the Board of Directors. Carl E. Geffken assumed the role of City Administrator on May 9, 2016. Mr. Geffken previously served as Chief Operating Officer for Berks County, Pennsylvania, and City Manager for Reading, Pennsylvania. Fort Smith s City government has recently completed or is in the midst of several major projects and other initiatives. These include: Recent completion of fire service improvements, including a new fire station to preserve the City s very favorable fire insurance rating Construction of a $10.9 million aquatics center being accomplished jointly with Sebastian County Construction of ten new softball fields for tournament and league play Construction of the new Marshal s Museum MISSION: We are a unified team committed to consistently providing citizen focused services for the advancement of a thriving community. VISION: Providing WORLD CLASS SERVICES by: VALUING the contributions of every citizen and employee Being AGILE Being VALUES-BASED Being CONTINUOUS LEARNERS VALUES: INTEGRITY Always Absolute PROFESSIONALISM ACCESSIBILITY for All 4
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT The Fort Smith Police Department is a progressive, 21st century law enforcement agency made up of 151 sworn officers and 55 non-sworn staff members. The department is organized into three divisions: the Administrative Services Division, the Patrol Division, and the Criminal Investigations Division. Each division is led by a Major who reports to the Police Chief. The Administrative Services Division coordinates the efforts of all divisions and units within the Police Department and is comprised of the Office of the Police Chief, the Administrative Assistant to the Chief, the Office of Professional Standards, Evidence, Communications, Crime Analysis, Public Affairs, and Central Records. The Patrol Division consists of a variety of units. Uniformed officers provide round-the-clock police services throughout the City. The Community Oriented Policing Unit provides a police presence in neighborhoods through visibility and public interaction. The Reserve Officer Unit is a group of volunteer officers who provide assistance to full-time officers in the field by performing regular police duties as well as helping during special events. The SWAT Unit provides support in high-risk situations in addition to the normal duties of the officers involved. The Criminal Investigation Division consists of six separate units. Each unit is designed to handle investigations for specific types of crimes. The Crimes Against Persons Unit investigates assaults, rapes, and homicides. The Crimes Against Properties Unit investigates burglaries, thefts, and arson. The Special Investigation Unit includes the Cyber Investigation Unit which conducts investigations concerning online criminal activity. The Special Investigation Unit also includes the Juvenile and Family Violence Unit which investigates domestic violence, child abuse, and runaways, and an investigator who works sex offender registration. The Identification Unit is responsible for processing evidence as well as fingerprint detection and analysis. The Narcotic Unit is responsible for investigating the possession, sale, or manufacture of illicit controlled substances. The Street Crimes Unit investigates vice type crimes and addresses various quality of life issues, such as graffiti, as they arise within the City of Fort Smith. 5
ABOUT THE POSITION The Deputy Director of Police Administrative Services conducts managerial and administrative work functions associated with coordinating research, planning, and change management activities for the Police Department, including organizational structure/design, grant writing, equipment and facilities modernization, policy and procedure management, labor relations, contingency and interoperability planning, multijurisdictional plans and programs, alternative resourcing, strategic planning, program administration, budgeting, and direct management and oversight of investigative services. The Deputy Director of Police Administrative Services performs highly responsible professional and administrative work and reports to and consults with the Chief of Police in determining overall plans and guiding principles. The Deputy Director of Police Administrative Services also provides oversight of the Office of Professional Standards within the Fort Smith Police Department. Under the direction of the Chief of Police, the Office of Professional Standards provides an avenue for the citizens of Fort Smith to report improper police actions. The Professional Standards unit is charged with investigating those allegations of misconduct or other internal affairs matters as assigned by the Chief of Police. The Professional Standards unit exists to safeguard the high degree of integrity and professionalism required by the department s officers to provide the highest quality police services to the community and to maintain the public trust. IDEAL CANDIDATE The City of Fort Smith is seeking a Deputy Director of Police Administrative Services who is genuinely committed to the development of a strong customer service ethic, responsive to organizational needs, and open and honest in all internal and external relationships. The ideal candidate must be capable of managing highly complex issues in the context of an overall management team and must be actionoriented as well as open to change and innovation. 6
IDEAL CANDIDATE CONTINUED The chosen candidate must maintain a comprehensive, current knowledge of applicable laws and regulations and an awareness of new trends and advances in the profession. A candidate who will utilize best practices and foster an environment of continuous improvement and high performance is strongly desired. This position requires exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to effectively convey complex information to a variety of audiences. The Deputy Director of Police Administrative Services must be a highly ethical individual who is able to handle sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy and support a culture of accountability and transparency. The selected candidate must have the ability to build relationships, must be flexible, and must be able to work successfully in a team-oriented organization. This position requires a candidate with a high energy level capable of operating with significant independence and initiative and yet open to direction from the Police Chief. The chosen candidate must be politically savvy but never political with the ability to work collaboratively and cooperatively with internal and external stakeholders to meet organizational goals. This is a position of public trust, and the selected individual s personal integrity and ethics must be beyond reproach. The Deputy Director of Police Administrative Services must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. Extensive management, strategic planning, and budgetary experience must be evident in the background of the successful candidate. Experience with labor relations and grant writing is essential. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE The selected candidate must hold a bachelor s degree in criminal justice, public administration, or a related field; a master s degree is strongly preferred. Additionally, three years of previous experience and/or training that includes law enforcement administration, grant writing and administration, alternative funding management, planning, tactical operations, budgetary oversight, and research work is required. Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the prerequisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job will be considered. 7
COMPENSATIONAND BENEFITS The salary range for this civilian position is $57,574 to $90,563 DOQ/E. The City of Fort Smith offers a competitive benefits package, a retirement plan through ICMA-RC, and offers a car allowance of $450 per month. Reasonable relocation expense reimbursement is available. APPLICATION PROCESS Please apply online at: http://bit.ly/sgrcurrentsearches For more information on this position contact: Gary Holland, Senior Vice President Strategic Government Resources GaryHolland@governmentresource.com 405-269-3445 The City of Fort Smith is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. Applicants selected as finalists for this position will be subject to a comprehensive background check. RESOURCES City of Fort Smith fortsmithar.gov Follow Us Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce fortsmithchamber.org Go Downtown Fort Smith downtownfs.com