2015 THOMASVILLE POLICE ANNUAL REPORT The GOLD STANDARD IN LAW ENFORCEMENT CALEA The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies P a g e 1
Our Mission We create and deliver exceptional service to our community through a culture of safety, courtesy, professionalism and efficiency. Our Vision An innovative organization exceeding community expectations Our Values Teamwork We are a diverse group of individuals working together to serve the community. Respect We will be humble and will treat each other the way we want to be treated. P a g e 2
Integrity We are honest, fair and accountable for our actions. Innovation We reward creativity and imagination that improves service. Service We are proud of our community and strive to serve with excellence. Customer Service Standards As an organization, the City of Thomasville is committed to delivering outstanding customer service through key customer service standards related to gracious problem solving, attentiveness, verbal skills and attitude. Our staff pledges to: P a g e 3
Serve customers with care, courtesy and professionalism. Make customers feel important and appreciated. Be good listeners when speaking with our customers. Show empathy to our customers concerns. Work cooperatively with fellow team members to assure quality service delivery. Be considerate, honest, fair and accountable for our actions. P a g e 4
Message FROM THE Chief of Police Chief Troy Rich 2015 was a very exciting and challenging year for the Thomasville Police Department. One of our main goals was to successfully pass our 9 th CAELA accreditation. This year, we further challenged ourselves to strive for the Gold Standard Accreditation award which involves a more comprehensive on-site visit by the CALEA assessor. The gold standard assessment not only requires file reviews, but also in-depth interviews with the organization staff and the community by the assessor to determine if the department is actually doing what we say we are doing. I am proud to report that on November 15, 2015, we were awarded with our 9 th re-accreditation and also met our goal to achieve the Gold Standard in Excellence designation. According to CALEA, an accredited agency must follow a great number of directives, including: 1. Developing a comprehensive and uniform set of written directives; 2. Providing detailed reports and analyses so that fact-based and informed management decisions can be made; and 3. Improving the agency s relationship with the community. If, by doing the previously mandated standards, an agency should be able to do the following: 1. Strengthen the agency s accountability, both within the agency and the community, through standards that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities; P a g e 5
2. Limit an agency s liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates that recognized standards are being used consistently; and 3. Facilitate the agency s pursuit of professional excellence. Due to these high standards and expectations, a CALEA certified agency is a cut above the others and is also recognized as one who implements best practices for their organization and community. Since the Thomasville Police Department employs these best practices, the strong relationships that have been developed within our community over the last 20 years have allowed us to weather the current issues facing our profession in today s society. In August of 2014, Ferguson, Missouri experienced a difficult situation within their community. The community lost trust in their police department and an explosion of riots took place. This event sent shock waves throughout the country and law enforcement agencies braced for the impact within their communities. Since CALEA mandates police agencies develop trust and transparency within their community by implement community policing initiatives, we did not experience the national issues in Thomasville. The efforts of our department to build a strong foundation of trust over the years have provided us stability in our community. I personally want to thank Chief John Perry whose leadership in 1987 initiated the CALEA standards for the Thomasville Police Department. I also want to personally thank Chief David Huckstep and Chief Ellis Jackson for their continued leadership in ensuring we maintained our CALEA certification during their tenures as Chief of Police. As the current Police Chief, it is my position that we will never lower our standards; we will continue to maintain these high CALEA standards and also continue to implement best practices for our organization and community. I am committed to looking for new ways that we can strengthen our relationships within our community while also continuing to set the bar for excellence in law enforcement. P a g e 6
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Police Operations division Major Shane Harris 2016 Patrol Division Annual Report Patrol, the agency s first responders, is made up of four watches. Each watch is commanded by a lieutenant and supervised by a sergeant with a maximum of 8 officers per shift. Officers within the patrol division are divided into zones in order to cover the city s 14.9 square miles. The current manpower assigned to Patrol is 43 members. The teams within the Patrol Division work 12 hour shifts and alternate between the day shift and night shift every four months. The Patrol division s major focus is crime reduction. Officers can only meet this goal through the community policing philosophy. This philosophy allows officers to build relationships with residents while being attuned to community fears thus allowing officers the ability to respond more effectively to our citizen concerns. This philosophy is the core principal of every officer. Some other duties of the Patrol Division are: taking reports for crimes and accidents, directing traffic, traffic enforcement and acting as escorts for businesses and funeral processions. P a g e 8
In order to effectively respond to a wide variety of calls, each watch is supported by K-9 and Bike team officers. Each patrol supervisor initiated several team goals along with departmental goals in an effort to promote a safe and secure community. Officers also participated in charity fund raising events. These proceeds are distributed back among disadvantaged citizens of Thomas County. Some of the patrol division s accomplishments are; Developing and implementing neighborhood watch groups which focus on reducing citizen crimes. Implementation of Mobile Watch Investigating misdemeanor crimes Neighborhood Improvement Projects (C.O.R.E) Child Seat Safety Traffic safety road checks Youth mentoring programs Conducting underage alcohol buy operations Conducting undercover prostitution operations Department sanctioned charity events Participation in the annual Shop with a Cop program 1 st Annual Pastors Use of Force Summit Reducing crime and promoting a high quality of life for all citizens is the patrol division s main function. The police department embraces the idea that collaboration between the police and community must exist in order to identify and solve our community problems. This simple concept enables all members of the community to become active allies in the effort to enhance the safety and quality of neighborhoods. P a g e 9
Police Officers in Action P a g e 10
Police Support Services Division Major Wade Glover The Support Services Division of the Thomasville Police Department is responsible for nonoperational activities that allow the Thomasville Police Department to provide law enforcement services to the community. The Support Services Division is responsible for ensuring that our officers have the necessary equipment and support to provide high quality law enforcement services to our citizens. The division is comprised of one Major, one evidence custodian, and five civilians. The department also has certified instructors in other divisions specializing in individual areas that assist in officer training. During 2015, Support Services continued the Active Shooter training with all Thomasville city employees. The division also taught several classes within our community as it pertains to the Citizens response to an active shooter event as well. The goal of the training was to educate and prepare city workers and citizens with the knowledge to identify possible threats and how to respond to the event. The division also participated in numerous community outreach programs such as Shop with a Cop, Community Outreach Revitalization and Education (C.O.R.E.), and Mobile Watches. This year the division also conducted a Pastors Use of Force Summit which consisted of a four week program designed to provide pastors within our community a one- on- one opportunity to learn how officers should respond in use of force situations. During the summit, the group was allowed to participate in the department s simulator training. The group also observed officers participate in several use of force based scenarios to see how officers should act in those situations. The pastor s summit was well received by the pastors who attended. The Support Services Division assists other divisions by providing communications, record filing, information retrieval, officer training, internal investigations, evidence retention, and other functions. P a g e 11
Community Services Division Major Eric Hampton The Thomasville Police Department Community Services/Crime Prevention Division in conjunction with its School Resource Officers Chris Baggett, and Matthew Griffin had very busy and successful year in 2015. Officer Chris Baggett served as the School Resource Officer for Thomasville High School and Thomasville City Alternative School. Officer Baggett also had the responsibility of teaching the 5 th grade students at Jerger Elementary and Harper Elementary schools the drug awareness course called D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). He also assisted teaching the same course at McIntyre Park Middle School and the Scholars academy. The SRO s with assistance from Detective Ford also offered other various programs throughout the school system and community such as: Bullying, Stranger Danger, Peer Pressure, Conflict Resolution, and Anger Management just to name a few. The SRO/Community Services Division attended various community agency fairs, kid s safety days and career fairs/recruitment drives in the Thomasville Community, as well as surrounding communities. The eighth annual Thomasville Police Department Youth Programs Golf Tournament took place in June 2015 at Country Oaks golf course. Approximately $3700 was raised during the event, which will be used to pay for items needed to continue and expand programs and events for the youth of Thomasville/Thomas County. The 2015 summer months for the SRO/Community Services Division were a busy and an exciting time with the numerous programs being provided for the youth of Thomasville/Thomas County. The Safe-t-Ville Program, which has been offered since 1983, teaches children a variety of safety rules including Bike Safety, First Aid, Stranger Danger, Fire Safety, and how to call 911. P a g e 12
Approximately 80 children participated in the 2015 Safe-t-Ville program which was held at Scott Elementary School. The eighth annual Junior Law Enforcement Academy was a huge success in 2015. The program gave participating teens a chance to experience some of the duties of a police officer. The Shop with a Cop program was continued in 2015, benefiting some 20 youth from within our community. The Community Services Division continued to provide various crime prevention programs to the active Neighborhood Watch Groups as well as the Mobile Watch initiatives through the City of Thomasville. These programs were assisted by Lieutenant Heath Champion and Sergeant Jabar Dunbar who were added to the Community Services Division in September of 2015. The Community Services Division will continue to work diligently with other divisions in the Thomasville Police Department and the City of Thomasville to promote the department s philosophy of Community Oriented Policing. This philosophy is intended to provide positive, well-developed, educational programs to the Thomasville City School System and the citizens of Thomasville/Thomas County, in order to help them feel safe and secure in the community. As a crime prevention unit, the team will continue to educate and provide assistance to our citizens on ways to keep themselves safe and their communities free of crime. Community Relation Team P a g e 13
2015 Secret Santa TPD s Finest helping the community in need to enjoy Christmas P a g e 14
2015 Shop with a Cop P a g e 15
Criminal Investigation Division The Thomasville Criminal Investigation Division is comprised of one Captain, two sergeants, five detectives and one crime scene specialist. The main focus of the division is to investigate all felony cases that occur in Thomasville. The Criminal Investigation Division investigated 1097 felony/ misdemeanor cases in 2015 with a 50 % clearance rate. Each Detective was assigned an average case load for the year of 157 cases or 13 cases per month on average. The division also conducted several public and private identify theft seminars to various civic groups to educate citizens on ways to protect themselves from identity theft. The Criminal Investigation Division also participated in The Goodwill project which is accomplished through the sale of BBQ plates with the proceeds used to buy gifts for needy children at Christmas as well as helping needy families throughout the year. Through this event, the division collected almost $9,000 and assisted over 100 needy children in 2015. These funds were also used P a g e 16
to give to needed families with children to ensure that they were able to celebrate Christmas. The second project CID participates in is the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes project which is an ongoing project to raise proceeds to support the Children s Advocacy Center, known as the Tree House. The Tree House became fully operational in 2011 with the help of the Thomasville/Thomas County community and Law Enforcement. The CAC serves victims of juvenile/adult sexual assault. The Criminal Investigation Division assisted in raising over $30,000.00 for the CAC in this event in 2015 which is an increase from $28,000.00 in 2014. In addition to this fundraiser for the CAC, the Criminal Investigation Divisions from Thomasville Police Department and Thomas County Sheriff s Department worked with Members of the Rose City Federal Credit Union to prepare and serve the credit union s annual meeting meal. This event raised more than $2,600.00 which was also donated to the CAC (Tree House). P a g e 17
Goodwill Project P a g e 18
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OFFIce of Professional Standards Lt. Kathy Royal Internal Affairs Summary 2015 The Mission Statement for the City of Thomasville is: We will create and deliver excellent service to our community and to our team members through a culture of safety, courtesy, professionalism and efficiency. To insure that all employees maintain this culture, the Thomasville Police Department treats all complaints against our employees seriously. All complaints regardless of severity are investigated at either a supervisor level or through internal affairs. All formal complaints are thoroughly investigated. To file a complaint, a person must contact a supervisor of the Thomasville Police Department and fill out a complaint form. The complaint form contains the name of the complainant, the name of the employee against whom the complaint is made and a brief written summary of the complaint. Anyone wishing to make a complaint against an officer or employee of the police department is encouraged to make the complaint in person; however the department will take complaints over the phone, through the internet or by other means. Each formal complaint is assigned a tracking number and logged for follow up. Internal affairs investigations may also be initiated at the request of the Chief of Police. Such investigations typically involve violations of department policy or situations involving one or more supervisors. Request for consideration of a disciplinary action may also be assigned for investigation P a g e 20
through the internal affairs function. There were 6 internal affairs investigations involving ten officers in 2015. One case involved an additional four county employees that were equally involved in a case involving one city police officer. The investigation was conducted mutually between city and county internal affairs investigators and involved evidence that appeared to be missing. One case involved an officer not following proper protocol and policy relating to logging evidence into the temporary evidence room. The employee was written up for policy violation and retrained on proper protocol. One case involved assault and reckless driving by a supervisor while off duty, and resulted in the officer s termination. Another case involved one supervisor, three officers, and one investigator handling an ongoing domestic violence case where there was a judge s order for the suspect to stay away from the victim. Police were called to the scene due to the suspect being there removing items from the property. After speaking with both parties the on duty watch commander made the decision to contact the on-call investigator. The investigator failed to gain all facts in the case and ended up making the decision not to arrest. All involved in this case received verbal counseling relating to protective and other orders, and about obtaining and providing all facts before making decisions. The detective was ultimately responsible in this particular case. There was another case where an officer was found to have been violating policy and policing based on biases. Although the officer involved thought he was acting appropriately based on training and knowledge prior to working with our agency, he was in fact acting outside of our training and policy. The officer was placed on suspension pending the investigation. He received written reprimand and received remedial training on biased based policing, search and seizure, and other relevant areas to ensure his understanding of what is expected as well as ensuring that he follows proper protocol. One case involved a K-9 officer and the handling of his K-9. The complaint was excessive force by the K-9 due to the suspect being bitten more than once. Through investigation of the facts it was determined that the K-9 handler and the K-9 both acted as per training and protocol for the particular situation. Finally, there was the case of the alleged missing evidence which turned out to be incorrect documentation by county employees. This was due to poor procedures or lack thereof of handling of court evidence and it s documentation. The evidence was located and better procedures have been put in place to ensure this does not happen in the future. In addition to the investigation of complaints as they are made, the department also conducts quarterly analysis of all use of force incidents and internal affairs cases as part of our Employee Warning System. The purpose of this quarterly analysis is to identify specific areas of P a g e 21
operations or specific employees which exhibit potential patterns of concern. Once identified, areas of concern can be addressed through training or disciplinary intervention. No employees were flagged by the Early Warning System as potentially problematic in 2015. Citizens may also make a formal commendation for the positive actions of police officers and civilian employees. Commendations can be made by sending a letter summarizing the actions of the police officer or civilian employee to the Chief of Police. Internal Affairs Investigations 2015 CASE OFFICERS Date INCIDENT TYPE STATUS A-15-01 1 3/5/2015 Policy Violations Sustained (Evidence log procedures) A-15-02 1 5/7/2015 Policy Violations Sustained (Conduct Unbecoming) A-15-03 4 7/16/2015 Policy Violation Sustained (Dereliction of Duty) A-15-04 1 8/26/2015 Policy Violations Sustained (Profiling, Search & Seizure) A-15-05 1 11/13/201 Excessive Force Exonerated 5 A-15-06 5 12/9/2015 Misplaced Evidence Unfounded Use of Force Investigations Incidents Type of Force Used 14 Taser Used 20 Handgun Drawn But Not Fired 19 Physical Force Used Only 1 O/C (Pepper) Spray 1 Handgun fired 0 ASP Baton
CALEA The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Best practices National Police Standards P a g e 23
Police Pursuits 5 4 3 2 1 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 1 Calls for service 2011-2015 THOMASVILLE POLICE STATISTICS 200000 150000 100000 50000 Calls for Service Four Year Comparision 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Pa g e 24
Crime Stats 2014-2015 THOMASVILLE POLICE STATISTICS *Reported Offenses - Part I Crime Comparison December and YTD - 2015 vs 2014 Part I Crimes DEC DEC +/- Change YTD YTD +/- Change 2015 2014 # % 2015 2014 # % Homicide 1 0 1 Up by 1 1 0 1 Up by 1 Rape 1 0 1 Up by 1 7 7 0 0.00 Aggravated Assault 11 4 7 175.00 16 33-17 -51.52 Violent Crime Total 13 4 9 225.00 24 40-16 -40.00 Robbery 3 1 2 200.00 24 20 4 20.00 Burglary - Residential-Forced 10 9 1 11.11 135 100 35 35.00 Residential-No Force 5 2 3 150.00 68 46 22 47.83 Commercial-Forced 7 6 1 16.67 67 58 9 15.52 Commercial-No Force 0 3-3 -100.00 24 20 4 20.00 Larceny - Parts From Vehicles 3 1 2 200.00 27 13 14 107.69 Articles From Vehicles 28 16 12 75.00 186 142 44 30.99 Shoplifting 22 19 3 15.79 217 160 57 35.63 All Other 38 36 2 5.56 360-360 -100.00 Stolen Vehicle - Excludes Other Veh. 2 2 0 0.00 38 11 27 245.45 Other Vehicles 0 0 0 0.00 2 4-2 -50.00 Arson 1 0 1 Up by 1 4 0 4 Up by 4 Property Crime Total 119 95 24 25.26 792 934-142 -15.20 Total Crime 132 99 33 33.33 816 974-158 -16.22 P a g e 25
Traffic enforcement 2011-2015 THOMASVILLE POLICE STATISTICS Five Year Summary of Citations Issued 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Black 3378 2961 2825 2504 2857 White 3662 3172 2262 2081 2025 Hispanic 146 144 90 77 97 Other 11 23 49 0 179 TOTAL 7197 6300 5226 4662 5158 Male 4540 3898 3193 2729 3063 Female 2657 2402 2033 1933 2095 Total 7197 6300 5226 4662 5158 Written Warnings Issued 2013 2014 2015 Black 1569 1899 2548 White 1338 1834 1937 Hispanic 30 41 57 Other 38 322 244 TOTAL 2975 4096 4786 Male 1604 1981 2501 Female 1371 2115 2285 Total 1975 4096 4786 2015 CITATIONS Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec TOTAL Seat Belt 77 83 150 80 164 132 144 122 91 133 71 88 1335 Child Restraint 15 27 12 10 38 18 22 14 10 16 9 14 205 Speeding 138 229 170 111 168 68 69 134 136 237 180 170 1810 Reckless Driving 0 0 0 3 0 1 3 0 0 0 2 1 10 Uninsured 17 10 11 6 12 9 4 13 12 22 16 10 142 DUI 21 26 18 7 16 5 12 6 16 16 9 19 171 Susp./License 28 25 29 13 23 16 21 20 18 20 14 30 257 Move Over 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Other Citations 599 528 515 507 540 477 545 541 401 563 502 476 6194 All Arrests 143 129 137 113 136 121 130 145 113 134 72 118 1491 Drug Arrests 17 12 20 16 15 17 17 16 12 25 12 15 194 Felony Arrests 16 14 6 10 11 12 12 9 15 17 6 10 138 Stolen Veh 4 0 2 4 3 4 2 3 1 1 4 0 28 Road checks 0 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 Accidents 107 108 110 120 100 96 113 105 91 128 106 133 1317 928 954 931 763 987 755 849 875 712 ### 821 833 10457 *Note: This data includes citation and warnings combined P a g e 26
Traffic crash investigations CONTRIBUTING FACTORS NOT INDICATED 9 1 NO CONTRIBUTING FACTORS 20 2 DUI 8 3 FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE 188 4 FAILED TO YIELD 127 5 EXCEEDING SPEED LIMIT 1 6 DISREGARD STOP SIGN/SIGNAL 36 7 WRONG SIDE OF ROAD 11 8 WEATHER CONDITIONS 2 9 IMPROPER PASSING 6 10 DRIVER LOST CONTROL 22 11 CHANGED LANES IMPROPERLY 40 12 OBJECT OR ANIMAL 4 13 IMPROPER TURN 9 14 PARKED IMPROPERLY 1 15 MECH. OR VEHICLE FAILURE 6 16 SURFACE DEFECTS 3 17 MISJUDGED CLEARANCE 45 18 IMPROPER BACKING 46 19 NO SIGNAL/IMPROPER SIGNAL 0 20 DRIVER CONDITION 1 21 DRIVERLESS VEHICLE 1 22 TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS 7 23 IMPROPER PASSING OF SCHOOL BUS 0 24 DISREGARD POLICE OFFICER 0 25 DISTRACTED 7 26 OTHER 36 27 CELL PHONE 1 28 INATTENTIVE 11 TOTAL (ON STREET) 648 Total number of fatalities 0 P a g e 27
The Community WE SERVE City of Thomasville Census People Quick Facts Thomasville Georgia Population, 2013 estimate 18,718 9,994,759 Population, 2010 (April 1) estimates base 18,554 9,688,681 Population, percent change - April 1, 2010 to 0.9% 3.2% July 1, 2013 Population, 2010 18,413 9,687,653 Persons under 5 years, percent, 2010 7.5% 7.1% Persons under 18 years, percent, 2010 25.9% 25.7% Persons 65 years and over, percent, 2010 15.5% 10.7% Female persons, percent, 2010 54.4% 51.2% White alone, percent, 2010 (a) 43.0% 59.7% Black or African American alone, percent, 2010 53.8% 30.5% (a) American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 0.3% 0.3% percent, 2010 (a) Asian alone, percent, 2010 (a) 0.8% 3.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.0% 0.1% alone, percent, 2010 (a) Two or More Races, percent, 2010 1.1% 2.1% Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2010 (b) 2.3% 8.8% White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2010 41.9% 55.9% Living in same house 1 year & over, percent, 82.1% 83.6% 2009-2013 Foreign born persons, percent, 2009-2013 1.8% 9.7% Language other than English spoken at home, 3.0% 13.3% pct age 5+, 2009-2013 High school graduate or higher, percent of 83.5% 84.7% persons age 25+, 2009-2013 Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of persons 23.2% 28.0% age 25+, 2009-2013 Veterans, 2009-2013 1,513 690,208 Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 17.0 27.0 16+, 2009-2013 P a g e 28
Housing units, 2010 8,534 4,088,801 Homeownership rate, 2009-2013 48.1% 65.1% Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 23.6% 20.5% 2009-2013 Median value of owner-occupied housing units, $138,200 $151,300 2009-2013 Households, 2009-2013 7,574 3,518,097 Persons per household, 2009-2013 2.39 2.71 Per capita money income in past 12 months $19,657 $25,182 (2013 dollars), 2009-2013 Median household income, 2009-2013 $29,924 $49,179 Persons below poverty level, percent, 2009-2013 32.1% 18.2% Business QuickFacts Thomasville Georgia Total number of firms, 2007 2,175 901,105 Black-owned firms, percent, 2007 21.9% 20.4% American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned 2.2% 0.7% firms, percent, 2007 Asian-owned firms, percent, 2007 S 5.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanderowned F 0.1% firms, percent, 2007 Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2007 F 3.6% Women-owned firms, percent, 2007 29.3% 30.9% Manufacturers shipments, 2007 ($1000) 474,566 144,280,774 Merchant wholesaler sales, 2007 ($1000) 499,591 141,962,359 Retail sales, 2007 ($1000) 469,836 117,516,907 Retail sales per capita, 2007 $24,739 $12,326 Accommodation and food services sales, 2007 ($1000) 38,419 16,976,235 Geography QuickFacts Thomasville Georgia Land area in square miles, 2010 14.96 57,513.49 Persons per square mile, 2010 1,231.2 168.4 FIPS Code 76224 13 Counties Thomas County P a g e 29
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