By Doug Rowe,  Michele Weinzetl, and BerryDunn 

In November 2021, the Village of Oak Park (Village), Illinois, contracted with BerryDunn to conduct an operational assessment of the Oak Park Police Department (OPPD). The overall project included four specific areas in relation to the OPPD: 1. Full management and operational assessment study 2. Audit of race equity issues (internal and external) 3. Recommendations and research for alternative response to traditional police services 4. Presentation of successful measures to contribute to Fair and Impartial Policing (FIP), which have been accomplished in similar cities During the project, BerryDunn conducted more than 50 interviews with staff, government officials, and select community members identified by OPPD. Community members also had the opportunity to provide direct feedback through several in-person and virtual town hall meetings, and through online feedback to BerryDunn through Social Pinpoint, a customized website provided by BerryDunn. Staff from the OPPD completed an in-house workforce survey and provided BerryDunn with substantial information through numerous other data-gathering instruments. Finally, BerryDunn conducted significant analysis of current data and new data generated as part of this assessment and produced a series of findings and recommendations. Studies of this nature are predisposed toward the identification of areas requiring improvement, and accordingly, they have a propensity to present what needs work, without fully acknowledging and highlighting positive aspects of an organization. This report follows a similar progression. Because of the numerous recommendations contained within this study, those consuming this report might mistakenly conclude that the police department is in a poor condition. BerryDunn wishes to state the opposite quite clearly. Although this report contains several areas for improvement, and the OPPD has faced some challenges in recent years, particularly related to staffing, BerryDunn made many positive observations of the OPPD, some of which are examples of best practices that other agencies would do well to emulate. Examples of best practices within the OPPD include: • Posting 10 Shared Principles and Guiding Principles and Values in the Patrol Room • Resident Beat Officer (RBO)/Neighborhood Relations Officer (NRO) program for community-oriented policing (COP) and problem-oriented policing (POP) • Dedicated COP foot patrols • Staggered shifts for investigators • Training officers on the history of Oak Park Notwithstanding the findings and recommendations outlined in this report, the OPPD is a generally efficient and effective agency with a commitment to community policing, and staff  provided BerryDunn with several examples of collaborative problem-solving efforts. Staff at all levels present a high level of commitment and pride in their work. The OPPD provided BerryDunn unfettered access to staff and all data at its disposal, without reservation or hesitation. It was evident to the BerryDunn team that the command staff at the OPPD want what is best for the agency and the community, and they are willing to take the necessary steps to help ensure positive and appropriate change takes place. This assessment examined more than 20 primary areas of department operation (distributed throughout the chapters of this report), as well as several sub-areas and specialized positions. BerryDunn’s analysis determined that several areas within the police department require adjustment to assist the OPPD in meeting service demands, improving operational efficiency, and sustaining positive relationships and trust between the police department and the community. This study provides 42 recommendations, separated into three rank-prioritized categories, following five major themes: • Staffing (including recruiting, hiring, and retention) • Personnel development • Policies and procedures • Impartial policing and transparency • Technology utilization • Training This report outlines the process and methodology BerryDunn used to conduct the assessment of the police culture and practices of the OPPD. The analysis provided by BerryDunn is balanced, and it fairly represents the conditions, expectations, and desired outcomes studied, and those that prompted and drove this assessment. Where external data was used for comparison purposes, references have been provided.  

Portland, ME:  BerryDunn, 2022. 273p

By Edward Flynn, Debora Friedl, Keri Richardson, Monique Jenkins, Brenda Bond

In May of 2020, the City of Methuen, through a competitive bid, selected the CNA Center for Justice Research and Innovation to conduct a performance audit of the Methuen Police Department (MPD). In conducting this audit, the CNA team developed an objective and in-depth understanding of MPD’s operations in areas including budget, equipment, training, staffing levels, and processes (hiring, equipment acquisition, and development of policies and procedures). After the onset of the audit, the CNA audit team was made aware of concerns about department leadership, organizational culture, and department personnel morale. Although the City of Methuen did not originally contract with the CNA audit team to explore these issues, we expanded the scope of our inquiry and this report to reflect these emerging topics. The CNA audit team developed this report by reviewing department operations, policies, procedures, general orders, department data, and culture. The report includes findings and actionable recommendations that outline specific items for improvement related to different areas of department operation. To develop these, we compared MPD’s standard operating procedures with national best and evidence-based practices, Massachusetts Police Accreditation Standards, and practices of similar Massachusetts law enforcement agencies. The audit team also collected data from interviews and surveys of department personnel. This report presents the results, findings, and recommendations from the audit.

CNA's comprehensive assessment of MPD included an examination of the following:

•  Organizational structure and governance

• Budgeting and planning

• Operating policies and procedures

• Department culture

• Professional standards and accountability

As a result of this audit, our key findings include:

• MPD lacks a formal procedure or process for conducting a comprehensive review of policies and procedures on a regular basis.

• Members of the organization do not trust the department’s use of the assessment center to make promotional decisions because there seem to be conflicting interests involved in the process.

• The MPD’s high number of assigned specialist positions is not warranted, given its size and operations.

• There is widespread perception that favoritism affects management and discipline decisions within the MPD.

Arlington, CA: CNA, 2021. 70p.