LVMPD - About Us - Strategic Plan

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, with the strong commitment and direction of the Sheriff, began an ongoing process of strategic planning in 1995. While the planning process looks forward as far as feasible, the strategic plan documents express the planning elements for three years at a time. In 2000, the Institute for Executive Development (IED) in Las Vegas, Nevada, was engaged to assist the department in renewing the strategic planning process. The strategic planning model presented by IED and followed by LVMPD is as follows:

Conduct an ASSESSMENT
Formulate a VISION
Clarify the VALUES
Develop the MISSION
Select the GOALS
Determine the STRATEGIES
Establish the TACTICS

The following definitions were used throughout the process:

An external environmental ASSESSMENT is a comprehensive look at the major forces outside of the organization and an internal environmental assessment is a comprehensive look at the major forces inside of the organization.

The VISION is the ultimate picture of what the organization is striving to achieve. A vision is timeless.
The VALUES are the standards that the members of the organization exhibit in behavior. Values are timeless.
The MISSION is a broad statement of purpose for the organization. Missions usually are for three to five years.
The GOALS are explicit statements which support the mission. Goals generally are for one to three years.
The STRATEGIES are specific, measurable actions which support the goals. Strategies are for one year or less.
The TACTICS are detailed steps to support the strategies. Tactics change weekly and monthly as strategies progress.

The development of the vision, values, mission and goals was conducted by the department leadership and facilitated by IED. All high level staff of the department participated in and expressed support for the vision, values, mission and goals. The goal strategies and value behaviors were developed using employee focus groups. The employees identified all of the behaviors which support the values and insisted that all employees should be held consistently accountable for supporting the department values in their work. The employees also formulated the strategies to support the goals, based upon their operational knowledge and experience.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT HIGHLIGHTS

The strategic planning process includes both external and internal environmental assessments. Assumptions are formulated based upon the best information available at the time. The highlights for the planning period 2001-2003 are as follows:

ANTICIPATED WORKLOAD TRENDS

Service demand, as measured by the total number of request-based provisions of service, will experience a 10% growth rate during the planning period.
The crime rate, as measured by the number of Part I crimes per thousand service area residents, is expected to decline during the planning period.
Greater numbers of arrests and incarcerations, roughly proportional to population growth, will place additional demands on the county's detention related services.
Results from community policing initiatives will reduce specific areas of crime and improve the perception of safety in identifiable neighborhoods.

ANTICIPATED ECONOMIC AND POPULATION TRENDS

The Las Vegas area will exhibit moderate to strong economic growth throughout the planning period.
Based upon Clark County Comprehensive Planning Department projections, resident population within the LVMPD jurisdiction is projected to increase to 1,170,810 by mid-year 2003.
Based upon projections from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Clark County will host approximately 40,825,000 visitors in 2003.

ANTICIPATED PERSONNEL LEVELS

The commissioned police officer to population ratio will reach 1.9 per thousand residents by mid-2003.
The hiring of civilian support staff will be proportional to that of commissioned personnel during the planning period.
The number of detention staff will expand in relationship to the inmate population growth due to the expanded detention facility capacity.

ANTICIPATED CAPITAL FACILITY NEEDS

The model of participating agency cooperation in providing necessary construction funding through debt instruments managed by Clark County and scheduled repayment by the City of Las Vegas will provide four new area command stations and a training academy building which will be built and occupied during the planning period.
Prior to the end of the planning period, planning and programming will be underway for a centralized police administration building which will house all police operations, except communications, area commands and undercover operations, with anticipated construction completion in 2006.
The county detention center will complete expansion and reach capacity at opening.

ANTICIPATED CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEEDS

Critical equipment for all personnel will be acquired when needed.
Major technological advances will be undertaken and accomplished during the planning period.

ANTICIPATED FUNDING ISSUES

The traditional funding mechanisms provided by NRS280, earmarked property taxes and cooperative debt management by the participating agencies, will be reviewed.
Resources for police services will continue to be among the highest priorities for the community, as the perception of safety and the control of crime contributes to the success of Las Vegas as a tourist destination, as well as a safe place to live and work.

As part of the external environmental assessment, public feedback was actively sought. The public strongly supported the strategic planning efforts of the department; clearly found the goal "Assure public safety" as the most important for the department; and overwhelmingly selected "Integrity" as the most important of the values.

The internal environmental assessment was comprised of the feedback gathered by IED during every employee focus group session. The commitment of the employees to the vision of being the BEST was apparent during this assessment process.

GOAL STRATEGIES

GOALS	STRATEGIES
1. Assure public safety	Prevent Crime Arrest and support prosecution of criminals Improve traffic safety
2. Enhance neighborhood quality of life	Continue community policing Interact with the community and employees to identify key issues and concerns Support and participate in community programs and activities
3. Provide excellent service	Ensure a culture of quality service and continuous improvement Measure internal and external customer satisfaction Establish and improve service delivery standards Educate and train employees and the public on customer service Recognize exceptional service by all employees Hold all employees accountable for the service they provide
4. Use Technology effectively	Assess how technology is currently being used Identify and prioritize all technology needs for the future Establish technology equipment, software and services standards Develop compatible systems and processes to ensure effective communication and sharing of information Train employees to use technology effectively and efficiently
5. Attract, develop and retain the best people	Ensure high standards for recruitment and selection Attract and hire highly qualified and diverse employees who reflect the workforce in our community Encourage and support education, training and professional growth for all employees Provide a quality work environment Provide consistency in recognition for superior performance Clarify performance standards Hold all employees consistently accountable for performance standards and department values

VALUES	BEHAVIORS FOR INTEGRITY
Integrity	Exhibits ethical behavior in all that he/she does Is honest and tells the truth in dealing with others Avoids both the perception and reality of wrongdoing Does not tolerate ethical lapses of others Maintains trust and confidentiality Keeps commitments, does what he/she says When asked to do something, follows through and does it Committed to do the right thing, even under pressure Dependable, a person you can count on Avoids over committing Walks the talk, sets a good example Adheres to and "lives" Metro's values Supports Metro's strategic direction, vision, mission, goals Acts with a sense of purpose/responsibility for Metro's success Provides clear direction, clarifies goals and expectations Explains the relationship between the job and Metro's mission/goals Allocates resources and helps remove obstacles Shows leadership, someone you are willing to follow
Courage	Does what is right and stands up for what he/she believes in Does the right thing even if it is not easy, expedient or popular Willing to support others even under difficult circumstances Does not play favorites or political games Analyzes facts, situations and circumstance effectively Exhibits sound judgment, making decisions or taking actions Does not allow preconceived views to affect his/her judgment Willing to make a tough decision even if it is not popular Makes good decisions under pressure or in difficult situations Takes corrective action in a timely, responsive manner Takes the necessary action when it is needed Willing to take a calculated risk Speaks up and willing to challenge conventional wisdom Stands by others when they take a reasonable risk Able to manage effectively when there is uncertainty or ambiguity Recognizes that there is often conflicting information Deals with change in a positive and professional manner Is flexible, adaptable and open to change
Accountability	Willing to take responsibility for his/her actions Accepts responsibility for his/her subordinates, team or unit "Owns" the decision, even if it turns out wrong Open to scrutiny and evaluation by others Adheres to high standards of conduct and performance Recognizes that he/she carries out the public trust Communicates expectations and standards to others Holds people accountable for their performance Is self-directed, knows what to do Performs work at a productive and high level Shows initiative, does not wait to be told what to do Able to achieve good performance even under pressure Admits when he/she is wrong or makes a mistake Learns from mistakes, problems and other situations Does not place blame, point fingers or "pass the buck" Is strong enough to admit fault, brave enough to fix it Avoids defensiveness and stubbornness
Respect for People	Coaches, guides and helps people grow. Builds confidence and shows encouragement Asks people what they need to do their job better Gives people the resources and training to do the job Provides recognition and encouragement when performance improves Treats others as he/she wants to be treated Shows respect and dignity when dealing with others Avoids public display of anger or criticism Does not condescend or talk-down to people Appreciates differences regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, etc. Shows respect regardless of level, title, position Does not tolerate discrimination or demeaning remarks by others Able to deal with conflict in a constructive and professional manner Willing to be a good team player Encourages and fosters teamwork with others Supports collaboration and partnerships across the organization Communicates clearly and consistently Provides information in an accurate and timely manner Approachable, encourages people to speak up Asks for and accepts feedback without being defensive Willing to listen, makes you feel that what you have to say is important
Excellence	Exhibits a positive, can-do attitude Tries to make the best of difficult situations Avoids complaining, giving excuses and being negative Contributes to a positive work environment, encourages success Works to the best of his/her ability, gives 100% Dedicated and has pride in his/her work Exhibits professionalism and high standards Cares and wants to make a difference Has a focus on service and helping others Delivers excellent service in all that he/she does Sets high standards, wants to achieve excellent results Values creativity, innovation, imagination and fresh ideas Willing to think "outside the box" or try something new Gives support and is open to new ideas or concepts Looks for ways to improve Interested in growing and getting better Is not satisfied with mediocrity or "it is good enough" Shows respect for learning, knowledge and education Has an open mind, recognizes there is always a better way Monitors and measures progress to enhance performance

TACTICS

Tactics are the activities which the department performs daily, weekly and monthly, to support strategies. Tactics are not expressed in the strategic plan document, because the operational units need the flexibility to frequently evaluate the effectiveness of tactics and change when necessary.