S . W . O . T . Analysis
Current Strengths of Department
• Opportunities for advanced training and specialized assignments provided to staff
• Good cohesion among different divisions
• Strong relationships with internal departments , external agencies , and the community
• Internal accountability for our actions and results and external accountability to the residents we serve
• Support of officers as they seek to maintain and improve their health and fitness levels
• Proactive engagement in the community
Current Weaknesses of Department
• Lack of accessibility to current technology resources limits our ability to investigate emerging crimes
• Employees are not proportionally representative in our community
• Intra-department communication
• Lack of crime-reduction strategies utilizing statistical data
Opportunities for Department
• Task-force opportunities that enable patrol officers to learn investigative processes
• Creation of a crime victim advocate to meet societal expectations
• New leadership in department provides new perspectives and energy
• Increased development of transition and succession planning
• Opportunities to implement new and existing approaches to crime reduction
• Enhanced partnerships in the Town and community
Known and Anticipated Threats to Department
• High property-crime rate and increasing violent-crime rate
• Experience level will decrease as promotions and transfers cause experienced staff to move to other divisions
• Staff turnover due to retirements and other factors
• Removal of certain benefits that historically have rewarded employees for experience and longevity
• Community trust in police departments across the United States has continued to decline
• Community growth threatens future service levels
Garner Police Department Strategic Plan | FY 2022-24 5