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1 Police – EEO, Diversity & Inclusion Plan, 1/01/10 – 12/31/14

City of Virginia BeachDepartment of Police

Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion Plan

January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2014

Approved by: ______________________

James A. Cervera Date: _____________

Prepared by: _______________________ Miriam K. Bryant

Date: ______________

A Message From Our Chief… As an agency, we know that we are making a difference today and we will continue to make a difference in the future. We understand that we must try to do better. The foundation of our police department is based on our character and values – honesty, courage, dignity, respect, accountability, and professionalism. Our center of gravity, the strength of our organization, is our ability to strive to achieve while maintaining a capacity to care. We exist for our community and we know that with public support nothing can fail and without it, nothing will succeed. We will continue to reach out to all members of our city to build a sense of community and to rely on the strength of the community. To me, an EEO, Diversity and Inclusion Plan is a formal commitment and pledge to continuously work toward the ideals that sustain us as both an organization and a community. Hopefully our commitment is strongly evident in the following pages.

2 Police – EEO, Diversity & Inclusion Plan, 1/1/10‐12/31/14

Table of Contents

Introduction 3‐5 Mission and Overview 3‐4 Division Descriptions 4‐5 Commitment to Race, National Origin and Gender

5‐16

Race and National Origin Categories 5‐6 EEO Job Categories 6‐7 Relevant Labor Market 7‐8 Current Reality: Chart Analysis 8‐11 2009 Recruitment and Selection Results 11‐14 2009 Turnover Results 15‐16 Commitment to EEO, Diversity and Inclusion

17‐23

Commitment and Engagement 17‐18 Awareness 18 Fairness and Equity 18‐19 Partnerships 19‐20 Accomplishments/Best Practices

20‐22

Future Strategies/Initiatives

22‐23

Dissemination of Plan

23

Appendices

Appendix A, Police Department Organizational Chart Appendix B, Job Classification Listing Appendix C, Workforce by Budget Unit Appendix D, Workforce Utilization Analysis Appendix E, 2009 Annual Analysis of the Police Recruiting Program Appendix F, Civilian Selection 2009 and 2010 Appendix G, VBPD Attrition Trends FY09/10 Appendix H, 2009/2010 Lesson Plans for Cultural Diversity/EEO In‐Service Training


IntroductionPolice Department Mission Statement: The Virginia Beach Police Department is committed to providing a safe community and improving the quality of life for all people. We accomplish this by delivering quality police services and enforcing laws with equity and impartiality. In partnership with the community, we reduce crime through public education, prevention and awareness. In meeting this objective, we demand of ourselves the highest professional standards and dedication to our core values. It is the policy of the City of Virginia Beach to follow the principles of equal opportunity in employment and the practice of basing all employment decisions on appropriate, job‐related factors. The City will not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity or national origin. Furthermore, as stated in General Order 2.06, the Virginia Beach Police Department will not tolerate or condone discrimination or harassment of any employee by any other person with whom that individual comes in contact as part of their work environment. No employee will be the target of unwelcome discrimination or harassment, either verbal, written, or physical. Any activity of this type will be treated as misconduct and appropriate disciplinary sanctions will be imposed, up to and including dismissal. Both the City and the Virginia Beach Police Department espouse the organizational value of respect. This principle is central to the theme of our EEO policy statements. Similarly, we recognize the value and benefit of hiring and retaining a workforce that more closely mirrors the demographics of our community. We are committed to promoting the goal of diversity at all levels of the workforce. We will continue to administer an aggressive recruitment program and to pursue innovative methods for encouraging a more diverse workforce. The Virginia Beach Police Department is proud to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). As of November 1, 2010, budgeted positions include 806 sworn police personnel, assigned to four precincts as well as Special Operations (marine, aviation, canine, mounted, motorcycle, and selective enforcement units), Special Investigations, Detective Bureau, Internal Affairs/Accreditation, Crime Prevention and Professional Development and Training. Six hundred seventy‐six (676) positions are allocated to the non‐supervisory levels (recruit, officer and master police officer); eighty‐seven (87) budgeted positions and two (2) authorized overhires at the police sergeant level; twenty‐six (26) police lieutenants; eleven (11) police captains; three (3) deputy police chiefs; and one police chief. Additional budgeted positions include twenty‐five (25) Animal Control Officers and Supervisors, eighteen (18) Forensic Services Technicians, Specialists and Supervisors, twenty‐four (24) Precinct Desk Officers and one hundred (100) additional civilian positions, primarily assigned to the Support Division and as administrative support for the other commands. In other words, there are a total of 973 budgeted, full‐time positions and 23.66 full‐time equivalent budgeted, part‐time positions within the Virginia Beach Police Department. Note: Chief Jacocks retired June 30, 2010 and Deputy Chief Jim Cervera was appointed to Police Chief effective September 1, 2010. Chief Cervera’s reorganization became effective November 1, 2010, reclassifying a captain position to the deputy chief level to afford the department more


opportunity to promote community relations and programming. Also, ten police officer positions were cut from the budget effective July 1, 2010. One civilian position was also cut from the budget (Office Assistant II in Special Investigations) and another civilian position (administrative assistant assigned to the Detective Bureau) is on loan from the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney. The Police Department’s organizational chart is found at Appendix A. A description of the department’s sixteen organizational units follows: Animal Control (09112): While the primary responsibility of Animal Control is the enforcement of state domestic animal laws and animal‐related city ordinances, the bureau also takes an active role in the community through educational and volunteer programs and by placing homeless animals into new homes. The office and kennel are open to the public for visits, adoptions, reclaiming animals and other business operations seven days a week. Animal control officers are on patrol daily from 0630 to midnight, and an officer is available on callback duty during the overnight hours. In response to citizen concerns, the unit’s focus has been on transitioning to a more animal friendly operation. During 2010 the shelter and the enforcement unit became two separate entities. The groundbreaking for the new animal shelter will occur in December 2010 with its grand opening expected in January 2012. Crime Prevention (09016): With a focus on reducing crime through education, the Crime Prevention unit coordinates various programs including Neighborhood Watch, home/business/church security assessments, school safety audits, and school programs such as “Aggressors, Victims and Bystanders,” “Options, Choices and Consequences,” “Every 15 Minutes” and “Class Action.” Director’s Office (09010): This unit includes the Chief of Police, administrative staff, the Internal Affairs/Accreditation Office, and Media and Public Relations staff with a mission of providing direction and leadership, while maintaining and increasing the integrity of the department. False Alarms (09012): With the official establishment of the program January 1, 2009, this unit is responsible for registering all alarm users and tracking and fining excessive alarm abusers. Investigative (09028): This budget unit is comprised of the Detective Bureau with units specializing in the following areas: domestic violence, economic crime, property crime, special victims, crime analysis, pawn, Crime Solvers, auto theft, homicide, and robbery. The forensic services unit is also included in the Investigative budget unit and is responsible for retrieving/processing crime scene evidence, performing latent fingerprint examination and conducting photograph/video analysis. Professional Development and Training (09015): Operating the Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Training facility (LETA), this unit provides all levels of police training, including basic recruit, in‐service and specialty classes. Additional responsibilities include coordinating the department’s career development and police officer training programs as well as coordinating recruitment and selection for the position of police officer.


Red Light Camera Program (09021): The personnel assigned to this unit support the PHOTOSafe Red Light Enforcement Program, including reviewing/certifying PHOTOSafe (photo enforcement) violations generated from twenty operation cameras, providing court testimony, maintaining related records and responding to citizen inquiries. Special Investigations (09029): Areas of focus for this budget unit include investigating crimes involving narcotics, vice, gangs, the diversion of prescription drugs, computer crimes and organized criminal activities and collecting and disseminating criminal intelligence data. Special Operations Specialty Units (09018, 09019, 09024, 09025): These budget units represent the aviation, canine, marine patrol and mounted patrol specialty assignments within the Special Operations command. Other units assigned to Special Operations, such as the bomb squad, motorcycles, selective enforcement and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team are included in the Uniform Patrol budget unit. The focus of Special Operations is to support the Operations and Investigative Divisions by providing focused patrol techniques and tactics. Support (09017): Providing administrative and support services to the department, other City agencies and the public, the Support Division consists of the Office of Planning and Analysis, the Records Unit, Logistical Support Unit, and the Payroll Unit. Uniform Patrol (09020, 09026, 09951): These budget units encompass the personnel assigned to all four precincts, some units within Special Operations, the School Resource Officer program and grant‐funded police officer positions. The following pages are divided into two sections. The first section, entitled “Commitment to Race, National Origin and Gender” provides an assessment of our department’s current reality as of December 23, 2009 and provides statistical information about our department’s workforce. The next section, entitled “Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion” includes continued commitment to race, national origin and gender as well as all aspects of diversity. It provides information about our department’s current reality in terms of policies, practices and programs and includes a summary of 2009 accomplishments/best practices as well as future initiatives/action plans.

Commitment to Race, National Origin and Gender Race/National Origin Categories: In early 2009, all department members were given the opportunity through a survey to change their race/national origin category, if desired, to more closely match the newly expanded set of categories. Specifically, the race category of Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander was split into two separate categories and a new category, Two or More Races was added. The City of Virginia Beach maintains a database of race/national origin and gender categories for all members in order to meet reporting requirements of the DOJ and the EEOC and for other


periodic statistical reports. The reports include only the number of members associated with a race/national origin or gender category and does not include member names. The following is a complete listing of the race/national origin categories and their definitions currently maintained by the City of Virginia Beach:

American Indian or Alaska

Native

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand and Vietnam.

Black or African American (not of Hispanic Origin)

A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.

Hispanic or Latino

A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term “Spanish origin” can be used in addition to “Hispanic or Latino”.

Native Hawaiian or Other

Pacific Islander

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

White (not of Hispanic

Origin)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Two or More Races

A person having origins in two or more minority race categories above, not Hispanic or Latino.

EEO Job Categories: Based on the guidelines established by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), all job titles for the City of Virginia Beach are assigned to a specific EEO job category. The EEO job categories are defined as follows: Officials and Managers

Occupations in which employees set broad policies, exercise overall responsibility for execution of these policies, or direct individual departments or special phases of the agency’s operations, or provide specialized consultation on a regional, district, or area basis. Includes: Department Directors , and first line administrators under elected officials and in umbrella departments.

Professionals

Occupations which require specialized and theoretical knowledge which is usually acquired through college training or through work experience and other training which provides comparable knowledge. Includes human resources and labor relations workers, registered nurses, dietitians, lawyers,


system analysts, accountants, engineers, planners, captains, lieutenants, management analysts, surveyors and mapping scientists, and kindred workers.

Technicians

Occupations which require a combination of basic and scientific or technical knowledge and manual skill which can be obtained through specialized post‐secondary school education or through equivalent on‐the‐job training. Includes: computer programmers, drafters, survey and mapping technicians, licensed practical nurses, investigators, radio operators, technical illustrators, highway technicians, technicians (electronic, physical sciences), sergeants, inspectors, and kindred workers.

Protective Services

Occupations in which workers are entrusted with public safety, security and protection from destructive forces. Includes: patrol officers, firefighters, guards, deputy sheriffs, bailiffs, correctional officers, detectives, marshals, game and fish wardens, park rangers (except maintenance), 911 operators, harbor patrol officers, and kindred workers.

Administrative Support

Occupations in which workers are responsible for internal and external communications, recording and retrieval of data and/or information and other paperwork required in an office. Includes: bookkeepers, messengers, clerk‐typists, stenographers, court transcribers, hearing reporters, statistical clerks, dispatchers, license distributors, payroll clerks, office machine and computer operators, legal assistants, cashiers, and kindred workers.

Skilled Craft

Occupations in which workers perform jobs which require special manual skill and a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the processes involved in the work which is acquired through on‐the‐job training and experience through apprenticeship or other formal training programs. Includes: Mechanics and repairers, electricians, heavy equipment operators, stationary engineers, skilled machining occupations, carpenters, compositors, typesetters, water and sewage treatment plant operators, and kindred workers. Note: There are no Skilled Craft workers in the Police Department.

Service Maintenance

Occupations in which workers perform duties which result in or contribute to the comfort, convenience, hygiene or safety of the general public or which contribute to the upkeep and care of buildings, facilities or grounds of public property. Workers in this group may operate machinery. Includes: truck drivers, bus drivers, garage laborers, custodial employees, gardeners and grounds keepers, construction laborers, cooks, craft apprentices/trainees/helpers, and kindred workers.

Relevant Labor Market (RLM): The RLM reflects that portion of the labor force within the job recruitment area(s) for the City of Virginia Beach identified as possessing the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities for job placement. Following are the RLMs used for each EEO Job Category:

Officials/Administrators Professionals Technicians Protective Services/Sworn Protective Services/Nonsworn Administrative Support Skilled Craft

National State Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)* State State MSA MSA


Additionally, non‐ranking sworn members are analyzed against the Civilian Labor Force/HS thru Associate Degree, Ages 20‐34 census data available for the state as well as our MSA. This demographic represents the most common attributes of entry level police officer candidates.

Service Maintenance MSA

*The MSA for our area is the Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, VA‐NC MSA established by the 2000 US Census Bureau.

Our Current Reality

Please refer to Appendixes B, C and D for detailed representations of the make‐up of the Department of Police as of December 23, 2009. Appendix B, Job Classification Listing, provides a representation of all filled positions for full and part time employee job titles in their respective EEO Job Categories and includes race, national origin and gender statistics. Appendix C, Workforce by Budget Unit, represents all filled positions for full and part time employees by budget unit and includes race, national origin and gender statistics. Appendix D, Workforce Utilization Analysis, represents all filled full time and part time employees by EEO job categories compared to the relevant labor market and includes race, national origin and gender statistics. Analysis of Appendix D, Workforce Utilization Analysis: Analysis is based on a threshold of underutilization of less than 3%. The categories of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Two or More Races are not impacted by underutilization as their availability rates in all EEO Job Categories are under 3%. Officials and Administrators: Overall utilization of females (0%) is below the availability rate of 38.1% and overall utilization of minorities (0%) is below the availability rate of 16.2%. Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories:

This EEO Job Category has only two White Males effective December 23, 2009. White Females, Black/African‐American Females, Hispanic/Latino Males are underutilized in this EEO Job Category. (It is important to note that effective November 1, 2010 this category includes three White Males and one Black/African‐American Male.)

Professionals: Overall utilization of females (87.5%) is above the availability rate of 51.9% and overall utilization of minorities (0%) is below the availability rate of 19%.


Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories: White Males: ‐25.6% based on an availability rate of 38.1%. Black/African‐American Males: ‐3.8% based on availability rate of 3.8%. Asian Males: ‐3.3% based on an availability rate of 3.3%. Black/African‐American Females: ‐7.0% based on availability rate of 7%.

Technicians: Overall utilization of females (72.2%) is above the availability rate of 53.1% and overall utilization of minorities (5.6%) is below the availability rate of 32.2%. Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories:

White Males: ‐ 6.4% based on an availability rate of 34.2%. Black/African‐American Males: ‐8.2% based on an availability rate of 8.2%. Black/African American Females: ‐12.1% based on an availability rate of 17.7%.

Administrative Support: Overall utilization of females (97.2%) is above the availability rate of 71.5% and overall utilization of minorities (24.5%) is below the availability rate of 35.9%. Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories:

White Males: ‐16.5% based on an availability rate of 17.4%. Black/African‐American Males: ‐6.8% based on an availability rate of 7.7%. Females are not underutilized in any of the race/national origin categories; however, the utilization of White Females (29.6%) is much higher than other race/national origin categories.

Service Maintenance: Overall utilization of females (50.0%) is above the availability rate of 45.5% and overall utilization of minorities (14.0%) is below the availability rate of 47.6%. Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories:

Black/African‐American Males: ‐17.0% based on an availability rate of 21.0%. Black/African‐American Females: ‐13.4% based on an availability rate of 19.4%.

Protective Service/Nonsworn (Animal Control) Overall utilization of females (47.1%) is below the availability rate of 71.5%; overall utilization of minorities (8.8%) is below the availability rate of 35.9%. Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories:

Black/African American Males: ‐4.8% based on an availability rate of 7.7%. Black/African American Females: ‐22.6% based on an availability rate of 22.6%.

Protective Service/Sworn Officials (All ranks) Overall utilization of females (12.3%) is below the availability rate of 21.4%; overall utilization of


minorities (18.3%) is below the availability rate of 28.0%. Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories:

Black/African American males: ‐7.2% based on an availability rate of 16.0%. Black/African American females: ‐7.0% based on an availability rate of 7.8%.

Protective Service/Sworn Officials (Sergeant Rank and Above) Overall utilization of females (6.1%) is below the availability rate of 21.4%; overall utilization of minorities (9.9%) is below the availability rate of 28.0%. Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories:

Black/African American Males: ‐9.9% based on an availability rate of 16.0%. White Females: ‐6.5% based on an availability rate of 12.6%. Black/African American Females: ‐7.8% based on an availability rate of 7.8%

Protective Service/Sworn: Nonranking Officers Compared to STATE Civilian Labor Overall utilization of females (13.5%) is below the availability rate of 48.8%; overall utilization of minorities (20.0%) is below the availability rate of 32.2%. Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories:

White Females: ‐20.5% based on an availability rate of 31.8%. Black/African American Females: ‐11.3% based on an availability rate of 12.2%.

Protective Service/Sworn: Nonranking Officers Compared to MSA Civilian Labor Overall utilization of females (13.5%) is below the availability rate of 51.5%; overall utilization of minorities (20.0%) is below the availability rate of 41.8%. Race and Gender Underutilization Within Specific Race/National Origin Categories:

Black/African American Males: ‐5.1% based on an availability rate of 14.4%. White Females: ‐17.1% based on an availability rate of 28.4%. Black/African American Females: ‐17.6% based on an availability rate of 18.5%

It is interesting to note that the census data for civilians with associate’s degrees and ages 20‐34 in our MSA includes a higher percentage of African‐American Males than the same data for the state. Summary of Workforce Utilization Analysis: It has always been a goal of each department within the City of Virginia Beach to build a workforce that is more reflective of the community it serves; in other words, the goal is to attract and recruit more females and minority applicants to the City. With this in mind, Police recruiting efforts are focused on using recruiting sources and community outreach efforts to attract more female and minority applicants in filling vacancies. It is interesting to compare


progress over time, particularly in the sworn ranks, recognizing that annual attrition rates average 7‐8% per year.

Female and Minority Sworn Staffing Trends, 2000 ‐ 2010

Female Officers Minority Officers Female Supv Minority Supv

Total Sworn (Actual)

January 2000 71 (9.8%) 92 (12.7%) 6 (0.8%) 6 (0.8%) 723

January 06 92 (11.8%) 104 (13.4%) 6 (0.8%) 12 (1.5%) 778

November 06 97 (12.2%) 110 (13.8%) 7 (0.9%) 12 (1.5%) 796

November 07 94 (11.7%) 114 (14.2%) 6 (0.7%) 14 (1.7%) 803

January 09 90 (11.3%) 115 (14.5%) 7 (0.9%) 14 (1.8%) 792

December 09 87 (11.2%) 129 (16.6%) 8 (1.0%) 13 (1.7%) 775

November 2010

93 (12.0%)

128 (16.5%) 9 (1.2%) 12 (1.5%) 776

2009 Recruitment and Selection Results for the Department of Police: Please refer to Appendix E, 2009 Annual Analysis of the Police Recruiting Program, for detailed information about the recruiting program for sworn personnel, including sample advertisements. The Police Department continues to engage in an aggressive recruiting program which includes partnerships with Norfolk State University, Virginia Wesleyan College, Elizabeth City State University, the Young Filipino Professional Association, the Navy Transition Assistance program and other entities as well as a significant web presence. In March 2009, Chief Jacocks signed a memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Army Recruiting Command and also the Army Reserves (Army Partnership for Youth Success or Army PaYS) which allows active military personnel to express interest in police employment. Police Department members participated in a total of 160 recruiting events during 2009. In addition to hiring four certified officers in February 2009 and twenty‐nine recruits for the August 2009 police academy class, 24 full‐time and 17 part‐time civilian positions were filled during the 2009 calendar year. All positions are advertised on the City’s WAVE (online)


application system and the Virginia Beach Police Department Facebook page which includes distribution to all participants in the citizen’s police academy. The Public Safety Analyst position was also advertised on Monster.com. The new Animal Care Shelter Manager position was advertised using multiple professional publications targeting shelter management professionals in addition to Monster.com. Public Safety Analyst and Animal Care Shelter Manager were the only professional level positions filled during 2009.

The following is a summary of the employees selected for full‐time positions in calendar year 2009 and 2010 based on the EEOC job category and their gender/race classification. This chart includes individuals who transferred into the Police Department from other City departments, who competed for promotion or transfer from within the department and individuals whose selection represents their original employment with the City of Virginia Beach.

EEOC Job Category

Males

Females Minorities Total Selected

2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 Professional 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 Admin Support

1 1 17 11 8* 4 30

Technician 1 1 1 1 0 0 4 Service Maintenance

0 2 0 1 0 0 3

Protective Service – Nonsworn (Animal Control)

0

1

4

3

0

0

8

Protective Service ‐‐ Sworn

26 38 7 10 5 7 81

Total 71 58 24 129 *1 Hispanic Female was hired for one job and then promoted to another position later in the year. She is counted twice since she was selected for two positions. For a more detailed description of the composition of the applicant pool compared to which applicants are selected for interview, please refer to Appendix F, Civilian Selection 2009 and 2010. This chart illustrates the gender and racial composition of the initial applicant pool, the candidates selected for interview and the candidate(s) hired for two Forensic Services Technician processes, two Public Safety Analyst processes, two Animal Control Officer processes and the Animal Care Shelter Manager selection process. For all positions, considerable care is taken in reviewing applications and identifying the candidates who are well‐matched to the job requirements. The selection process often includes a practical, job simulation exercise as well as


an oral interview conducted by a panel. Examples of job simulation exercises include: analysis of crime scene photographs for Forensic Services Technician, completion of animal bite report for Animal Control Officer, data analysis exercise for Public Safety Analyst, and writing an action plan to address a parvo outbreak for the Animal Care Shelter Manager position. Interview questions are tailored specifically to job requirements and include both situational and behavioral questions. Hiring projections for the February 2011 recruit academy class are for a class size of 30‐35 new recruits. As of November 2010, twenty‐five conditional and final offers have been extended, 30% female and 16% minority. Master Police Officer Career Progression The Department of Police maintains a regular schedule of promotional processes for sworn personnel. To achieve the rank of Master Police Officer, candidates must possess six years service and pass a written test on the departmental General Orders and Field Guides. In 2009, 100% of participating officers were successful and in 2010, 84% were successful. While we were hopeful that the 100% success rate would be repeated in 2010, there was no adverse impact in the test results. Results from the 2009 and 2010 Master Police Officer testing processes follow:

MASTER POLICE OFFICER

NATIVE TOTAL

TOTAL MALE FEMALE WHITE AFR‐AM HISPANIC ASIAN AMERICAN MINORITY

2010 Exam Participants 32 25 7 29 2 1 0 0 3

% of Total 78% 22% 91% 6% 3% 0% 0% 9% Scores above 70% 27 21 6 24 2 1 0 0 3

% of Total 78% 22% 89% 7% 4% 0% 0% 11%

Success Rate 84% 84% 86% 83% 100% 100% 0% 0% 100%

2009 Exam Participants 44 40 4 37 5 2 0 0 7

% of Total 91% 9% 84% 11% 5% 0% 0% 16% Scores above 70% 44 40 4 37 5 2 0 0 7

% of Total 91% 9% 84% 11% 5% 0% 0% 16%

Success Rate 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 0% 0% 100%


Police Sergeant During 2009, the Police Sergeant promotional policy was in the revision and development stage. One significant policy change included allowing the combining of scores from the first two selection steps (oral interview and written test) before limiting completion of the process to the “top 30” candidates. One of the hopes in making this change was that in evaluating expanded job content domain that the results would be a truer depiction of candidate readiness for promotion and that there would be more diverse representation of candidates in the “top 30” group. Unfortunately, this was not the case as the chart provided below indicates:

Total Male Female White Afr-Am

Hispanic Asian Nat Haw/

PI

Nat Am

2+ Races

Total Min

All Appl 61 54 7 42 10 4 1 1 0 3 19

% of Total

89% 11% 69% 16% 7% 2% 2% 0% 5% 31%

Phase I 54 47 7 37 9 4 1 1 0 2 17

% of Total

87% 13% 69% 17% 7% 2% 2% 0% 4% 31%

Top 30 30 24 6 22 1 3 1 1 0 2 8

% of Total

80% 20% 73% 3% 10% 3% 3% 0% 7% 27%

Success Rate

49% 44%

86% 52% 10% 75% 100% 100% 0% 67% 42%

While sixty‐one officers submitted registration to participate in the promotional process, only fifty‐four actually completed Phase I which included the written test and oral interview. Of these, the success rate for Black/African‐American officers in particular was disappointing. There are a number of positive components to the current promotional process including an orientation session for all candidates, the availability of feedback sessions for all interested candidates and the involvement of incumbents in developing and assessing the written test, interview and resume review selection steps. Work is underway to further evaluate the results of this process which was completed in July 2010 and to make recommendations to the Police Chief for changes before the next process occurs in the 2012 time frame.


2009 Turnover Results for the Department of Police: The following chart summarizes full‐time employee separations which occurred during the July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 fiscal year: Sworn Civilian Animal

Control Dept Total

Male Female Minorities

Deceased 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dismissal/ Involuntary Separation

8

0

0

8

7

1

3

Retirement 18 5 0 23 17 6 2 Resignation 29 7 2 38 26 12 9 Total 55 12 2 69 50 19 14 The overall turnover rate based on 983 authorized positions for FY09/10 is 7%. The turnover rate for sworn personnel is 6.7% and 8.5% for civilians. In reviewing historical information, sworn turnover rates have ranged from 6.5% to 9.1% and civilian turnover rates have ranged from 5.1% to 15.2%. Additional detail may be found at Appendix G, VBPD Attrition Trends FY09/10. This year there were a total of eight involuntary separations, six dismissals and two resignations in lieu of dismissal. The high number of sworn dismissals this year is concerning. Five of the six dismissals were related to gross misconduct, including conformance to laws issues (alcohol abuse, domestic violence, etc.). One of the six dismissals related to performance/job fit issues. Four White Males, one Black/African American male and one Black/African American female were dismissed during this time frame. Two additional males (one White and one Black/African‐American) were unsuccessful during their Police Training Officer (PTO) phase prior to certification as a police officer and elected to resign in lieu of dismissal. Every effort is made to conduct exit interviews with sworn and civilian personnel who are voluntarily resigning. There were thirteen resignations related to finding other criminal justice employment, including six resignations due to acceptance of federal employment (ICE, NCIS, Secret Service). Like us, the federal agencies aggressively recruit for minority candidates and the Police Department provides a well‐trained applicant pool for them. Other reasons for voluntary separation included relocating from the area, pursuing education, returning to the military, returning to past employment, or changing careers. Attrition during the police academy is another area of concern. Despite our best efforts to provide accurate information so that candidates can make an informed decision in accepting employment and ensure preparedness for the academy, particularly in terms of physical fitness, some candidates come to the realization that this is not a career fit for them after the department has invested considerable time and energy into their training. Typical academy graduation rates range from 67% to 93%. The August 2009 academy class graduated 72% of its recruits. There are a variety of programs in place to reduce turnover in the academy, including


an orientation program for the new recruits and their families prior to the academy start date, assignment of a mentor to each recruit, study groups, recording each class for subsequent viewing, and remedial training with academy staff when recruits have difficulties in the defensive driving, firearms or defensive tactics training. A comparison of police officer recruit hiring and graduation trends for the past ten years follows:

NAT TOTAL

TOTAL MALE FEMALE WHITE AFR‐AM HISP ASIAN AM MIN

***TOTALS FOR RECRUIT ACADEMIES 40‐49 (AUGUST 2005 THRU MARCH 2010)*** HIRED 274 225 49 225 29 14 6 0 49

% OF TOTAL 82% 18% 82% 11% 5% 2% 0% 18%

TOTAL TERM 59 44 15 51 6 0 2 0 8

GRADUATED 215 181 34 174 23 14 4 0 41 % OF TOTAL 84% 16% 81% 11% 7% 2% 0% 19%

SUCCESS RATE 78% 80% 69% 77% 79% 100% 67% 0% 84%

***TOTALS FOR RECRUIT ACADEMIES 30‐39 (AUGUST 2000 THRU JANUARY 2005)*** HIRED 318 269 49 267 29 13 9 0 51

% OF TOTAL 85% 15% 84% 9% 4% 3% 0% 16%

TOTAL TERM 75 63 12 61 10 2 2 0 14

GRADUATED 242 205 37 205 19 11 7 0 37 % OF TOTAL 85% 15% 85% 8% 5% 3% 0% 15%

SUCCESS RATE 76% 76% 76% 77% 66% 85% 78% 0% 73%

Interestingly, for the 2005‐2010 time frame, success rates for females have decreased, but not to the level of adverse impact. Eighty percent of the male success rate would be 64% and female success rates averaged 69%. Asian success rates are significantly less than 80% for the most successful group, Hispanics, but overall success rates for minorities combined is 84% which well exceeds the 77% success rate for whites. This chart would suggest that the department is doing a better job retaining and graduating minority recruits during the academy training.


Commitment to EEO, Diversity and Inclusion

Commitment and EngagementAn organization promotes employee commitment and engagement through:

providing employees with the resources (training, technology, other resources) they need to be effective in their jobs;

facilitating an environment of open communication where the rationale for decisions is discussed, when appropriate;

recognizing that employees are impacted by factors outside of work and helping them connect to the appropriate resources;

treating employees with respect, holding them accountable for performance but also allowing them the appropriate level of autonomy commensurate with their expertise;

engaging employees in discussions to solicit feedback prior to making organizational decisions; and

ensuring that leadership models behavior that fits the organizational values. Levels of employee commitment and engagement are measured through employee participation in non‐mandated training, organizational productivity levels, participation in promotional processes and other developmental opportunities, feedback from member surveys, turnover rates, grievance and complaint activity and participation in other elective programs (e.g. United Way). Similarly, citizen participation in the citizen’s academy, youth academy, ride along program, neighborhood watch groups, citizen advisory committees and citizen complaint activity are also measures of police employees’ commitment and engagement. The Police Department promotes employee commitment and engagement by providing a variety of training opportunities, particularly for new employees. Sworn employees begin their employment typically by attending the six month recruit academy program or a shortened training program designed for certified officers. Civilian employees attend the required City new member orientation training programs, but also receive a disk of helpful information providing an overview of the department and attend a civilian in‐service full day training program every two years. In addition, each supervisor has developed a training template to assist in orienting a new employee to their specific assignment and follow up is provided via quarterly performance evaluations. During 2009 and early 2010, members of the department worked with Occupational Health Services and our EAP Coordinator to develop the HOPE Brochure which reminds employees of the resources available to them when they are experiencing personal concerns or stressors. In August 2010, Chief Cervera sent out a departmental email reminding employees to utilize the services provided by EAP, peer support, the volunteer departmental chaplains and Occupational Health Services. While there is no formal reporting of this nature, the EAP Coordinator has noted that several employees have sought assistance as a result of these two endeavors, particularly for patterns of behavior that could potentially lead to alcohol abuse.


Exit interviews are conducted with both sworn and civilian employees when they are willing to discuss their reasons for leaving and future plans. Typically, the decision to leave is based on a promotional opportunity, an opportunity to pursue a profession that does not require shift work or where safety issues are not a concern, a desire to change careers or a need to fulfill the needs of a family member (relocation of spouse due to change in employment, health concerns of parent, etc.). Rarely is negative information provided regarding the quality of supervision or the availability of training.

AwarenessThe Police Department engages both civilian and sworn personnel in regular training related to the diversity and inclusion theme. Annually, the Chief sends out a memorandum reminding employees of the departmental contacts should they have a concern related to discrimination or harassment. During the recruit academy training, emphasis is placed on developing sound communication skills and cultural sensitivity is one of the elements evaluated in the Police Training Officer phase. The annual in‐service training for sworn personnel includes a cultural diversity/EEO segment. The 2009‐2010 lesson plans which utilized materials from the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles are attached at Appendix H. Equal Employment Opportunity/cultural diversity is also a topic of the civilian in‐service training. In addition, fifty‐nine department members have participated in the EEO for Members and EEO for Leaders training provided by the City’s Human Resources/Learning and Development Division during the 2008‐2010 time frame. Several members of the department including Deputy Chief Bell, Captain Santos and others attended the 2010 Diversity Symposium at the Sandler Jewish Community Center in October 2010 and interest was expressed in having the keynote speaker, Dr. Kuykendall, return to provide additional training for a larger audience. Captain Santos also serves as a member of the City’s Inclusion and Diversity Council.

Fairness and EquityWritten policies and field guides, effective performance management, open communication and ongoing training for employees aid in maintaining fairness and equity in the workplace. Civilian selection processes are coordinated through the Human Resources Coordinator in an effort to maintain consistency and ensure fair practices department‐wide. The sworn selection process includes the participation of department members from outside the Professional Development and Training command as well as the Human Resources Coordinator. Candidates for employment are given feedback on their performance in the various phases of the selection process and afforded the opportunity to provide additional information if disqualified in the pre‐screening review phase. Regular reporting of the resolution of Internal Affairs cases, including the disciplinary action taken (if any), without specifying names also promotes transparency and facilitates trust. The following employee and applicant cases provide specific examples of the department’s commitment to ensuring fair and equitable treatment for all: In June 2009, a probationary police officer struggled in demonstrating his ability to perform as an independent police officer during his certification week. One of his academy classmates


mentioned to the precinct command that he had a learning disability that impacted his reading comprehension ability. In follow up discussions with this officer, it was learned that he had not been tested as an adult and was not able to provide specific information about the nature of his learning difference and what accommodation was required. The department worked with Occupational Health Services and the Employee Assistance Program to connect the officer to the appropriate medical/mental health professionals and in several months time he had completed a full assessment by a psychologist. During this time, he continued to be actively employed and accompanied other officers on patrol so that observational learning could continue. After determining that medication was the required accommodation and allowing a period of time for adjustment to the medication, the employee repeated the full police training officer (PTO) program. Unfortunately, he was not successful in certifying as a police officer, but his dismissal was not related to his learning disability and we were satisfied that he had been given a fair opportunity to learn the job. In working with one of the precincts in filling a precinct desk officer (PDO) vacancy and coordinating the required training for the Virginia Crime Information Network (VCIN), it was learned that the State Police who administer VCIN require U.S. citizenship or ten years of residency in order to meet their requirements for access to the system. This requirement was not included in the job announcement because the situation had not arisen in the past. The candidate for PDO was born in the Philippines, but had permanent resident status which gave her a legal right to work in the United States. She had resided in the U.S. for six years. The precinct agreed to redistribute the work requiring VCIN access to other employees and the employment offer letter was modified to include the contingency that U.S. citizenship be obtained within twelve months from the hire date. By the end of the summer, the precinct supervisors applauded this PDO for her strong work ethic and one of the precinct lieutenants will be attending her citizenship ceremony on November 18, 2010, four and a half months from her hire date. In this case, the precinct’s willingness to work with this employee resulted in a win/win situation for the department – the development and retention of a valued employee with minimal disruption to department operations.

Partnerships Through its community partnerships, the Police Department models diversity and inclusion. Members of the Police Department are regular participants in the City’s Human Rights Commission meetings to resolve a crime problem, to address a citizen perception issue or to solicit assistance in promoting minority and female recruitment. Recently, Chief Cervera and other command staff members have attended meetings to solicit feedback on police programs and to address other concerns. Specifically these groups have included the African‐American Round Table established by Mayor Sessoms in the summer of 2010 and the Council of United Filipino Organizations of Tidewater. Recently, Deputy Chief John Bell has been appointed to the board of the National Latino Peace Officers Association. In November and December 2010, the Police Department is conducting neighborhood surveys in each precinct where crime problems have been identified to solicit citizen feedback on their


perceptions of police service and their opinion regarding future service needs. All members of the command staff will be participating in this endeavor, assisting the police officers assigned to community policing. This project is both an effort to promote a stronger partnership with the community in better understanding citizen concerns, but also an opportunity for the senior levels of management to partner with patrol officers.

Accomplishments/Best PracticesJob Analysis Studies: There are many challenges in developing a sound selection process for the position of Police Officer. Our goal is to select individuals who will be successful in the training program and also on the job. The entry requirements (high school education, U.S. citizenship, age of 21 by academy graduation, etc.) are minimal and it is challenging to identify candidates who possess the aptitude to succeed in the training program and also possess the personal characteristics required to respond effectively to the rigors of the profession. To ensure the proper alignment with job requirements, a job analysis study focusing on the physical aspects of the job was conducted during the September 2007 to May 2010 time frame. Detailed task analyses was conducted resulting in a comprehensive inventory of physical tasks required at all rank levels. Incumbents participated in a battery of physical assessments in July 2008 and from this test data and other data generated regarding overall performance of the incumbents on the job, a new physical agility test was developed and implemented in August 2009. Baseline measures for the physical agility test were posted on the departmental website during the summer of 2010 and incorporated in the testing beginning in October 2010. Medical guidelines were completed and accepted in May 2010. In July 2009, a similar study was initiated with a separate consultant group to focus on the cognitive elements of the job. From interviews with incumbent groups and surveys of employees at all levels, the consultant developed comprehensive listings of critical tasks as well as required knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics. Several testing instruments were evaluated by the consultant, in conjunction with representatives from the Police Department and Human Resources, in the spring of 2010 and a group of 240 officers actually took the two tests under consideration in early October 2010. This test data will be analyzed against the officers’ test data from their original hire and performance ratings provided by their supervisors and will help us determine which testing option most closely matches the job requirements and is most predictive of success on the job. In other words, we will have conducted a full content and criterion based validation study and the results of this study will help us determine whether continuing with the existing battery of tests or adopting a new written entrance test best supports our goal of identifying qualified applicants to continue in the selection process and minimizing adverse impact against any group of applicants. ArmyPaYS Program: In March 2009, the Virginia Beach Police Department was the first South Hampton Roads city to participate in the Army’s Partnership for Youth Success (ArmyPaYS) program, a strategic partnership between the US Army and a cross section of corporations, companies, and public


sector agencies. The intent of the PaYS Program is to provide an additional recruiting incentive to increase the Army’s ability to meet their staffing requirements. When a soldier enlists in the US Army and chooses a specialty, he or she joins the program and is presented with numerous companies that value the skills learned in the Army. For the Virginia Beach Police Department, this would be the soldiers who select Military Police as their field of interest. The police department then agrees to interview or hire the veteran soldier for an anticipated position. The veteran still has to meet all of our Virginia Beach hiring and testing standards prior to employment, but this program facilitates career planning during the enlistment period. During 2009, twenty‐one soldiers expressed interest in VBPD employment through the ArmyPaYS program. The military has always provided a rich and diverse applicant pool for entry level police officer hiring. This program strengthens our partnership with the military community, an important component of the department’s overall recruitment strategy. (See Appendix E for additional detail regarding the police recruitment program.) Recognition for Second Language Skills: In 2008 other jurisdictions were surveyed about bilingual pay policies through the Major Cities Chiefs HR subcommittee. Fifteen responses were received and evaluated, in addition to information solicited from Norfolk, Chesterfield County and the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Department. Thirty‐two of our bilingual officers were also surveyed to better understand the frequency of the demand for their bilingual skills and the nature of the interactions. This information was shared with a committee from Human Resources and a draft bilingual pay policy was approved by the City Attorney’s Office in the fall of 2009. This policy would compensate individuals who regularly use their language skills in the course of their employment. Unfortunately, the budget concerns of 2009/2010 have stalled the implementation of this program. When funding becomes available, we will simply need to finalize the policy and select a vendor for administering the language proficiency testing. Responding to Special Needs Populations: The Virginia Beach Police Department continues to actively support Project Lifesaver and expects to register its two hundredth client before the end of December 2010. The Project Lifesaver national conference was also held in Virginia Beach during October 2010. By registering clients and providing a tracking device, Project Lifesaver helps facilitate a rapid response when adults and children wander from their homes due to Alzheimer’s, Autism, Down Syndrome, Dementia and other related disorders. Serving Individuals with Mental Illness through the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT): In order to improve the interaction between law enforcement officers and individuals with mental illness the Virginia Beach Police Department has been working with other law enforcement agencies, mental health providers, family members of those with mental health and individuals who experience mental illness. The collaboration of efforts has resulted in the creation of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The Crisis Intervention Team training provides officers with the practical knowledge and improved officer safety skills to deal with individuals who are experiencing mental illness. These skills help minimize the risk to officers and individuals experiencing mental illness, and may also reduce the need to use force during those interactions.


This program also enables a greater number of consumers to get the services they need through the Mental Health Assessment Center, avoiding incarceration in some cases. Grant funding enabled several department members to complete a train‐the‐trainer program and facilitated multiple training sessions conducted since April 2009. As of October 2010, a total of one hundred seventeen Police Department members have completed this training, plus a number of representatives from the Department of Human Services, the 911 Emergency Communications Center and the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Department. Future plans include creating a one‐day training program and an online training format so that the content of the training program can be delivered to all department members and to additional City staff members. Providing Services to the Deaf and Hearing Impaired: In June 2010, a training bulletin was issued regarding “Communicating with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.” This bulletin included distribution of the new General Order 11.05, Communicating with People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, which provides recommendations for effective communication and outlines the various resources available for better serving individuals with hearing impairment. While these resources have been in place for sometime, the department had not had a written directive for officers to utilize.

Future Strategies/Initiatives:

Sustain aggressive recruitment program for sworn personnel, continuing to seek innovative methods for promoting partnerships with university, military and community groups and for utilizing social media Plan a broad recruitment strategy for positions tied to the new Animal Care and Adoption Center opening January 2012 as an opportunity to promote diversity Continue to identify and develop engaging EEO/cultural diversity training at all levels within the organization Continue to evaluate entry level selection and promotional processes to ensure proper alignment with job requirements and make changes to enhance the process when possible Continue to promote developmental opportunities for employees, such as the West Point Leadership course Develop a more comprehensive promotional process preparation class (particularly for the sergeant level) Conduct a follow up survey for participants in the 2010 sergeant’s process to better understand results and identify areas for improvement Develop a more structured coaching program at all levels of the organization


Analyze data collected during the fall 2010 neighborhoods survey and develop an action plan responsive to community needs

Dissemination of Plan

The Police Department Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan is available to all members on Beachnet on the Police Department homepage and is available to citizens on the Police Department homepage on VBgov.com. Electronic copies will be provided to external organizations upon request. For more information or questions about this plan, contact Miriam Bryant by phone (757)385‐4663 or e‐mail [email protected].

Appendices Appendix A, Police Department Organizational Chart Appendix B, Job Classification Listing Appendix C, Workforce by Budget Unit Appendix D, Workforce Utilization Analysis Appendix E, 2009 Annual Analysis of the Police Recruiting Program Appendix F, Civilian Selection 2009 and 2010 Appendix G, VBPD Attrition Trends FY09/10 Appendix H, 2009/2010 Lesson Plans for Cultural Diversity/EEO In‐Service Training




































































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