HomeMy WebLinkAboutStudy Session Agenda Packet 01-04-16STUDY SESSION AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO
7500 W. 29th Ave.
Wheat Ridge CO
January 4, 2016
6:30p.m.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all public meetings sponsored by the
City of Wheat Ridge. Call Heather Geyer, Administrative Services Director at 303-235-2826 at
least one week in advance of a meeting if you are interested in participating and need inclusion
assistance.
Citizen Comment on Agenda Items
.1. Staff Report(s)
2. 38th Avenue Update
~ Police Staffing Study
4. West Metro and Wheat Ridge Fire Merger/EMS Services
5. Elected Officials' Report(s)
ADJOURNMENT
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...... ~ "' City of • ~Wheat~dge ~OFFICE OFTI-fE 01Y M ANAGER
Memorandum
TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Patrick Goff, City Manager
FROM: Scott Brink, Public Works Director
Ken Johnstone, Community Development Director
DATE: December 28, 2015 (for January 4, 2016 Study Session)
SUBJECT: 38th A venue Corridor Plan Update
Introduction
At the May 18, 2015 Study Session, staff presented the City Council with an overview of 38th
Avenue between Wadsworth Boulevard and Sheridan Boulevard, including the following:
(I) Background, Corridor Vision, and Public Process Hi story
(2) Actions and Recent Accomplishments
(3) Roadway and Redevelopment Metrics
( 4) Next Steps
The majority of the discussion centered primarily on next steps. As a result, the City Council
directed staff to prepare and issue a request for proposal (RFP) to obtain a streetscape design
consultant for re-engaging a public process for implementation of the 38th A venue Corridor Plan
as adopted by City Cow1cil in October 201 1. The task for the consultant is to develop a
comprehensi ve public process to achjeve community co nsensus on a revised streetscape design.
Subsequently, staff engaged in a procurement process and on August I 0, 2015, Council awarded
a contract to Britina Design Group.
For the January 4, 20 16 Study Session, the intent is for staff and the consultant to provide
Council with an update of the outreach wo rk completed to date prior to the upcoming January
14, 20 l6 public informational meeting, and to receive further input and/or address any concerns
or issues Council may have at tru s time.
Background and Prior Actions
The City bas been working for several years to shape and define 38th A venue between
Wadsworth and Sheridan Boul evards as ilie City's "Main Street." The 38th Avenue Corridor
Plan was adopted in October 2011 and provides a framework for revitalizing the street into an
attractive focal point for the commuruty. Building on valuable input from stakeholders and the
public at-large, ilie plan created a vision for the future of the street which focused on the
following four principles at that time:
• Identity -Redevelop 38111 A venue with a strong identity as Wheat Ridge's Mai n Street
• Vitali ty -Promote economic and real estate vitality and healthy living
• Appeal-Create an attractive. comfortable. inviting atmosphere
• Mobility -Develop a complete street that better accommodates pedestrians, cyclists, and
transit riders while mai ntaining adequate vehicular access and parking
Since the 38th Avenue Corridor Plan's adoption, several of the plan recommendations have been
implemented. During the summer of2012, a roadway reconfiguration or restriping was
implemented as a pilot project to evaluate the impact of reducing most of the corridor from a
four or five-lane section to a tl1ree-lane section. Parking was added on the south side of the street
along with placement of several temporary planters and "pop-up" cafes and bike lanes in the
Main Street s ub-distri ct. In October 2012, most properties along the corridor were rezoned to
Mi xed Use -Neighborhood to facilitate redevelopment. In 20 13. street banner systems were
installed to facilitate branding and public messaging.
As the roadway reconfiguration pilot project approached the end of its study period, conceptual
streetscape plans were completed and adopted by Council for the Main Street sub-district in
preparation for the next phase of implementation of the Corridor Plan. That design would have
permanently implemented a three-lane section with amenity zones, wider sidewalks, street trees,
and other amenities, which required that the curbs be moved. That conceptual streetscape design
could not be implemented because the narrower street width designation was not approved by
voters in November 2014.
At the May 18, 2015 study session, Council directed staff to injtiate a comprehensive public
process to seek community consensus on a revised streetscape design. Council abrreed that a new
public outreach process should allow the public to review a comprehensive range of alternatives
that considers as many variables as possible. Britina Design Group was subsequently retajned to
begin this process on August I 0, 2015 as previously mentioned.
Recent Progress and Next Steps
Britina Design Group was introduced to the public at the City's annual Town Hall meeting on
August 31, 2015. Sri tina's efforts over the past few months have been to reengage the
community in discussing 381h Avenue and to encourage participation in the design process that
\viii occur in early 2016 through a series of three public meetings. In addition to collecting
extensive background information. Britina has engaged in an extensive public promotion and
stakeho lder outreach phase and an approach that will be used for the public meetings as follows:
• January 14, 2016 -Public meeting to identify and prioritize the elements of the
streetscape
• February II , 20 I 6 -Public meeting to review and gath er input on design altematives
• March I 0, 2016 -Public meeting to review and gather input on a preferred altemative
All of the public meetings as listed above are planned to be held at the Wheat Ridge Recreation
Center. Based on input received and the public process, it is anticipated that a preferred
alternative will be presented to the City Counci l as early as April 25, 2016 for adoption.
After the initial January 14 meeting, the subsequent schedul ed meetings will be based and build
upon input received and progress made at the previous meeting(s). Therefore, it is highly
encouraged that stakeholders and interested persons participate in as many of tJ1ese meetings as
possible.
For the January 14 meeting, participants will be directed to engage in interactive small group
discussions to first come up with a set of community core va lues and how they relate to 38111
A venue. This step is considered essential prior to engaging directly into actual technical design
aspects, as any proposed design(s) must be able to support these values. It is then anticipated
that this will lead to the creation of a series of ideas and design plans. The ideas and plans are
intended to consider the following key elements for a future design:
1. Past planning and existing design/features, including likes, dislikes, etc.
2. Sidewalks (bow wide should they be, etc.)
3. Street furnishings (such as benches, bus shelters, amenities, etc.)
4. Lighting (need, type, etc.)
5. Traffic
6. Parking
7. Signage and way-finding
8. Travel modes (i.e., auto, bicycle, pedestrian, transit, etc.)
A representative of Britina Design Group will be present at the January 4, 2016 Study Session to
present additional details regarding the upcoming January I 4 meeting, and the proposed schedule
and overall public process and engagement. A summary of the Community Engagement Plan by
Britina's sub consultant, C+B Design, is also attached.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Community Engagement Plan
design+
consensus+
solutions+
3268 Syracuse Street
Denver, CO 80238
www.cplusbdesign.com
38th Avenue Streetscape Plan
Community Engagement Plan
December 28, 2015
Kristin Cypher, C+B Design
A successful community engagement plan clearly answers the what, why, and how of a project. The
purpose of this communication is to assist in reaching final consensus for the 38th Avenue Streetscape
Plan. Outlined below Is the plan that was approved by City staff and the progress that has been made to
date.
WHAT
The City of Wheat Ridge has been actively involved in planning improvements to the 38th Avenue
Streetscape. Past planning efforts outlined potential improvements to the project area, and a restriping
project in 2012 tested the impact of changing the number and configuration of travel lanes. The purpose
of the Streetscape Plan is to evaluate the planning and design work that was previously done, and to
initiate a comprehensive public process to seek community consensus on a revised streetscape design.
The process will allow the public to review a comprehensive range of alternatives with as many variables
as possible.
WHY
38th Avenue is the Wheat Ridge community "Main Street," and its design needs to support the economic,
social , and functional needs of a main street. Although past planning and design work for the corridor has
been done, there was no community consensus regarding how the streetscape should look, feel, function,
and what It would cost. This process will reach out to Wheat Ridge citizens and involve them in creating a
community-supported design for the 38th Avenue streetscape.
The community outreach objectives for the 38th Avenue Streetscape are as follows:
Primary
Inform and educate -Provide target audiences with information to help them understand the issues
related to the project.
Secondary
Listen to and acknowledge the audiences' concerns, and respond with relevant information.
Overarching Goals
Involve, collaborate, or empower-Work with the target audiences so that their comments are
reflected in the 38th Avenue Streetscape Plan as it evolves.
The target audiences and relevant stakeholders include:
• City Council -Meet one-on-one with current City Councilmembers. Met with Monica, Janeece,
and Tim. I have also had a conversation with Jerry, the current City Treasurer and former
Council member.
• Primary property owners and prospective developers inside the study area -Held one-on-one
meetings with property owners in the project area.
1
design+
consensus+
solut1ons +
3268 Syracuse Street
Denver. CO 80238
www.cplusbdesign.com
• Members of highly engaged civic groups-Met with A TAT and Citizens for Main Street
• Business owners inside the study area -Held one-on-one meetings with businesses in the study
area
• Residents adjacent to the study area
• Management of special districts inside the study area -Scheduled to meet with WR 2020 during
the first week of January
• City staff-On-going team meetings (roughly monthly)
• Overall Wheat Ridge community members and visitors
HOW
Below is the menu of strategies that will be used to meet the plan's objectives and target audiences.
Metrics will be used to track and quantify points of contact to evaluate the success of outreach efforts -
separately and in combination.
1) Within the City
a) Prepare Information for distribution to the City
Methods/Materials:
• Project Postcard -Mailed to entire Wheat Ridge community during the last week of December
2015.
• Connections Newspaper Advertisement-Ran in the November 2015 issue
b) At the discretion of the City, make short presentations to:
i) Cultural Commission-Complete
ii) Planning Commission
iii) Renewal Wheat Ridge -Complete
iv) Wheat Ridge 2020 -Scheduled for first week of January
v) Regular Citizens for Main Street Outcomes -Complete (2 dffferent meetings)
vi) Wheaties Academy -Meeting not necessary as members are included in other groups
vii) Wheat Ridge Active Transportation Advisory Team (ATAT)-Complete
viii) Ridge at 38th Leadership Committee
ix) Wheat Ridge Business Association -Distributed a project info flyer at the December meeting;
will be making a presentation at the January meeting.
Methods/Materials:
• Project handout-Distributed during the months of October, November, & December 2015
• Project presentation -Created for the August Town Hall meeting, refined and presented to
additional stakeholder groups during the months of November and December 2015, and
January 2016. The presentation was also uploaded to the project Facebook page.
• Facilitated group discussions (with summary notes)-Ongoing presentations during the months
of November and December 2015, and January 2016
Metrics
• Summarize number of attendees and number and types of questions asked
• Offer short survey of meeting attendees to track if and how they benefited from the presentation
Example: Attending this presentation was a good use of your time.
Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree
2
design +
consensus +
solutions +
3268 Syr.lCuc.e Street
().''tVN CQ 80238
www.cplusbdesign.com
c) City Web Page
i) Create project page and update as needed
Methods/Materials:
• Project handout (in PDF format) -Created and distributed in November, December, and
January
• Project presentation (in PDF format)-Created for the August Town Hall meeting, and refined
for additional stakeholder group presentations during November, December, and January
• Interim project informational pieces (site analysis, traffic study results, etc.)-Working with Fehr
and Peers!BrWna to create informational graphics to illustrate background info for attendees at
the first Open House on January 14, 2016
Metrics
• Track clicks and duration on project page
d) Project Facebook page
i) Track comments on page-Ongoing throughout Project
ii) Info graphics describing the first open house -Posted in December
iii) Videos describing the first open house and the overall proJect goals/process -Posted in
December
e) Project Info & "Save the Date• cards
i) Distributed at August 31, 2015 Town Hall meeting
ii) Available at September 12, 2015 community event
Iii) Broad mailing of info card to Wheat Ridge community -Last week of December
f) Project info point stations -Installed last week of December
i) Locations
• Wheat Ridge Recreation Center
• Stevens Elementary School Lawn Area (north of 38th Avenue)
• Active Adult Center
• Wheat Ridge L1brary (poster -not enough space for banner displays)
• Wheat Ridge Municipal Building lobby
2) Public Engagement
a) Meet with key property/business owners inside project area
I) Prepare written summary of each meeting-Ongoing throughout Project
ii) Follow up with emails and phone calls as necessary -Ongoing throughout Project
b) Public Meetings (formats)
i) Town Hall meeting presentation -August 31, 2015
ii) Open houses for City residents -January 14, -February 11, and-March 10, 2016
iii) Follow-up meetings, emails and phone calls as necessary -Ongoing throughout Project
3
c) Distribution of meeting notices and other information
design+
consensus+
solutions+
3268 Syracuse Sheet
Denver C'O 80'J38
www.cplusbdes,gn.com
i) US mail, targeted email, phone calls and door to door notifications -Last week of December
• Collect contact information, in cooperation with City staff. for addresses and contact info
for Wheat Ridge community members. property owners, and business owners along 38th
Avenue project area
• Prepare mail contact information info card
ii) Provide project content, link to project page, and post meeting notices in above mentioned
organizations' web page or newsletters -Ongoing throughout Project
iii) Mail fact sheets and simple graphics to property/business owners inside the study area -TBD
Metrics
• Summarize number of attendees and number and types of questions asked
• Offer short survey of meeting attendees to track if and how they benefited from the presentation
Example: Attending this presentation was a good use of your time.
Strongly agree, agree, neutral. disagree, or strongly disagree
3) Notify Special District Managers Within Study Area
a) Water/Sanitary
b) Fire
c) School -Will send notices home in the Friday folder first week of January
d) Library-Notified
Additional Ideas
• Reserve a roadway notice sign (the one from Golden is a possibility) to place on major arterials
during the week before the first open house
• Create bus stop project info signs (to be inserted into the existing bus notice board areas)
4
'~ '~ ... "' City of ~W heat&_dge ~OLI C E DEPARTMENT
TO:
VIA:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
I SSUE:
Memorandum
Mayor Jay and City Council
Patrick Goff, City Manage~
Daniel Brennan, Chief of Police
January 4, 2016
StaffReport: IACP Police Department Staffing Report
The Poli ce Department id entified a need to conduct a staffing study of the Patrol Operations
Division and Investigations Bureau in 2014, to determine ifthe department was properly deploying
and utilizing personnel resources to address the issues of crime, traffic and quality of life expected
by the community. The last staffing study of the Patrol Operations Division and the Investigations
Bureau by an outside consultant occurred in 2005 and 2006 respecti vely. The department has
conducted internal staffing studies of all work units in each division at least every three years since
that time.
City Council approved a staffing study in the 2015 Budget. Seven firms submitted responses to a
request for proposal (RFP). Three firms were chosen for interviews by a panel of four evaluators.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) was selected based on their experience in
conducting staffing studies for Jaw enforcement agencies, the experience of their staff and their
qualifications for conducting staffing studies.
IACP conducted a staffing study of the Patrol Operations Division and Investigations Bureau. The
study consisted of gathering and reviewing quantitative and qualitative data. It was conducted in
four phases: data collection, data analysis and evaluation, development of preliminary findings and
the final report (attached). The study made three primary and 14 secondary recommendations
specifi c to staffing, scheduling, alternative service delivery options and policy.
PRIO R ACTION:
In 2001, 69 sworn positions were authori zed. By 2004, the Police Department was reduced to 62
due to budgetary and personnel cutbacks throughout the City, although the actual number of
officers was far Jess due to attrition. As a result of these reductions in authorized sworn personnel,
the department moved to a base-service model. Policing services were reactionary in response to
crime, traffic and quality oflife issues. The department discontinued proactive policing programs,
abandoned any geohrraphic responsibility for patrol officers, and discontinued providing crime
prevention programs, a school resource officer program and a traffic team.
A sales tax increase was approved in 2004. This increase identified hiring ten additional police
officers for patrol and investigations, including reinstituting a school resource officer program and
Staff Report: lACP Police Department Staffing Report
January 4, 2016
Page 2
a traffic team. Those positions and programs became operational as hiring and training new
officers allowed.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The financial impact of this study varies depending on the approach and timing of implementing
recommendations. TI1e lACP repoti recommends an additional four patrol officers, one detective,
one sergeant and one police commander. The following chart outlines the approximate starting
salary and benefit costs for these positions based on 2016 data:
Position Number Salary Benefits Total
Patrol Officer 4 $48,000 $14,400 $62,400 X 4 = $206,400
Detective I $48,000 $14,400 $62,400
Sergeant I $82,635 $24,791 $107,426
Commander I $86,767 $26,030 $I 12,797
The initial salary and benefit cost for all recommended positions is $489,023. Academy and
unifom1 costs for seven posi tions are approximately $42,000. The Patrol Operations Division
would need two additional patrol vehicles, so that enough vehicles would be available. Fully
equipped patrol vehicles cost approximately $50,000 each. The additional sergeant position would
require an unmarked vehicle that would cost approximately $35,000.
TI1is analysis does not include the l1iring of additional non-swom positions. Additional research is
necessary to determine the function, scope and needs of these positions.
BACKGROUND:
Maintaining staffing levels for the police department is a complex and layered process that is
impacted by many factors. Communities and elected officials are demanding more police
department accountability and responsiveness to issues. These factors include higher expectations
from community members for policing services; mandatory reporting for certain offenses; the
investigation of more complex c1imes; expectations for more thorough crime scene processing and
investigation; and legislatively mandated training requirements. State legislation proposed for
2016 would require agencies to meet new standards in hiring police applicants.
Today's job market has made recruiting, hiring and training officers more difficult as the City
competes with other agencies to hire the best. The hiring of police officers along the Front Range
is very competitive. It takes the department 14-1 6 months to recruit, select, hire and train a
candidate before they can officially become a pol ice officer. This time frame is less for candidates
who are certified through the Peace Officers Standards and Training Board (POST). The
department actively recruits for certified and lateral candidates.
The department has been challenged recently to consistently maintain minimum staffing levels in
patrol and investigations due to unanticipate.d leaves such as family medical leave (FMLA), injury
leave, military leave, and attrition through resignations or retirements. In 2014 and early 2015,
over 20% of the available patrol workforce was unavailable to work their primary patrol
assignment. This put an incredible strain on the available workforce to maintain minimum staffmg
levels.
Staff Report: lACP Police Department Staffing Report
January 4. 2016
Page 3
Although the City's population has not increased significantly, policing services are greatly
impacted by other factors. Wheat Ridge is an inner-ring suburb, surrounded by larger
municipalities. The population of those communities surrounding the City has grown and is
anticipated to see continued growth. Wheat Ridge has three state highways and an interstate
highway that traverse the community. These transportation corridors are very narrow compared to
adjoining communities and result in a significant drain on policing services. A new commuter-rail
corridor will open in Wheat Ridge later in 2016 and staff anticipates an impact on policing
services. Wheat Ridge has a large regional medical center and a county-contracted alcohol detox
center (A rapahoe House). The City has a cluster oflower-tier motels along the 1-70 and Kipling
corridor. All of these factors impact police services. Lastly, the City's Part I UCR crime rate is
similar to larger surrounding communities.
In 200 I. the department had a staffing level of 69 sworn positions. Budgetary cutbacks between
200 I and 2004 reduced the available sworn staffing level to 62 budgeted positions; however,
unanticipated attrition reduced the actual number to 53 sworn positions by late 2004. These
reductions caused the department to implement a base-service level philosophy.
In 2004, an organizational assessment of the department was completed by KR W and Associates,
listing 14 recommendations for tl1e department, including a staffing study. In late 2004, the
citizens of Wheat Ridge approved a one-cent sales tax increase that was used to fund an additional
ten police officer positions and ultimately increased the department total to 74 sworn positions.
In 2005, the department shifted its policing philosophy from a base-service model (reactive) to a
community policing model of service delivery. Thls new model incorporated the responsibility to
respond to calls for service, while recognizing the need to collaborate with law abiding citizens to
address the challenges of crime, traffic, quality of life and arresting offenders. The department
emphasized problem-solving as a mechanism to address these challenges. These changes included
creating a Crime Prevention Team, a School Resource Officer program and a Crime and Traffic
Team, allowing the department to be more proactive in service delivery. The department utilized a
local consultant, Dale Harris with Corona Solutions, to conduct a study to detennine appropriate
staffing levels for the Patrol Operations Division. The methodology of this study was to allocate
20 minutes of every hour to patrol time, 20 minutes to non-allocated time and 20 minutes to
administrative time, similar to the IACP recommendations. A review was completed by a different
consultant of the lnvestigations Bureau, which showed that staffing levels were adequate.
Since then the department has routinely conducted internal studies, examining staffing and service
delivery options, while recognizing the City's financial restraints. As a result of these studies, the
department increased staffing in the Patrol Operations Division to 36 officers by reaUocating
sworn positions internally; created officer minimums for each patrol watch; restructured the
leadership team; created an alternative service delivery option by giving up one sworn position to
hire two non-sworn positions for a telephone reporting unit; regionalized forensic crime service
delivery options with the Lakewood Police Department by giving up a detective position; utilized
grant opportunities to fund three positions (SRO, Vice/lntel detective and an auto tl1eft detective);
developed an annual attrition survey; and examined scheduling options resulting in a hybrid
scheduling system to address the high volume of calls for service during certain times of the day.
Additionally, in 2006, the department received authorization to utilize annual salary savings to
Staff Report: IACP Pol ice Department Staffing Report
January 4, 2016
Page4
over-hire three swom positions i11 an effort to maintain staftlng throughout the year.
In summary, the department has looked for and found creative solutions to meet the challenge of
providing for and maintaining quality law enforcement services utilizing a community policing
and problem solving model. While these efforts have been helpful, the department continues to
experience challenges to providing high-quality service delivery, including the competitive job
market and the time it takes to recruit, select and train an officer. As the lACP Report shows,
these challenges center around a high volume of traffic and crime incidents during certain hours of
the day; the nature of investigating mandatory reporting crimes such as domestic violence and
elder abuse; span of control challenges for personnel assigned to special units; and having
managerial oversigl1t throughout all patrol shifts. As the study points out, these staffing concerns
have affected the time spent by officers in problem-solving activities.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff has identified four primary topics based on the lACP reconunendations: staffing, scheduling,
identifying alternative means of service delivery and policy considerations. The department's
leadership team began working on these recommendations shortly after the report was provided to
us in August 2015.
Some service delivery decisions have been made based on this report. Beginning January I, 2016,
the Crime and Traffic Team will become the Crash and Traffic Team. The team will be deployed
Monday-Friday, from I 000 hours to 2000 hours to provide support to the Patrol Operations
Division by handling traffic crashes and focusing on traffic crash hotspots and community traffic
concerns. This policy change will impact the department's ability to have an available team of
officers to respond to crime trends and patterns, i.e. prostitution and liquor stings, burglary or
robbery survei Hance, etc.
Staff will contract with lACP in 2016 to provide consulting services to further explore the
scheduling recommendations made in the report for patrol and investigations. Work groups will
be identified to further explore scheduling options in the Patrol Operations Division and
Investigations Bureau, alternative means of service delivery and the policy recommendations made
in the report.
Staff recommends Council direction and approval to begin a multi-year planned approach to
authorizing the seven positions reconm1ended by this staffing study with the priorities being on the
patrol officer, detective, sergeant and commander positions respectively. The inability to fund the
line-level positions (patrol and investigations) will result in the department exploring service
reductions in the near future.
Lastly, staff will continue to work on exploring the alternative recommendations made in this
report and bring forth recommendations to Council for further discussion and action.
DB
ATTACHMENTS:
I. IACP "Staffing Analysis, August, 2015
A Study by the International Association of Chiefs of Police
AUGUST2015
Attachment 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTTVE SUMM.A RY ............................................................................................................. i
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iv
PRINCfPAL FrNDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................. v
CHAPTER l. THE POLICING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................ I
CHAPTER ll: ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING .................................................................... 8
CHAPTER W: PATROL OPERATIONS .................................................................................... II
CHAPTER TV: INVESTIGATIONS ............................................................................................ 35
CHAPTER V: SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... 60
LIST OFT ABLES AND FIGURES
TABLE 1: Population Trends ......................................................................................................... I
TABLE 2: Popul ation Age Ranges ................................................................................................. 2
TABLE 3: Wheat Ridge C ity Budget Expenditures 20 I 0-2015 ..................................................... 4
TABLE 4: WRPD Approved Budgets, 20 I 0-20 15 ......................................................................... 4
TABLE 5: Wheat Ridge Crime 2010-2014 .................................................................................... 5
TABLE 6: A1Tests 2010 -2014 ....................................................................................................... 6
TABLE 7: Traffic Accidents 2012-20 I 4 ........................................................................................ 7
TABLE 8: Traffic Enforcement ...................................................................................................... 7
TABLE 9:2014 Frequent Traffic Violations .................................................................................. 7
TABLE I 0: Authorized Staffing 20 I 0-2015 .................................................................................. 8
TABLE 11 : Annual Separations ..................................................................................................... 8
TABLE 12: New Officers Hired 2010-2014 .................................................................................. 9
TABLE 13: Patrol Watch Shift Hours .......................................................................................... II
TABLE 14: Call Volume and Duration by Category ................................................................... 18
TABLE 15: Top 5 Call Types by Category -Frequency ............................................................. 18
TABLE 16: Top 5 Call Types by Category -Time Spent ........................................................... 19
TABLE 17: Top I 0 Officer Lnitiated Events by Frequency ......................................................... 20
TABLE 18: Top I 0 Officer Initiated Events by Time Spent. ....................................................... 20
TABLE J 9 : Calls by Priority ........................................................................................................ 23
TABLE 20: Call Types Averaging More Than Two Responding Units, 2014 ............................ 23
TABLE 21: Patrol Availability (Hours) ....................................................................................... 25
TABLE 22: Obligated Workload -Patrol.. ................................................................................... 28
TABLE 23: TRU Lncidents 2014 .................................................................................................. 33
TABLE 24: Investigations Bureau Staffing .................................................................................. 36
TABLE 25: lnvestigations Availability ........................................................................................ 37
TABLE 26: Cases Assigned by Year ............................................................................................ 40
TABLE 27: Cases Assigned byCJass 2012 -2014 ...................................................................... 40
TABLE 28: Cases Assigned by Team and Class A, B, C Only .................................................... 41
TABLE 29: Average Caseloads per Detective 2012-2014 ........................................................... 41
TABLE 30: Top 10 Cases Assigned by Team 2012-2014 ........................................................... 43
TABLE 31: DV. ARA, and Elder Abuse Cases ........................................................................... 44
TABLE 32: Average Durati on by Class-Persons and Property Teams 2012-2014 ................... 45
TABLE 33: Average Duration by Class and Team 2012-2014 .................................................... 45
TABLE 34: Longest Average Dw·ation -Top I 0 Persons Crimes ............................................... 46
TABLE 35: Longest Average Duration-Top 10 Property Crimes ............................................. 47
TABLE 36: Clearances by Class 2012-2014 ................................................................................ 50
TABLE 37: Case Clearances 2012-2014 Persons Team .............................................................. 51
TABLE 38: Case Clearances 2012-2014 Property Team ............................................................. 52
TABLE 39: Average Available Hours per Case 2014 .................................................................. 53
TABLE 40: Lnvestigations Survey ................................................................................................ 54
Figure I : Wheat Ridge Government.. ............................................................................................. 3
Figure 2: WRPD Table of Organization ....................................................................................... I 0
Figure 3: Patrol Beat Boundaries .................................................................................................. II
Figure 4: Calls for Service 2002-20 14 .......................................................................................... 17
Figure 5: Citizen-vs. Oflicer-Lnjtiated Calls, 2014 ...................................................................... 17
Figure 6: Calls by Day of Week ................................................................................................... 21
Figure 7: Calls by Time of Day .................................................................................................... 21
Figure 8: Calls by Beat ................................................................................................................. 22
Figure 9: Average StafTmg by Average Citizen CFS, by Hour of Day ........................................ 29
Figure I 0: Traffic lncidents by Hour of the Day .......................................................................... 30
Figure 11 : Investigations Bw·eau Organizati.onal Su·ucture .......................................................... 35
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Wheat Ridge Police Department (WRPD) is an efficient and well organized agency
with a strong commibnent to commw1.ity policing and collaborative problem solving
efforts. Staff at all levels present a high level of comm.:itn1.ent and pride in their work
and the WRPD. The agency's participation in multiple regional programs and task
forces dearly indicate a willingness to iimovate, maximize resources, and improve
efficiencies.
Tl1.is study was focused on determining staffing levels for patrol and investigations. Ow·
analysis determined that, although the department is currently meeting service
demands, augmentation is needed in order to achieve IACP recommended standards
for agencies with a community policing focus.
Our recommendations for additional personnel include four officers in patrol, one
Detective, one Detective Sergeant, and one patrol commander for a total of seven
personnel. This amounts to a nearly 10% increase in sworn staff. Given the cunent
economic conditions ir1 the City of Wheat Ridge, we recognize that such an increase in
staffing is may not be feasible nor affordable to implement at the same time.
The WRPD should prioritize patrol staffing augmentation, particularly in light of its
relatively high attrition Tate. Our analysis revealed that an average of 5.2 sworn staff
have left the agency each year, for the past five years. Although the WRPD has been
successful i:n hiring enough officers to keep pace with the rate of departures, the length
of time required to train each officer, nearly 10 months, results in continual vacancies.
These vacancies are primarily located in the Patrol Division . When the average vacancy
rate of 5.2 officers per year is combined with this study's recommendation of four
additional officers for paa·ol, the combined effect leaves the Patrol Division is op erating
with up to nine fewer officers than authorized and recommended.
Initial efforts should focus on providing support for response to traffic crashes, a top
driver of patrol officers' obligated time. Additional priorities include over-strength
hiring and the retention of personnel.
Further, the WRPD should re-examine work sd1edules for both patrol and
investigations. Although the WRPD h as operated on a four day, ten-hour work
schedule for many years, the exploration of alternate work schedules may increase
staffing without the need to increase personnel to the extent recommended in this
report.
Finally, observations ind.:icate that patrol officers and Detec tives spend very little time
engaged in problem solving activities when not assigned to calls for service or
conducting investigations. Although pab.·ol officers and Detectives expressed i.J.1terest ii1
performing these activities, a lack of time was frequently cited as impediments to this
effort. As staffing levels increase in patrol and investigations, a greater emphasis should
be included on tl1is activity.
This report outlines tl'le metl1odology used to conduct our analysis of patrol officer and
Detective activity. We relied upon tl'le accuracy of data provided by tl'le WRPD to
determine staffing recommendations. Where external data was used for comparison
purposes, references aie provided.
Jl
INTRODUCTION
The City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, conb·acted with the International Association of
Chiefs of Police (lACP) to conduct a study of the staffing levels for patrol and
investigations functions of the Wheat Ridge Police Department (WRPD). The study
focused on the following:
• Policing Characteristics and Trends
• Mission, Goals, Values, and Objectives
• Policing Style
• Accow1 ta bility
• Crime and Crime Workload
• Services and Service Workload
• Organization
• Staffing Requirements and Resource Leveraging
• Patrol Operations
• Traffic Crashes and Enforcement
• Investigations
• Workforce Perspectives
• Patrol Allocation
The study was conducted in four phases:
Phase I-Data Collection
Phase II-Data Analysis and Evaluation
Phase Ill -Development of Prelimirlary Findings
Phase IV - Final Report
Phase I focused on the collection of information about WRPD operations and policing
conditions. A combination of data collection techniques and sources were employed.
More than 30 WRPD persotmel (command, non-command, and civilian) were
interviewed. Several others submitted commentary via email. lACP staff observed
numerous operations and accompanied officers on ride-alongs. Policy statements, rules
and regulations, statistical reports, and other written documents were gathered by
lACP staff, along with a broad array of data sets including calls for service data,
personnel leave data, caseloads for Detectives, and training records. A brief survey was
distributed to WRPD staff assigned to the Investigations Division, soliciting their
judgments concerning daily activities.
Ill
Phase fi concentrated on analysis and evaluation of da ta, development of improvement
recommendations, and preparation of severaJ drafts of our report. Evaluation involved
comparison of police policies, procedures and operations with contemporary
professional police s tandards - a composite of policies and practices fa vored by the
IACP s urvey staff. This phase also entailed collection of supplementary data and
corroboration of information obtained earlier.
Phase Ill involved the development of preliminary findings and recommendations-a
colla borative process involving the study team, in-house lACP advisors, and external
subject matter experts. Results are shared with WRPD executives to assess their efficacy
with client expectations. This process required repeated efforts to corrobora te
information collected earlier, to fill data gaps, and to obtain feedback on a number of
innovations and proposals in the report.
Phase N entailed the prepara tion of this final report.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For technical assis tance and a continuing d emonstration of cooperation, we wish to
acknowledge the following indiv iduals:
• Chief of Police Daniel Brennan
• Division Chief Jim Lorentz
• Acting Div ision Chief Dave Pickett
• Commander Mark Cooney
• Acting Commander J.D. ]epkema
• Crime Analyst Beth Daniel
• Police Records Supervisor Deri Patt
• Finance/Payroll Specialist Darla Storey
Most of all, our thanks go to all of the men and women of the Wheat Ridge Police
Department who participated in inteTviews, ride-aJongs, completed surveys and/ or
took the time to provide information, ideas, and suggestions.
I\'
PRINCIPAL FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
PATROL OPERATIONS
Primary Recommendation
Recommeudatiou: Augment Patrol staffing
The current level of obligated workload for patrol officers, 33%, exceeds the 30% target.
ln order to achieve a 30% obligated time ratio, a minimum of four additional personnel
must be added to the pao·ol function.
Secondary Recommendations
Recommeuda tiou: Redirect the activities of CAIT to focus 011 traffic era sizes
Property damage crashes are the third most frequent activity in CAD and rank third
among most time consuming activities for patrol officers. The primary focus of CA TT
officers should be redirected handle traffic crashes. This shift in focus may require
additional staffing for the WRPD in order to maintain current proactive efforts for
targeted crime reduction.
Recommeudatiou: Assign a Watch Commauder to tl1e eveniug sltift
An additional full-time Watch Commander position, primarily assigned to the evening
and early morning hours, should be added to patrol to provide a consistent level of
management of patrol operations. This position would also provide immediate
management of fast-breaking incidents, help to ensure agency goals and objectives are
properly performed, and provide oversight for the management of calls for service
(CFS).
Recommeudatiou: Conduct regular analyses of officer injuries to identifiJ prevention
methods
WRPD executives have done an admirable job of instilling a culture of safety and
wellness in their organization. Efforts are informed by data received from the city on
annual employee injuries. However, a detailed on-the-job injury tracking tool that
provides timely and relevant infom1ation to WRPD command staff is no t in place. Such
a tool can help the WRPD identify more specific and timely data on what types of
injuries are occurring most often. With that information, leadership can more take more
proactive steps to mitigate risks, revise policies, and implement training programs for
prevention of future injuries.
v
Recommeudatiou: Explore otlzer work scl1edules to eul1auce officer availabilihJ
The WRPD is encouraged to explore other work schedules and service modifications to
enhance patrol staffing and increase efficiency. The current 10-hour work schedule does
not maximize employee availability. Work schedules that evenly divide into 24 hours
are generally the most efficient use of resources for patrol office rs.
Recomm eudatiou: Iucrease tile use ofNou-sworn persouuel to supplemeut patrol
The WRPD is encouraged to explore the expanded use of non-sworn personnel in
patrol. Although the WRPD already utilizes Community Service Officers (CSOs) and
volunteers to provide limited law enforcement related services, it is encouraged to
explore the expanded use of other non-sworn personnel in patrol. These employees can
supplement patrol officers by responding to minor calls for service incidents, traffic
incidents, and some non-criminal incidents beyond their current scope of duties.
Additionally, these personnel can be hired in a more expedient manner with less
training time than sworn officers.
R ecommeudation: Iucrease types of incideuts llaudled by Telepltoue Reporting Unit.
Current activity of the Telephone Reporting Unit (TRU) should be expanded to include
more cold crime and property damage (crash) reporting. Efficiencies in patrol could be
gained by more aggressively diverting qualified calls to the TRU. Further consideration
should be given to expanding th e hours of availability of the TRU.
Recommeudatiou: Co usider revisiug curreut WRPD policy regarding response to
properhJ damage collisious.
Currently WRPD offi cers complete a report for all traffic comsions regardless of the
severi ty of damage. However, Colorado law onJy requires written reports for collisions
with property damage of more than $1000.00. Subsequently, officers complete written
reports for minor crashes even though they are not required to do so. The WRPD
should consider expanding its current Accident Alert policy, which provides for an
info rmation exchange in lieu of written reports during severe weather or periods of
high call vo.lume, on a full time basis. Given the significant number of property damage
collisions handled by the WRPD in 2014, this change would reduce workloads for patrol
officers.
Recommendatiou: lustitute au o11goiug recntitment process.
The WRPD loses an average of 5.2 sworn personnel annually. For an agency the size of
Whea t Ridge, these vacancies have a substantial impact, particularly when they come
from operational units. Implementation of an ongoing continuous application process
for new hires, with regular cut-off dates for processing, can help reduce the loss of
personnel.
VI
INVESTIGATIONS BUREAU
Primary Recommendations
Recommendation: Maintain current staffing levels for tile Persons Team
Based on the factors examined in this study, current staffing levels in the Persons Team
are sufficien t to meet present demands. Further augmen tation is not required.
Recommendatiou: Maiutain current staffing levels for tire Propertlj Team
Based on the factors examined in this study, current staffing levels in the Property Team
are sufficient to meet present demands. Further augmentation is not required.
Secondary Recommendations
Recommeudation: Create a Domestic Violence Team witlriu tile Investigations Division
Analysis of cases assigned to the Investigations Bureau identified 195 cases designated
as domestic violence (DV), at-risk adult (ARA), or elder abuse. This number represents
14% of all cases assigned as Class A, B, or C for the three-year period examined. The
WRPD should create a new, full-time Detective position, supported by a technician,
volw1teer, or combination thereof, to assume responsibility for this function.
Recommenda tion: Reduce administrative responsibilities in tir e Investiga tions Bureau
Case Management System
More than 50% of the cases referred to the Investigations Bw·eau for follow-up were
classified as "I" cases, indicating no active investigation. Despite the lack of
investigative actions, they require time and attention of Detectives and supervisors for
review and monitoring.
Recommendation: Create a supervisonJ position for persomrel assigned to tl1e WMDTF,
MATT and Vi ce Unit
Currently, personnel assigned to the West Metro Drug Taskforce (WMDTF), Metro
Area Theft Taskforce {MATI) and Vice Unit report directly to the Commander of
Investigations Bureau. This is an unusual organizational structure in that it requires tl1e
commander to perform routine supervisory fw1ctions for four Detectives in addition to
overseeing tl1e operations of tl1e entire bureau. Supervisory fw1ctions for tl1ese
personnel are more appropriately handled by a Sergeant. Therefore we recommend tl1e
creation of a new, full time Sergeant position to serve as tl1e Special Investigations Team
supervisor.
vii
Recommendatiou: Revise tire curreut work scl1edule for Iuvestigatious Division
Persatmel
While the current 4 X 10 work sd1edule is fa vored by De tectives, it is our opinion that it
is counterproductive to the overall efficiency of the Bureau. Citizens, patro l officers,
prosecutors, and other \t\'RPD personnel are "customers" of Investigations Bureau
personnel. Revising the current 4 X 10 schedule to a 5 X 8 schedule would result in a ne t
increase of 39 work days for each Detective.
Recommendatiou: Eultance Crime Analysis ftmctious to aid iuvestigators.
Crime analysis products and dissemination methods could be improved by consistent
and frequent dissemination of crime trend information. We recommend enhancem ent
of the current method of crime analysis to include bi-weekly updates of crime patterns
and trends. This would include the analysis of "I" cases.
Recommeudatiou: Ju corporate problem solviug tools and teclmiques into patrol and
investigations ftmctious, with an empllasis on crime aualysis
For the purpose of enhancing WRPD's community policing philosophy, promote the
incorporation of repeat CFS and repeat offenders into patrol briefings and regular crime
meetings for review, discussion, response, and accountability. The ove rarching focus of
tllis effort should be to de termine the na ture of the problem and focus agency-wide
efforts on long-term solutions.
viii
CHAPTER I. THE POLICING ENVIRONMENT
The geography, service population, economic conditions, levels, and composition of
crime and disorder, workload, and resoUices in Wheat Ridge are salient factors that
define and condition th.e policing requirements, response capacity, and opportunities
for iru1ovation. These factors are examined in this chapter.
Examination of the environment that must be policed, as it is today and as it is likely to
be tomorrow, is an essential prerequisite to informed judgments regarding policy,
operational, and resource requirements of the Wheat Ridge Police Department (WRPD).
Service population, crime incidence, non-crime service demands, available resources,
and trends in these factors are core elements of a basic environmental profile.
SECTION 1: SERVICE POPULATION
Wheat Ridge, Colorado, is situated in jefferson County, just west of Denver. It covers
just over 9.5 square miles and has an estimated population of 30,920 residents according
to the US Census 2013 Population Estimate.
Wheat Ridge experienced a population decrease of 8.7% between 2000 and 2010, but the
population has steadily increased since 2010, averaging 2.4 percent growth from 2010 to
2013. Growth projections estimate that Wheat Ridge's population will continue to
increase by 1.3% through 2017. Table 1 displays population trends for Whea t Ridge
from 1980 through 2013 and also includes projections to 2017.
TABLE 1: Population Trends
POPULATION 1980 1990 2000 2010 2013 Projected
20171
Population 30,293 29,419 32,843 30,207 30,950 31,360
Increase -874 3,424 -2,636 743 410
%Change -2.97% 10.43% -8.73% 2.40% 1.31%
Source-CO DOLA: https://dola.colorado.gov/demog webapps/peParameters.jsf
Population demographics reflect interesting characteristics. Nearly 33% of the
population was age 55 or older in 2012. By 2017, that percentage is expected to increase
to 36%. Table 2 reflects population age ranges in 2010 and 2012, as well as projections
for 2017.
1 Obtained from: Jefferson CO Business Resource ('enter: www.ci.,,heatridge.eo.us/documentcenter/homelview/747
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TABLE 2: Population Age Ranges
Census 2010 2012 Projected
Population by Age Number Percent Number Percent Number 2017
Percent
0 -4 1,625 5.4% 1,652 5.4% 1,678 5.4%
5 -9 1,560 5.2% 1,564 5.1% 1,584 5.1%
10-14 1,547 5.1% 1,538 5.0% 1,582 5.0%
15-19 1,459 4.8% 1,420 4.7% 1,386 4.4%
20 -24 1,603 5.3% 1,656 5.4% 1,545 4.9%
25 -34 4,092 13.6% 4,138 13.6% 4,227 13.5%
35-44 3,690 12.2% 3,605 11.8% 3,581 11.4%
45 -54 4,860 16.1% 4,741 15.5% 4,479 14.3%
55 -64 4,116 13.6% 4,320 14.2% 4,608 14.7%
65 -74 2,441 8.1% 2,628 8.6% 3,225 10.3%
75 -84 2,020 6.7% 2,027 6.6% 2,166 6.9%
85+ 1,153 3.8% 1,225 4.0% 1,300 4.1%
Source: US Census Quickfacts: http:/ I quickfacts.census.gov I qfd / states/08/0884440.html
Light Rail Expansion
The Regional Trartsportation District (RTD) opened the West Rail Line to the public on
April 26, 2013. Known as theW Line, this light rail line or iginates in Denver and
terminates at the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden.
The G Line (referred to as the Gold Line d u ring construction) will open for service in
2016. The G Line service will travel ll miles between Union Station and Wheat Ridge,
passing through northwest Denver, Adams County, and Arvada.
Additional lines to the east and north of Denver are under construction and expected to
open by 2018.
The expansion of the light rail is expected to bring additional development to Wheat
Ridge, but no immediate plans have been implemented. This expansion includes
projected growth for the WRPD.
SECTION II: WHEAT RIDGE GOVERNMENT
The City of Wheat Ridge is a home-rule City, operating under a Council-Manager form
of government. In this form of government, the Council is the governing body of the City
elected by the public, and the City Manager is hired by Council to carry out the policies
it establishes.
The Council consists of eight members, two from each Council District, and an at-large,
elected Mayor. The Council provides legislative direction while the Manager is
responsible for preparing the budget, directing day-to-day operations, and personnel
management. The Mayor and Council, as a governing body, are responsible for setting
policy and approving the budget. The Manager serves as the Council's chief advisor,
and serves at the pleasure of the Council.
Figure 1, below, provides an overview of the governmental s tructure.
Figure 1: Wheat Ridge Government
SECTION III: BUDGET
...... .._ ....... ..,.
Adopted City budgets since 2010 reflect an overall increase for the City of 23%.
However, the majority of that growth occurred from 2010 through 2011. Since then,
growth has been minimal or flat, with a decline in the 2015 Adopted Budget. The City's
total2015 operating budget represents a 7% decrease compared to the adjusted 2014
budget. This decrease is attributable to a one-time revenue generated from a sales tax
audit in 2014. Additionally, the projected revenue growth for the City is not positive.
According to the 2015 budget:
Loug-term fiscal sustninnbilihJ remains one of the Cihfs greates t clmllenges. The Cihfs
adopted 2015 -2023 Capital luvestmeut Program (CIP) budget demo11strntes t/ze
set,erihJ of our funding gnp in regard to rmfimded capital ueeds. Tlte 2015 Adopted
Budget includes n min imal transfer of $2,570,000 from General Fund undesigunted
resenJes to the CIP budget. Beyond 2015, fimds will not be ntmilnble for cnpitnlneeds
1111/ess sign ificnu t cuts are made to operatiug expenses or additional revenues are form d.
-Wheal Ridge 2015 Adapted Budget, Page 1
3 JPngc
Table 3 d isplays budgets for the City of Wheat Ridge from 2010 through 2015.
TABLE 3: Wheat Ridge City Budget Expenditures 2010-2015
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Adjusted Budget $30,499,598 $36,809,502 $37,645,140 $37,501,038 $38,945,360 $37,460,628
Percent Change 21% 2% .0.4% 4% -4%
Source· Catr of Wheat Ridge Hull get report;; 2010-2015
Wheat Ridge Police Department Budget
Budgets for the WRPD have seen mixed growth since 2010. During this time period,
budgets have increased by 15% with the greatest increases occurring in 2011 and 2015.
Table 4 displays the approved budgets for the WRPD from 2010 through 2015.
TABLE 4: WRPD Approved Budgets, 2010-2015
%Change
2010-2015
23%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 %Change
2010-2015
Expenditures $8,413,181 $9,057,732 $8,952,111 $8,845,952 $9,049,574 $9,656,233 15% -
Percent Change 8% -1% -1% 2% 7%
S.)urn>· Caty of Wheal Ridg,•lludgct reports 2010-2015
lt is noteworthy that while the City of Wheat Ridge 2015 budget saw a d ecline, the
WRPD budget actually ina ·eased . This is d ue pr imaJ·ily to the city's adoption of a
Priority-Based Budget model, which concentrates spending on certain programs. For
2015, the WRPD budget contained a substantial number of priority programs resulting
in an increase in spending.
SECTION IV: CRIME AND ARRESTS
Crime
A review of crime data from 2010 through 2014 obtained from the Colorado Bureau of
Investigation website2 revealed that both violent and property crime has steadily
decreased to i ts lowest level during that time pet·iod. The exception is for assaults by
firearm which have increased by 75%. Table 5, below, d isplays crime data for the
period.
1 http s:/ I'~" w rolorddo.go\ /pal afil/ cbi/ news/2014--~. nmt>-colorado-report-;wailable
TABLE 5: Wheat Rjdge Crime 2010-2014
Crime 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total % Change 2010 -2014
Murder /Manslaughter 0 3 2 0 0 5 0%
Negligent Manslaughter 0 0 0 0 0 0 0%
Rape 22 19 20 12 13 86 -41%
By Force 21 17 20 11 12 81 -43%
Attempted 1 2 0 1 1 5 0%
Robbery 31 26 25 21 20 123 -35%
Firearm 15 13 10 8 11 57 -27%
Knife/Cutting Instrument 1 3 4 4 0 12 -100%
Other Dangerous Weapon 1 1 0 0 3 5 200%
Strong Arm 14 9 11 9 6 49 -57%
Assaults 295 292 281 220 260 1348 -12%
Firearm 12 23 17 5 21 78 75%
Kn ife/Cutting Instrument 27 22 26 32 25 132 -7%
Other Dangerous Weapon 23 20 18 13 8 82 -65%
Hands/Feet/Fist 61 21 11 22 18 133 -70%
Other Assaults 172 206 209 148 188 923 9%
Total Violent Crime 348 340 328 253 293 1562 -16%
Burglary 242 232 185 179 165 1003 -32%
Forced Entry 141 123 99 89 96 548 -32%
Unlawful Entry 76 84 71 64 57 352 -25%
Attempted 25 25 15 26 12 103 -52%
larceny /Theft 947 930 932 808 811 4428 -14%
Motor Vehicle Theft 134 135 94 143 110 616 -18%
Auto 109 101 79 134 101 524 -7%
Truck 7 6 2 0 1 16 -86%
Other 6 11 7 0 5 29 -17%
Attempted 12 17 6 9 3 47 -75%
Arson 6 12 12 8 5 43 -17%
Total Property Crime 1329 1309 1223 1138 1091 6090 -18%
Total Number of Offenses 1677 1649 1551 1391 1384 7652 -17%
Arrests
Arrest data from 2010 through 2014 was also obtained from the Colorado Bureau of
Investigation website.3 It is important to note that arrest data reported by the Colorado
Bureau of Investiga tion may differ from WRPD data due to official reporting rules.
3 IBID
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Therefore differences in totals reported by the Colorado Bul'eau of Investigation and the
WRPD are likely.
Adult arrests increased from 2010 to 201t sharply declined through 2013, but increased
in 2014 to a slightly higher level than 2010. Arrests for "all other crimes" account for the
greatest fluctuation in year-to-year totals. Arrest data are provided in Table 6 for
reference.
TABLE 6: Arrests 2010 -2014
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Crime Adult Juv Adult Juv Adult Juv Adult Juv Adult Juv
Murder Non Negligent
Manslaughter 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Rape 3 3 5 0 3 1 4 0 5 0
Robbery 5 1 3 1 8 2 4 0 4 0
Aggravated Assault 61 3 33 5 23 2 36 1 35 2
Burglary 14 3 17 1 15 1 12 5 9 2
Larceny 125 41 176 22 163 33 124 30 132 26 -
Motor Vehicle Theft 12 2 6 1 3 0 2 0 12 0
Other Assaults 76 24 91 14 107 10 77 7 100 5
Arson 2 1 1 2 3 3 1 2 0 0
Forgery 11 0 18 1 u 0 2 0 9 0
I Fraud 31 0 20 0 29 1 20 0 11 1
Embezzlement 8 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Stolen Property 13 1 14 2 16 0 7 0 10 0 -
Vandalism 21 7 29 3 27 6 31 7 49 11 -r-
Weapons 10 4 8 0 7 2 9 2 15 3
Prostitution 3 0 4 0 6 0 0 0 9 0
Other Sex Offenses 7 4 6 1 6 2 4 0 4 0
Drug Violations 65 53 96 51 65 53 32 52 56 64
Gambling 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Other Family Offenses 26 1 22 0 36 0 33 0 26 0
DUI 136 2 191 1 193 1 147 4 146 1
Liquor Law Violations 74 32 62 34 35 11 62 17 57 14
Disorderly Conduct 36 69 35 51 53 37 47 32 60 40
Vagrancy 0 0 0 1 0
All Other Offenses 693 95 766 90 697 82 609 90 720 80
Curfew Violations 11 14 3 17 10
Runaways 12 9 3 0 0
Total Number of Arrests 1,432 369 1,611 303 1,508 253 1,264 266 1,470 259
ti I P a g c
SECTION V: TRAFFIC
Traffic crash data was provided by the WRPD for the period 2012-2014. The number
and rate of vehicle crashes and pedestrian accidents are the most common measures of
the s uccess of traffic functions. Wheat Ridge's traffic crash profile is presented in Table
7.
TABLE 7 : Traffic Crashes 2012-2014 -
Crashes 2012 2013 2014 % Change 2012-2014
Total Accidents 1,439 1;644 1,624 13% --
Fatal Accidents 2 2 4 100%
Injury Accidents 150 175 116 -23%
Property Damage Accidents 1,287 1,467 1,504 17% -DUI Accidents 41 53 39 -5% -Data provided by WRPD Crime Analysis
Traffic enforcement data were also provided by the WRPD for the same time period
and are displayed in Table 8. It is notable that while Property Damage accidents have
increased, total enforcement decreased . Analysis of 2014 enforcement activity provided
by the WRPD identified speeding as the predominant violati on. Table 9 provides details
on the 10 most frequent violations for which citations were issued in 2014.
TABLE 8: Traffic Enforcem ent
Traffic Enforcement 2012 2013 2014 % Change 2012-2014
Traffic Violations 6,284 6,723 6,161 -2%
DUI 198 159 128 -35%
Da1a provided by WRPD Crime Analysis
TABLE 9: 2014 Frequent Traffic Violations
Violation Description Count
SPEEDING 1286
CARELESS 448
DISPLAYED EXPIRED NUMBER PLATES 420
DRIVING UNDER RESTRAINT/LIC. CANCELLED 359
INS VIOLATION 339
NPOI 293
FOLLOWING TOO CLOSEt Y 181
DROVE VEH W/0 VAUD DRIVER'S UCENSE 162
CARELESS DRIVING 159
TURN/SIG VIOL 146
7jPa!!..:
CHAPTER 11: ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING
The WRPD is organized into two functions: Patrol and Support Services, each
commanded by a Division Chief. TI1e patrol function is divided into two separate
sectors, East and West. Patrol sectors are s upervised by Commanders.
Support Services includes the Investigations Bureau, Evidence Unit, Task Force
Detectives, the Communications Bureau, Crime Analysis, Records, TRU, and Training.
Figure 2 displays the organizational chart for the WRPD.
STAFFING
Budgeted s taffing levels have remained consistent over the past five years, ra nging
from 102 in 2010 to 108 in 2015. Table 10, below, displays staffing levels for all personnel
from 2010-2015, according to Wheat Ridge Budget reports for those years.
TABLE 10: Authorized Staffing 2010-2015
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Administration 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 5 5 -Grants 1 3 3 3 3 1
Community Services 5 5 6 6 I 6 6 -Communications 11 11 11 11 11 13 -Crime Prevention Team 5 5 5 5 4 5
Records Section 5 5 5 4 4 6
Training 1 1 1 1 1 1
Patrol 46 45.5 45.5 46.5 47 45 -Investigations 17 19 20 20 20 21
Traffic Enforcement 5 5 5 5 5 ,_2._ --1-----Special Investigations 2 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 102 104 106 106 106 108
Attrition is a challenge in \1\Theat Ridge, as it is with many departments. An analysis of
departures over the past five years indicates the department is losing an average of five
sworn staff ead1 year. Table 11 below shows annual separations b y reason for 2010-
2014.
TABLE 11: Annual Separations
Reason 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total Average
Discharged-OM 1 1 1
Resigned 5 4 4 2 6 21 4.2
Retired 1 3 4 2
Grand Total 6 s 4 5 6 26 5.2
To offset attrition, the WRPD aggressively recruits and hires new officers year-round.
The WRPD can hire above its authorized strength, however, interviews indicate that
recruiting efforts do not result in a significant number of over strength hires prior to
ead1 academy class. Trainirtg academy classes are conducted semi-annually in January
and July.
Table 12 below reflects the number of officers hired annually &om 2010 through 2014, as
well as the number of hours required for academy and field training.
TABLE 12: New Officers Hired 2010-2014
Year Officers Academy Total Academy Field Training Total Field
Hired hours/ officer Hours Hours/officer Training hours
2010 4 880 3,520 520 2,080
2011 10 880 8,800 520 5,200
2012 3 880 2,640 520 1,560
2013 4 880 3,520 520 2,080
2014 9 880 7,920 520 4,680
Average 6 n/a 5,280 n/a 3,120
As indicated above, the WRPD has been successful in hiring enough officers to outpace
the rate of departures from the agency. H owever, the length of time required to train
each officer, nearly 10 months, results in continual vacancies. TI1e result is an average o.f
five vacancies in their authorized strength from 2010 through 2014 (See Table 11 ).
9IJ>agc
Figure 2: WRPD Table of Organization
lOIPag~
CHAPTER ill: PATROL OPERATIONS
Patrol operations in the WRPD are divided into two geographic sectors, East and West,
which includes four patrol beats. These sectors and beats are comprised by the WRPD
to enhance their community policing philosophy. It is described in the WRPD Policy
Directives Mnnunl in Section 2.01, Community Policing. Figw·e 3 displays the geographic
boundaries of the four patrol beats.
Figure 3: Patrol Beat Boundaries
Patrol operations are divided into three shifts, iden tified as Watch 1, II (swing), and ill.
Each watch comprises a 10 h our shift. This shift configuration has been in place for
many years and is well liked by patrol persormel. A minimum staffing level of four
officers for each watch has been established with the exception of Watch II which has a
minimum staffing level of five. Overtime is used to staff this requirement when needed.
Table 13 displays the shift hours for each watch.
TABLE 13: Patrol Watch Shift Hours
WATCH BEGINS BRIEFING IN-SERVICE END OF WATCH
1ST 0600 0615 0645 1600
2ND (EARLY) 1200 -1215 2200
2ND 1500 1515 1545 0100
3RO 2100 2115 2145 0700
Ill Page
As indicated in Table 13, two officers from Watch II begin their shift at 1200 (noon)
instead of 1500 (3 p.m.) to address peak demands for service.
Patrol Operations are commanded by a Division Chief and supported by two
Commanders who manage daily patrol activities. The two Commanders are assigned to
the three "watches" along with additional assignmen ts. They include Crime Prevention
and CA IT (Crime and Traffic Team). Crime Prevention and CATT are supervised by
Sergeants, who report directl y to the Commanders. The Commander of the East Sector
is assigned to Watch I, Crime Prevention and CAIT. Watches II and ILl are commanded
by tl1e West Sector commander. Patrol Commanders also supervise the SWAT team and
Emergency Management functions. Sergeants supervise patrol squads in each team.
Officers are assigned to individual watches through a bid process. This procedure is
described in the WRPD Policy Directives Manual, section 1.22, Allocation and
Distribution of Personnel:
"Officers nnd s1tpe1··oisors nssigucd to Pntrol Bureaus slm/1 bid for their shifts nnd dnys off
for the coming yenr. The Chief of Police retains Ji11nl null1ority in making nll assignments
to achieve orgnuiznlionnl objectil'es n11d meet the needs of the community. Specific
gwdelines and requirements for nuy bid process silnll be dnl£'/oped nud distributed to all
affected person11el prior to the nctunl shift bid. A memornudum oulliui11g the guidelines
and requiremeuts for ench bid sl~nll be mnintnined i11 the police admiuistrntionfiles.
1. The bid for the coming year shnll uonunlly be co11ducted i11 lnte October or early
November."
There are 36 officers assigned to patrol operations, which does not include Sergeants.
Each Sergeant assigned to a patrol watch supervises a team and has a span of control
consisting of six to seven patrol officers. There are two teams per watch. A Corporal is
also included in this span of control and assumes supervisory duties when the Sergeanl
is absent from the shift. This is in accordance with the I VRPD Policy Directives Mmmnl
section 1.03, Organizational Structure and Responsibilities.
"Ench patrol shift or nssignmen lmusl ilm;e n desigunted supen,iso ry elemeu l nl nll times,
whether t'itnt supen,isory element is penua11e11f or temporary in nature. II is therefore
uecessmy to estnblisll the nutilority n/l(f stnudnrds for nppoi11huen t of n Corpornl ton
tempornnJ s11pen,isory positiou witl1in the Pnh·o/ stmcture. The Corporal shall report to
tile assigned Sergen11 t of tile shift."
The regular days off for personnel on the patrol teams vary. ln order for supervision to
be present every day of the week, Sergean ts are assigned to permanent days off, either
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or TI1Ursday, Friday, Saturday. The same days off must
correspond with the Corporals for each team on the watch. Officers' days off are either
Saturday, Sunday Monday or Sunday, Monday, Tuesday; or Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday or Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; or finall y, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Regular days off are based on seniorHy and the watch to which the officers are assigned.
Special Teams is supervised by a Sergeant and has authorized staffing of four officers.
One officer is assigned to Crime Prevention and three are assigned as School Resource
Officers. The Volunteers Program also is under this comman d. School Resource Officers
are sometimes used to supplement patrol operations when schools are not in session.
School Resource Officers' responsibilities are described in the WRPD Policy Directives
Man ual section 9.14, School Resource Officers.
9.14.02 PROCEDURES
A. The priman; nzission of the Sch ool Resource Officer is fomml instruction., informal
consultation nud mediation, enforce meu.t, nnd problem solving for the school
com n1u ni ties.
1. Formal Instruction and Presentation
a. Instruction may be in the form of classroom instntction, community
education or in-service school staff instruction.
b. School Resource Officers will also be mmilable for preselltntions to civic
youth groups.
2. Infor11lal Consultation mzd Mediation
a. School Resource Officers will provide information to school faculhj
concerning legal issues ns they relate to tlze school commw1ih;. Such
issues may include, but are not limiter/ to: laws, conseque11ces of
infractions of laws, various aspects of the criminal justice system, a11d
the availability of legal, educntional and mental health resoutces within
the com11uwity and police operations.
b. School Resource Officers may consult with school faculty and parents,
as app1'opriate, conceming issues relating to the school conmnt11ity.
c. School Resource Officers mny not hnpar f legal advice.
3. Enforcement
n. On-duty School Resource Officers sltal1 be tlte primary reporting
officers for criminal nets wltich ocmrwhen they are on an assigned
campus.
b. When appropriate, School Resource Officers may be assigned to follow
up on sc/zool-related investigations.
4. Problem Solving for the School CommunihJ
n. School Resource Officers will actively wo1'k with members of the school
stnff aud administration to pro-actively irlen.tifiJ problems, 'implement
respo nses, a1Ld assess the effectiveness of responses.
B. Shtdent Cousnltntion
1. School Resource Officers are not intended to replace school counselors. School
13!Pagc
Resource Officers will help resolve, by advice and/or mediation, issues behoee11
students nnd fnculhj thnt mny iuvolne criminal matters, matters wln:c!Jmny resHLI
i11 criminal ncti7JihJ, mtd ncti11ifies fltnlhnve no criminal compone11 t.
2. Sludeu/ confidentinli~J sltnll be mniutaiued ns appropriate."
TI1e responsibilities and purpose of the Crime Prevention Team is described in the
WRPD Policy Directives Manual section 2.03, Crime Prevention Team:
"It is tlte respOitstbilihJ of tlte Crime Pre?,eu tion Tenm to implemm f, develop aud sustain
cotr/11/UJii~f parhzerships. Partnerships iuclude, but are not limited to; local businesses,
sen1ice clubs, schools, religious orgau izatio11s aud other go11ent me11 t agencies. 17te team
is also respousible for I he de1'elopmeu/ of progrnms that defer crime nud disorder issues
and eu ltnnce safety in our comm11nih;."
2.03.02 PROCEDURES
A. Tlte positio11 of Crime Preveu tion Officer has been eslablislted to pr01>ide for
the specialized assignment of police officers wllo will focus llleir allen tiou and aid
i11 /lie sustai11ability of de11elopi11g comlllllllihJ wide par/uersllips and Crime Free
programs, iuc/uding those at the City's hotels mtd motels aud apartmeut
complexes.
B. Crime Pre1'e11tio11 Officers will provide a 1mrieh; ofeducaliounl opportunities
tltmugltout tile CihJ to address commuuity perceptious or misperceptions of
crime.
C. Crime Prevention Officers will work i11 colljwzctiou with School Resource
Officers to sen1e commmtity requests for special programs, lectures a11d sen,ices.
D. Crime Prtrl'ention Officers will assist in organizing crime pre?,ention groups,
such as Neiglzborltood Watclt organiza tions, ht residential and busiuess areas.
E. Ou a day-to-day basis, Crime Preve11tion Officers will collnbornte mtd consult
witlt enclt other, SR0s1 patrol officers, Detectives, co11mnmity lenders,
Neigltborltood Watch block captains, community groups a11d cilizeus regarding
special enforcement projects to wlticlt they are assigned.
1. Crime Pret>elltiou Officers will com.>ey illformatioll transmitted from
citizen organizations to tl1e departmellt.
2. Crime Pre<,entiou Officers will assist iu the developmeut of community
iuvolvemenl policies for tlte ngeucy.
F. Tlte Crime Preventiou Team simi/submit a mouthly team report to tlte
assigued Patrol Com mmufer.
G. E11ery tltree years, a dommeuted evaluation of Crime Preveutiou Progrmns
sltn/1 be submitted to tlze Chief of Police by the Crime Pret,entiou Team Sergeant.
H. 17te Crime PreveHtioll Team Sergeant sltnll prepare aud submit to tile Chief of
Police a quarterly report that includes:
1. A description of current collcems voiced by tlte communih;;
2. A descriptiou of poten tin/ problems tltalltm'e a benriug 011 law
euforcemeut activities wit/till the com1mmih;;
I-ll P n g e
3. A statement of recommeuded actions that addresses previously
identified concerns and problems; and
4. A statement of progress mnde toward addressing previously identified
concerns and problems.
5. lnfonnation regarding conwumity concerns and conditions may be
transmitted by any agency member receiving tire information to the Crime
Prevention Team.
The Crime and Traffic Team (CA TT) is supervised by a Sergeant and its authorized
staffing is four officers. This team has a variety of functions including responding to all
fatal crashes for the primary investigation. FataJ accident investigation response is
described in the WRPD Policy Directives Manual section 9.05, Use of Traffic
Investigator.
9.05.01 POLICY
A. It is the policy of tire Wheat Ridge Police Department to make availnble qualified
pet·sonnel on n 24-hour basis to investigate traffic collisions.
9.05.02 PROCEDURES
A. The Crime a11d Tmffic Team Supervisor shall be notified when a traffic accident occurs
tlrat meets the criteria or gellerni categonJ of accide11ts listed below:
1. A person is dead at the scene, or appears likely to succumb to his injuries as a
result of the accident
2. A serious bodily illjury accident, as defined by CRS 18-1-901
3. A government-owned vehicle is involved, and there are disabling injuries,
den tit, or major properf:lJ damage
4. At the supervisor's discretion, for r111 y otlrer ncciden lnot listed nbove
B. The Crime and Traffic Team supervisor will con tact the appropriate personnel to
respond and investigate the accident.
C. The traffic investigator will be specifically advised thnt their presence is required on
sceue, mrd informed of the nature, extent, and location of the accident.
D. Tire traffic investigator and/or supen1isor OIL see He may determine, due to the nature
of tire incident, that additiollnl investigative help is needed, and the appropriate duty
investigator may be called out to assist iu the illvestigation.
E. Qualified persormel are available on n 24-/rour basis to process h·nffic collisions.
CAIT officers are also required to conduct traffic enforcement and can be used to assist
in crime details. Although there is no specific Policy Directive describing the duties of
CA TI, traffic enforcement responsibilities of CA IT are described in the WRPD Policy
Directives Manual section 9.40, Traffic Enforcement.
9.40 TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT
15jPage
1. Duriug the uormnl course of duties for officers nssigned ton patrol fi/Jictioll or lite
Crime al/(f Traffic Team (CA TT) are expected to euforce traffic violations committt>rl ill
their preseuce.
The '1\TRPD implemented the Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety
(DDACTS) model of enforcement in key areas identified by the department. This mod el
combines enforcement activities with crime analysis functions to identify locations with
increased crime and traffic crash activity. CA IT officers focus their enforcement
activities in these areas.
Officers from CA IT are also used to supplement pab·ol when teams need to achieve
minimum staffing levels. No specific policy in the \tVRPD Policy Directives Mmwal
describes this responsibility or purpose of CA IT.
The Volunteer Program assists patrol with many functions including traffic safety
awareness programs, traffic control, completing towing forms for vehicles, and assisting
with scheduled special events in the city.
SECTION I: PATROL CALL LOAD AND DISTRIBUTION
Workload data are examined in several places in this report, most notably those that
examine patrol/fi eld staffing requirements and investigations. Calls for service (CFS), a
useful overall indicator, are introduced here. This data set refl ects crime and non-crime
d emands of the public, field-focused elective activity chosen by the WRPD, enforcement
and community service, and some administrative activity. Figure 4 displays a 13 year
history in total CFS from 2002 through 2014, iiJustrating a relatively stable trend.
16\Pagc
"' ... u
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
s 20,000
~
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
Figure 4: Calls for Service 2002-2014
33,519 34,028 ___... 35,466
32.336
..... ............. ~ ---~148 ~33.532 ' ,:z:;:::?
30,007 29,965 30,984
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Year
Source: Workload Statistics h om 2002-2014, D. Palt
The project team obtained a comprehensive CAD data set for 2014 from the WRPD
Records Section. The data set contajned more than 300,000 records. After all duplicate
entries, all non-police-related calls, and other calls that did not result in a p olice
resp onse were removed, 25,960 unique events remamed for purposes of evaluating
patrol workload. Of those, 14,106 enb·ies (54%) were identified as citizen-generated
calls for service requiring a police response. Officer-inHiated calls numbered 11,854
(46%). Figure 5 illustrates this breakdown.
Figure 5: Citizen-vs. Officer-Initiated Calls, 2014
16000
14106
14000
118S4
12000
10000
"' aooo .... u
6000
4000
1000
0
Otlzen Off!~
CAD eve11ts were analyzed by typ e, &equency, and distribution. Citizen calls were
grouped into three categories for analytical purposes:
• Crime -calls related to crimin.al activity
• Service -calls of a non-criminal nature, e.g., providing assistance
• Traffic-calls related to vehicle crashes, reckless driving, and other traffic
infractions
The frequency and time spent responding to these calls a1·e summarized in Table 14.
TABLE 14: Call Volume and Duration by Category
Call Sum of Time Spent %of Total Time
Category Count of Calls % ofTotal Calls (H:M:S)
Crime 8,390 59% 5326:18:42
Service 3,312 23% 1841:51:05
Traffic 2,404 17% 1369:24:21
Grand Total 14,106 100% 8537:34:08
The top five call types by &equency in each category are displayed in Table 15.
TABLE 15: Top 5 Call Types by Category -Frequency
DISTURBANCE IN PROGRESS
SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT
SUSPICIOUS PERSON
THEFT COLD
DISTURBING THE PEACE
Service
ASSIST OTHER
WELFARE CHECK 1
WELFARE CHECK 3
PHONE CALL
EMS RESPONSE
Traffic
PROPERTY DAMAGE ACCIDENT
Traffic
TRAFFIC HAZZARD
HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT
DATA APP TO CRIME & TRAFFIC
Grand Total
Count of %of
Calls ~ Total
8,390 59%
915 6%
7-s9j s%
703 ] 5%
509 4%
397 3%
3,312 23%
926 7%
706 5%
349
342
340
2,404
847
481
307
229
221
14,106
2%
2%
2%
17%
6%
3%
2%
2%
2%
100%
Spent
62%
22% _.,
16%
100%
IR I P a gc
Rankings shift slightly when offi cer time spent responding to each call type is
considered. Table 16 displays the top five call types in each category by the cumulative
duration of those calls. The five call types that demand the most officer time overall are
noted witl1 an asterisk. Of time obligated to CFS, officers spend nearly one-third (32%)
of tl1eir time responding to these five call types.
TABLE 16: Top 5 Call Types by Category-Time Spent
r %of
I Total Time Spent Total
Crime 5326:18:42 62%
DISTURBANCE IN PROGRESS* 788:14:49 9%
SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT* 410:14:39 5%
THEFT COLD 315:17:28 4%
SUSPICIOUS PERSON 288:34:43 3%
HARASSMENT 236:43:42 3%
Service 1841:51:05 22%
ASSIST OTHER* 571:09:48 7%
WELFARE CHECK 1* 399:41:05 5%
POLICE ASSIST 220 :48:53 3%
EMS RESPONSE 199:20:15 2%
WELFARE CHECK 3 189:03:59 2%
Traffic 1369:24:21 16%
PROPERTY DAMAGE ACCIDENT* 551:26:50 6%
HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT 190:44:07 2%
UNKNOWN INJURY ACCIDENT 180:40:18 2%
Traffic -OTHER 161:01:02 2%
INJURY ACCIDENT 152:45:32 2%
Grand Total 8537:34:08 100% -• top five overall
Tables 17 and 18 show the top ten officer initiated event types by frequency and time
spent.
ltJIPagc
TABLE 17: Top 10 Officer Initiated Events by Frequency
Event Type Count of Events %of Total
6 5853 49%
Traffic 4983 42%
REPORTS 191 2%
DIRECTED ENFORCEMENT 104 1%
DATA APP TO CRIME & TRAFFIC 102 1%
SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION 60 1%
FINGERPRINTS 56 0%
SUSPICIOUS PERSON 55 0%
PROPERTY DAMAGE ACCIDENT 36 0%
7 36 0%
Total Officer-Initiated Calls 11,858 100%
TABLE 18: Top 10 Officer Initiated Events by Time Spent
Sum of On Call
Event Type Time %ofTotal
6 3378:05:35 64%
Traffic 1369:31:39 26%
REPORTS 182:53:05 3%
DIRECTED ENFORCEMENT 55:52:46 1%
WARRANT ASSIST 35:13:30 1%
INFORMATION 35:01:56 1%
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT 25:57:58 0%
PROPERTY DAMAGE ACCIDENT 22:52:04 0%
7 21:13:55 0%
SUSPICIOUS PERSON 14:27:12 0%
Total Officer-Initiated 5247:04:15 100%
A CFS analysis was also conducted by hour of day and day of week. Those results are
displayed in Figures 6 and 7. Citizen-initiated call activity peaks on Thursday and
occurs amund noon and again between the hours of 1600 ad 1800 (4:00p.m. and 6:00
p.m.) Officer-initiated activities are highest on Fridays and Saturdays and peak from
2200 to 0100 (10 p.m. and 1 a.m.)
201 P :-~ g c
4500
4000
3500
3000
"" 2500
Iii u 2000
1500
1000
500
0
1800
1600
1400
1200
..!!! 1000 e 800
600
400
200
0
Figure 6: Calls by Day of Week
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Figure 7: Calls by Time of Day
I I
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Hour of Day
Officer
•Citizen
Officer
•Citizen
:n !P a g e
Calls were also analyzed by geographic distribution. Figure 8, below, shows calls by
beat. Beats with the highest genera ted calls for service were Beat 2 and Beat 3,
accounting for 50% of the call volume combined. It is worth noting that approximately
2,500 calls (10%) are not assigned a beat in CAD, making an accurate geographic
distribution analysis challenging.
Figure 8: Calls by Beat
8000
7000
6000
5000 Officer
• Citi1en 4000
3000
2000
1000
0
PATROL BEAT 2 PATROL BEAT 3 PATROL BEAT 4 PATROL BtAT 1 Unknown (Blank)
Like most police departments, WRPD caiJ takers prioritize ca lls based on the criticality
of the call, in accordance with department poUcy and procedures. WRPD Policy 12.01
provides the following d efinitions:
Priority 1 Calls: May be any call for sen,ice that necessitates the immediate response of police
to protect lives and property. These calls require a minimum of nro officers for response and
should be dispatched as soon as possible.
Priority 2 Calls: Calls for service tltat do not meet the de:finition of a Priority I Call or are of a
rowine nature or 1/wt are not occurring at the time of the call and can he handled by one officer.
These calls should be dispatched as soon as practical.
Four call priorities appear in the CAD system data. Table 19 displays citizen initiated
calls according to priority. Most citizen-initiated CFS fall into the Priority 3 category.
~~ 1 r ag c
TABlE 19: Calls by Priority
Count of Citizen-Initiated %of
Call Priority Calls Total
1 2,909 21%
2 4,255 30%
3 6,445 46%
4 497 4%
Grand Total 14,106 100%
Cover Cars (Back Up)
.For each CAD event, the WRPD CAD system notes the primary unit and each
additional responding unit, however time stamps are recorded only for the primary
unit. A multi-unit response occurred in 10,205 CAD events, or 39% of all25,960 CAD
events. Given system limitations regarding backup unit time stamps, the actual
workload associated with backup unit must be estimated. The project team chose a 39%
multiplier to estimate time spent by patrol officers in a backup capacity. This percentage
was selected based on 1) 39% of WRPD calls are multi-unit calls, and 2) our results of a
staffing study in neighboring Lakewood, where backup times are collected, indicated
siutilar figur es. Application of this 39% mul tiplier adds another 11,866 hours of
workload to patrol for citizen-initiated calls. (8,537 x 1.39)
Table 20 below shows the types of calls that received a response of more than two units
on average in 2014:
TABLE 20: Call Types Averaging More Than Two Responding Units, 2014
Count of Averase II
Event Type Events Respondlns Units•
EXPLOSION 1 16.0
ROBBERY JUST OCCURRED 12 12.7
ROBBERY IN PROGRESS 1 12.0
BURGLARY JUST OCCURRED 11 9.5
FRAUD IN PROGRESS 4 8.5
BURGLARY IN PROGRESS 16 7.8
PERSON WITH GUN 14 6.1
CRIMI NAL TRESPASS JUST OCCURRED 17 6.0
RESTRAINING ORDER VIO IN PROGRESS 5 5.6
UNKNOWN SITUATION 42 5.3
MISSING CHILD 11 5.3
THEFT IN PROGRESS 18 5.0
CRIMINAL TRESSPASS IN PROGRESS 13 4.4
VEHICLE IN THE PARK 6 4.2
231 P a g c
ANIMAL BITE 2 4.0 -VEHICLE THEFT JUST OCCURRED 11 4.0
ASSAULT JUST OCCURRED 26 3.9
SHOTS HEARD 51 3.9
HOLDUP ALARM 26 3.5
DISTURBANCE JUST OCCURRED 265 3.5
BOMB THREAT 2 3.5
MENACING JUST OCCURRED 11 3.5
DISTURBANCE IN PROGRESS 920 3.4
CONFINED ANIMAL AT LARGE 3 3.3
REDDI REPORT 48 3.3
INJURY ACCIDENT 115 3.3
RESTRAINING ORDER VIO JUST OCC 4 3.3
DEATH INVESTIGATION 23 3.2
UNKNOWN INJURY ACCIDENT 187 3.1 ---
UNCONCIOUS PARTY 13 3.1
ASSAULT IN PROGRESS 2 3.0 -
PERSONS ON ICE 1 3.0
SUICIDAL PARTY 152 2.9
INDECENT EXPOSURE 17 2.9
ASSAULT COLD 96 2.9
~ DETOX HOLD 194 2.6
~ UNWANTED PARTY 352 2.6
BURGLARY COLD 109 2.5
ROBBERY COLD 4 2.5
VERIFIED ALARM 213 2.5
WELFARE CHECK 1 712 2.4 -l THEFT JUST OCCURRED 85 2.4
PANIC ALARM so 2.3
DISTURBANCE COLD 89 2.3
SUSPICIOUS PERSON 760 2.3
UNVERIFIED ALARM 118 2.2
CHILD ABUSE IN PROGRESS 15 2.2
911 186 2.2
WALKAWAY 7 2.1
SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT 770 2.1
RESTRAINING ORDER VIO COLD 31 2.1
•including primary unit
:!4 1 P a g c
SECTION ll: OFFICER AVAILABILITY
Police patrol staffing requirements are determined by evaluating the total workload in
hours against hours of officer availability. Officers are not able to work for a variety of
reasons including days off, vacation, sick leave, holiday time, and training obligations.
To define patrol staffing needs, deploy officers properly, and evaluate productivity, the
actual amount of time officers are available to work must be calculated. Leave data
(average hours used by patrol and investigations in 2014) were provided by the City of
Wheat Ridge. Based on the calculations described below in Table 21 using 2014 data,
each WRPD first responder is available to work, on average 1704 hours annually.
Shift Relief Factor
TABLE 21: Patrol Availability (Hours) ----
Annual hours worked 2080
Leave Category
PTO -124
Extended Sick -6
Holiday -84
leave Without Pay -3 --
Military -9
Injury -6
Comp Time -12
Admin -15
Exempt 0 ·-Mandatory training -40
Other training -77
Average Annual Availability (hours) 1704
• These figures are averages based on actual leave times for all patrol
officers in 2014.
Using the average availability for each officer displayed in Table 21, it is possible to
calculate a shift relief factor. The shift relief factor is the number of officers required to
staff one shift position every day of the year. For the Patrol Division, one position
requires 3,650 hours per year to staff (10 hours X 365 days= 3650 hours). Therefore, the
shift relief factor is calculated to be 2.142 (3650/1704 = 2.142). To determine the shift
relief factor for one position over a 24-how· period, the shift relief factor of 2.142 must be
multiplied by three. Therefore, the daily shift relief factor is 6.426 for each position. It is
important to note that this calculation represents the number of personnel needed to
staff one position. It does not represent the number of personnel needed to adequately
respond to workload demands.
251 P a g c
SECTION Til: PATROL WORKLOAD VS. AVAILABILITY
Measurement standards make it possible to evaluate and define patrol staffing and
deployment requirements. The primary standards employed for the \VRPD study
follow:
• Operationallabor
• Administrative labor
• Uncommitted time
Operation al Labor.
Operational labor is the agg1·egate amount of time consumed by patrol officers to
answer calls for service genera ted by the public and to address on-view situations
discovered and encountered by officers. It is the total of criminal, non-criminal, traffic,
and back-up activity initiated by a call from the public or an incident an officer comes
upon. Expressed as a percentage of the to tal labor in an officer's workday, operational
labor of first response patrol officers should not continuously exceed 30%.
With 36 authorized officers assign ed to Pab·ol, total available time for WRPD fu·st
responders for the year is estimated at 61,344 hours (36 officers x 1704 average how·s of
availability per officer). Operational labor, as evidenced by 2014 CAD activity,
accounted for a total of 20,403 hours, including 8,537 hours by primary units and an
estimated 11,866 hours by backup wuts. The current operational requirem ent of 20,403
hours represents 33% of the current patrol availability of 61,344, slightly high er tl1an tl1e
TACP recommended target of 30%.
Administrative Labor.
Precise information is not available in CAD for many administrative activities due to
variances in officer ''call outs" for these activities. While we rmderstand WRPD has
improved its use of "code 6" and rela ted administrative call outs in recent months, CAD
does not provide a comprehensive accoUilting of time spent on administrative duties by
pab·ol officers in 2014. Nevertheless, our interviews and field observations suggest that
adminisb·ative time appears to be at the n orm. We estimate that administrative time
generally accounts for approximately 25-30% of an officer's average day, and sud1
appears to be the case in Wheat Ridge. This percentage can seem high to those not
acquainted with the patrol function. However, a review of patrol activities supports this
average.
::!6 1 P a g c
• Report-writing and case follow up (variable)
• Patrol Briefings-15 minutes
• Administrative preparation/ report check-out-30 minutes
• Meal and personal care breaks-30 minutes
• Court attendance (dayshift)
• On duty training, not otherwise captured
• Vehicle maintenance and fueling (15 minutes per day)
• Meetings with supervisors (variable)
• Special administrative assignments (variable)
• Personnel/ payroll activities (health fa irs, paperwork review and paperwork)
trairung (variable)
• Field Training Officer (FTO) time for both b·ainee and trainer (variable); on-duty
training for officers
• Equipment maintenance (computer, weapons, radio). (variable)
Uncommitted Time
The workday must not be so filled with operational or administrative labor that officers
are unable to respond to emergencies in a timely fashion or engage in mission-critical
elective activities and problem solving efforts. A proportion of the workday must be
uncommitted to any other type of labor. Uncommitted time allows for the following:
• Officers to have and initiate public-service contacts
• Elective activities selected by the agency, such as community policing and
problem solving
• Pedestrian and business contacts
• Field interviews
• Proactive traffic stops
Uncommitted time is that period of time left over after both committed time and
administrative time have been deducted.
A general principle for distribution of time for patrol is 30% across the board for
administrative, operational, and uncommitted time with a 10% flex factor. Ideally,
particularly for service-driven organizations--that 10% is applied to uncommitted time,
allowing officers more time for proactive community engagement. For a jurisdiction the
size of Wheat Rid ge, and with its stated focus on exceptional service and community
policing, no less than 40% nncommitted patrol time is ideal.
271 Page
SECTION IV: RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation: Augment patrol staffing
Increase patrol staffing levels, particularly between 1200 and 1800 (noon and 6 p.m.)
The IACP recommended manpower allocation for patrol officers is 30% obligated time
(responding to citizen caUs for service), 30% administrative time (report writing, lunch,
briefings, etc.), and 30% unobligated or proactive policing time. The remaining 10% is
considered flex time that can be applied to any of the activities, depending on
d epartmental goals a1:1d resou1·ces. ln the case of the WRPD we recom mend applying
this 10 percent to unobHgated time for a total of 40%, to allow officers to provide the
level of service and community oriented policing d esired by police administration and
the community. The current level of obligated workload for patrol officers, 33%,
exceeds the 30% ta rget In order to achieve a 30% obligated time ratio, a minimum of
four additional personnel must be added to the patrol function. Table 22 below details
this calculation.
TABLE 22: Obligated Workload -Patrol
A Primary Unit Hours-Citizen CFS 8,537
B Backup Units Hours 11,866_
c Total CFS Obligated Hours 20,403
·-D Availa ble Hours per Officer I -= 1704
E Authorized Strength -Patrol ir--36 ---r-
F Current Patrol Availability Total Hrs (D•E) 61,344 ·----r
G Current% Obligated to Citizen CFS (C I F) ~ 33% -«= -
H Target (30% CFS) 1-0.3 -I Total Workload Hours (at Target 30% CFS) (C I H) 68,011
j_
J Patrol Officers Required to Meet Target (I I D) -39.91 I I
--3.91
Additional Officers Needed (J -E) (rounded to 4)
We further recommend that personnel be assigned to the patrol shifts with the greatest
disparity between average calls and officers on duty. Ou1· analysis identified that time
frame as between the 1000 and 1400 (10 a.m. and 2p.m.) and 1600 and 2000 (4 p.m. and 8
p.m.) See Figure 9 below. Subsequently, we recommend that Patrol Watch II receive tl1e
greatest infusion of new personnel.
21\ I P a g l"
This recommendation will increase unobligated time for patrol officers. These hours
should be committed to crime prevention and community engagement activities as
previously descri bed in this chapter.
3.50
3.00
G" > ~ 2.50
"' e 2.00
"'0 ~ -~ 1.50 ·c:
C: <V ~ 1.00
iJ
0.50
0.00
8.0
' ' ' ' ' ' 4.5
Figure 9: Average Staffing by Average Citizen CFS, by Hour of Day
8.5
"\ I\
I \
I \ , ' I \
I \ -----' '
9.5
I •
I \
1 8.o -
l ,
I
I
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Hour of Day
-AVG Citizen CFS Per Hour ---AVG Officers On Duty
10.0
9.0
8.0 1.!)
7.0 ~
~
6.0 5
c
5.0 ~ ....
Qj
4.0 lE
0
3.0 0 .... ....
2.0 ~
1.0
0.0
Recommendation: Redirect the primanJ activities of CAIT to focus on traffic crashes
Property damage crashes are the third most frequent activi ty in CAD and rank third
among most time consuming activities for patrol officers. Traffic crashes broadly, to
include injw·y, property, and hit and run, are the most frequent calls responded to by
patrol, and they top the list fo1· time spent a t 1,100 h ours (more if backups are added).
Figure 10 displays CFS activity for traffic crash activity by hour of the day.
29 1 P a g c
Figure 10: Traffic Incidents by Hour of the Day
12
10
8
:1. 1 .. 1 .. I I
0 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Hour of Day
Officer
• Citizen
CAD data revealed that CA TT officers expended 131 11ow·s on crash related CPS. The
disparity in hours between CA IT and Pah·ol is the result of several factors, including
shift hours worked, special events, and quality of life issues, including DDACTS
activity. Clearly the activities conducted by CATT provide valuable service to the
WRPD and the commwuty. However, the volume of traffic crash calls, particularly
from 1000 to 1700 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), warrants additional resom-ces. Therefore, we
recommend that the mission of CAIT be redirected to these activ ities on a full time
basis. We also recognize that a re-direction in CATI activities will likely impact other
proactive activities. This shift in focus may require additional staffing for the WRPD in
order to maintain current proactive efforts.
Recomme11datiou: Assigtt a Watch Commander to all shifts
Although two Commanders are assigned to the three patrol shifts, administrative duties
frequently require them to work shifts other than those of their assigned team.
Additionally, Patrol Commanders' regular leave days are Saturdays and Sw1days.
(Interviews indicate that Patrol Commanders flex their days off for administrative and
operational needs.) Subsequently, Squad Sergeants frequently assume responsibilities
for duties tl1at would otherwise be performed by tl'l e Shift Commander. Dilling normal
business hours there are an abundance of command personnel for Sergeants to contact
301 r ag c
regarding questions about specific situations. However, after normal business hours
and on weekends, Sergeants are left with only the option of contacting their shift
commander by telephone for assistance. While this practice works well in non-
emergency situations, it presents a less than desirable situation during emergencies. The
addition of a Watch Commander position, primarily assigned to the evening and early
morning ho urs, would provide a consistent level of management for patrol shifts. This
position would also provide immediate maraagement of fast-brea king incidents, help to
ensure agency goals and objectives are properly performed, and provide oversight for
the managemen t of CFS.
Recommendation: Conduct regular aualyses of officer injuries to ideutifiJ prevention
methods
WRPD executives have done an adntirable job of instilling a culture of safety and
wellness in their organization. Efforts are informed by data received from the city on
annual employee injuries. The high percentage of CFS that include more than one
assigned officer is another example. However, a detailed on-the-job injury tracking tool
that provides timely and relevant information to WRPD command staff is not in place.
Such a tool ca n help the WRPD identify more specific and timely data on what types of
injuries are occurring most often. With that information, leadership can more take more
proactive steps to mitigate risks, revise policies, and implement training programs for
prevention of future injuries.
The lACP can provide resources to assist the WRPD with injury tracking and also offer
guidance in the areas of fitness, nutrition, physical and mental health, and overall
wellness.
Recommendation: Explore other work schedules to enlwuce officer availabilitt;
The cw·rent four days per week, ten hours per day work schedule for the WRPD is
clearly a favored schedule among staff. It also provides for seve1·al periods of patrol
shift overlap each day to respond to periods of increased workload. Despite these
benefits, the current ten-hour work schedule does not maximize employee availability.
Work schedules that evenly divide into 24 are generally the most efficient use of
resow·ces. Eight and twelve hour work schedules fall into this category.
Additionally, other service-oriented modifications of the current 10-hour schedule are
possible that would increase staffing levels during peak demands. Exam ples include
modifying days off to create an overlap day that is consistent with workload and
adjusting shift hours to more closely correspond with workload demands.
The WRPD is encouraged to explore other work schedules and service modifications to
enhance patrol staffing and ina·ease efficiency.
Recommendation: Increase the use of Non-Swom personuel to supplement patrol
Law enforcement agencies across the country are exploring the increased use of non-
sworn and volunteer personnel to supplement patrol activity. AJthough the WRPD
already utilizes CSOs and Volunteers to p rovide limited law enforcement related
services, it is encouraged to explore the expanded use of other non-sworn personnel to
supplement patrol. GtH: CAD analyses indicated that more than 23 % of CFS were ei ther
Service-related (calls of a non-criminal nature, e.g., providing assistance), cold case
follow ups, or non-criminal, non-injury traffic related. Ma ny of these incidents can be
handled by non-sworn personnel, thereby increasing patrol officer availabili ty. The
addition of such a team would supplement the current complement of CSOs who
primarily provide code enforcement, animal control, park enforcement, and traffic
control on an as-needed basis. Examples of duties include, but are not limited to,
handling minor calls for service where no suspect information exists, property damage
and hit and run accidents not eligible fo r TRU, traffic control, conducting foll ow-ups,
and community policing activities.
TI1e addition of such a team, particularly on shift 2 (the shift with peak workload), to
support patrol will increase sworn resources at a lower cost than hiring additional
sworn personnel. Additi onally, these positions can be filled quicker and with less
training time than sworn police officers. This could be particularly helpful to the WRPD
given their average ra te of attrition of sworn officers per year and the length of time
needed to fully train them.
R ecomme11datiou: Increase hjpes of iucidents lza11dled by the Telephone Reportiug Uuit
Current activity of the Telephone Reporting Unit (TRU) should be expanded to include
more cold crime and property damage accident reporting. C urrently, patrol officers
spend approximately 1000 hours responding to "cold" calls. Many of these hours could
be redirected to TRU. Further, patrol officers spend approximately 550 hours handling
property damage accidents. Table 23 provides a summary of the types of incidents
h andled by TRU in 2014.
32 I P a g c:
TABLE 23: TRU Incidents 2014
TO CRIME & TRAFFIC
DAMAGE ACCIDENT
D
TRESPASS COLD
THEFT COL l CRIMINAL
FRAUD CO
RUNAWAY
[VEHICLE T
LD -
HEFT COLD
JUST OCCURRED I CRIM MIS
LOST PROP
OTHER
6
ERTY
OPERTY FOUND PR
SUSPICIOU
MISSING P
LIQUOR Ll
ASSIST OT
HIT AND R
BURGLARY
HARASSM
S INCIDENT
ERSON
CENSE
HER -
UN ACCIDENT
COLD
ENT .______;__
-
--
-
-
·-
TOR VEHICLE PARTS COLD THEFTMO
PHONE CALL
WARRANT INPUT
DISTURBANCE COLD
BOLO, REDDI, RECKLESS DRIVERS
r--INFORMATION
FORGERY COLD
Grand Total
Count of Events
--
-
1-
342
282
134
109
so
37
26
25
24
18
14
13
11
10
9
8
8
7
5
4
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1,146
As displayed above, TRU already handles cold cases and property damage accidents.
Of the 1,146 CFS handled in 2014, 20% were related to cold cases and 12% were
prop erty damage accidents. Combined, this amounts to 32% of activity. Efficiencies in
patrol could be gained by more aggressively diverting qualified calls to the TRU.
Fw·ther consideration should be given to expanding the hours of availability of the
TRU. While this may require supplemental staffing, it could be achieved at a lesser
expense and with shorter period of time needed for training than sworn patrol officers.
33 I Page
Additionally, interviews conducted during the study indicate that sworn personnel
have been utilized to s taffTRU positions. While this practice may be acceptable for light
duty sworn personnel, the use of full duty sworn p ersonnel is not recommended. Not
only is it no t recommended, but it is counter-intuitive to the objecti ve of the unit. TRUs
are ideaUy suited for non-sw orn personnel to supplement patrol office rs. These
personnel can be hired at a significantly lower cost and trained in substantially less time
than sworn offi cers. The result is a reduced workload for sworn patro l officers, freeing
them for other priori ty activities.
Recommeudatiou: Co11sider revisiug curreflt WRPD policy regardiug response to
property damage accide11ts.
Currently WRPD officers complete a report for aU b·affic acciden ts regardless of the
severity of da mage. However, Colorado law requires written reports only for accidents
w ith property damage of mor e than $1,000. Subsequently, officers complete written
repo rts for minor accidents even though they are not required to do so. Current WRPD
policy allows for the suspension of response to property damage acciden ts during
weather alerts and situations when calls for service exceed available resources (Policy
9.42 Accident Investigation ). The WRPD should explore the expansion of this policy on
a full time basis. Although such a policy is not in use in the Denver Metropolitan area,
similar policies are common in law enfo rcement agencies across the country. Given the
significant number of pro perty damage accidents handled by the WRPD in 2014, this
change in policy would reduce workloads for patrol officers. The WRPD is encouraged
to engage community gro ups and elected officials in the development and ultimate
implementation of this policy.
Recommeudatiou: Institute au o11goi11g recruitment process.
Based on our analysis of annual separa tions from the agen cy, WRPD loses an average of
five sworn personnel annually. For an agency the size of Wheat Ridge, these vacancies
have a subs tantial impact, particularly when they come from operational units.
Implem entation of an ongoing continuous application process for new hires, with
regular cut-off dates for processing can help. In addition to reducing the volume of
applications received during "as needed " application periods, continuous recruitment
also provides a more manageable volwne of a pplicants for Human Resow·ce and
academy staff to process. Candidates tl1at are offered p ositions witl1 tl1e WRPD could be
immediately hired to avoid their po tentia l hiring by ano ther law enforcem ent agency
prior to the start of tl1.e next academy class. Any pre-academ y hires would ben efit from
the early education of the WRPD operation in a civilian capacity by p roviding
manpower for administrative functions.
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CHAPTER IV: INVESTIGATIONS
Criminal investigations are a shared function in the WRPD. Patrol officers conduct
preliminary and some follow-up investigations for minor offenses, as determined by a
Patrol Sergeant, while the Investigations Bureau is responsible for follow-up
investigations of all felony offenses. The lnvestigations Bureau is assigned to the
Support Services Division, and co.mmanded by a Division Olief. It is managed by a
Commander and supervised by Sergeants assigned to the Property Crimes Team
andPersons Crimes Team. The Investiga tions Bureau also includes several other units:
• Evidence Unit
• Sex Offender Regisb:ation
• Metro Auto Theft Task Force (MATT)
• West Metro Dru g Task Force (WMDTF)
• Vice I Intelligence
Detectives assigned to MA IT, WMDTF, and Vice/ intelligence report directly to the
Commander of tl1e Investigations Bureau; no first line supervisor position exists.
Figure 11 below depicts the orgrulizational sb·ucture of the investigations Bureau
Figure 11: Investigations Bureau Organizational Structure
Commander
..._~ ""'" Js.rvtaw ~ WIIIJYf ........,_
5~ ll:lni:<IM lOftr<IWn J--J~ ...... -.....
~I
SECTION I: STAFFING
For evaluative purposes, it is important to describe staffing levels fo r each Team within
the Investigations Bureau, as well as personnel assigned to vru·ious task forces. Staffing
levels are displayed in Table 24 according to team assignments.
351 P n g e
TABLE 24: Investigations Bureau Staffing
Non-Sworn Non-Sworn
Commander Sergeant Detective Supervisor Personnel Total
Investigations Bureau 1 1
Property Crimes 1 4 1 6
Persons Crimes 1 5 1 7
Evidence Unit 1 1
Sex Offender Registration 1 1
MATI 1 1
WMDTF 2 2
Vice/Intelligence 1 1
Total 1 2 13 0 4 20
Total swotn staffing for the Investigations Division, including command and
supervisory personnel is 20. Comparing the overall authorized staffing of the WRPD of
108 persons in 2015, the Jnvestigations Bureau accounts for 18.5% of personnel. A
further comparison of the number of Detectives (13) to total sworn officer positions for
the WRPD (56) revealed a slightly higher result: 23 %.
Overall, the percentage of WRPD personnel, including supervisors, assigned to the
Investigations Bureau is slightly lower than o ther agencies for which we have
conducted studies. It is important to point out that there are no standard staffing ratios
for Investigations personnel.
SECTION D: WORK SCHEDULES
Sworn personnel assigned to the Investigations Bureau generally work a 10-hour, four
day work-week. This sdl.edule has been in place for many years and is well-liked by
personnel.
Staffing requirements for investigators are detem'lined, ill part, by evaluating workload,
in hours, against hours of availability. Officers are not able to work for a variety of
reasons including days off, holiday, vacati.on, sick leave, FMLA time, and training
obligations. Actual leave data were provided by the City of Wheat Ridge for
investigations personnel for calendar year 2014. Leave data for all personnel was totaled
and averages determined for each category. The data revealed tllat investigators
worked an average of 1588 hours per year in 2014. This equates to 159 working days,
based on a 10-hour work day. Table 25 displays the calculations used in determining
this average.
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TABLE 25: Investigations Availability
INVESTIGATIONS
Annual hours worked 2080
PTO -206
Extended Sick -25
Holiday -71
leave Without Pay 0
Military 0
Injury -27
Comp Time -16
Admin 0
Exempt 0
Mandatory training -40
Other training -107
Available hours 1588
SECTION III: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Section 8 of the WRPD Policy Directives Ma nual is devoted to criminal investigations. It
is djvided into 30 chapters, several of which are relevant to the focus of this study and
are cited below for reference:
WRPD Policy Directive 8.1.2., Procedures, establish es the procedures for determ.ining
responsibility for conducting follow up investi gations. Paragraphs 2.8 (2) and (3) s tate:
2. Felony crimes will11ormnlly be assigned to the Investigations Bureau or other specialized
unit for additioual follow-up and tile filing of charges. Assigned personnel shall conduct
follow-up investigations on cases as assigned by the responsible superuisor.
3. Pah·ol personnel sl!al7 conduct a follow-up investigation on felony crimes when:
a. There is an irmnedia te need and reasonable chance of apprehending tlte suspect or
1·ecove1ing property; or
b. There is a need for obtaining information for the preliminary investigative report;
or
c. There are otlter compelling circumstances.
d. Exte11ded follow-up investigations and the filing of criminal charges by patrol
personnel on felony crimes must be approved by the on-duhj supervisor.
i. The appropriate investigatious bu.renu supervisor shall be advised when
patrol personnel are assig~1ed follow-up investigative responsibilihJ on
felony crimes.
4. Unless other circumstances arise, Patrol personnel will conduct follow-up investigations
on misdemeanor and h·affic cases.
37 1J>age
5. Follow-up is to be appropriately documented in a timely manner.
6. Supe111isors will be kept informed on tlze progress of follow-up il1vestigations.
a. Supen,isor approval will be required prior to disconti11uing tl1e active
investigation of a criminal case.
b. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring completion of appropriate
follow-up.
7. Counter allegations shall be evaluated 011 a case-L1y-cnse basis. If the intent of the
allegatio11 appears to be revenge rmd has no prosecutorinlvnlue, officers shall document
the allegations and review them with the prosecutor.
a. Prosecutors may request that a summons be issued or other appropriate
charging met/rods be applied against persons making false reports
WRPD Policy Directive 8.30 establish es protocols for the administrative management of
all criminal investigations. Section 8.30.3, Case Screening Procedure, provides guidance
for follow-up investigations by the lJwestigations Bureau.
A. Cases Considered for Follow-up Investigation
The Investigations Bureau generally deals wHh tltose crimes classified as felonies;
however, certniu otlter hjpes of investigations 7/lay be nssig11ed as well. Examples
include, but are uot limited to: death investigations; missing perso11s; certaiu
misdemeanor sex assaults nud suspicious inddeuts.
Section 8.30.3 also provides guidance lor supervisors in establishing case solvability
factors to be considered during the screening process.
Section 8.30.4 identifies prioriti.es in assigning cases for investigation and also includes
consideration of the impact of the case on the community. Cases are assigned as" A"
''B" "C" or "I" cases with " A" cases being the most serious. 'T' cases, also referred to as
"Information" include:
1. Cases tlznt lack i11formation that would iden fiJtJ a suspect; infonuation is of n
speculati-ve nature with no corroboration; tlze case lncks seriousness or resources
are Hot available to follow-up the cnse.
2. Peudiug: Physical evidence WflS recovered, but the development of leads requires
the completion of laborntonJ processing and/or forensi c examination.
n. These cases shall be reviewed and may be reclassified by the
appropriate iuvestigative team Sergea nt upon receipt of laboratory/foreusic
reports.
3R I P n g e
Section 8.30.5, Documentation of Investigative Efforts, establishes timelines for the
submission of supplemental reports based on case priority. Paragraph 0 indicates:
Cases are assigned with the presu mptiou and expectation thnt lends will be pursued nnd
reasonable investigative efforts made iu n timely manner. Periodic supplemeutnl
reporting prullides citizens nnd departmeuf members information 011 ilwestigntive efforts.
The report s/m/1 detail investigative efforts to dnte and the Cltrreut status of the
investigatiou.
1. A supplemental report is req uired witl!iu 30 dnys for nny assigued "A"
cnse.
2. A supplemental report is required within 60 days for any nssigned "8"
cnse.
3. A supplemental report is required within 30 dm;s of any assigned "C"
case
4. "lufo cases" do uot require supplemental reports. These cases are uot
assigned for the purpose of further investigation.
Paragraph G of Section 8.30.5 also establishes a requirement for annual case audits to
identify open cases beyond two or three years.
The ltwestigatious Commander will geuernte a case audit mwually that identifies the
number of opeu cnses iu tire past year plus hoo previous years for review by tlze Cltief of
Police. A specific update 011 nny cases open pnst tlzree yenrs will be required. Tlte specific
updnte will include the status of the cnse, tlte assigned Detective, nu explauntiou for why
the case is still open nuda plan for briuging the case to n conclusio11. Any cnse thnt is
older tltall three years but has bee11 designated ns a cold cnse and added to the cold cnse
list ·will be exempt. This audit will be due by tlze end of the second quarter of the
followiug yenr.
WRPD supervisors and investigators use a combination of the LogiSYS record
management system (RMS) and Microsoft Excel to assign, track, and record
investigations. lnd dent reports generated by patrol officers are automatically entered
into the RMS system. Investigations Bureau supervisors review new cases in the RMS
each day and assign them to Detectives for further action. Cases are assigned to
Detectives in one of four case status categories (A, B, C, or I) previously described.
SECTION IV: WORKLOAD
Workload information for the Investigations Bureau was provided for 2012 through
2014. Workload was provided based on cases assigned. Assigned cases are those cases
39 1 P a g c
actually investigated by Detectives - priority A, B, or C. Cases assigned as "J" cases do
not require active follow-up. However, Detectives are resp onsible for reviewing the
case and com pleting administrative duties in the case managem ent system. A summary
of all cases en tered into the Investigations case log for 2012-2014, incl uding cases
investigated by Task Force Detectives, is provided below in Table 26.
TABLE 26: Cases Assigned by Year
Year Counts %Change
2012 1408
2013 1307 -7.17%
2014 1241 -5.04% -Total 3956 -11.86% -
As indicated in Table 27, total assigned cases have steadily declined. The largest
declines have occurred in the number of "I" cases assigned to the Property Team.
Analysis of the cases contained in the lnvestigations case log by class revealed
interesting findings. Cases designated as "I" cases accounted for 62%, 60 %, and 53%
respectively, for aU cases assigned.
TABLE 27: Cases Assigned by Class 2012 -2014
Year Count %of Count -2012 1408
A 91 6%
B 309 22%
c 136 10%
f--I 872 62%
2013 1307
A 86 7%
B 259 20%
c 173 13% --I 789 60% ---2014 1241
A 87 7%
B 318 26% -c 174 14% -I 66 2 53%
Cases assigned by Class A, B, and C represent cases investigated by Detectives. Cases
assigned to Detectives in the Persons and Property Teams, by Class, were isolated for
analysis. These teams represent the vast majority of citizen reported crime. A summary
is provided below in Table 28.
-10 I P a g \!
TABLE 28: Cases Assigned by Team and Class A, B, COnly
Year Count %of Count
2012 445 N/A
Property 241 54%
Persons 204 46%
2013 446 N/A
Property 265 59%
Persons 181 41%
2014 486 N/A
Property 249 51%
Persons 237 49%
Grand Total 1377
As indicated in Table 29, the majority of cases had been assigned to the Pt:operty Crimes
Team in 2012 and 2013. However, the distribution of cases in 2014 was nearly even.
Detective Caseloads
Using staffing information provided in Table 30, average caseloads for investigations
personnel can be determined. Because of the variety of investigative responsibilities by
unit and Detective, along with the potential complexities of any type of investigation,
average caseloads per investigator, by themselves, are not an appropriate metric for
measw·ing performance. However, they do provide insight into the workload. Table 29
provides insight into this metric.
TABLE 29: Average Caseloads per Detective 2012-2014
Count Staffing Average Per Average Per
Detective/Year Detective/Month
2012
Property 241 4 60 5
Persons 204 5 41 3
2013
Property 265 4 66 6
Persons 181 5 36 3
2014
Property 249 4 62 5
Persons 237 5 47 4
411 P a g c
Caseloads were greatest for Detectives in the Property Crimes Team, averaging 5.3
cases per month per Detective, while Detectives in the Pet'SOilS Crimes Team averaged
3.3 new cases per month per Detective. It is important to 11ote these averages do not
include "I" cases.
A closer examination of the cases assigned to each team withi11 the Investigations
BW"eau in 2014 is helpful in understanding workload for Detectives, since cases are
assigned by Tean1 rather than by o i.me. Table 30, below, reflects the top 10 cases
assigned by Team for 2012-2014.
421 P a g c
TABLE 30: Top 10 Cases Assigned by Team 2012-2014
Property Crimes Persons Crimes
2012
Crime Count Crime Count
Theft 39 Sexual Assault 32 -10 Theft 35 Sexual Assault Child 20
Bu rglary 2 34 Sex Offender Violation 15
Trespass 26 Robbery 11
Pawn Violation 18 Menacing 9
MVT 11 Assault 2 ARA 7
Theft ARA 8 Child Abuse 7
Criminal Mischief 8 Assault 2 DV 6
Forgery 7 Assist Other Agency 6
Death Investigation 4 Menacing DV 6
2013
10 Theft 43 Sex Offender Violation 20
Burglary 2 42 Sexual Assault 19
Theft 29 Sexual Assault Child 18
Trespass 24 Robbery 13
MVT 23 Assault 2 9
Pawn Violation 11 Stalking DV 8
Theft ARA 8 Assault 2 DV 7
Fraud 8 Menacing DV 7 -Forgery 7 Sexual Assault Child POT 6
Criminal Mischief 5 Sexual Exploitation 6 -2014 r----Burglary 2 42 Sex Offender Violation 36 -10 Theft 31 Runaway 29
MVT 27 Robbery 18
Theft 21 Sexual Assault Child 15
Forgery 20 Sexual Assault 13
Pawn Violation 18 Assault 2 DV 12
Trespass 16 Stalking DV 10
Theft ARA 12 Assault 2 8
Criminal Mischief 10 Menacing DV 8
Menacing 4 Previous Offender Violation 7
As reflected in Table 30, the most commonly assigned case for the Property Crimes
Team during the 2012-2014 time period was Burglary. l11e most commonJy assigned
crime for the Persons Team during the same period was Sex Offender Violation.
43 1 rag c
Domestic Violence and At Risk Adult Cases
A notable observation of the total cases assigned relates to those designated as DV
(domestic violence) and ARA (at risk adult). These cases, combined with elder abuse
cases, accounted for a significant number of the overall caseload for 2012 through 2014.
Table 31 displays a summary of DV, ARA, and elder cases for offenses in classes A, B,
and C.
TABLE 31: OV, ARA, and Elder Abuse Cases
Offense 2012 2013 2014 Total
DV 41 45 53 139
ARA 20 14 21 55
Elder Abuse 1 1
Total 62 59 74 195
Total Assigned Cases 445 446 486 1377
% of Assigned Cases 14% 13% 15% 14%
Duration of Investigations
The length of time needed to investigate specific crimes is also an important metric in
assessing staffing needs. The significant increase in the use of social media outlets by
victims and suspects has significantly impacted investigative methods. The need for
Detectives to obtain subpoenas and search warrants to collect information from these
sources has substantially increased the overall duration and complexity of
investigations. lnterviews and observations of WRPD Detectives support this trend.
Still, the average time needed to investigate crim es can be a useful tool in assessing
staffing needs when properly combined with other fa ctors cited in this report.
Subsequently, analyses were conducted to determine these averages by Class, Team,
and ce rtain crimes. Tables 32 and 33 display tJ1ese results.
.t4IPagc
TABLE 32: Average Duration by Class-Persons and Property Teams 2012-2014
Class Average Duration (Days)
A 3 Year Average-39
2012 40
2013 46
2014 30
B 3 Year Average-102
2012 135
2013 110
2014 59
c 3 Year Average -122
2012 145
2013 134
2014 90
TABLE 33: Average Duration by Class and Team 2012-2014
Assignment Property Persons
Class Average of Duration Average of Duration
A 3 Year Average-41 3 Year Average -36
2012 53 24
2013 55 39
2014 15 44
B 3 Year Average -112 3 Yea r Average -97
2012 143 142
2013 119 107
2014 59 42
c 3 Year Average-133 3 Year Average -92
2012 181 69
2013 131 163
2014 102 62
As indicated above, the Property Crimes Team generally had higher average lengths of
investigation periods than the Persons Team. Given the higher workloads for Property
Crimes Detectives, this is not an w1usual result. Howeve1·, average investigative periods
for Class A crimes investigations by the Persons Team have steadily increased during
the three-year time period examined. Average time periods in 2014 were nearly double
the length of investigative periods in 2012.
Tables 34 and 35 display the longest average duration times for cases assigned to the
Property and Persons Crimes. This information is provided for comparison purposes
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only; caution is warranted in reviewing these averages in insolation. The number of
cases designated as DV (domestic violence) and ARA (at risk adult) is noteworthy.
TABLE 34: longest Average Duration -Top 10 Persons Crimes
2012 Duration (Days)
Drug Offense 343
Sexual Assault Child POT 233
Sexual Assault Child 223
Indecent Exposure 210
Sexual Assault DV 199
Sexual Assault 190
Runaway 135
Trespass 115
Stalking DV 110
Extortion 92
2013 Duration (Days)
Weapon Violation 420
Sexual Exploitation 293
Obscenity 283
Contributing to Delinquency 211
Assault 1 192
Pawn Violation 169
Sexual Assault Child 163
Sta lking DV 125
Assault 2 ARA 123
Burglary 1 119
2014 Duration (Days)
Robbery ARA 139
Assault 2 PO 136
Robbery 133
Arson 105
Murder CA 101
Assault 2 DV 81
Robbery DV 78
Sexual Assault Child POT 68
Sexual Assault ARA 53
Burglary 2 DV 52
461 Page
TABLE 35: longest Average Duration-Top 10 Property Crimes
2012 Duration (Days)
Incendiary Device 381
Fraud 351
Death Investigation 193
Sexual Assault 178
Robbery 160
Theft DV 147
Recovered MVT 124
Arson 116
MVT 95
Pawn Violation 76
2013 Duration (Days)
Drug Offense 553
ID Theft DV 207
Sexual Assault Child 203
Stalking 182
Assault 2 DV 168
Sexual Assault DV 135
Weapon Violation 110
Burglary 1 107
Sexual Assault 102
Theft DV 100
2014 Duration (Days)
Assault 1 322
Coors Issue 176
Sexual Assault 137
Fraud 129
Possession Burglary Tools 113
Trespass DV 104
Menacing 98
Child Abuse 96
Sexual Assault Child 67
Theft ARA 63
SECTION V: CASE CLEARANCES
Case clearances are addressed in the WRPD Policy Directives Manual, Chapter 8.30.04,
paragraph E, Case Clearances Categories. The policy establishes six different categories
of case clearances: filed, suspended, open pending, exceptionally cleared, closed and
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tmfounded. Cases completed by Investigations Bureau Detectives are to be classified
into one of these categories for statistical purposes, both internal and external. The
policy also indicates that these ca tegories are distinctfrom those used in UCR and
NIBRS reporting.
UCR definitions fo r case clearances are provided below for reference.
Cleared by arrest
/u tlte UCR Program, a law enforcement agency reports tltat nn offense is cleared by arrest, or
sol11edfor crime repo rtiug purposes, wlze11 tltree specific conditions have been met. Tire three
conditions are that at least one person has beeu:
• Arrested.
• Charged with the commission of the offense.
• Turned over to the court for prosecutio11 (whether following arrest, court sunm1ons, or
police 1wlice).
In its clearnnce calwlntions, the UCR Progrnm connts the number of offenses that are clea red,
not the muuber of persons arrested. Tlze arrest of o/le perso11 may clear several crimes, and the
arres t of many persons may clear only one offense. In addition., some clearmzces that au agency
records i11 a particular calendar year, sucl1 as 2013, may pertain to offenses that occurred in.
previous years. 4
Cleared by except ional meaus
In certain sihmtions, elements beyond law enforcement's conb·ol prevent the agency fronl
arresting aud fonnnlly charging the offeuder. Wizen this occurs, lite agenC!J ca n clear t!te o!Jellse
exceptionally. Law enforcement agencies must meet tile followiHg fou r couditio115 in order to
clear an offense by exceptional means. The agency nwst hrrve:
• Identified the offeHder.
• Gatlzered enough e-lJidence to support an arrest, make a charge, and tum over t/ze offeuder
to the court for prosecution.
• Trlentified tlte offender's exact location so tltat the suspect could be taken iuto custody
iwmediately.
• Encountered a circumsttmce ou tside the coutrol of law eJLforcewent that prohibits the
agency from arresting, chargi11.g, and prosecuting the o!Je11der.
Examples of exceptional clearances include, but are not limited to, the death of the offender (e .g.,
suicide or justifiably killed by police or citizen); the 11ictim's refusal to cooperate with tlze
prosecutioll after the offeHder ltas been identified; or tl1e denial of extrnditiou because tlte offeuder
committed a crime i11 another jurisriictiou aud is being prosecuted for that offellse. ln Hre UCR
Program, the recovery of property alone does 110t clear an offense.s
4 FBI UCR Clearance Definitions: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/20 13/crime-in-the-u.s.-
20 13/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/clearances/clearancetopic _final
s fbid
4R I P a g c
The Investigations case log provided by the WRPD included case clearance information
for cases from 2012 to 2014. Examination of that information identified 11 different case
clearance categories, six of which are not identified in Policy 8.30.4.
The additional case clearance categories follow:
• Admin Cleared
• CBA -cleared by arrest
• Complete
• Declined
• Other Agency
• Patrol
Additionally, the case clearance category of "Suspended" was not found in any case
status.
The use of these additional categories skews analysis of case clearances by WRPD
established categories. Subsequently, analyses were conducted based on existing data.
Table 36 reflects case clearances for 2012 to 2014 according to Class Priority.
491 Page
TABLE 36: Clearances by Class 2012-2014
Class 2012 2013 2014 Total
A
Unknown 1 1
CBA 91 80 84 255
Closed 2 2
Declined 1 2 3
Filed 3 3
Total Class A 91 86 87 264
B
Unknown 1 13 38 52
Admin Cleared 12 7 2 21
CBA 139 113 157 409
Closed 13 31 29 73
Complete 11 4 3 18
Declined 2 1 3
Ex Clear 23 19 18 60
Filed 1 1 2
Open 92 65 64 221
Patrol 1 1
Unfounded 14 6 6 26
Tot al Class B 309 259 318 886
c
Unknown 11 34 45
Admin Cleared 14 19 1 34
CBA 19 23 24 66
Closed 11 31 32 74
Complete 3 2 15 20
Declined 1 1
Ex Clear 14 8 3 25
Filed 1 1
Open 67 69 62 198
Other Agency 2 2
Patrol 1 1
Unfounded 7 6 2 15
Total Class C 136 173 173 482
Grand Total 536 518 578 1632
50 I Page
Cases designated as CBA (closed by arrest) were the most common dispositions for
Class A and Class B cases. Notably, Class A cases overwhelmingly resulted in a CBA
disposition.
Table 37 reflects case clearances by the Persons Team for the 2012-2014 time period.
TABLE 37: Case Clearances 2012-2014 Persons Team
Class 2012 2013 2014 Total
A
Unknown 1 1
CBA 35 39 40 114
Declined 1 1
Filed 2 2
Total Class A 35 41 42 118
B
Unknown 6 22 28
Admin Cleared 1 1
CBA 46 29 47 122
Closed 4 16 16 36
Complete 8 4 2 14
Declined 1 1
Ex Clear 7 11 11 29
Filed 1 1
Open so 36 36 122
Unfounded 9 2 5 16
Total Class B 126 104 140 370
c
Unknown 2 7 9
Admin Cleared 1 1
CBA 5 3 2 10
Closed 5 8 17 30
Complete 3 13 16
Ex Clear 2 4 1 7
Open 23 18 14 55
Unfounded 4 1 5
Total Class C 43 36 54 133
Grand Total 204 181 236 621
Cases designated as CBA (closed by arrest) were the most common disposition for Class
A and Class B cases while the case disposition of Open was the most common category
511Pagc
for Class C cases. Analysis revealed that 42% of all clearances in 2012 were recorded as
CBA. That percentage declined to 39% in 2013 and 38% in 2014.
Table 38 reflects case clearances by the Property Team fo r the 2012-2014 time period.
TABLE 38: Case Clearances 2012-2014 Property Team
Class 2012 2013 2014 Total
A
CBA 32 33 35 100
Closed 2 2
Declined 1 1 2
Filed 1 1
Total Class A 32 37 36 105
B
Unknown 1 4 10 15
Admin Cleared 10 7 2 19
CBA 59 47 50 156
Closed 7 11 6 24
Complete 2 2
Declined 1 1 2
Ex Clear 15 3 4 22
Filed 1 1
Open 36 24 26 86
Unfounded 3 3 1 7
Total Class B 135 100 99 334
c
Unknown 9 25 34
Admin Cleared 13 19 1 33
CBA 11 20 20 51
Closed 4 23 14 41
Complete 2 2 4
Declined 1 1
Ex Clear 11 2 2 15
Filed 1 1
Open 32 44 48 124
Other Agency 2 2
Unfounded 3 5 2 10
Total Class C 74 128 114 316
Grand Total All Classes 241 265 249 755
Cases designated as CBA (closed by arrest) were the most conm1on disposition for Class
A and Class B cases while case disposition of Open was the most common category for
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Class C cases. Analysis revealed that 42% of all clearances in 2012 were recorded as
CBA. That percentage increased to 78% in 2013 and 92% in 2014.
SECTION VI: AVERAGE INVESTIGATIVE TIME
Using average availability for Detectives in 2014 (Table 25), average available hours per
assigned case can be calculated for that year. It is important to note that this calculation
is only an approximation and does not account for all activities performed by
Detectives. Table 39, below, reflects these calculations.
TABLE 39: Average Available Hours per Case 2014
2014 Cases Staffing Avg cases per Avg Cases per Available Avg Available
Detective/Yr Detective/Month Hours/Yr Hours per case
Property 249 4 62 5 1588 26
Persons 237 5 47 4 1588 34
SECTION Vll: DETECTIVE ACTIVITY
Interviews with Detectives and supervisory personnel suggested that administrative
duties, primarily report writing/ consume a substantial amount of daily activity. In an
effort to accurately identify daily Detective activity, IACP team members distributed a
brief two-question, internet-based survey for completion by Detectives. The survey
asked Detectives to estimate percentages of time spent during an "average" work week
with respect to various activities. The choice of activities was submitted to WRPD
Investigations Bureau supervisory personnel for approval prior to distribution of the
survey.
No identifiable information was requested in the survey; anonymity was promoted.
Further, the survey was designed to prevent IACP study team members from viewing
individual responses.
The survey was distributed to Detectives by IACP staff via WRPD email on July 13,
2015. The survey remained open for responses until July 22, 2015. A total of eight
responses were received. Responses were evenly distributed among Persons and
Property Team Detectives. The survey is included as Appendix A.
Survey responses identified three primary areas of activity for Detectives: Report
Writing, Investigation, and Legal. These activities accounted for nearly 46% of the
reported activity. Surveillance, Crime Lab, and Arrest Processing were ranked the
lowest activities in terms of time. For reference, all survey results are displayed in Table
40.
531 Page
TABLE 40: Investigations Survey
What percentage of your 40 hour work week (exclusive of
overtime) do you spend on eoch of the following activities? Your
total responses must equo/100%.
Answer Options Response Average %
Administrative/Other 4.75
Arrest (processing) .63
Community Contact 2.00
Performance Evaluations .75
Court 5.25
Crime Scene Processing .so
DA-Follow-up/Requests 3.50
Evidence Views/Disposition 1.00
Interviews 8.13
Investigation 17.88
Legal (S.W. A.W. P.O.R. etc) 9 .00
Crime Lab .38
Meeting 5.38
Phone Calls/ Email 8.75
Report Writing 19.00
Surveillance .25
Teaching 2.50
Threat Assessment .00
Training (In-service, other) 3.50
Travel/Driving 3.50
Trial Prep 3.38
Total 100
SECTION Vlll: RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations in this section are provided &-om two perspectives: primary and
secondary considerations. ln the first perspective, we provide a recommendation for
staffing levels in the Investigations Bureau that assume no organizational changes are
implemented. This recommendation is one of the primary purposes of this study.
Our secondary recommendations suggest alternatives to the current operation and
organizational structure of the Investigations Bureau that will align personnel more
consistent with investigative responsibility and enhance efficiency.
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Primary Recommendations
It is important to note that no accepted formula exists for determining staHing levels for
investigators. Instead, an examination of a variety of factors must be considered to
evaluate investigator workload. In this study we examined the following factors:
• Caseloads from 2012 through 2014
• Detective Availability
• Average Hours of Availability per Assigned Case
• Average Duration of lnvestiga tions by Teams
• Detective Activity
This information was obtained tiuough analyses of ti1e Investigations Bureau Case
Management System provided by the WRPD, one-on-one interviews with the Acting
Division Chief, Acting Investi gations Bureau Commander, Sergeants, and Detectives by
IACP study team staff; and an anonymous survey of Detectives. Based on these
examinations we make the following recommendations:
Recommendation: Maintain current staffing levels for the Persmzs Team
During the three year s tudy period, caseloads averaged 41 cases per year or 3.4 cases
per month per Detective. Average annual caseloads for the Persons Crimes Team
ranged from a high of 47 cases in 2014 to a low of 36 cases in 2013.
During this same time period staffing levels have remained consistent at five Detectives
plus one Sergeant and one non-swom technician.
Further, the average duration of investigations conducted by Persons Team Detectives
have continually declined since 2012 for Class A, B, and C offenses.
For the year 2014, availability for Persons Team Detectives averaged 34 hours per
investigation, nearly one full work week. Interviews indicated an increasing degree of
complexity and length of time need to complete investigations, primarily due to legal
requirements associated with obtaining information from various social media outlets.
One unusual factor derived from our analysis revealed that clearance rates for the
Persons Team declined from 42% of all cases assigned in 2012 to 38% for all cases
assigned in 2014.
Interviews and observations revealed a high degree of cooperation among Detectives,
regardless of team assignment. This high degree of cooperation is a valuable asset ti1at
should be coveted and praised by ti1e WRPD.
Based on the factors examined in this study, current staffing levels are sufficient to meet
present demands. Further augmentation is not required.
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RecommeudaHou: Maintaiu current staffing levels for the Property Team
During the three year study period, caseloads averaged 63 cases per year or 5.2 cases
per month per Detective. Average annual caseloads for the Property Crimes Team
ranged from a high of 265 cases in 2013 to a low of 241 cases in 2012.
During this same time period staffing leveJs ha ve remained consistent at four Detectives
plus one Sergeant and one non-sworn technician.
Fmther, the average duration of investigations conducted by Property Team Detectives
have substantially declined since 2012 for Class A, B, and C offenses.
For the year 2014, availability for Persons Team Detectives averaged 26 hours per
investigation, more than half of a work week. As with Persons Team investigations,
interviews indicated an increasing degree of complexity and length of time needed to
co mplete investigations, primarily due to legal requirements associated with obtaining
information from va rious social mectia outlets. Interviews also suggested that Property
Crimes Detectives are frequently assigned cases normally handled by Persons Crimes
Detectives during on-caU situations or when the Persons Crime Team are busy.
Despite the additional workload, clearance rates for the Property Team ina-eased from
42% of all cases assigned in 2012 to 92% for all cases assigned in 2014 -an impressive
result.
Interviews and observations revealed a high degree of cooperation among Detectives,
regardless of team assignment. This high degree of cooperation is a valuable asset that
should be coveted and praised by the WRPD.
Based on the factors examined in this study, cwTent staffing levels are sufficient to meet
present demands. Furtl'ter augmentation is not required.
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Secondary Recommendations
Recommendations provided in this section offer alternatives to the current operation
and organizational structure of the Investigations Division that, in o ur opinion, will
align personnel and improve operations more consistently with agency goals,
expectations, and investigative responsibilities. They a1·e offered as a supplement to the
recommendations in the previous section.
Recommendation: Create a Domestic Violence Team withi11 the Investigatious Divisiott
Analysis of cases assigned to the Investigations Bureau identified 195 cases designated
as DV, ARA, or elder abuse. This number represents 14% of all cases assigned as Class
A, B, or C for tl1e three year period examined. Further, "disturbance in progress" calls
for service (often DV-related) are among tl1e top call types by frequency and time spent
ii1 patrol. The potential for continued violence in domestic violence cases is well
established; the need for law enforcement to intervene in these incidents is equally well
established . The WRPD should create a new, full time Detective position, supported by
a technician, volunteer, or combination thereof, to assume responsibility for this
function. Detailed a·ime analysis, identification of repeat offenders and/ or addresses of
CFS, and intervention programs would be primary functions for this Team. The added
responsibilities related to recent changes in elder abuse law in Colorado for law
enforcement could potentially be added to the functions of this Team. Additionally, tllis
Detective could collaborate witl1 existing advocacy and support groups ill Wheat Ridge
to provide more efficient delivery of resources to vktims. The IACP can offer a host of
resources to aid in improving its response and investigation of DV cases.
Recommendation: Reduce adm.ittistrative responsibilities in the lttvestigations Bureau
Case MatLagement System
More than 50% of the cases referred to the Investigations Bureau for follow-up were
classified as "I" cases, indicating not active inves tigation. These cases are essentially
cases with little to no leads but assigned as "open." Despite the lack of investigative
actions, they require the time and attention of both Detectives and supervisors to
review and monitor them. While this information may be helpful to Detectives in
idet1tifying trends or other related cases, it depletes valuable time needed for assigned
cases, particularly for supervisors. Eliminating the need for supervisors to review and
assign "I" cases to Detectives, and for Detectives to review them would reduce
administrative time for all personnel.
Recommendation: Create a supervisory position for personnel assigrzed to the WMDTF,
MATT and Vice Unit
CW'rently, personnel assigned to the West Metro Drug Taskforce {WMDTF), Metro
Area Theft Taskforce (MAIT) and Vice Unit report directly to the Commander of
571 P a g c
investigations Bureau. This is an unusuaJ organizational structure in that it requires the
commander to perform routine s upervisory functions for four Detectives in addition to
overseeing the operations of the entire burea u. Additionally, three of the four officers
are assigned to multijurisdictional task forces that involve complex, long term
investigations. The nature and complexity of these investigations often require the
coordination of a variety of resources. Supervisory functions for these personnel are
more appropriately handled by a Sergeant. We are aware that the WRPD had a
Sergeant assigned to this role but that position was eliminated to accommodate a new
command structure in the organization. H owever, given the complex nature of t:he
activities p erformed by these personnel, and the time needed to adequately monitor
them, we recommend t:he crea tion of a new, full time Sergeant position to serve as the
Special Investigations Team supervisor.
Recommeudatiolt: Revise tlte current work sclredule for Investigatious Div ision
Personnel
Personnel assigned to the Investigations Division primarily work a 4 day X 10 hour
shift. Shift hours are consistent for all Detectives and Teams. However, the current 4 X
10 work schedule for Detectives results in an average of 1588 hours per yea r (avera ge)
or 159 work days for Detectives and supervisors. This average availability is one of t:he
lowest that we have encountered for Detectives. Further, as much as 50 % of a Team's
staffing complement are on leave on Mondays and Fridays. While this work schedule
clearly benefits Detectives and supervisors, it is, in our opinion, counterproductive to
the overall efficiency of the Bureau. Citizens, patro l officers, prosecutors, and ot:her
WRPD p ersonnel are "customers" of Investi gations Burea u persomtel. Subsequently, it
is incumbent upon tl1em to be available as much as possible. Revising the current 4 X 10
schedule to a 5 X 8 schedule would result in 198.5 work days per year compared to tl1e
current 159 work days -a net increase of 39 days for each Detective. nus ina·ease
multiplied by t11e number of Detectives in the Persons and Property Teams (9) results in
351 additional work days per calendar yeaJ·, nearly equivalent to two additional
Detectives. This additional time, combined with other recommendations in this report,
wouJd increase opportunities for Detectives to spend more time conducting
investigations in the field, assisting patro l officers, and increasing citizen engagement.
These activities are consis tent with the level of service to the community established by
theWRPD.
Recommendatiou: Eulmnce Crime Au a lysis functious to aid itrvestigators.
Interviews and observations by study team personnel indicate tl1at cwTent crime
analysis functions are focused primru·ily on special projects rather t:han daily and
weekly crime trend analysis. While we do not suggest that these functions are not
important to tl1e WRPD, our study found tl'tat crime analysis products and
581 P a g c
dissemination methods could be improved by regular and frequent dissemination of
crime trend information. One observation relates to the monthly SAFER meeting. While
the meeting itself provided useful information for all attendees, it was primarily a
review of criminal activity for the previous month -resulting in dissemination of
criminal activity reporting well after it occurred. Information such as developing crime
patterns and trends, repeat offender activity, frequent locations of calls for service, or
other actionable intelligence was not a focus of the meeting.
Inte1views suggest that requests for specific searches or data analyses are routinely
provided in a timely manner. In fact, a substantial portion of the information provided
for this study was generated by the Crime Analysis unit. Subsequently, we recommend
enhancement of the current method of a ·ime analysis to include bi-weekly updates of
crime patterns and trends. This would include the analysis of "I" cases previously
discussed in this report. We also recognize that the current workload of the crime
analyst is aheady high. The addition of analyses described in this recomm endation
could easily strain that workload beyond reasonable expectation. Subsequently,
additional personnel, either part time or volunteer, may be needed.
Recotmneudation: lucorporate problem solving tools and teclmiqr1es into patrol and
investigatiotzs functions, with an emphasis Ott crime analysis
Interviews with Investigations Bureau personnel suggest that only a limited amount of
routine crime analysis is performed to identify repeat offenders or specific locations that
are responsible for frequent calls for service and corresponding criminal investigations.
Field interviews in patrol indicate recognition of the importance of this work, but a lack
of available time. Crime trend bulletins produced by the Crime Analysis Unit are
"posted" in the briefing room for review but do not always receive additional emphasis
or follow-up by supervisors. Initial efforts should promote the incorporation of repeat
CFS and repeat offenders into patrol briefings and regular crime meetings for review,
discussion, response, and accountability. The overarching focus of this effort sh ould be
to determine the :nature of the problem and focus agency-wide efforts on long term
solutions. A secondary effort should be on the arrest of repeat offenders for which arrest
warrants already exist or those identified by Detectives as a result of their
investigations. As mentioned in the previous recommendation, additional personnel
may be needed to accomplish this recommendation.
591 P a g c
CHAPTER V: SUMMARY
The Wheat Ridge Police Department is a foundationally strong organization. Staff at all
levels present a high level of commitment and pride in their work and the WRPD. Its
pru·tidpation in multiple regional programs and task forces clearly indicates a
willingness to innovate, maximize t·esources, and improve efficiencies.
TILis study provides numerous recommendations to enhance the high level of service
already provided by the WRPD. As s ucl1, these recommendations should be considered
service modifications rather than mandates for the agency. While the patrol operations
function will certainly benefit from staffing augmentation, the agency as a whole is
sound.
We further recommend that the WRPD take a measured approach to implementation of
these recommendations. If all recommendations were implemented at once, the result
may n ot produce the intended outcomes. Increases in patrol staffing should occur over
time as other recommendations are implemented. Irtitial efforts should be focused on
providing additional resources to patrol d w·ing periods of greatest demand.
As previously described, exploration of alternate work schedules may increase staffing
without the need to increase personnel. However, vigilance in monitoring the impacts
of individual recommendations is critical to the overall reduction of workloads for
patrol and investigations personnel.
Although not a focus of this study, the examination of current WRPD service
philosophies should also be explored. Responses to non-injury motor vehicle accidents
is an example of CFS that have potential for alternate responses.
Lastly, observations indicate that patrol officers md Detectives spend very little time
involved in problem solving activities when not handling CFS or conducting
investigations. Although officers and Detectives expressed interest in performing these
activities, a lack of time was frequently cited as impediments to tltis effort. The WRPD
should place a greater priority on this activity. The identification and analysis of
frequent responses to the same locations or contacts wifu the same person should be a
primary focus of this effort. Secondary efforts should include investigation and ru1alysis
to determine the nature of the problem and tl1e development of long tet·m solutions.
These efforts will contribute to reduced workloads for both patrol officers and
Detectives.
60 I P a g c
lnA'UCtiona
Appendix A
Investigations Survey
This short awvt~y Ia Intended lo c:apli.We lnfot'IJWIJoo llbaul the vwtoua Ktlvftles aasoc:Uited wlib
yow aaJvnrMnt d a cWectlww In dll lnW'MitlpiiDJB aur-u. TIU SUIW)' ._ b4tlng admlnlatared by
the IACP as p< of Its tltudy of lhe tdlllfirtg ......,._.,.. far the WRPD. Tb11 turwy Ia complebfy
anonymous • no ,..pondent lnfOhlllitJoft .._ col~ Ple ... tab a htw rnlnUib to prov ..
your .. timet• of the tlml that pu spend on NCb ectiYily during an ... ..,.,.. won WHIL. If YCM.I do
not perform an ac:tllo'lty Uatod In the queldJon on a regular besi&. pa. ... anter 0 (lllro) for that
category. Your lo&al rw-,ponsea ,,.,_ equl100%. This lftfOnnaOon wiD help In deMm11nlng
woridoach for cMWdtwn In the lrw•llgllt.Jana Buruu. We hntl you for your prompt and candid
.-..pan• to tbh wrMy.
61 IPage
' 1. wtttd ptra8rd8gu or ymx 40 hcu wofk ~ (exdu!iw of o~) db you~ on each d the
fOiawing ~? Your tolalreespurtses n1~ CI(JJ81 tOO%. Ent& 0 (.z.mu) fur any uctlvi'ly I~Ul )'U'J do •aul
regularly p6ftunn.
~
~-&tiallana-
~ftG. Cold1l'lg.
~ bV. &tl*'f)ll:lr
~llon
lAOtl (S.W. '"-W P.OA
etc)
Tltll f'l1lp
62 I J> age
631 P a g c
Tha'*You
Mlt>agc
"". '4 ~ # r City of • ~Wheat&_dge ~Oll C E DEPARTMENT
TO:
VIA:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJ ECT:
ISSUE:
Memorandum
Mayor Jay and City Council
Patrick Goff, City Manager riJ...
Daniel G. Brennan, Chief of Police
January 4, 2016
Staff Report: Consolidation of Wheat Ridge and West Metro Fire Departments
and EMS Services
Chief Bob Olme of the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District and Chief Don Lombardi of the West
Metro Fire Protection District have advised City staff of a proposed consolidation of their
respective fire districts in 2016. The respective boards from these districts contracted with an
outside consultant company, Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCl) in 2015, to
conduct a feasibility study regarding opportunities for collaboration between the fire districts. The
Cooperative Services Feasibility Study recommended that the two districts consolidate their
respective districts. Both fire district boards have met jointly to discuss the consolidation. and
have di rected their respective fire chiefs to move forward with a consolidation in 2016.
For tllis consolidation to be successful financially, the consolidated fire district must be able to
provide emergency medical services (EMS) within the boundaries of the realigned district. This
requires policy direction from City Council.
PRIOR ACTION:
On August I, 1988, the City of Wheat Ridge assumed tl1e responsibility of providing emergency
medical services (EMS) throughout the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District. An
Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City, the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District,
and ambulance service company was signed to provide EMS services.
On January 23, 2006, an IGA was approved that extended emergency ambulance services within
the entire corporate limits of the City of Wheat Ridge. At that time, the Arvada Fire Protection
District and Fairmont utilized the same EMS service provider. The attached 2011 staff report
notes other historical actions taken regardjng EMS services in the City.
FlNANCIAL IMPACT:
While staff time is necessary to manage the provisions of the EMS contract, there are no speci fie
revenues or expenditures related to managing this contract. Customers are bille-d by the EMS
provider for services rendered.
Staff Report: Consolidation ofWbeat Ridge and West Metro Fire Departments and EMS Services
January 4, 2016
Page2
There is a provision in the contract pertaining to training that requires Rural/Metro to provide
personnel to assist with the training of the City Police Department personnel and/or Fire District
personnel in the areas of first responder, EMT and CPR classes, along with appropriate CE
medical training at their expense. Similar training is offered by Arvada and the West Metro Fire
Protection Districts at no cost.
The department utilizes Rural/Metro to provide blood draws in arrest situations such as DUI
arrests. The charge for this service is $45 per blood draw. The West Metro Fire Protection
District charges $30 per blood draw. These costs are generally recovered by court order at
sentencing.
BACKGROUND:
The Wheat Ridge community is currently served by four fire protection districts: (I) Wheat Ridge
Fire Protection District (WRFPD), (2) Arvada Fire Protection District (AFPD), (3) West Metro
Fire Protection District (WMFPD), and (4) the Fairmount Fire Protection District (FFPD).
Since 1988, the City has assumed the responsibilities associated with managing a contract to
provide emergency medical services. This policy decision was made based on concerns about
EMS service levels being provided by the WRFPD, an all-volunteer department at that time.
When the WRFPD decided to discontinue providing EMS services, the City began providing
emergency medical services within the boundaries of the WRFPD by contract with a private
vendor at no cost to the City. In 2006, this policy decision was expanded to include EMS services
within the City, irrespective of a fire district's EMS services. City Council designated the Police
Department to oversee this program.
Since 1988, the City has conducted a competitive bid process to select an EMS provider. The
selected provider receives a five-year service contract agreement (see attached). The current EMS
provider, Rural/Metro of Central Colorado, lnc., d.b.a. Pridemark Paramedic Services, was
selected as the EMS provider in 201 1. The contract is reviewed by City Council annually, and
renewed based on recommendations made by the Police Department and the WRFPD. The current
contract expires on December 31, 2016.
In 2008, City Attorney Gerald E. Dahl provided a legal opinion to staff on the City's obligation to
provide EMS services. Mr. Dahl noted that neither the State Constitution nor the City Charter
mention, or require, a municipal duty to provide EMS services. Mr. Dahl stated that State Statute
does authorize a municipality to adopt rules and regulations in furtherance of public health, safety
and welfare. This legal opinion reaffirmed the City's authority to provide EMS services.
Jn 20 I I, staff from the Police Department met with representatives from each fire protection
district to discuss each district's current model of providing EMS services within their district and
the role of the City in providing EMS services. The AFPD and WRFPD both indicated a desire to
assume responsibility for EMS services in their respective districts in the near future. The AFPD
was moving away from contracting with a private EMS provider, and towards a fire-based EMS
model, similar to the WMFPD model. At the time, the WRFPD did not have the capacity to
provide advanced life support (ALS) services; however, their Fire Chief expressed a desire to
move towards the fire-based EMS model in the future. The WMFPD had a long history of
Staff Report: Consolidation of Wheat Ridge and West Metro Fire Departments and EMS Services
January 4, 2016
Page 3
providing fire-based EMS services in their district, and wished to continue to do so. The FFPD
expressed a desire to maintain the current EMS services contract through a private vendor. A staff
report was presented to City Council on May I, 201 1, seeking direction on EMS services.
At that time, staff recommended the City, through the Police Department, continue to provide
EMS services through a private EMS provider, until each fire protection district had submitted a
business plan for City Council's consideration regarding providing EMS services within their
district. City Council 's policy direction to staff was for the City to continue providing EMS
services.
After being consulted about this proposed consolidation of the West Metro and Wheat Ridge Fi re
Protection Districts, staff reached out to the four ftre protection districts, Rural/Metro, and
Exempla Lutheran Hospital regarding this proposed consolidation. Ln particular. the unaffected
fire protection agencies were asked to provide information on how they could provide EMS
service coverage within their respective districts, if City Council changed its previous policy
direction based on this proposed consolidation.
Chief Jon Greer of the AFPO indicated his agency would be able to provide EMS services based
out oftheir Station 2, located at 5250 Oak Street. TI1is station already provides fire services within
their service area north of Clear Creek in Wheat Ridge. Fairmount Fire Chief Alan Fletcher
reported that his agency wi ll contract with Rural/Metro to provide EMS services within their
service area, including Wheat Ridge.
Both Fire Chiefs and I have spoken to Grant Wicklund, President and CEO of Exempla Lutheran
Hospital, regarding the proposed consolidation. Both Fire Chiefs have expressed a strong desire to
build upon the existing relationship with Exempla Lutheran, and they do not anticipate a reduction
in EMS-related trips to Exempla Lutheran, if the consolidation occurs. Additionally, there are
existing EMS service protocols that have been approved by the Denver Metro EMS medical
directors. These protocols outline the standard of care for aiJ EMS providers, as well as the
expectations, specific to practices, actions and procedures to be followed. Each of the involved
fire protection districts and private EMS providers adhere to these guidelines.
I have reached out to Dan Paddock, the general manager for Rural/Metro in Colorado. Mr.
Paddock is aware of the consolidation proposal, and the request by the fire departments to move to
a fire-based EMS service. Mr. Paddock wished to provide information to City Council regarding
the services provided by Rural/Metro; however, I have not received this correspondence to date.
As soon as I have his information, I will forward it to Council.
The term of the current agreement is contained in Secti on 9.0. It is for a period of one year, from
January 20 12 thru December 31, 2012, and it may be renewed for four additional one-year periods,
subject to an annual review and performance evaluation by City Council and the Wheat Ridge Fire
District The review is normally done in January of the following year. The current agreement
expires on December 31, 2016. Section 9.2 of the agreement states that either party may terminate
the agreement sooner, other than for cause, with 120 days' notice.
RECOMMEN DATIONS:
lfthe consolidation between the West Metro and WRFPD occurs, staff recommends that the City
Staff Report: Consolidation of Wheat Ridge and West Metro Fire Departments and EMS Services
January 4, 2016
Page4
discontinue providing EMS services through a private vendor, and that the remaining three fire
protection di stricts provide EMS services within their special districts. The timing of this would
be subject to both fu·e protection district boards formally approving a consolidation, and providing
RuraVMetro with a 120-day notice terminating the agreement.
Should the consolidation not occur in 2016 as proposed, the City would continue to provide EMS
services citywide, until a viable business plan is put forth for consideration by the fire protection
districts within Wheat Ridge. If no business plan is put forth the City would begin the process of
soliciti11g proposals (RFPs) in 2016 from interested EMS service providers.
ATTACHMENTS:
I. City of Wheat Ridge and Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District 2011 IGA
2. 2011 Staff Report: Citywide Emergency Medical Services
3. 2015 Emergency Services Consulting International Report
4. City Map of Fire District Boundaries
DB/ck
"' ...... .... _. C ity of ~Wlieat ~dge
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT
AN AGREEMENT AMONG THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, THE WHEAT RIDGE FIRE
PROTECTION DISTRICT, AND RURAUMETRO OF CENTRAL COLORADO, INC. d/b/a
PRIDEMARK PARAMEDIC SERVICES, FOR AMBULANCE SERVICES.
1.0 PARTIES. The parties to this Agreement are the City of Wheat Ridge, a Colorado
municipal corporation (hereinafter referred to as "the City"), Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District,
an independent, quasi-municipal corporation, (hereinafter referred to as the "Fire District'') and
RURAL/METRO OF CENTRAL COLORADO. INC. d/b/a PRIDEMARK PARAMEDIC SERVICES,
(hereinafter referred to as "the Company").
2.0 RECITALS AND PURPOSE. The City and Fire District desire to ensure the availability of
high quality emergency ambulance service within the entire corporate limits of the City of Wheat
Ridge, and the boundaries of the Fire District, and the Company agrees to provide such services
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
2.1 The response area of the City of Wheat Ridge is within the corporate city limits.
If the destination is in an overlapping area with another City, the call should be
handled by the provider who is contracted with the originating call dispatch
center. If this is not feasible, the responding fire protection districVdepartment
must be immediately notified.
2.2 The response area for the Fire District shall include the Town of Mountain View,
unincorporated Jefferson County which is within the Fire District, Town of
Lakeside excluding the amusement park and the single family dwellings and
those portions of the Fire District that are located within the City of Lakewood.
3.0 TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
3.1 Service. The Company will maintain a response time of six (6) minutes on
emergency responses 90% of the time and a response of ten (10) minutes on non-
emergency 90% of the time. The Company shall make available a sufficient ALS
ambulance to respond to calls for medical assistance within the City and Fire District for it
to meet the required response times. The Company further agrees to make available
backup ambulances to the City and Fire District with response time of eight (8) minutes or
less.
3.1.1 The Company shall provide EMS services twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week, and three hundred sixty-five days per year.
Response shall be without regard to the patient's ability to pay.
3.1.2 The standard of care shall include the Denver Metro Paramedic Protocol
Standards.
3.1.2.1 The emergency medical services standard of care shall be ALS
ambulances staffed with at least one licensed paramedic on
board each ALS unit. The EMS duties shall be performed under
the control and direction of the paramedic. At least one qualified
EMT can also be a member of each crew. ALS crews shall
respond on all calls for service. After initial assessment by a
paramedic, and only when deemed medically appropriate, a BLS
crew, consisting of no less than two (2) EMT's, may provide
transportation to the hospital.
Attachment 1
3.1.3 The company shall be required to develop and maintain a current
deployment plan. Deployment plans must contain the following
elements:
3.1.3.1 Identification of the number of ambulances to be deployed during
each hour of the day and day of week.
3.1.3.2 A description of 24 hour system status management strategies to
deploy or re-deploy resources to meet performance
requirements.
3.1.3.3 A description of how the company will meet the demand for
emergency ambulance response during peak periods and during
unexpected periods or unusually high call volume.
3.1.4 In the event there will be a recognized delay where the anticipated travel
time exceeds the emergent response time of six (6) minutes or the non-
emergent response time of ten (10) minutes, the Incident Commander of
the situation shall be notified. The Incident Commander will then make
the decision as to authorizing the continued response of the Company,
or to request other EMS service providers.
3.1.5 The Fire District requires an ambulance response when the call for
service is a confirmed structure fire even if it has been determined that
there are no confirmed injuries at the onset of the call. The ambulance
response shall be non-emergent unless otherwise notified by the City or
the responding fire protection district/fire department.
3.1.6 For purposes of this Agreement, the following priorities shall apply to
EMS Services:
3.1.6.1 Emergent (Priority 1) Response: Situation determined by the
emergency medical dispatcher, in strict compliance with the
medical priority dispatch "c", "d", or "e" response codes and their
associated criteria.
3.1.6.2 Non-Emergent (Priority 2) Response: Situation determined by
the emergency medical dispatcher, in strict compliance with the
medical priority dispatch "a", or "b" response codes and their
associated criteria.
3.2 Penalties for Non-Compliance.
3.2.1 The Company understands that the failure to comply with response times
will result in damages to the City and/or Fire District and that it is
impracticable to determine the actual amount of such damages.
Therefore, the Company, City, and Fire District now agree that the
liquidated damages specified for EMS services are reasonable. All
liquidated damages shall be late if not received by the City or the Fire
District no later than thirty (3) days after written receipt of notice of the
liquidated damages. The penalties for non-compliance of service delivery
are established as the following fractile minimum times and actual
penalties for non-compliance:
Emergent & Non-Emergent Responses Financial Penalty Per Month
90% or above $0.00
85% to 89.99 % $ 1,500
80% to 84.99% $2,500
75% to 79.99% $3,500
74.99 % and below $4,500
3.2.2 Additional penalties shall also be assessed against the Company in the
following instances:
3.2.2.1 A $100 penalty charge shall be assessed for each instance in
which the Company falls to give the responding fire protection
district/department communications center it's "enroute to scene"
or "arrival at scene" times In conformance with missing data
penalties. For each Instance In which an ambulance was
dispatched and the crew fails to report is times or any other
information on which the measurement of system performance
depends, the $100 penalty will apply per occurrence.
3.2.2.2 A $1 00 penalty shall be assessed for any response time greater
than fifteen (15) minutes.
3.2.2.3 Penalties collected in conformance with this Agreement shall be
given to the City contracted Victim Services Program, or another
service program that is related to the provision of EMS services
as determined by the EMS Response Time Compliance
Committee.
3.2.2.4 Response times for EMS services will be measured from the
time the Company is documented as dispatched by the
emergency medical dispatcher until the dispatcher is notified and
documents the service provider has arrived on-scene (or in the
case of another location other than the actual scene, the staging
area or nearest accessible point for the ambulance (i.e. fence,
apartment complex parking lot, etc.) The Company agrees the
responding fire protection district/department communications
center shall be the official record of each call.
3.2.2.5 If the Company is upgraded prior to the first EMS ambulance
arriving on scene. compliance with response time and liquidated
damages will be calculated based on the shorter of:
3.2.2.5.1 Time elapsed from dispatch time, as specified to
time of upgrade plus the higher priority response
time, or
3.2.2.5.2 The lower priority response time requirement.
3.2.2.6 Downgrades may be initiated by emergency medical dispatchers
when the response was dispatched becomes available that
indicates, in strict accordance with the medical priority dispatch
response codes, that the response should have been dispatched
at a lower priority. Downgrades may also be initiated by the City
and/or EMS first responders of the Company's supervisory
personnel who arrive on scene prior to the first EMS ambulance
in a accordance with the medical priority dispatch response
codes. If a response id downgraded prior to the arrival on scene
of the first EMS ambulance, the Company's compliance with
response time and liquidated damages will be calculated based
on:
3.2.2.6.1 The lower priority response time standard, if the the
EMS ambulance is downgraded before it would have
been judged late under the higher priority response
time, or
3.2.2.6.2 The higher priority response time standard, if the
EMS ambulance is downgraded after it would have
been judged later under the higher priority response
time.
3.2.3 If the Company is unable to respond with a backup ambulance the
Company shall immediately call another ambulance company to provide
the required ambulance service and shall immediately notify the
communications center for the responding fire protection district/
department.
3.2.4 Equipment failure, traffic accidents, Company dispatch errors or lack of a
nearby ambulance shall not furnish grounds for release from response
time standards. If the Company feels that any response or group of
responses due "to unusual circumstances beyond the Company's
reasonable control", the Company may request, in writing, that these
runs be excluded from response time performance calculations and
penalties.
3.2.5 In the event of inclement weather, the parties further agree that a
weather emergency will be declared with the City Police Department or
the Disttict deems appropriate.
3.2.6 During a disaster, it is mutually agreed upon by the parties, whether
within the response area or in a neighboring area or community, the
Company shall be exempt from the response time requirements stated in
this Agreement. A "disaster" may include widespread destruction or
endangerment of lives cause by severe weather, flooding, military or civil
actions, manmade or natural disasters.
3.2.7 Prior to a period of unusual system overload within the City or the Fire
District, the Company shall have a plan in place which proactively
addresses the system overload.
3.3 Calls. In consideration of keeping such ambulances available this Agreement is
exclusive between the City, Fire District and the Company for all PSAP generated
emergency and non-emergency ground medical transportation requirements within the
response area. The City and/or District shall not engage or utilize other contractors or
persons to perform ground medical transportation services of the same or similar nature,
except in instances where, in the City and/or District's reasonable judgment, the service
provider is unable to provide the ground medical transportation services within the
response times stated in the Agreement.
3.3.1 The Company further agrees that it shall respond to all calls directed by
the City or Fire District, and shall perform its duties under the direction and
control of the requesting agency.
3.3.2 The City and the Fire District may require an ambulance to be on site at
various festivals and public events at no additional cost to the City or Fire District.
3.3.3 Calls for service will include response by the Company for lift assists
(non-injury included) at no cost to the City or Fire District.
3.4 Compliance with Law. The Company agrees to comply with all federal, state,
county, and local statutes, regulations, or ordinances in its provision of the services
described within this Agreement, and to maintain its current ambulance license issued by
Jefferson County. The Company agrees that its records and rosters regarding
equipment, vehicles, and training may be reviewed by the City or Fire District during
regular business hours.
3.5 Communications. The Company agrees to maintain communications capabilities
with the City of Wheat Ridge Police/Fire Communications Center and all police, fire, and
ambulance vehicles and equipment, as well as communications between the Company's
vehicles and the City and Fire District personnel on scene, and to maintain two back-up
speed dial lines containing the caller identification feature to the Communication Center,
all at the Company's expense using direct telephone line capabilities. The Company
agrees to maintain channels one and two on the frequency of the Company's vehicles
and dispatch center. All radios used shall be programmed by Lakewood/West Metro
Area communication personnel.
3.6 Medical Supervision. The Company agrees to utilize a Physician Advisor agreed
upon by the City and Fire District. A Physician Advisor is defined as a physician who
establishes protocols for medical acts performed by paramedics, and who is specifically
designated and responsible to assure the competency of the performance of those acts
allowed by such paramedics. The parties hereto agree that this Section 3.5 shall be in
effect only for the scope of service detailed in this Agreement. The Company further
agrees to adhere to, as a minimum standard, the Denver Metropolitan Paramedic
Protocols, as amended, with respect to medical acts not governed by the protocols
developed by the Company Physician Advisor.
3.7 Rates. The Company shall be allowed to charge patients its usually and
customary rates A copy of the Company's current rate schedule attached to this
Agreement as Exhibit A. Any changes to the rate schedule which exceed a Denver
Medical CPI must be approved by the City and Fire District before taking effect. Rates
will be evaluated as part of the performance evaluation.
3. 7.1 Patients transported by the Company will be responsible for the full
amount of insurance deductibles and co-payments required prior to
insurance reimbursement. The maximum out of pocket expense will also
apply to patients who do not have insurance.
3.7.2 Rates should include cost containment measures that guarantee a
maximum out of pocket expense to a patient who utilizes the service.
3.7.3 Only one price increase per year may be submitted. The request must
be at least sixty (60} days prior to the expiration date.
4.0 HELICOPTER. It is understood that in cases of extreme emergency, it may be
necessary to use a helicopter in lieu of, or in addition to, the Company's ground services. Such
medical decisions to use the helicopter service shall be made by the police and/or fire personnel
or Company personnel on scene, with the primary responsibility for such medical decision making
resting with the Company after consultation with fire and police personnel on the scene.
5.0 CONTROL. The Wheat Ridge Police Department shall have control of all crime scenes
to which the Company is requested to respond. The Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District's
ranking officer on scene shall have control of all fire and EMS scenes. Company employees shall
consult with and follow the orders and directions given by the appropriate police or fire personnel,
as such orders relate to scene control. The Company paramedic shall be in charge of all patient
care and transportation destination, including medical triage and mode of transportation, pursuant
to appropriate medical care protocols as approved by their physician advisor.
6.0 TRAINING. The Company agrees to provide upon request by either the City or the Fire
District and at the Company's own expense. personnel to assist with the training of the City police
department personnel and/or Fire District personnel in the areas of First Responder, EMT and
CPR classes, along with appropriate CE medical training. These classes shall be held at times
mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto.
7.0 EQUIPMENT.
7.1 The Company shall furnish, at its own expense, ambulances and accessory
equipment. The Company agrees to provide commonly used disposable supplies as
replacements for those supplies used by the responding fire protection
district/department during medical emergencies. These supplies will be initially stocked
by the company such that each responding fire protection district/department in the
district has ample supplies to respond to emergencies. The company will periodically re-
stock the supplies in a manner agreed by responding fire protection district/department.
7.2 The Company agrees that Jefferson County or any other licensing authority shall
have the right to inspect on an annual basis the Company's vehicles used for
performance of ambulance service, for the purpose of determining safety standards of
the vehicles used and, further, to ensure that the vehicles so used are equipped with that
accessory equipment required by the Department of Health, and said equipment shall be
in proper working order for the use in Advanced Life Support treatment. A permit issued
by the County or any other licensing authority shall be deemed as evidence of said
annual inspections.
7.3 The Company agrees, when operating its ambulance vehicles in an emergency
or non-emergency capacity, said vehicles will be driven in a safe and prudent manner, in
compliance with all State statutes, City and County ordinances relating to the operation of
emergency vehicles.
7.4 The company is required to equip all EMS providers with NFPA 1071 , or NFPA
1951-compliant personal protective equipment to include helmet, eye protection, gloves,
coat, trousers, and boots. Furthermore, all EMS providers shall be provided ANSI 207-
compliant traffic safety vests. The required equipment shall be worn on all automobile
accidents occurring with the response are of this Agreement.
7.5 Upon request, the Company will provide details of their vehicle replacement
program.
8.0 COMPANY EMPLOYEES. Each crew shall consist of no less than a licensed paramedic
and one qualified EMT whose qualification meet the guidelines of the statutes, rules, and
regulations of the Emergency Medical Services Division of the Colorado Department of Health, as
amended, and are acceptable to the Company Physician Advisor.
8.1 The Company agrees, while operating its ambulance in and around the City and
Fire District boundaries, the employees of the Company shall maintain a professional
attitude and performance standard and level of conduct for Emergency Medical
Technicians and Paramedics.
8.2 The Company agrees to notify the City and Fire District within thirty (30) days of
changes in management personnel. Staff changes shall never change the level of
service.
8.3 The Company will provide the City and the Fire District an on·going list of
Company field employees and their certification levels on a quarterly basis.
8.4 Upon request, the Company will provide the identification of the amount and type
of continuing education that EMT's and Paramedics completed
9.0 TERM. The parties mutually agree and understand that the term of this Agreement shall
be for a period of one (1) year from January 2012 thru December 31 , 2012 and upon the
expiration of said period, this Agreement may continue for four (4) additional one-year periods,
subject to the provisions hereof, provided that no event shall this Agreement continue for a period
beyond five (5) years from the date of execution hereof. Said Agreement shall be renewed for
successive one (1} year periods, as provided herein, subject to review and performance
evaluation by the Wheat Ridge City Council and the Wheat Ridge Fire District annually. This
Agreement may be terminated by either the City Council or the Fire District, following said review,
or pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement. Unless so terminated, this Agreement shall
continue In full force and effect.
The parties further agree that the City or Fire District, upon a determination that the Company is
not performing the agreed upon services in a reasonable manner and/or in a timely fashion, shall
give written notice of such dissatisfaction, and failure of the Company to develop and implement a
plan to rectify substandard practices within ten (10} days from receipt of notice thereof, shall give
rise to the cancellation of this Agreement. Should such determination of dissatisfaction result
from a particular incident, the City or the Fire District will attempt to give oral notice within two (2)
business days of the incident giving rise to the dissatisfaction. Upon issuance of a second notice
of dissatisfaction, the City or Fire District may, at its option, cancel this Agreement without
affording the Company the opportunity to correct the complained of substandard practice.
9.1 Nothing contained herein shall be construed as establishing any obligation on
behalf of the City and/or Fire District to make any monetary payment or other subsidy to
the Company by virtue of this agreement.
9.2 This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect provided, however, that either
party may terminate this Agreement sooner, other than for cause, upon one hundred
twenty (120} days notice. This termination provision shall also be applicable to any
renewable period exercised by the parties.
9.3 If any party fails to comply with any material term of this Agreement, any other
party may terminate this Agreement immediately upon written notice indicating the
termination date and/or sue for breach of contract. In such event, the prevailing party in
such dispute shall be entitled to its reasonable costs, including its attorneys' fees.
9.4 The obligations of the City and the Fire District hereunder are expressly subject
to the approval of annual appropriations, therefore, in the event of non-appropriation, this
Agreement shall be deemed terminated as of the end of the fiscal year for which funds
have been appropriated. Termination of the Agreement for this reason shall not constitute
a default or breach of the Agreement within the scope of Section 9.3. This Agreement
does not create or constitute a multi-year fiscal obligation of the City or of the Fire District.
10.0 POLICY.
10.1 The Company's performance shall be reviewed annually by the City, Fire District
and Physician Advisor. A written performance report shall be submitted to the
City Council and the Fire District Board at the time of renewal of this Agreement.
10.2 The Company agrees to be a participating member in any review committee
which is established by the City, the Fire District or by the approved Physician
Advisor.
10.3 The EMS Response Time Compliance Committee (ERTCC} is hereby
established for purposes of this Agreement. This committee shall meet on a
monthly basis. The Company agrees to maintain and provide to the City and/or
District monthly response time reports, ambulance trip reports to include the
patient's name, address, dispatch time, arrival time, destination time and the
patient's condition, penalties paid by the Company pursuant to Section 3.2 of this
Agreement and any other pertinent reports as requested by the ERTCC.
10.3.1 The ERTCC will review the response times and determination of
allowable exemptions. The determination of allowable exemptions will
be based upon the circumstances that existed during the particular
situation being reviewed. At the discretion of the committee members,
the allowance exemptions may not be reflected in subsequent monthly
statistics.
1 0.3.2 The parties agree that from time to time issues may arise where one
party has concerns regarding the employees of the other party(s} or
other issues related to the parties operations as they affect this
Agreement. The parties agree that, upon receipt of a request to address
any issue of this type, an appropriate representative of each party shall
promptly meet to explore the matter, and each party shall work in good
faith to address valid issues of concern.
10.4 The City and/or District may, upon written notice, inspect the Company's records
to ensure compliance with this Agreement.
10.5 Nothing contained within this section of the Agreement constitutes the waiver of
any patient's rights to confidentiality.
11.0 ASSIGNMENT. Except as provided in this Section, the Company may not assign or
subcontract, its rights and obligations under this Agreement, without this prior written approval of
the City and Fire District.
12.0 LIABILITY. Notwithstanding any language to the Contrary contained in this Agreement,
the Company is an independent contractor and is not an employee or agent of the City or Fire
District. The Company assumes all liability for and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
City and Fire District. The Company assumes all liability for and agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the City and Fire District from any and all claims for injuries or damages, including
attorney's fees, arising from the Company's performance or lack of performance under this
Agreement except to the extent such claim for injury or damages which are the direct and
proximate result of an act or order of a police officer or other employee or volunteer of the City or
Fire District.
13.0 INSURANCE. The parties further agree and understand that the Company shall maintain
and keep in force an automobile insurance liability Policy with a minimum coverage of One Million
Dollars {$1 ,000,000.00) combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage.
13.1 The Company shall maintain and keep in force a Professional and General
Liability insurance policy covering the employees of the Company for any and all
malpractice and/or negligent acts performed or committed by those employees of the
Company. Coverage for Professional/General liability shall be a minimum of one million
dollars {$1 ,000,000) for any one claim and one million dollars ($1 ,000,000) combines
single limit bodily injury and property damage.
13.2 Provided, however, that any language contained in this paragraph 13 to the
contrary notwithstanding, the Company agrees that there shall be in effect, no less than
one million dollars {$1 ,000,000) of insurance protection for each of the types of insurance
protection specified in paragraph 13.1 hereof, which one million dollars {$1 ,000,000) of
minimum insurance coverage shall be available to each person or patient attended to or
transported by the Company pursuant to the terms hereof. The Company also agrees to
furnish the City and Fire District a Certificate of Insurance evidencing the minimum
amounts of coverage described above, and said policy shall further provide a specific
provision relating that, in the event of cancellation of said policy, the City and Fire District
shall be notified in writing ten (10) days prior to cancellation. The Company agrees to
name the City and Fire District as additional insured parties.
13.3 The Company shall maintain and keep in force a Workers' Compensation
insurance policy for all its employees. This coverage shall meet the statutory limits set
forth by the state of Colorado.
13.4 Each party shall be responsible for its own negligent acts, provided, however,
that nothing in this Agreement shall waiver any immunity, defense, or limitation of liability
available to either the City or the Fire District under the Colorado Governmental Immunity
Act, Section 24-10-101 , et. Seq., C.R.S .
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement and intend for it to be in full
force and effect on the day of , 2011 .
ATTEST:
MICHAEL SNOW, CITY CLERK
DATE
(Seal)
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
GERALD DAHL, CITY ATTORNEY
WHEAT RIDGE FIRE DISTRICT
ATTEST:
President: Jerry Cassel
Wheat Ridge Fire District
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Wheat Ridge Fire District Attorney
OWNER
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE
7500 W 29TH AVENUE
WHEAT RIDGE, CO 80033
303-234-5900
JERRY DITULLIO, MAYOR
CONTRACTOR
RURAL/METRO OF CENTRAL COLORADO, INC.
d/b/a PRIDEMARK PARAMEDIC SERVICES
6100 WEST 54TH AVENUE
ARVADA, CO 80002
WEST
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE
PRINT NAME
TITLE
ATTEST TO CONTRACTOR:
NAME
TITLE
DATE
.... ~4~ ... .,. City of ~Wheat&_dge ~OLI C E DEPARTMENT
TO:
VlA:
FROM:
DATE:
Memorandum
Mayor DiTullio and City Council
Patrick Goff, City Manager
Daniel Brennan, Chief of Police
Joe Cassa, Division Commander
May 9 20 I I (May I 6 Study Session)
SUBJECT: Citywide Emergency Medical Services
JSSUE:
The City of Wheat Ridge is served by four fire protection districts. On July 25, 1988, the City of
Wheat Ridge, by Council Resolution, assumed the responsibility of providing Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) throughout the City, due to concerns about the level of care provided by
volunteer fire departments.
Based upon service delivery concerns, City Council made a policy decision to have the City
provide emergency medical services by conh·act with a private vendor at no cost to the City of
Wheat Ridge within the boundaries of the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District. City Council
designated the Police Depattment to oversee this progratn .
Since that time, the City has contracted EMS services through a competitive bid process, and the
contract now includes the provision of EMS services throughout the City. These contracts have
been assigned in five-year time increments. The current conu·act wilh. Pridemark Ambulance
Service expires on January 23, 2012.
Commander Joe Cassa and 1 have met with staff representatives from each fire protection district
to discuss the role of the City in providing overall EMS services for the City, as well as each fire
district's vision of EMS services within their respective districts. The Arvada and Wheat Ridge
Fire Protection Districts both indicated a desire to assume responsibility for EMS services in
their respective districts in the near future. The West Metro Fire Protection District bas a long-
standing h istory of providing EMS services in their district, and will continue to do so. TI1e
Fainnount Fire Protection District expressed a strong desire to maintain the current EMS
services contract.
PRIOR ACTION:
On August 1, 1988, the City of Wheat Ridge assumed tbe responsibility of providing Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) throughout the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District as a policy.
FINANCIAL lM PACT:
There are no hard dollar costs associated with the City conu·acting EMS services. There are
monthly soft dollru· costs related to the time Department staff spends attending monthly
Attachment 2
Staff Report: Citywide Emergency Medical Services
May 9, 2011
Page2
meetings. These meetings include the current EMS provider and representatives from the fire
protection districts.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Wheat Ridge is served by four fire protection districts: (I) Wheat Ridge Fire
Protection District (WRFPD), (2) Arvada Fire Protection Di strict (AFPD), (3) West Metro Fire
Protection District (WMFPD), and (4) the Fairmount Fire Protection Di strict (FFPD). The City
currently consists of 10.92 square miles, with WRFPD serving 7.66 square miles: AFPD serving
2.58 square miles; FFPD serving 0.39 square miles, and WMFPD serving 0.29 square miles.
ln early 1988, the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection Dishict Board (WRFPD) announced that the
volunteer-run ambulance service would discontinue transport of EMS patients as of July 31,
1988. This announcement was the result of a number of patient care concerns to include:
• Only 35% of the EMS runs made by the volunteer ambulance crews were staffed with
paramedics.
• A lack of volunteer fire EMS personnel coverage during the day and delayed responses
throughout the late evening and early morning hours.
• A response time of the ambulance crews ranging from fifteen to twenty-five minutes,
with the response time defined as the time the call was received to the time the
ambulance arrives on scene. At that time, the standards of adequate response time
around the nation called for eight minutes or less.
• The issue of paid EMS personnel was discussed and the WRFPD phil.osophy at that
time was to continue volunteer services, because of the costs involved and their belief
that their service was adequate.
As a result, an Emergency Medical Services Board was formed to educate the public and resolve
the problems of the extended response times and the availability of fire personnel trained as
paramedics. The Board consisted of the head of emergency services at Lutheran Medical
Center, the Wl1eat Ridge Fire Protection District, City officials and City residents. On July 25
1988. City Resolution Number 1 102 was passed by the City Council, which resulted in an
Intergovernmental Agreement between the City, the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District, and
Ambulance Service Company to provide emergency ambulance services to residents residing
within the City of Wheat Ridge and the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District.
On October 24, 1995, an intergovernmental agreement between the City, Wheat Ridge Fire
Protection District, and the American Medical Response of Colorado, lnc. (AMR) was entered
into. The agreement was the result of AMR purchasing the Ambulance Service Company. The
term of this agreement was for a single year, with the provision of yearly renewal for the
following four years.
In 1996, there were multiple ambulance providers responding to a single call for emergency
medical services witrun th e City. As a result, there were unsafe response practices by ambulance
providers. The issue prompted a draft of an ordinance to amend the City Code of Laws to
provide the addition of a new section. The new section would have provided the response of a
single emergency ambulance services provider for those calls received by the Police Department.
There was no City Council action taken on this matter. In part, this was the result of the four fire
protection districts servi ng the City.
Staff Report: Cit)'\vide Emergency Medical Services
May 9, 2011
Page 3
On December 27, 1999, an lntergovemmental Agreement between the City, Wheat Ridge Fire
Protection District and Pridemark Paramedic Services, LLC was completed. This agreement was
the result of perfonnance issues involving AMR to include interagency communication and
cooperation. The tem1 of this agreement wos the same as is reflected in the AMR agreement.
On January 23 , 2006, an Intergovernmental Agreement among the City of Wheat Ridge, the
Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District, and Pridemark Paramedic Services, LLC for the provision
of emergency ambulance services within the entire corporate limits of the City of Wheat Ridge,
and the boundaries of the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District was written. The WRFPD
participated in the Request for Proposal process, interviews and the drafting of the lGA. The
tem1 of the agreement was from January 2006 through January 2007, with the provision of yearly
renewal for a period of five years. This agreement wi ll expire on January 23, 2012.
Throughout Commander Cassa's current assignment to the Patrol Operations Division, he has
been the chairperson for the City Response Review Committee for emergency medical services.
As established in the IGA, the purpose of this committee is to act in an advisory capacity only as
to the operational and administrative tenns contained within the IGA. The performance
measures with regard to response time have been amended over time, witJ1 input from all
committee members, and currently require an emergency response time of six minutes at the
90% fracti le and a non-emergency response time of ten minutes at the 90% fTactile. The current
IGA consists of the following sections:
• Terms and Conditions
• Communications
• Medical Supervision
• Helicopter
• Crime Scene Control
• Training
• Equipment
• Company Employees
• Term (establishes an annual perfom1ance evaluation by the City Council and the Wheat
Ridge Fire Protection District)
• Assignment
• Policy (establishes the response review committee)
• Liability
• Insurance
A copy of the current IGA is attached for your review as well as copies of the last three yearly
perfonnance evaluations.
The Response Review Committee is structured to allow active participation by the agencies that
are parties to the IGA on a monthly basis. A typical committee meeting is attended by
Pridemark personnel, to include the Operations and/or the Clinical Directors; Wheat Ridge Fire
Protection District personnel, to include the Fire Chief and/or his designee; West Metro Fire
Protection District personnel, to include the Division Chief of Communications and the Assistant
Communications Manager; Wheat Ridge Police Department personnel, to include the Patrol
Operations Division Commander, the Communications Center Manager, and the Lead
Emergency Services Specialist. The meeting agenda typically involves the review ofPridemark
Staff Report: Citywide Emergency Medical Services
May 9, 2011
Page4
Paramedic response times of both priority one calls (emergency response) and priority two calls
(non-emergency response). Those response times that do not meet the IGA requirements are
discussed in detail, and a plan is agreed to by committee members regarding the solution(s) to
the extended response times. This presentation and discussion is followed by a round table
discussion wi th those present to include follow up from previous meetings and/or other
noteworthy events. Both the Arvada and Fainnont F ire Protection Districts are invited to
participate and do so on an occasional basis. The Police Department provides an administrative
person to take meeting minutes.
A review of the EMS services provided by Pridemark and the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection
District, as reflected in the annual performance evaluations, is demonstrated in the following
table:
Agency Pridemark Wheat Ridge Fire Protection
Paramedics District
EMS Calls: 2008 2,338 Not Reported
2008 Transports 2,297 Not Applicable
Avg Emergent Response Time 3:20 4:35
EMS Calls: 2009 3,260 3,292
2009 Transports 2,609 Not Appljcable
Avg Emergent Response Time 3:37 4:49
EMS Call s: 20 I 0 3,207 2,697
20 1 0 Transports 2,449 Not Appticable
Avg Emergent Response Time 3:52 4:21
It should be noted that the City experiences more than one EMS call for service at the same time
on a frequent basis (call surge capability). This situation requi res multiple ambulance crews and
related equipment to respond within the City at the san1e time. In more serious EMS calls, it is
not unusual to require more than one ambulance crew and related equipment to the same scene
(e.g., injury traffic accidents, and major critical incidents that often require multijurisdictional
responses).
Commander Cassa and I met with staff representatives from each of the fire protection districts
to discuss the roles of th eir fire district and the City in providing overall EMS services within
tJ1eir respective districts in an effort to determine each district's short and long-term vision about
providing EMS services within their districts.
Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District
The following is a summary of a meeting with Wheat Ridge Fire Chief Gillespie regarding the
provision of EMS services within the WRFPD.
• Currently, 85% of aJl firefighters are trained at tJ1e Emergency Medical Technician -
Basic level. As their department transitions to career firefighter personnel, they will be
required to obtain paramedic certifi cations within 36 months of hire. Volunteer
firefighters will be required to maintain EMT-Basic certifications.
• Average response time on emergency EMS calls: 4:21 in 20 I 0.
Staff Report: Citywide Emergency Medical Services
May 9, 20 11
Page 5
• WRFPD plans to staff two paramedics on each fire apparatus no later than 2016. Chief
Gillespie·s vision is to have each fire apparatus staffed at an Advanced Life Support
level.
• Chief Gillespie envisions an EMS model, based on the Aurora Fire Department model for
the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District. In summary, each fire apparatus is staffed with
paramedic firefighters. The Fire Department contracts with a private transport vendor
that provides Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support transports.
• Chief Gillespie's desire is for the WRFPD to be the sole administrator and a provider of
EMS services within the boundaries of their district by 20 16. He would prefer that
contracts with ambulance services be a responsibility of the District and not the City.
• WRFPD uses Dr. Beckman at the Exempla Lutheran Hospital as their agency's medical
director to oversee policies and protocols related to EMS services.
• Chief Gillespie's stated goal is to provide fire and EMS services within tour minutes,
100% ofthe time.
• Chief Gillespie has provided an Executive Summary of a consultant's study regarding
EMS services as part of his agency·s business plan in tenns of moving towards being an
EMS service provider. The business plan describes how the district will deliver ALS
service using fire engines.
• WRFPD understands that the City reserves the right to provide EMS services, and they
will continue to work cooperatively with the City and its Police Department on EMS
servtces.
Arvada Fire Protection District
The folJowing is a summary of a meeting with Arvada Fire Chief Jon Greer and his staff
regarding the provision of EMS services within the AFPD.
• All firefighters are EMT -Basic certified. The Department currently has 12 paramedics
staffing four of the agencies eight fire engines. Future plans are to staff at least 5 ofthe 8
stations with paramedics.
• Average response time on emergency EMS calls: 3:27
• Chief Greer envisions providing EMS transport services no later than March, 2013.
• The District's current business plan is to rw1 three EMS an1bulances and contract with an
ambulance provider for backup responses. There would be three ambulances positioned
at three fire stations and three ALS engines placed at three other fire stations. Arvada Fire
will have two more ambulances in reserve, located at Stations 7 and 8 that will be cross-
staffed when needed in the case of more than three EMS calls occurring at once.
• AFPD understands that the City reserves the right to provide EMS services, and they will
continue to work cooperatively with the City and its Police Department on EMS services.
West Metro Fire Protection District
The following is a summary of a meeting with West Metro Fire Chief Doug McBee and his staff
regarding the provision of EMS services within the WMFPD.
• WMFPD has 335 personnel, 220 are trained as paramedics and tbe remaining staff have
EMT -Basic certifications
• The Department has 18 paramedic ambulances. They nonnally stafftheir district with 9
Staff Report: Citywide Emergency Medical Services
May 9. 2011
Page 6
to 11 ambulances. There is always an on-duty EMS supervisor.
• Chief McBee noted that fire and EMS associations state that an acceptable response time
standard for emergency caJls for medical services is 8 minutes, 90% oft11e time.
• All fire apparatus are ALS equipped.
• The District's philosophy is to send an ambulance and fire truck to every call for service.
• WMFPD understands that the City reserves the right to provide EMS services and they
wiU continue to work cooperatively with the City and its Police Department on EMS
services.
• WMFPD's preference is to be the sole provider of EMS services within their district.
Fairmount Fire Protection District
The following is a summary of a meeting with fonner Fairm ount Fire Chief Don Angell and his
staff regarding the provision ofEMS services within the FFPD.
• The Department has 21 fu iJ-ti me personnel and 65 volunteers. One hundred percent of
the Department"s full-time staff arc certified as EMT -Basic or higher. Eighty-fi ve
percent of the volunteers have EMT -Basic certifications.
• The Department does not anticipate staffing paramedics on fire apparatus due to
economic costs involved. ln addition, the agency does not respond to enough EMS call s
to require paramedic certifications fo r their firefighters. The agency will continue to
require EMT -Basic certification for all paid and volunteer personnel.
• FFPD favors a continuation of EMS services through Pridemark Ambulance Services or a
similar ambulance service vendor. FFPD is satisfied with the current system, including
the continuation of the City of Wheat Ridge being the contractor of those services.
• FFPD has some reservations in assuming responsibility for EMS services in their district.
In summary, the West Metro Fire Protection District has a long history of providing emergency
medical services and transports within their district. Leadersbjp within the Arvada and Wheat
Ridge Fire Protection Districts envision providing BLS and ALS services, although their
timeframes differ on when they would start offering services. AFPD will have transport
vehicles, while WRFPD wiJI contract with an ambulance transport service. The Fairmount Fire
Protection District will continue to operate without paramedics, and wi ll rely on a contracted
service with an ambulance service to provide advanced and basic life support services.
LEGAL REVIEW
City Attorney Gerald E. Dahl authored a memorandum on December 22, 2008 regarding the
legal obligations of the City to provide ambulance or emergency medical services. Mr. Dah l
noted that neither the State Constitution nor the City Charter mention, or require a municipal
duty to provide these services. Mr. Dahl notes that State Statute authorizes a municipality to
adopt rules and regulations in furtherance of public health, safety and welfare.
ALTERNATIVES
The Police Department has identified the following alternatives for City Council consideration:
I. Continue wi th the current process of the City contracting with a private vendor to provide
EMS services within the corporate limits of the City. The Police Department wou ld
oversee this process for the enti re City and maintain monthly meetings to ensure service
Staff Report: Citywide Emergency Medical Services
May 9, 2011
Page 7
levels specified in the IGA are met. The department has planned to add performance
measurements to any future IGA.
2. Allow the four fire protection districts to provide EMS services within their district
boundaries. Because of past history in this area, U1e Police Department would
recommend some service perforn1ance expectations be established to ensure consistent
and professional services.
3. The City maintains an EMS contract with a private contractor, while Arvada and Wheat
Ridge Fire Protection Districts train EMS paramedic personnel to staff their fire
apparatus and submit a complete business plan for review by the Police Department and
City Council before further actions are taken. A cutover date would need to be
established.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Commentaries on emergency medical services today note that while the response time related to
EMS services is important. what is more imp011ant is the intervention and level of care provided
by trained and experienced paramedics. Council has been provided with an annual report related
to the current EMS services provisions with Pridemark Ambulance Services, whi ch includes a
thorough review of the contract provisions. Pridemark Ambulance Service continues to meet its
contractual obligations.
Staff recommends the City, through the Police Department, continue to provide EMS services
via a contract with a private ambulance service until each fire protection district has submitted a
complete business plan for City Council consideration to assume appropriate EMS services
within their district. Discussions can occur regarding tl1e content of the business plan. ln the
interim, the Response Review Committee can meet to agree upon performance standards for the
next EMS contract.
Since West Metro Fire Protection District provides ALS and BLS services, staff recommends
this agency be excluded from this requirement. Fairmount Fire Protection District has several
options available to their district in this area regarding EMS services.
JC: DB
Attachments: Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District Emergency Medical Services:
Analysis of [nfrastructure and On-Going Management
City of Wheat Ridge and Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District
Intergovernmental Agreement with Pridemark Ambulance Service
2008 -201 0 Yearly I G A Evaluations
West Metro-Wheat Ridge F•re Protection D1stncts Cooperat~ e Serv1ces reas•b•hty Study
I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) was engaged by West Metro Fi re Protection District
(WMFPD) and Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District (WRFPD) to conduct a feasibility study regarding
opportunities for collaboration between the fire service agencies. This report is the cu lmination of that
evaluation.
ESCI thanks the participating members, staff, and policy-makers of both agencies for their outstanding
cooperation in the preparation of this report. All involved were candid in their comments and provided
valuable information, perspective, and data to the ESCI team. The results of these interviews were used to
identify the critica l issues facing each agency and to develop context for the study.
Purpose and Approach
The purpose of the study was to:
A. Assess the current fiscal, service level, and infrastructure conditions of each agency; recommend
improvements to their existing processes independently where appropriate; and forecast each
agency's fiscal future for the next five years.
B. Identify partnership opportunities available to the agencies to increase efficiency or eliminate
duplication, up to and including integration.
C. Analyze the most feasible options, recommending those with the greatest opportunity for success
financially and operationally.
This study determines the feasibility of the agencies increasing their collaboration up to and including full
integration. It is not an implementation plan. The decisions required to implement many of these options
take active discussion and deliberation (and in some cases, negotiation) by the policy-makers,
administrators, and labor groups. This document determines what partnership options make sense and
quantifies the advantages and disadvantages of each option being considered.
This report contains the following major sections: Current Conditions (organizational, administrative,
support and operational elements of the agencies); Processes for Collaboration (including four alternative
strategies, ranging from complete autonomy to complete integration of the two agencies); Findings;
Recommendations; and Implementation Guidance.
The approach taken by the ESCI project team in developing this study was to first evaluate each agency as it
operates today autonomously (referred to as Current Conditions in the report) and identify areas where
process improvement can be recommended. This information was gathered through data analysis and
interviews with the subject matter experts for each agency. The combined information was evaluated by
the subject matter experts on the ESCI team who offered each agency recommendations for improvement
as appropriate. These individual recommendations are listed in gray recommendation boxes throughout the
Current Conditions section.
f,_Qf'O<Y ~YKI>\
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Attachment 3
1
West Metro-Wheat RodeP file Prot~cllon Oostncts Cooperatove Services Feas1bollty Study
The project team then compared the two agencies to each other to find duplication and opportunities for
greater efficiency. The agencies already share many functions via an intergovernmental agreement
(dispatch services, training, and apparatus maintenance), so efficiencies are already being captured through
these cooperative services. From the evaluation of current conditions and the cooperative services the
agencies currently share, the project team identified the legal integration options available to the agencies
pursuant to Colorado statute. These are generically discussed to provide the reader with the range of
options available to the agencies. From those options, the ESCI team developed four alternative strategies
(with sub-elements) for the agencies to consider moving forward:
• Strategy A: Status Quo
• Strategy B: Contract for Services
Administrative
Functional
Operational (full service)
• Strategy C: Fire Authority
• Strategy D: Merger
Consolidation
Exclusion/Inclusion
Strategy A assumes no change from the current circumstances and agreements. Strategy B reflects an
expansion of cooperation through an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) for administrative, functional and
operational (or full) services, laying out several variables that should be considered when contemplating a
pricing structure. Strategy C discusses the formation of a fire authority, whereby an intergovernmental
agreement and the actual operation of the combined agency is managed by a separate entity formed by the
two boards of the existing agencies. Strategy D is the highest form of integration. The two sub-elements of
merger (consolidation and Exclusion/Inclusion) are discussed, with the two methods compared and
contrasted.
Key Findings
Both fire agencies have already demonstrated their commitment to efficiency as evidenced by the current
intergovernmental agreements already in place. A combined and concerted effort to respond to the
challenges the agencies face is in their collective best interests which, we presume, led to the initiation of
this study. Both agencies are committed to the service they provide to their customers and citizens. In
brief, ESCI finds:
2
Finding #1: The fire districts depend upon each other and other neighbors for mutual aid and automatic
aid assistance during emergency incidents. WRFPD has a high demand for its services on a per capita
basis. WMFPD has a high demand in its urban areas and, predictably, lower demand but significant
wildland risk in its rural area. With its depth of resources, WMFPD can manage much of its own
demand internally. WRFPD faces resource depletion much more quickly in larger incidents, relying on
WMFPD and other neighbors to either assist or backfill during these events.
fnW'fqffley ~K M
Consultong llt~·•Mlcm.ol
West Metro-Wheat Rrdee fire Protection Drstncts Cooperative 5ervrces feasrbrlrly ~tudy
Finding #2: WMFPD provides fleet maintenance, training, and communications services to WRFPD. The
agencies provide mutual assistance to each other during emergency incidents; as a result of training
and responding together, incidents flow smoothly and the personnel work well together. The
familiarity reduces much of the angst that comes with consolidation at the line and administrative
levels because each party is a "known commodity."
Finding #3: WMFPD provides advanced life support (ALS) first response and emergency medical transport
services. WRFPD provides basic life support (BLS) first response service, relying upon the local private
ambulance company to provide emergency medical transport services. If the two agencies consolidate,
WMFPD can extend its ALS services to the WRFPD service area, providing its citizens with high quality,
seamlessly integrated emergency medical services. Revenue from this service is also expected to offset
the expense of providing the service. The expanded service enhances both agencies' service
capabilities to their constituents.
Finding #4: The districts each have a fire station about a mile apart from each other (WRFPD Station 73
and WMFPD Station 1), which represents inefficient overlap of service. Station 73 is in poor condition
and is to be returned to the City of Edgewater in the near term by agreement. Station 1 is an aging
facility that could benefit from relocation and modification. An optimum location for response for
both Station 73 and Station 1 is in the area of 20th Avenue and Reed Drive, coincidentally a point of
convergence for WMFPD, WRFPD, and the City of Edgewater. WMFPD Station 1 could serve Station
73's area from its current site but would be improved by relocating as identified in this report.
Finding #5 : Although the need and the scale vary, important gaps were identified in each organization. In
WMFPD, many stations have been recently remodeled but not all are seismically retrofitted to current
standards. In WRFPD, two of the three fire stations are not well laid out to provide for prompt turnout
times and one station is not well suited for its intended purpose but is slated to return to the City of
Edgewater.
Finding #6: Organizational culture is one of the most important factors impacting the success or failure of
a cooperative effort. It is also, without question, the most difficult aspect to evaluate; it is challenging
to predict the effect that differing internal cultures will have on the collaborative strategies. However,
the existing collaboration between the agencies minimizes those differences significantly. This
increases the likelihood that the agencies will experience only minor cultural differences.
Finding #7: Most consolidations are motivated by an effort to capture efficiencies, expand service, and/or
avoid cost. Sometimes those cost avoidance measures include personnel reductions. In this case,
however, depending on how implementation occurs and the model is developed; there is room for all
personnel to be retained in some capacity within the combined agency. This does not commonly
occur, but the circumstances in this instance create this potential. A process of consolidation that does
not create "victims" through job loss and maintains efficiency with expanded services is the best
possible outcome.
Finding #8: All four major strategies contained in this report are feasible. Implementation of Strategy A-
Status Quo passes on the opportunity to gain efficiencies, reduce the size of government, and increase
services in some areas. Implementation of Strategy B-Contract for Services simply expands on what is
fml'fqPO(y IVh f'
Cor'IS\. htn9 ht ·ro..Lon.ll 3
West Metro-Whedt R1dse f•re ProtectiOn D•stncu Cooperat•ve 5erv•ces reas•b•hty Study
already being done between the agencies but on a potentially larger scale. Implementation of Strategy
C-Fire Authority expands upon a contract for service by creating a new entity to administer the
operations of the authority while the existing boards continue to approve budgets, certify mill levies,
and select the representing board members on the Authority Board. Implementation of Strategy 0 -
Merger actually combines the two agencies into one agency. This strategy is at the pinnacle of the
partnership scale.
Recommendations
ESCI recommends that Wheat Ridge and West Metro implement Strategy 0-Merger and that the method
for the merger be Exclusion/Inclusion. This recommendation is based on the fact that the study has
identified advantages of doing so and, conversely, has not revealed any major pitfalls to consolidation. Many
of the advantages described in this report occur because of the economies of scale associated with planning
and implementing a response system over a large area. The report predicts additional depth of resources
will be available to respond quickly to serious emergencies for both agencies and that dispatching fire-based
medic transport units directly with fire apparatus that are in close proximity will likely improve the provision
of advanced life support services to WRFPO citizens. Additionally, there is cost avoidance that can be
realized by combining the relocation of WRFPO Station 73 and the replacement of WMFPO Station 1.
Implementing an Exclusion/Inclusion merger simplifies governance and administration to one board and one
management team. It requires only one budget rather than three and only one audit rather than three (or
one audit that reflects three separate organizations) such as would be required in a fire authority model.
There is a need for only one set of standard operating guidelines, one set of policies, one response system,
one bargaining agreement, one infrastructure for technology, support services, and the numerous systems
and processes that are necessarily duplicated in two separate agencies, regardless of the level of
collaboration.
This mechanism of merging the districts is less complicated and less costly in that it requires only votes of
the boards of directors, assuming that the merger occurs at the lower of the two mill levies. The other
strategies require more complicated formulas for maintaining financial equity which must be constantly
reviewed and renegotiated over perceived changes in conditions. Moreover, there is no need for the board
of county commissioners to participate in the decisions as would be required for a legal consolidation of
districts.
The Exclusion/Inclusion model will reduce the tax rate for the taxpayers of Wheat Ridge FPO that, although
small, is a benefit to those taxpayers. Next year, 2016, is an opportune time to make this change recognizing
that the mill levy reduction for Wheat Ridge will result in slightly lower revenues. The financial analysis
shows that the upturn of property values will result in greater assessed valuation and revenues that would
offset the loss.
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Attachment 4 -c:--·-·