Interim Police Chief Roy Whitehead told the Madison City Council on Aug. 28 that the Madison Police Department is progressing toward improving the department and obtaining a state certification from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police as the result of an internal audit conducted to study departmental policies.
“We needed to improve internal communication, which I believe we’ve done,” Whitehead said. “We’ve set up email groups, so that we’re sending out information all the time. We started our policy reform, which we had in the process. We’ve acquired templates from certified agencies around the state and passed those policies out to our employees so they can get their input on how we will proceed.”
Whitehead also said the city readopted a use of deadly force policy.
“We’re trying to work harder in the recruitment process,” Whitehead said. “We’ve sent out advertising; we’ve got signs out; we’ve got bumper stickers. We’re putting the word out to different groups like Georgia Military College and others to find more qualified applicants. And I’m happy to say that we are now starting to see applications come in.”
Whitehead said the department recently hired two new officers, one a certified police officer and another who should graduate from the police academy later in September.
“That will certainly augment where we are as a team,” Whitehead said.
Regarding pursuing state certification, Whitehead said Assistant Chief Colin Campbell would soon be attending certification manager training.
“One of the advantages of being certified is we would be operating at the highest and best standards of practice,” Whitehead said. “It would also result in a significant reduction in our liability insurance premium.”
Law enforcement agencies in the area that have already achieved certification from the GACP include the Athens-Clarke County Police, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Milledgeville Police Department, the Covington Police Department, the Gray Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Monroe Police Department, and the Social Circle Police Department.
“Certification status represents a significant professional achievement for a law enforcement agency,” according to gachiefs.com. “Certification acknowledges implementing policies and procedures [as] conceptually sound and operationally effective. Certification is about best practices. The Certification Program provides a comprehensive blueprint for effective, professional law enforcement.
Program staff at the GACP are prepared to make their knowledge, experience, and resources available to help your agency become certified. We encourage you to contact us to obtain more information on the program. It is the role of the Georgia Law Enforcement Certification Program to establish standards promoting professionalism in law enforcement, oversee the State Certification process, and award certification status to Georgia Law Enforcement agencies that meet the established standards.”
Whitehead said one of the audit's deficiencies was a lack of advancement opportunities within the MPD.
To address that, the MPD has created senior police officer and master police officer rank designations, reclassified all corporals as sergeants, and created a lieutenant’s position in the patrol division. Three officers have already risen to the rank of senior police officer, but none have attained master police officer yet.
“Hopefully, that will encourage our staff and help us with recruitment and retention,” Whitehead said.
Whitehead said the process of selecting the first MPD lieutenant was similar to selecting the new police chief, involving tests and interviews. Madison Police Officer Chuck Elder tallied the top score and was pinned as a lieutenant at the meeting.
“Just in closing for my part, I just want to tell you that this is a very, very excellent police department comprised of very good men and women who do a great job every day, and I’m humbled just to have the opportunity just to work with them,” Whitehead said.
City Manager John Klimm said Whitehead professionalized the department and improved morale during the four months he led the MPD.