Strategic Plan 2011-2013 Arizona Department of Public Safety WE ARE THE ARIZONA DPS. We are 2,000 people whose mission is to protect human life and property by enforcing state laws, deterring criminal activity, ensuring highway and public safety, and providing vital scientific, technical, and operational support to other criminal justice agencies. Strategic Overview Agency Vision Our vision is to be a national model in providing ethical, effective, and customer-oriented state-level law enforcement services. Agency Description The Arizona Department of Public Safety enforces state law with primary responsibility in the areas of traffic safety, criminal interdiction, narcotics, organized crime, auto theft, and specific regulatory functions. Services include homeland security, criminal intelligence, scientific analysis, aviation support, emergency first care, criminal information system, training, and statewide communications. Operational and technical assistance is provided to local and state agencies and other components of the criminal justice community. The Department also promotes and enhances the quality of public safety through cooperative enforcement and community awareness programs. Strategic Overview Agency Motto Courteous Vigilance is the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s motto and guiding principle, reflecting our pride in the Department. We provide quality, reliable, and respectful service to the citizens of Arizona while being vigilant in the enforcement of state laws. Agency Core Values Human Life—We value, respect, and protect human life and the rights of all persons. Integrity—We are honest and truthful, recognizing integrity as the cornerstone for all that is done by DPS employees. Courage—We demonstrate moral and physical courage in the performance of our duties. Accountability—We accept responsibility for our actions. Customer Service—We consistently deliver exceptional assistance. Communications—We share factual information in a timely manner through various mediums both internally and externally. Leadership—We set examples which influence excellence in personal behavior and job performance. Teamwork—We respect and cooperate with fellow employees, other agencies, and the community to identify and achieve common goals. Citizenship—We are involved in activities which improve the quality of life in our communities. Strategic Overview Agency Goals Goal 1 — To promote public safety in Arizona. Goal 2 — To deliver exemplary service. Goal 3 — To embody the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. Strategic Overview Agency Internal/External Assessment Agency Strengths Agency Opportunities • Scientific analysis excellence • Priority on public safety issues • Dedicated professional people • Service gaps on federal level • Progressive attitudes • Other agencies demand for services • Strong work ethic • • Good agency reputation Increased opportunities for public information • Cohesive management staff • Public concern with crime • Trained employees • Technological advances • Law enforcement partnerships • Public anxiety over homeland security • Emergency preparedness expertise • Public awareness of agency services • Responsive system of directives • • Teamwork and organizational synergy Executive, legislative, and public support for increased staffing Agency Weaknesses Agency Threats • State budget limitations • Competitive salaries and benefits • Unfunded or under funded mandates • • Obsolete communication systems Understaffed patrol and investigative services • Aging technology • Insufficient support and technical personnel • Urban freeway growth • • Domestic security Retention of skilled employees Changing societal work ethic Legislative support impacted by unfamiliarity with agency services Limited or non-existent infrastructure security Inability to acquire needed technology and equipment • No comprehensive records management system • Aging facilities and infrastructure • Competition for highest quality recruits. • • • • Strategic Overview Planning Assumptions The State’s highway system will continue to expand through the construction of new freeways, the widening of existing roadways, and the transfer of roadways to state control. Crime related to smuggling of contraband, including humans, drugs, and weapons associated with transnational organized criminal syndicates will continue to significantly influence Arizona’s enforcement priorities. Homeland security will remain a law enforcement priority. Arizona’s growing population will increase demands for understaffed DPS patrol and criminal enforcement services. Recruitment and retention of skilled, qualified employees will be impacted by changing demographics. The state budget priorities will limit opportunities for new programs and restrict acquisition and upgrades to law enforcement equipment, technology, and facilities. Increases in full-time positions and equipment acquisitions will lag behind demand. A great portion of the agency efforts will be associated with problem solving. With the State’s population growth, new trends in traffic safety, criminal interdiction, traditional investigation, arrest, incarceration, and support functions will become more complex and increase in number. Strategic Overview Agency Strategic Issues 2011-2013 Issue 1—Maintain employee compensation at market parity in order to recruit and retain high quality personnel. Issue 2—Maintain adequate staffing to keep pace with service demands and emerging public safety issues. Description: With Arizona’s population growth, Description: While economic factors have contributed to hiring reductions, there is still significant competition for suitable law enforcement candidates and a challenge to retain top quality employees. The agency’s workforce in both law enforcement and support positions necessitates highly skilled employees meeting the most stringent standards. Salaries and benefits have to remain competitive with private industry, government, and other law enforcement agencies to attract qualified candidates and ensure the workforce reflects the citizens we serve. When hiring resumes, competition for recruits among law enforcement agencies will be particularly fierce. Qualified applicants must be sought to meet public safety responsibilities on more than 6,000 miles of highways, initiate effective criminal investigations, disrupt organized crime, and pursue anti-smuggling cases. In addition, hiring qualified applicants is critical to addressing the loss of current officers to retirement and career changes. As the gap between a DPS officer’s pay and that at other Arizona law enforcement agencies widens, it impacts the ability to remain competitive and can cause the agency to lose trained, experienced officers to other organizations. Changing demographics and employee compensation issues also impact retention of skilled employees in support services ranging from information technology, forensic science, engineering, and communications, to facilities design, craftsmen, mechanics, dispatchers, analysts, and administrative personnel. many DPS functions which serve the state are seriously understaffed. Patrol officers are needed to meet the Department’s traffic safety and enforcement responsibilities on an expanding system of urban and rural freeways. At the same time, challenges arising from immigration issues, smuggling, organized crime, auto theft, criminal activity, homeland security, and gangs are demanding more time and resources from uniformed officers as well as investigators. Sufficient numbers of detectives are essential to address issues involving violent crime, narcotics, white collar investigations, and local support resulting from statutory mandates, multi-jurisdictional enforcement activity, and federal resources being redirected. A proportionate need exists for support positions necessary to keep Department operations functioning and minimize administrative tasks for sworn employees. Critical agency functions serving the public, such as the Sex Offender Notification Program, the Applicant Clearance Unit, and the DPS Crime Laboratory already have workloads exceeding staff capacity. The DPS Crime Laboratory’s forensic services alone impact every law enforcement and prosecutorial agency in the state. The rules of criminal procedure have specified periods for laboratory processing with penalties for noncompliance ranging from dismissed charges to release of criminals if scientific reports are not completed on time. Legislative mandates as well as demands from the public and the courts recognize the vast potential for forensic science to identify criminals and exonerate the wrongfully accused. Other support functions such as licensing, records, emergency response, and statutorily mandated services have a high liability associated with work products intended to protect the public, and adequate staffing is critical to meet service demands. Strategic Overview Agency Strategic Issues 2011-2013 Issue 3—Maintain essential communication and information systems by taking advantage of current technology. Description: The agency currently relies on increasingly outdated information systems for both internal functions and external links with criminal justice agencies. Changing technology and interoperability requirements have made DPS communications systems obsolete. Many of the DPS information systems consist of mainframe-based technology. The most essential of these systems must be supplemented or replaced to be compatible with new technology using database management, browsers, internet, intranet, and extranet solutions for performing processes. The need for components that can eventually be part of a comprehensive records management program is critical to meeting mandates, legal requirements, and public information expectations. Application of newer technologies will increase efficiency internally as well as allow the agency to better serve the state’s criminal justice efforts. The Department also operates the Arizona Criminal Justice Information System (ACJIS) which links crime information centers in Arizona to other states and the national system operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In recent years, the FBI implemented technological upgrades to enhance the exchange of criminal information and improve criminal record processing. DPS must continue replacing outdated technology used on the state network to enable Arizona agencies to take advantage of the federal enhancements which extend modern crime fighting tools to officers in the field. Changing requirements, federal regulations, and issues of coverage and interoperability are also making the DPS communications systems obsolete. The September 11th terrorist attacks dramatically reinforced the critical need for a statewide interoperable public safety radio system which allows multiple law enforcement agencies and other emergency first responders to communicate directly with each other. Also crucial is the need for a statewide digital microwave system to provide coverage to all areas of the state. Moreover, DPS needs support for its Mobile Data Computer System outside the Phoenix / Tucson corridor. This system allows rural officers to link to the state and the national crime information systems and access information on wanted persons, stolen vehicles, and motor vehicle license checks from their patrol cars. Strategic Overview Agency Strategic Issues 2011-2013 Issue 4—Maintain vehicles, equipment, and facilities to adequately support law enforcement services. Description: The Department’s mission is heavily dependant on vehicles, capital equipment, and facilities. Vehicles used for patrol and enforcement operations must be maintained for occupant safety and eventually replaced when obsolete. The vehicle maintenance and replacement program allows the department to take advantage of improvements in fuel economy, service capability, and reliability. Mandated services to the criminal justice system such as scientific analysis and air rescue operations require highly specialized equipment with reliable capability. Equipment applications which affect the department’s ability to deliver public services are particularly susceptible to changing technology. The Department’s statewide operations require facilities ranging from public service locations, to remote housing, area offices, service yards, fuel storage, and evidence facilities. Facility investments are needed to meet statutory mandates and upgrade existing locations to meet changing standards. The Department aggressively pursues opportunities to help reduce utility costs, comply with environmental requirements, meet federal workplace standards, and address security needs in its efforts to maintain adequate facilities. Strategic Overview Agency Budget & Subprograms Strategic Plan as part of the Arizona Master List of State Government Programs 2011-2013 The Department of Public Safety Operational Plan contains all performance measurements for carrying out the agency’s strategic concepts. All Operational Plan data is formatted and submitted to the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting for inclusion in the Master List of State Government Programs using the Arizona Integrated Planning System. Data for the operational plan is maintained by policy in the Department of Public Safety Research and Planning Unit. PSA 1.0 PSA 1.0 PSA 2.0 PSA 2.1 PSA 2.1 PSA 2.2 PSA 2.3 PSA 3.0 PSA 3.0 PSA 3.0 PSA 3.0 PSA 3.0 PSA 4.0 PSA 4.1 PSA 4.1 PSA 4.2 PSA 4.2 PSA 4.3 PSA 4.3 PSA 4.3 PSA 4.4 PSA 4.4 PSA 5.0 PSA 5.0 PSA 5.0 PSA 5.0 (602) 223-2000 | www.azdps.gov 2102 West Encanto Boulevard Phoenix, Arizona 85009 ©2011Arizona Department of Public Safety. All Rights Reserved Created by the Research and Planning Unit