Council receives police department’s 2010 goals
April 11, 2010
The Belen Police Department’s Chief Mike Chavez has provided the Belen City Council with his department’s goals for 2010, a part of city councilors’ request for accountability.
At the March 22 council meeting, Mayor Rudy Jaramillo and city councilors announced they were establishing an improvement plan and evaluation process for each of the city’s appointed officials, during which their job performances will be assessed at 90 and 180 days.
Because the city government is still searching for a permanent city manager, with applications now being accepted by the city, the police chief, fire chief and airport manager will undergo the improvement plan and evaluation process.
Police Chief Mike Chavez is the first of the three to provide information to the city council about how he would like to improve his department.
Chavez’s 16-page improvement plan includes seven goals:
GOAL 1: To make the City of Belen a major drug free city. As stated earlier [in the plan] this is a never ending battle and should be our constant goal for every year, it is felt that progress can be made. Any achievement in this area is very worthwhile.
GOAL 2: To obtain a mobile data system that would be utilized by officers in the field in their patrol units. Thus, they will be able to complete reports in the field and at times right at the scene of an incident or crash. This will greatly enhance the efficiency of the individual officer; i.e., not having to drive back to the Belen Police Department to complete a report, or criminal complaints, consequently saving a lot of time and effort. As a result of this, officers will be spending more time in the field and less down time at the Belen Police Department filling out reports.
GOAL 3: [See the plan.]
GOAL 4: The department is fully staffed at this time, and our goal is to remain fully staffed in the future. To that end, we have established a continuous classification and testing procedure that will enable us to have possible applicants who can be contacted immediately in case of some unforeseen circumstance that would necessitate the hiring of another police officer. Also, written recruiting plans are in place at the present time and are being continuously refined.
GOAL 5: Our training goals have been accomplished for 2009, but training is a constant and ongoing endeavor. This year a new mandate has come from the state in reference to driving standards. Our goal is to meet this standard not only by having the officers attend said classes, but to have an in house instructor as we do for all other state mandated training.
GOAL 6: To replace old and failing computers within the Belen Police Department’s records and investigations division. These computers are over five and six years old and important information has been lost and has had to be redone, such as criminal complaints, police reports, and crash reports. Replacing these computers would greatly enhance the efficiency of our department.
GOAL 7: To continue with our community based programs that allow the community to more easily make contact with me and other administrative members of the Belen Police Department. This new program will be called “Coffee with the Chief.” One day a month any citizen can meet with me at one of our local restaurants over coffee to air any concerns they may have, or have any questions answered about the Belen Police Department. This program would also allow me to develop a rapport with more citizens; this would also include those that are not normally in contact with the Belen Police Department. The time and date would be advertised in the News-Bulletin.
“Due to the fiscal challenges we are facing within our municipality, we will make every attempt to be successful in completing the above listed goals,” Chavez writes in the plan.
The plan is expected to be discussed during the next regular city council meeting on April 19.