Department of Public Safety Strategic Plan

Transcription

1 Department of Public Safety Strategic Plan Planning Period: State Fiscal Year 2012 State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 1

2 Table of Contents Message from the Commissioner... 3 Department Mission... 4 Department of Public Safety Overview:... 4 Department of Public Safety Strategic Planning Process:... 8 Statutory Environment... 9 Department Goals for the planning period, related to Statewide Priorities Appendix A: Department Statutory Authority/Relevant Rules & Regulations Appendix B: Action Plans for Each Goal in the Strategic Plan (optional at initial phase to be completed by March 31, 2012) State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 2

3 Message from the Commissioner The State of Vermont is one of the safest places in the country to live, work, and to raise a family. This state has unparalleled opportunities for economic development, cultural activities, and recreation, all consistent with the Vermont culture and spirit. The Department s mission of prevention, planning, and protection assists in making Vermont a special place for its citizens and visitors. As part of the Department of Public Safety s commitment to moving to the next generation of public safety services, I am pleased to present the Department of Public Safety s Strategic Plan for This is a fluid document that will be reviewed annually to ensure that as a Department, we are mindful of our mission and the obligations that accompany it. The Department of Public Safety is committed to a data driven approach to planning, and the information gleaned from that data will be utilized as a management tool focused on results and will drive meaningful and measurable improvements for the people we serve. This result-oriented effort is being incorporated into the management philosophy of this department, and will encourage strategic planning in all facets of our operation, promote innovation, and encourage interagency cooperation on high priority goals. Moreover, through this planning process and its direct correlation to the budgeting process, the Department and the citizens of Vermont will see increased accountability, transparency, and measurable results that will place a greater emphasis on benefits and results rather than activities and workload. State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 3

4 Department Mission The Department of Public Safety provides planning, prevention, and protection services through the work of its five Divisions, to ensure a safe and secure environment and enhanced quality of life for the Citizens of the State of Vermont Department of Public Safety Overview: The Department of Public Safety was created by No. 163 of the Acts of 1947 for the "purpose of consolidating certain existing police and investigative agencies, and to promote the detection and prevention of crime generally." No. 224 of the Acts of 1951 created the Division of Civil Defense (now Vermont Emergency Management) within the Department of Public Safety. In 1996, the Governor's Highway Safety Program, inclusive of funds and personnel, was transferred from the Agency of Transportation to the Department of Public Safety by Executive Order No A (the Acts of 1996 page 1007). No. 141 of the Acts of 2004 created the Fire Safety Division in the Department of Public Safety consisting of the Fire Prevention Division from the Department of Labor and Industry and incorporation of the Fire Service Training Council within Public Safety. The Department of Public Safety is organized into five divisions: Vermont State Police (VSP), Criminal Justice Services (CJS), Vermont Emergency Management (VEM), Fire Safety (FS), and Administrative Services. However, there are seven separate appropriation units with the addition of Homeland Security (a separate unit of the VSP Division), and the Radiological Emergency Response Program (a separate unit of the VEM Division). Vermont State Police: The Vermont State Police (VSP) are the primary law enforcement agency in the state, providing 24 hour coverage to 212 of the state s 257 towns and villages or 46% of the state population on a full-time basis. In geographic terms, this accounts for 84% of the total land area in Vermont. The State Police is led by a Director and has three divisions identified as the Field Force or Uniform Division, Criminal Investigation Division and the Support Services Division. The Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is also housed within the VSP Field Force Division, recently moved to the VSP from the Criminal Justice Services Division. The GHSP offers funding State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 4

5 and advocacy to state and local jurisdictions on traffic safety issues that are designed to reduce the incidence of death, injury and property damage on Vermont's highways. Criminal Justice Services: Criminal Justice Services (CJS) is headed by a civilian Director, and is responsible for providing system support to a variety of state, county and local criminal justice agencies. Evidence analysis is available from the Vermont Forensics Laboratory serving all law enforcement agencies in Vermont. The Vermont Criminal Information Center (VCIC), the state central repository for criminal information, disseminates criminal information for criminal and non-criminal justice purposes. VCIC also manages the sex offender registry program and the marijuana registry along with all NCIC information. The Electronic Radio Communication Section manages the two-way radio system for the Vermont State Police and other State agencies along with the State s digital microwave network. The Information Technology Section operates a wide area network that provides a system of electronic services to over 2100 users both at the state, county and municipal level. These services are mission-critical information technology applications for the effective and efficient support of law enforcement services throughout the state. Vermont Emergency Management: Vermont Emergency Management (VEM) is organized to ensure that Vermont is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them and mitigate their impacts. With authority derived from Title 20, VSA, VEM leads the coordination of federal, state and local resources in disaster response and recovery. With a professional staff of 20, VEM manages programs that include state and local government emergency planning, local government outreach, radiological emergency preparedness (nuclear power plant), hazardous materials compliance, response and disaster prevention planning and mitigation. In addition, VEM staffs the state warning point that coordinates the assessment of response to the daily hazard incidents that occur in the state 24/7. VEM forges partnerships with a wide range of federal, state, regional, local and private sector entities that augment the core mission of the agency. Subgrants are awarded to the Local Emergency Planning Committees, Community Emergency Response Teams, Regional Planning Commissions, and municipalities for recovery, mitigation and preparedness activities. Fire Safety: The Fire Safety Division ensures the safety of the public through enforcement, education and certification programs. The Division, with 58 positions located in Berlin, Rutland, State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 5

6 Springfield and Williston, has responsibility for the safety and accessibility of Vermont s 80,000 public buildings. The Division administers fire, electrical, boiler/pressure vessel and plumbing safety and licensing programs. The primary activities of the division are inspecting buildings and reviewing plans to make sure that fire code and safety requirements are met, and providing educational outreach programs to stakeholders and the general public. It provides regulatory and technical assistance in the provision of barrier-free access to buildings for persons with disabilities. The Division continually works with the historic preservation community to ensure the safety of older buildings while assisting with preservation. The division provides administrative support for the Elevator Safety program. The Division has entered into cooperative inspection agreements with municipalities around the state. These agreements allow cities and towns to enforce codes and standards on the State's behalf and increase the total number of inspections conducted in the State. Over 90% of the Division's funding comes from the Fire Prevention special fund. This special fund consists of a number of fees for permits and plan reviews, with the construction plan review permit fee generating between $1.6 million and $2.3 million a year. The remaining special funds are from electrical, plumbing and sprinkler inspection fees. The Division's remaining funds are general funds and transfers from other departments. Fire Service Training was originally created as the Vermont Fire Service Training Council on May 3, 1988, when Governor Madeleine Kunin signed into law Senate Bill - S-83. The 11 member VFSTC was formed to conduct and administer training schools and courses for the firefighters of the State of Vermont, a program which continues in its present configuration within the Fire Safety Division of the Department of Public Safety. The Training Council continues to develop training and certification programs for all Vermont firefighters. The chief training officer is appointed by and reports to the Director of the Fire Safety Division. The chief training officer oversees the operations of the Vermont Fire Academy that is located at the Emergency Services Training Facility in Pittsford, VT. The Vermont Fire Academy has a full-time staff of 10 positions and is responsible for administering, developing, delivering, and documenting the efforts of firefighting students in many different programs. Firefighter training programs are available to the 6,500 Vermont firefighters / 243 fire departments. These include Firefighter I, Fire Instructor I, Hazardous Materials, Incident Management and Terrorism related courses. Administrative Services: The Administrative Services Division includes the Commissioner s Office and the DPS General Counsel and legal staff. It also provides a full range of financial services, State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 6

7 payroll administration, grants management, auditing, purchasing and contract administration for all Public Safety divisions. Budget preparation and monitoring, accounts payable and receivable, purchasing administration, payroll, grant management, and internal compliance auditing activities are all managed through a central office operation consisting of 17 positions at the department headquarters in Waterbury. The Accounting Operations Unit is responsible for the daily accounting operations activities including invoice payments and accounts receivable processing. The Payroll Coordinator manages bi-weekly payroll processing for all DPS staff. The Purchasing Administrator oversees contract development and approval, purchasing of general supplies, asset management, and the DPS Purchasing Card program. The Programs and Reporting Unit is responsible for developing, tracking, and monitoring budgets for both federal and state funded programs. The Grant Management Unit works with all the DPS Divisions to handle the administration of all State and Federal funded grant programs. The Audit Unit is responsible for working with both DPS staff and its sub-grantees to ensure compliance with all federal and state regulations and guidelines for financial management, and to ensure that risk is controlled proactively with appropriate internal accounting and process controls. Homeland Security: Based on the recommendation of Governor Douglas and State Legislative approval, the Homeland Security Unit (HSU) was established within the Department of Public Safety in July The primary mission of the HSU is to provide coordination and support to all local and state response organizations to ensure that the state is adequately prepared for and respond to a terrorist incident.. The HSU coordinates Homeland Security Grants to provide funding for terrorist or all-hazard preparedness efforts in the areas of planning, training, organizing, exercises, and equipment. The Homeland Security Unit encompasses three specific sections and they include the Homeland Security Unit, The Vermont Fusion Center and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The Homeland Security Unit has the responsibility to administer the Homeland Security Grant Program. This array of grants amounts to over $7 million dollars a year for Vermont. This responsibility includes programmatic monitoring to ensure that the state builds capabilities within the eight National Priorities. The Vermont Fusion Center is the single criminal information center in the state. The mission of the Vermont Fusion Center is to collect, analyze, and disseminate information in an effort to identify, investigate, and prevent criminal activity and protect the citizens and critical infrastructures vital to our society. The Joint Terrorism Task Force is a collaborative effort between the Vermont State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 7

8 that is dedicated to investigating all terrorist activities within and around the state of Vermont. Currently we have one Trooper assigned to the Task Force. Radiological Emergency Response Program: The Radiological Emergency Response Program (RERP) includes the overall planning support activity in the Waterbury office and the specific onsite support program, including evacuation, in the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) office located in Brattleboro. This latter effort is designed to provide a direct interface and coordination with the communities and other affected entities in the EPZ that are at risk from the nuclear power plant in Vernon. Department of Public Safety Strategic Planning Process: The DPS Leadership Team consisting of the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and the Directors of all of the DPS Divisions, and several other key leaders in the various divisions participated in two full days plus a half-day session to construct this strategic plan document. A one-day training session on the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence was facilitated by the Vermont Council for Quality in Colchester. The Department of Human Resources Workforce Planning Director, Rose Gowdey, and her assistant Melissa Pettersson, facilitated one and a half days of planning sessions for DPS and were extremely helpful in the production of this plan. State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 8

9 Statutory Environment Provide a paragraph describing the statutes and regulations federal and state that apply to the work of the Department, and how those influence the Department s strategic direction. Provide significant references or citations in the appendix. The Department of Public Safety s (DPS) organization and authority is described in 20 V.S.A. 20 VSA 1811 describes the purpose for creating DPS as follows: There is hereby created a department of public safety for the purpose of consolidating certain existing police and investigating agencies, to promote the detection and prevention of crime generally, and to participate in searches for lost or missing persons, and to assist in case of state-wide or local disasters or emergencies. This purpose is accomplished through the various programs of its five Divisions: Administration, Criminal Justice Services, Emergency Management, Fire Safety, and Vermont State Police Federal Regulations: DPS receives a significant amount of federal funding to support its emergency management, homeland security, and law enforcement operations. DPS receives funding from the US Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and the US Department of Justice to support its law enforcement and emergency and security planning operations, and as such is subject to compliance with all the relevant federal statutes, US Codes, and federal program-specific regulations governing the use of such funds. State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 9

10 Department Goals for the planning period, related to Statewide Priorities Most Significant Strategic Challenges for this Planning Period: Process Efficiency: Better strategize on how to maximize the value of our limited resources. With state and federal budgets tightening up and demand for services growing that is a very significant challenge that will have to be addressed by ensuring that our priorities and goals are clearly defined and by creating more efficient processes to support achievement of those goals. Public Records and Queries from the Media and others: Work to balance the tension between the public s right to know vs. individual privacy: Primary Focus for this Planning Period: Develop strategies and processes to ensure that we are effectively assessing our priorities at the Department level and ensuring that resources are devoted to those priority areas Develop strategies, policies, and procedures to support data and results driven decision making to ensure maximized return on investment of State of Vermont resources Improve efficiency of administration throughout our programs to reduce duplication and costly errors and rework In collaboration with other stakeholders, work toward the goal of developing and implementing a robust criminal justice information sharing system for the State of Vermont How DPS Goals Relate to Specific Statewide Priorities: We believe that the specific DPS goals as outlined below will ensure that all of our resources, both human and financial, are better utilized in terms of efficiency and improved outcomes. As we have committed to prioritizing based upon our commitment to achieving a safer and more secure environment for Vermont citizens, we believe we have addressed all of the Governor s priorities (with the exception of the sixth, affordable health care) as follows: Priority #1- The Economy: We believe that ensuring that Vermont s communities and places of business are made more secure and safe creates an environment that naturally will contribute to a more robust economy within the State of Vermont. Obviously businesses are attracted to states where people feel it is safe to live, work, and raise their families. We also believe that our focus on maximizing the value of our financial resources ensures that the value of Vermont citizen s tax dollars are spent appropriately and efficiently and are producing the desired outcomes will help to improve the State s revenue situation. This is also a plus when the State attempts to attract and retain businesses and therefore create jobs. Priority #2 - Environmental Conservation and Renewable Energy: DPS will take steps to ensure use of renewables and conservation of natural resources wherever possible Priority #3 Vermont s Infrastructure: DPS is committed to improving the State s broadband infrastructure State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 10

11 Priority #4 Correctional Recidivism: DPS has an important role to play in ensuring that recidivism is reduced in the State of Vermont and addresses that role largely through improvements to law enforcement and criminal justice information and data sharing. Priority #5 State Government and Employees: As stated above DPS will be prioritizing improving processes to ensure greater efficiency, improve our stewardship and provide a better return on the investment of the public s funds. To accomplish this, DPS has outlined a number of strategies below that we believe will make us more efficient operationally and will improve outcomes overall. Priority #7 - Safe Communities/Strong Schools : As noted in Priority #1, communities that are considered safe by the public and by business owners are more likely to attract and retain their populations and their businesses and therefore tend to be more prosperous communities. Prosperous communities are better able to support and build strong school systems. DPS s overall goal of improving the safety of Vermont s communities will help the Governor to achieve this goal. We have outlined goals that we believe will improve our outcomes in this area. ************************************************************************************ Goal 1: INCREASE THE USE BY COMMERCIAL PROVIDERS OF THE TELECOMMUNCATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGED BY DPS IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE BROADBAND IN THE STATE OF VERMONT A. Statewide Priority this goal serves: Priority 3 Vermont s Infrastructure B. Goal 1 Performance Measure(s) Measure 1A: Determine how many commercial providers are on the towers managed by DPS today and increase this number in future years. Goal 1 Strategies (Projects, programs, and/or activities designed to implement the goal and achieve its measures) Strategy 1.1: Actively work with the Vermont Telecom Authority (VTA) and the Department of Information and Innovation (DII) to provide tower space to commercial telecommunications providers that will result in an increase in broadband coverage in Vermont. Strategy 1.2: Document how many strategy sessions or meetings have been held with other state departments and commercial providers to discuss the sharing of resources. State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 11

12 Goal 2: MORE EFFECTIVELY UTILIZE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND AVAILABLE DATA IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS REGARDING THE USE OF DEPARTMENT RESOURCES. A. Statewide Priority this goal serves: Priority 4 Recidivism B. Goal 2 Performance Measure(s) Measure 2A: Benchmark how many hits the public makes on our publicly available web sites and then set targets to improve in future years. Measure 2B: Develop a benchmark for the number of requests made to the Vermont Fusion Center and set targets to improve in future years. C. Goal 2 Strategies (Projects, programs, and/or activities designed to implement the goal and achieve its measures) Strategy 2.1: Enhance the ability of the Vermont Fusion Center to complete analysis for all Law Enforcement partners. Strategy 2.2: Identify a funding source and provide a public facing crime analysis mapping tool. Strategy 2.3: Assess performance in key areas by use of surveys and by using social media Strategy 2.4: Work to develop administrative technology tools, such as the grants management application. Strategy 2.5: Enhance the use of agency data to increase improve our traffic safety and criminal analysis outcomes Strategy 2.6: Continue to work with DII on their I-TOP project to maximize the use of the enterprise technology solutions. Strategy 2.7: Establish and participate in a governance structure for statewide sharing of administrative technology tools. Strategy 2.8: Establish a management control document between DPS and DII that will facilitate the use of enterprise technology solutions in a way that will be compliant with the FBI CJIS security policy. State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 12

13 Goal 3: PROMOTE AND/OR IMPLEMENT A JUSTICE INFORMATION SHARING PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS FOR THE SHARING OF INFORMATION. THIS WILL ENABLE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT AND PROVIDE DECISION MAKERS WITH THE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO MAKE BETTER PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS. A. Statewide Priority this goal serves: Priority #7 - Safe Communities B. Goal 3 Performance Measure(s) Measure 3.A: Establish through executive order the authority to develop a justice information sharing program. Measure 3.B: Produce a strategic plan that articulates the outcomes and architecture standards associated with measure 3A. C. Goal 3 Strategies (Projects, programs, and/or activities designed to implement the goal and achieve its measures) Strategy 3.1: Develop a strategic plan. Goal 4: IMPROVE OVERALL DPS INTERNAL OPERATIONS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES AND EFFICIENCY A. Statewide Priority this goal serves: Priority 5 State Government and Employees B. Goal 4 Performance Measure (s) Measure 4A: 50% of DPS policy guides will be reviewed and updated by October 2012 and a communication strategy will be implemented to effectively communicate DPS policy to all staff on an ongoing basis Measure 4B: 100% of DPS policy guides will be reviewed and updated by October of 2013 C. Goal 4 Strategies (Projects, programs, and/or activities designed to implement the goal and achieve its measures) Strategy 4.1 Establish mechanisms to measure achievement toward goals Strategy 4.2 Improve results/outcomes of grant-funded programs Strategy 4.3: Create a DPS-wide budget strategies plan to ensure best ROI of all DPS resources Strategy 4.4: Provide training to all DPS grant recipients to improve regulatory compliance and help achieve better outcomes Strategy 4.5: Measure department performance by establishing performance benchmarks and desirable outcomes Strategy 4.6: Create a consistent department policy for the release of public records Strategy 4.7: Create a centralized web-based fee payment capability for the public to create efficiency and convenience for DPS customers State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 13

14 Strategy 4.8: Improve department s web presence to facilitate data/information sharing to the public Strategy 4.9: Assess system security, reliability, and privacy rights to ensure that the correct policies are in place to meet the business needs of our customers Strategy 4.10: Increase consistency in operations across DPS regional offices Strategy 4.11: Standardize IT hardware and software in DPS and centralize IT purchasing Strategy 4.12: Continue focus on bias-free law enforcement policy Strategy 4.13 DPS will establish rules that support the use of renewable energy Strategy 4.14: DPS will take steps to reduce fuel consumption Strategy 4.15: Maintain updated policy guides to include biannual review of policies by Divisions Strategy 4.16: Continue to evolve the centralized grant management unit concept within DPS ensure consistency and efficiency Strategy 4.17: Create a department-wide communication strategy for policies and procedures Strategy 4.18: Provide clear and consistent expectations for employees Strategy 4.19: Recruit and retain a professional workforce Strategy 4.20: Enhance communication/working relationships between DPS Divisions Strategy 4.21: Develop an internal weekly newsletter Strategy 4.22: Formalize a plan for motivating employees DPS-wide Goal 5: SUPPORT AND ENHANCE SAFER VERMONT COMMUNITIES A. Statewide Priority this goal serves: Priority 7 Safe Communities B. Goal 5 Performance Measure(s) Measure 5A: Establish a benchmark using surveys to determine the effectiveness of our collaboration with our allied/partner agencies. Establish targets to improve in this area in future years. Measure 5B: Utilize other available data to determine the effectiveness of various programmatic efforts C. Goal 5 Strategies (Projects, programs, and/or activities designed to implement the goal and achieve its measures) Strategy 5.1: Educate the public on the benefits of a collaborative approach to address specific crime trends and the negative impact of crime on Vermont citizens and visitors Strategy 5.2: Strategically deploy and schedule personnel to provide maximum assistance and effectiveness Strategy 5.3: Collaborate with our allied agencies to ensure that we collectively and strategically allocate all resources for maximum effectiveness State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 14

15 Strategy 5.4: Expand the use of dedicated patrols and saturation efforts using datadriven approach to crime response Strategy 5.5: Provide mitigation assistance to communities by providing technical assistance in writing mitigation grant requests Appendix A: Department Statutory Authority/Relevant Rules & Regulations THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY S OVERARCHING VERMONT STATUTORY AUTHORITY IS DEFINED IN TITLE 20: INTERNAL SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 15

16 Appendix B: Action Plans for Each Goal in the Strategic Plan (optional at initial phase to be completed by March 31, 2012) DPS WILL PROVIDE THIS DATA BEFORE THE STATED DEADLINE OF MARCH 31, State of Vermont Department Strategic Plan Department of Public Safety 2012 Page 16