Model County-Wide Multijurisdictional Police Agency

• NCJ Number: 73596
• Author(s): J E Fahnestock
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 84 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2179
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Cmssn
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Guidelines for planning and developing a countywide police agency are presented and a model multijurisdictional police department is described.

Abstract

The model was designed as a planning tool for Illinois counties that have been designated nonmetropolitan counties by the Illinois Law Enforcement Commission, but could be scaled down for use by smaller counties. The rising costs of law enforcement agencies charged with the apprehension of an increasing number of criminals demand a look for new methods which reduce duplication of effort, improve training and education, and improve police productivity without significantly increasing cost. All those units of government within a given county or counties that now provide their own police service should participate in a planning process to determine the feasibility of establishing a multijurisdictional agency. The first step should be to identify needs and design alternatives to meet the needs of the participating government agencies. A Standards Implementation Study Committee should conduct, monitor and approve such a study and its product. If the committee recommends establishing a County Public Safety Department, a County Public Safety Board with supervisory powers should be created. That Board would create the County Public Safety Department. A majority of the Department's officers would be assigned to the patrol function which would be expanded to a generalist approach. Mandatory training and education levels should be established for all department employees. An educational pay incentive program should be provided. A county sheriff would be the County Supervisor of Safety. The Sheriff would have the powers, duties, and responsibilities described in the Illinois Revised Statutes and would also assume the powers, duties, and responsibilities now held by the office of the coroner. Organizational charts, a monthly work schedule for the Study Committee and a sample intergovernmental contract for a County Public Safety Board and County Public Safety Department are included in the 15 appendixes.