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PARALAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT
End of 2021 - Changes and Updates
Dear colleagues,
This announcement has been written to give an overview of updates and incoming changes that are pertinent to the end of 2021 and the start of the New Year. This announcement carries a lot of extensive detail so we would highly suggest putting some time aside to read through all of the information. We would like to personally thank everyone for their time and service to the Department throughout 2021 and wish them well moving forward into 2022.
Chiefs of Department Awards 2021
We will be hosting an end-of-year Chiefs of Department Awards whereby people can nominate themselves or their colleagues for an exclusive end-of-year award. There will be several categories as well as a public voting phase, and awards will include an exclusive medal for their PLPD.Online profile as well as a forum signature banner and an in-game monetary reward. Further communications will be released in the next couple of weeks.
Official Christmas Break: 19th December 2021 - 25th December 2021
During this period, Operations Services command teams will be on official leave whereby they will not be expected to perform any administrative responsibilities. While this is traditionally been a part of Operations Services, we also extend the break to Administrative Services including Internal Affairs Investigators. Normal working routines will resume on the 26th December 2021.
During this time, you can contact:
• Their respective Line Managers, or;
• Chief of Department Acerius who will be On-Call throughout this entire period and will be working as normal.
It is up to each individual by personal choice as to whether they would like to continue undertaking their responsibilities during this period.
Recognition for former Head of People Services, Steven Arnott (Jord)
On Wednesday 1st December 2021, Jord tendered his resignation to the Chief of Department for both his position as Head of People Services as well as a PLPD colleague. We would like to thank him for his service in the Department as well as his boundless dedication to People Services. Jord has been a significant influencer in shaping the Department into what it is today and helping to steer the ship into a better place.
Chiefs of Department Awards 2021
We will be hosting an end-of-year Chiefs of Department Awards whereby people can nominate themselves or their colleagues for an exclusive end-of-year award. There will be several categories as well as a public voting phase, and awards will include an exclusive medal for their PLPD.Online profile as well as a forum signature banner and an in-game monetary reward. Further communications will be released in the next couple of weeks.
Official Christmas Break: 19th December 2021 - 25th December 2021
During this period, Operations Services command teams will be on official leave whereby they will not be expected to perform any administrative responsibilities. While this is traditionally been a part of Operations Services, we also extend the break to Administrative Services including Internal Affairs Investigators. Normal working routines will resume on the 26th December 2021.
During this time, you can contact:
• Their respective Line Managers, or;
• Chief of Department Acerius who will be On-Call throughout this entire period and will be working as normal.
It is up to each individual by personal choice as to whether they would like to continue undertaking their responsibilities during this period.
Recognition for former Head of People Services, Steven Arnott (Jord)
On Wednesday 1st December 2021, Jord tendered his resignation to the Chief of Department for both his position as Head of People Services as well as a PLPD colleague. We would like to thank him for his service in the Department as well as his boundless dedication to People Services. Jord has been a significant influencer in shaping the Department into what it is today and helping to steer the ship into a better place.
Changes to how People Services is led and how it operates
Following Jord’s resignation, proposals were made regarding the future of People Services as a division. We have held numerous discussions as well as a consultation with command teams across the Department.
The following changes will be enacted:
• People Services will be renamed to Public Relations and will no longer report to the Head of Administrative Services. Instead, it will be moved to direct reporting to the Chiefs of Department, similar to that of Development Services.
• The “Human Resources” element of People Services (resignations, reinstatements, inactivity notices et cetera) will be absorbed by the primary command teams. This means that the division will now focus solely on communications such as the Monthly Roundup, as well as the Satisfaction Survey.
• Applications will open shortly for a new Head of Public Relations. As the nature of the division will be limited in both scope and responsibility, the position will no longer attract a promotion but rather only an administrative bonus.
• The Head of Public Relations post will have no rank requirement and even Civilian Staff can take the post. We will also be strongly encouraging non-command members to apply, and we will prioritise non-command applicants for selection.
The application form for the Head of Public Relations will open end of December 2021/start of January 2022.
Introduction of the Policy Board
We will be introducing a new Policy Board who will assist us in the extensive policy review currently being undertaken across the entire Department. The Policy Board will sit under Administrative Services and be chaired by its Line Manager (Collier will take the substantive position as Chairman as the current Head of Administrative Services).
The Policy Board will operate as follows:Following Jord’s resignation, proposals were made regarding the future of People Services as a division. We have held numerous discussions as well as a consultation with command teams across the Department.
The following changes will be enacted:
• People Services will be renamed to Public Relations and will no longer report to the Head of Administrative Services. Instead, it will be moved to direct reporting to the Chiefs of Department, similar to that of Development Services.
• The “Human Resources” element of People Services (resignations, reinstatements, inactivity notices et cetera) will be absorbed by the primary command teams. This means that the division will now focus solely on communications such as the Monthly Roundup, as well as the Satisfaction Survey.
• Applications will open shortly for a new Head of Public Relations. As the nature of the division will be limited in both scope and responsibility, the position will no longer attract a promotion but rather only an administrative bonus.
• The Head of Public Relations post will have no rank requirement and even Civilian Staff can take the post. We will also be strongly encouraging non-command members to apply, and we will prioritise non-command applicants for selection.
The application form for the Head of Public Relations will open end of December 2021/start of January 2022.
Introduction of the Policy Board
We will be introducing a new Policy Board who will assist us in the extensive policy review currently being undertaken across the entire Department. The Policy Board will sit under Administrative Services and be chaired by its Line Manager (Collier will take the substantive position as Chairman as the current Head of Administrative Services).
• Any command member who is in post on a substantive and permanent basis will become a Permanent Member of the Policy Board.
• The Policy Board has the power by way of a unanimous vote to invite non-command members to join the Policy Board as a Co-opted Member. Permanent Members can propose anyone they feel would be suitable at a Policy Board meeting for membership.
• The Policy Board can make recommendations for new policies, changes to or removal of current policies, and redline policy suggestions put to them. These recommendations are made to the Office of the Chiefs of Department.
• The Policy Board will initially work through the Chiefs’ Programme of changes and will then move on to autonomously review and create policies on their own.
The new Policy Board will officially come into effect early January 2022 when its Terms of Reference are agreed upon.
Revocation of Written Order #1337 and reintroduction of Staff Sergeants
To expand opportunities for the most effective and dedicated Sergeants, we will be revoking Written Order #1337 and reintroducing Staff Sergeant as an obtainable rank. The rank of Staff Sergeant will be introduced as a “Junior Command Role” who will report to Lieutenants in their duties.
To reflect this change and for parity, both the Head of Dispatch and Head of Development Services divisions now attract a Lieutenant position - this will enable potential introduction of Staff Sergeants in those divisions in the future.
It is a great opportunity and also allows colleagues to showcase their ability for potential leadership positions in the future. Staff Sergeant will work as follows:
• The initial rollout of Staff Sergeants will be for the primary command teams only, Patrol and Traffic. There will be 4 posts for each division, with a Lieutenant taking responsibility for 2. You will need to be a current member of the division to apply for its Staff Sergeant role.
• On the application form you will be able to indicate an order of preference for what sort of functional responsibilities you would like to undertake. This is not guaranteed however and is subject to Department needs.
• As Staff Sergeant is now a Junior Command Role, you will be expected to undergo the new quarterly Performance Development Review. Underperformance or misconduct may result in a demotion.
• You will only be able to apply if you are currently a permanent and substantive Sergeant.
The rollout of Staff Sergeants will commence in early January 2022. Further communications will be released nearer the time.
Public engagement opportunities and introduction of Pan PLPD
To introduce greater transparency and engagement between the Chiefs and the rest of the Department, there will be a number of engagement opportunities. The first of which will be scheduled public engagement sessions, known as Pan PLPD.
These will run as follows:
• The sessions will be hosted on a quarterly basis, namely in March, June, September, and December. The first session which will be an end-of-year review and forward look for 2022 will be in early January 2022.
• The sessions will be hosted on the PERPHeads official Discord server using stage channels. There will be an overview of Satisfaction Survey results, complaint statistics and any other notes from the Chiefs. It will then move on to submitted questions.
• Anyone can submit a question directed to either the Chiefs or a current command member in-advance via a Google Form which will be circulated prior. You can choose to remain anonymous on the form or put your name to it.
• Questions will be moderated and there will be some “House Rules” to prevent any conflict or derailment and a minimum of 1 hour will be dedicated to the session.
We will also ensure that once the Head of Public Relations post is filled that the Satisfaction Survey happens on a quarterly basis also. There will also be a new initiative whereby the Chief of Department will hold “Office Hours” whereby anyone can book appointment slot(s) to meet with the Chief on TeamSpeak. This time is your time and can be used for anything that you may find useful. This will not prevent contacting the Chief outside of these hours.
There will also be new initiatives held in the New Year such as an Observation Report Writing Workshop and an Access to Leadership Programme. More communications on these initiatives will be released late January 2022.
Performance Development Reviews (PDRs) and Command Check-Ins
Two new programmes are being introduced to assist the Chiefs of Department in evaluating the effectiveness of command teams as well as ensuring that they are as well supported as possible. The first programme is PDRs which will happen on a quarterly basis, and the second is Command Check-Ins which will happen on a monthly basis. The difference is that PDRs are focused on an individual whereas Command Check-Ins are focused on the team as a whole.
The two programmes will work in tandem with one another in the following capacity:
• PDRs will provide a checklist and grading system of discussion topics which helps to outline any cause of concern. These will be conducted by the rank senior (Chiefs do Majors, Majors do Captains et cetera) and countersigned by the Chiefs.
• Command Check-Ins are a formal meeting with allocated time set aside whereby commands can outline what’s been going well, what requires improvement, and how the Chiefs can support them. The Command Check-Ins will require the attendance of command teams and the Chiefs, with both Majors being welcomed to join also.
That concludes this announcement. If you have any further questions, comments or concerns then please direct a Helpdesk Ticket to the Chiefs of Department and a member of the Senior Management Team will aim to respond to you as soon as possible.
Kind regards,• The Policy Board has the power by way of a unanimous vote to invite non-command members to join the Policy Board as a Co-opted Member. Permanent Members can propose anyone they feel would be suitable at a Policy Board meeting for membership.
• The Policy Board can make recommendations for new policies, changes to or removal of current policies, and redline policy suggestions put to them. These recommendations are made to the Office of the Chiefs of Department.
• The Policy Board will initially work through the Chiefs’ Programme of changes and will then move on to autonomously review and create policies on their own.
The new Policy Board will officially come into effect early January 2022 when its Terms of Reference are agreed upon.
Revocation of Written Order #1337 and reintroduction of Staff Sergeants
To expand opportunities for the most effective and dedicated Sergeants, we will be revoking Written Order #1337 and reintroducing Staff Sergeant as an obtainable rank. The rank of Staff Sergeant will be introduced as a “Junior Command Role” who will report to Lieutenants in their duties.
To reflect this change and for parity, both the Head of Dispatch and Head of Development Services divisions now attract a Lieutenant position - this will enable potential introduction of Staff Sergeants in those divisions in the future.
It is a great opportunity and also allows colleagues to showcase their ability for potential leadership positions in the future. Staff Sergeant will work as follows:
• The initial rollout of Staff Sergeants will be for the primary command teams only, Patrol and Traffic. There will be 4 posts for each division, with a Lieutenant taking responsibility for 2. You will need to be a current member of the division to apply for its Staff Sergeant role.
• On the application form you will be able to indicate an order of preference for what sort of functional responsibilities you would like to undertake. This is not guaranteed however and is subject to Department needs.
• As Staff Sergeant is now a Junior Command Role, you will be expected to undergo the new quarterly Performance Development Review. Underperformance or misconduct may result in a demotion.
• You will only be able to apply if you are currently a permanent and substantive Sergeant.
The rollout of Staff Sergeants will commence in early January 2022. Further communications will be released nearer the time.
Public engagement opportunities and introduction of Pan PLPD
To introduce greater transparency and engagement between the Chiefs and the rest of the Department, there will be a number of engagement opportunities. The first of which will be scheduled public engagement sessions, known as Pan PLPD.
These will run as follows:
• The sessions will be hosted on a quarterly basis, namely in March, June, September, and December. The first session which will be an end-of-year review and forward look for 2022 will be in early January 2022.
• The sessions will be hosted on the PERPHeads official Discord server using stage channels. There will be an overview of Satisfaction Survey results, complaint statistics and any other notes from the Chiefs. It will then move on to submitted questions.
• Anyone can submit a question directed to either the Chiefs or a current command member in-advance via a Google Form which will be circulated prior. You can choose to remain anonymous on the form or put your name to it.
• Questions will be moderated and there will be some “House Rules” to prevent any conflict or derailment and a minimum of 1 hour will be dedicated to the session.
We will also ensure that once the Head of Public Relations post is filled that the Satisfaction Survey happens on a quarterly basis also. There will also be a new initiative whereby the Chief of Department will hold “Office Hours” whereby anyone can book appointment slot(s) to meet with the Chief on TeamSpeak. This time is your time and can be used for anything that you may find useful. This will not prevent contacting the Chief outside of these hours.
There will also be new initiatives held in the New Year such as an Observation Report Writing Workshop and an Access to Leadership Programme. More communications on these initiatives will be released late January 2022.
Performance Development Reviews (PDRs) and Command Check-Ins
Two new programmes are being introduced to assist the Chiefs of Department in evaluating the effectiveness of command teams as well as ensuring that they are as well supported as possible. The first programme is PDRs which will happen on a quarterly basis, and the second is Command Check-Ins which will happen on a monthly basis. The difference is that PDRs are focused on an individual whereas Command Check-Ins are focused on the team as a whole.
The two programmes will work in tandem with one another in the following capacity:
• PDRs will provide a checklist and grading system of discussion topics which helps to outline any cause of concern. These will be conducted by the rank senior (Chiefs do Majors, Majors do Captains et cetera) and countersigned by the Chiefs.
• Command Check-Ins are a formal meeting with allocated time set aside whereby commands can outline what’s been going well, what requires improvement, and how the Chiefs can support them. The Command Check-Ins will require the attendance of command teams and the Chiefs, with both Majors being welcomed to join also.
That concludes this announcement. If you have any further questions, comments or concerns then please direct a Helpdesk Ticket to the Chiefs of Department and a member of the Senior Management Team will aim to respond to you as soon as possible.
Office of the Chiefs of Department
and
Senior Management Team
