Strategic Plan

The Fargo Police Department’s strategic plan was developed as a result of a monthslong process in 2021 that involved collecting input from executive and command staff, supervisors, shift representatives and the Department at large. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) exercise resulted in crucial conversations and valuable input from staff, and Goals for Year 1 (beginning in 2022) and Years 2 through 5 were identified.

SWOT Analysis
Strengths	Weaknesses
Strengths • Technology – Body Worn Cameras (BWC), Taser 7, Evidence.com, SmartForce • Personnel – Teamwork and dedicated, common goals and values, career growth opportunities • Community Support – Trust and relationships, partnerships, social media • Funding – Pay and benefits, well equipped • Training – Professionalism, frequency and content, academy	• Internally – Personal conflicts and internal trust, communication and rumors, increased workload/operational fatigue, organizational change stressors • Externally – Social media impact • City Growth – Small town evolving into large city culture shift, exponential increase in geography and population • Personnel Attrition – Recruitment and retention




Opportunities	Threats
• Training and development – Competent & professional, regional training hub • Internal communication – Variety of committees for personnel involvement • Improved efficiencies – Technology, equipment, processes/policy, crime analysts • Upward mobility – Specialty assignments, promotional opportunities • Department makeup – Young, ability to be trained both physically and mentally, opportunity to institutionalize career development and leadership philosophy	• Increased Crime & Calls for Service (CFS) – Increase in many crime categories and CFS, failure to maintain staffing increases over time, less proactive patrol and investigative activities (traffic, etc.), adverse effect on community trust • Internal Miscommunications – Rumors not corrected with facts or allowed to perpetuate, not supporting each other and/or supervisory decisions, individual priority over teamwork

Year 1 Goals and Objectives

Implement comprehensive Officer Wellness Program.

Attend International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Officer Safety and Wellness conference March 2022.
Identify needed resources.
Contract and budget to obtain needed resources.
Collaborate with HR and Employee Health.
Run pilot program as appropriate.
Create policy.
Train staff on policy.
Implement full program.
Evaluate and sustain program.

Reduce officer attrition.

Improve teamwork between teams, shifts and divisions.
Create culture of positive coaching and personnel development.
Improve consistent communication up and down.
Increase internal opportunities for special duty assignments.
Enhance Community Service Officer (CSO) training and certifications.

Increase recruitment and retention.

Graduate and hire 20 sworn personnel (minimum) from academy class.
Create and maintain list of eligible officer candidates.
Expand recruitment reach: recruit 5 lateral hires (minimum).
Enhance recruitment website.
Request 6 additional officer Full-Time Employee (FTE) positions in 2023 budget for Neighborhood Services Division (NSD) Patrol Unit staffing.
Address holiday pay issue for NSD.

Reduce CFS and increase efficiencies.

Implement online reporting.
Review and adjust CFS priority level protocols.
Identify non-police related CFS and eliminate/refer to appropriate entity.
Review and update department policy/Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for efficiency.
Review and implement improved dispatch model (areas, etc.).
Train more personnel in Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)—consider CSOs.
Solve redundancy between evidence tracker and Record Management System.
Cage cars for Street Crimes Unit (SCU).
Increase use of internal transcription or implement transcription service.
Increase community partnerships and outreach: in person/social media, explorers, etc.
Hire Office Manager in Records Unit.
Purchase laptops for Records Unit personnel.
Restructure Records Unit work area.
Reclaim Engagement Center for CET programming.
Identify report writing area on south side.

Enhance response to speeding issues citywide.

Provide Overtime (OT) for special traffic safety unit operations—Q3/Q4 2022.
Utilize motorcycles more.
Purchase necessary equipment for motorcycles.
Deploy bicycle unit to specific areas.
Implement training for pursuit driving and update policy.
Research and implement new technology regarding fleeing vehicles.

Address overdose issue.

Enhance drug trafficking investigative efforts both state and federal via Cass County Drug Task Force (CCDTF).
Collaborate with other service providers to address addiction.
Enhance prosecutions and charging decisions for drug traffickers.

Create tactical/strategic/administrative intelligence and analysis presentations/meetings, etc.

Complete onboard and training of new analysts by end Q1 2022.
Start to identify, analyze, and push out tactical and strategic crime intelligence to line staff.
Design and schedule monthly regional criminal intelligence and analysis meetings.
Design and implement monthly executive staff strategic/administrative presentations.

Increase perception of safety in downtown/business area.

Increase mental health/addiction collaborations.
Open Downtown sub-station and increase presence.
Implement designated transportation pick up locations (taxi, Uber, etc.)
Track and follow up on prosecutor charging and judicial bail decisions for repeat/violent offenders.
Identify repeat mental health users/challenges.

Increase investigative clearance rates for: Homicide, Rape, Aggravated Assault (Shootings/Shots Fired), Robbery, Burglary, Arson and Motor Vehicle Theft.

Enhance crime analytics and link analysis to target repeat offenders.
Increase certification training for detectives.
Research and implement a bona fide case management system for investigations.

Year 2-5 Goals and Objectives

Implement mental health response collaborations.

Partner to expand mobile crisis response.
Work with regional partners to enhance 211 handoff.
Work with city and state elected officials to address needed mental health facility.

Create a south side police station facility.

Functional station for south side district operations.
Supports growth of city to south.

Create a regional training facility with a range.

Include range and track.
Host two academy classes per year.
Host regional training (revenue enhancer).

Create a police campus area at headquarters.

Vacate 24th St. N—100 block.
Enclose personnel parking area.

Obtain sufficient evidence storage for vehicles.

Acquire nearby building for evidence storage of vehicles.

Implement career and leadership development programs.

Partner with ND Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and IACP to host two Leadership in Police Organizations and First Line Leadership classes per year.

Add additional civilian positions and enhance community responsiveness.

Create a victim advocate position.
Create a grant writing position.
Collaborate to add a landlord/tenant position in Planning and Development.
Add 2 FTE SROs.
Add 1 FTE Civilian Juvenile Diversion manager.

Increase investigative staffing as needed.

Conduct 2022 study of case loads.
2023 FTE Detective/Investigator request for 2024 Budget.

Create a police foundation.
Increase sworn staffing to 1.6 per thousand residents.

Start a new academy in January and hire recruits prior to start on probationary status.
Recruit and successfully graduate 30 candidates for 2023 academy.

Transition Specialized Services Unit to a full division.

Add 1 captain.
Add another bus for programming transportation.

Increase traffic safety/enforcement.

Create Traffic Safety Unit via 2023 budget request for 5 officers/1 Sergeant in NSD, specifically the Specialized Services Unit.
Hire 5 new officers and 1 sergeant approved in 2023 budget.
Implement replacement purchase plan for motorcycles.
Work with state legislators to implement felony fleeing and owner responsibility law.
Plan for motorcycle replacement in 2025.

Enhance Intelligence and Analysis Unit capacity to a regional State-Local Intelligence Center (SLIC).
Enhance recruitment and retention.

Sick leave incentive or monetary value.
Research corporal rank options.
Succession planning for executive and command staff.

Reduce CFS and create efficiencies.

Research and implement more efficient district dispatch model.
Eliminate officer response to animal calls except exigent circumstances.

Enhance community relationships, trust, and collaboration.

Continue training and education of the Police Advisory and Oversight Board.
Host community meetings to better educate and grow community knowledge and participation in public safety.
Enhance and expand Community Engagement Team efforts citywide.