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RECRUITMENT
PROFILE
CHIEF OF POLICE
TOWN OF MANCHESTER, CONNECTICUT
This Recruitment
Profile outlines factors of qualification and experience identified as necessary
and desirable for candidates for the Chief of Police position. The Profile
was prepared following discussion with the General Manager, Mayor, Department
Heads, employees of the Town of Manchester Police Department and a representation
of community groups and organizations.
This profile will be used as a guide in the recruitment process, providing
specific criteria by which applications will be screened and individuals selected
for interview and appointment consideration.
All inquires relating to the recruitment and selection process for the Police
Chief position are to be directed to:
Town of Manchester
Dede Moore, Director
of Human Resources
Human Resources Department
41 Center Street, P.O. Box 191
Manchester, CT 06045-0191
Telephone: (860) 647-3126 Fax: (860) 647-524
www.ci.manchester.ct.us
The Town of Manchester is a small city located 10 miles east of Hartford, Connecticut. Inside its 27 square miles almost 55,000 people live in over 24,000 housing units. These people and homes are located in a variety of neighborhoods. They range from the traditional grid street, pedestrian-oriented mixed-use neighborhoods built between 1860 and 1920, to the street car suburbs of the 1930's to post WWII tract housing developments up until the most recent wave of large lot subdivisions with single-family homes, or large, luxury rental apartments.
An agricultural community in colonial times, Manchester developed as a series of industrial villages. Residential neighborhoods and small supporting commercial establishments were built around the sites of paper, saw, and textile mills. As the industrial age flourished, Manchester's small mills evolved into much larger complexes, culminating with the Cheney Silk Mills in southern Manchester. This industrial heritage has continued to include modern industrial parks built in the 1960's, 70's and 80's that are currently the site of over 200 diverse manufacturing, processing, machining, and warehouse and distribution establishments.
The town also evolved from a commercial base with small neighborhood establishments to include a central business district, community shopping centers, and now one of the largest regional commercial centers in Connecticut, with over 2.75 million square feet of shopping, entertainment, and services.
Throughout its development Manchester has proven remarkably resilient, and the great majority of the community is intact. Manchester’s Main Street business district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The town also boasts the largest historic district in the State of Connecticut, and one of the only five National Historic Landmark Districts in Connecticut. The preservation and stabilization of these historic neighborhoods are among the town's continuing priorities.
Manchester Town Hall
Manchester is a highly accessible community, which contributes in large part to our ability to succeed and adapt to changes in technology, transportation, and social and cultural conditions since our incorporation in 1832. Only 10 miles east of Hartford, the State Capital, the town is a 25-minute drive from Bradley International Airport, 45 minutes from either New Haven or Springfield, Massachusetts, 1-1/2 hours to Boston and two hours to New York City. Two interstate highways, I-84 and I-384 merge at our western boundary to join I-291, which connects to I-91. This accessibility has helped us maintain our locational advantage for residential, industrial, and commercial activity.
Manchester boasts an extensive system of neighborhood, community and regional parks and recreational facilities. With one of the largest public school systems in the state we are also home to the largest community college campus. Manchester Memorial Hospital is a full service medical institution. Our 2,000 acres of open space and watershed land, and 500 acres of park and recreation facilities, and a growing system of bikeways and trails, provide a range of amenities accessible to all members of the community.
Because of Manchester’s accessibility, the affordability of much of its housing, employment opportunities, the availability of developable land, and the full range of municipal and private sector services Manchester is an attractive and desirable community for people of all incomes, ages and races. The community must deal with demands for increased services as our population increases and new residences and streets are built.
Manchester's government and town departments welcome the challenge of accommodating new development while at the same time preserving and enhancing our older historic neighborhoods. This requires us to work together to deliver the best mix of resources and types of services to the different areas and populations that make up the Town of Manchester.
Government Organization
The Town of Manchester adopted a council/manager form of government in 1947. Manchester has earned the reputation of being an efficient and responsive local government throughout the region and the state. A nine member Board of Directors is elected every two years and serves as the legislative body of the municipality. The title of Mayor traditionally goes to the highest vote getter on the majority party of the Board. The Mayor serves as the Chairman of the Board and presides over Board meetings.
The Board of Directors appoints the general manager. The General Manager acts as the chief executive officer of the town and appoints all Department Heads who serve as part of the senior management team. The current General Manager, Steven R. Werbner, was sworn in by the Board of Directors on December 19, 2001. He previously served as Manchester’s Deputy General Manager from 1983-2001. The General Manager works closely with Department Heads and encourages cross-departmental coordination and collaboration. His priorities for the organization are to always project a professional image and develop and maintain positive working relationships with the Board of Directors, appointed officials, and the public.
The town government consists of 526 full-time employees. Town departments reporting directly to the General Manager include the youth services bureau, fire department, police department, recreation, human services, finance, public works, water and sewer, planning and economic development, and human resources.
The overriding mission of the town administration is to provide high quality services and value to enrich the quality of life for our residents.
Manchester Quick Facts |
|
Total Population |
54,740 |
Square Miles |
27.6 |
Median Age |
36.5 |
Average Household Size |
2.34 |
Median Household Income (1999) |
$49,426 |
Elementary Schools |
10 |
Middle Schools |
2 |
High School |
1 |
Private or Parochial Schools |
6 |
Town Web Site: www.ci.manchester.ct.us |
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The Manchester Police Department has received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. The department was first accredited in November 1989. The department’s mission statement and principles are:
We, the members of the Manchester Police Department, with the cooperation of the community, strive to improve the quality of life for all by upholding laws, protecting lives and property, and providing a safe and secure environment.
We are committed to the following principles:
Integrity : we uphold the highest moral and ethical standards. We serve with honesty and pride in maintaining the public’s trust. We accept responsibility for our decisions and actions.
Compassion : we provide caring, respectful, and professional service while being sensitive to individual needs and concerns.
Fairness : we provide consistent and equal treatment to all through courteous and impartial service.
The department’s 2003/04 budget was adopted at just over $13 million. The Manchester Police Department staff of 122 sworn officers is made up of 83 patrol officers, 12 detectives, 17 sergeants, 6 lieutenants, 3 captains and the chief. The department also has 32 civilian support staff employees.
Police officers are members of the Manchester Police Union Local No. 1495 and Council 15, AFSCME, AFL-CIO. The current union contract will expire on June 30, 2005.
Manchester is an open and accessible small city: a major residential, employment, shopping and service center for the Hartford region. Its rapid commercial development and growing population contribute to its quality of life and high amenity value, but also contribute to the public safety issues that must be addressed. The issues below reflect and are influenced by issues in the region and in our larger society, as well as circumstances unique to Manchester.
Public safety and crime issues that we share with other communities include increasing incidents of physical and sexual assaults, robbery, vandalism and drug related crimes. These types of incidents require considerable public resources and are major concern for the community’s residents. Family issues including domestic violence, weapons in the home, and custody disputes also relate to youth crime and require resources from the department. In our large commercial areas crimes include auto theft, shoplifting, fraud, identity theft, robbery, vandalism, and occasional assault. Traffic incidents including speeding and accidents and traffic congestion have led to the creation of a separate traffic unit. Traffic concerns are perhaps the public safety and quality of life issue most often cited by our residents.
The department is transitioning from an incident driven, demand and response system to a community oriented/problem solving approach to law enforcement. The department’s overriding goal is to have this philosophy permeate the department in a manner appropriate for a mid size police department. Community policing began on a pilot basis in 1992 in an older neighborhood in the town’s historic center that was experiencing rapid socioeconomic and demographic change and increasing calls for service. The central business district, which forms one edge of the neighborhood, was also part of this initial effort. The program was successful in reducing crime, building positive relationships with neighborhood residents and business owners, and building networks with other town departments and nonprofit agencies leading to innovative and collaborative problem solving. The success of the program led to its expansion to a second neighborhood. A variation on community oriented policing was instituted in the Manchester public schools, with school resource officers assigned to the high school, the two middle schools, and to a special education school.
Manchester Police Department
The Town is committed to fully implementing the community oriented policing approach throughout the department and the community. Community oriented policing, as it currently exists in the department is due for a mid-course evaluation. The evaluation should identify what is working well, what can be improved, what changes are necessary and what should be done to complete the transition to community oriented policing throughout the department. As part of the ongoing effort to complete the transition the approach must be fully understood by all members of the department, and be implemented in a way that the resources match the philosophy so that success is assured.
The department is committed to outreach to and involvement with the community. Through this engagement the department will gain public trust and confidence, gather important information on trends that affect the community and provide the added benefit of using citizen volunteers to assist the department.
The department instituted a Citizen Police Academy, a 16-week program that educates its students in all aspects of police work and the Manchester Police Department in particular. Volunteers now participate in traffic enforcement activities, data entry, filing, and staff zone officer. The department should continue to pursue volunteer activities and initiatives, while ensuring that volunteers are properly trained and supervised in the appropriate areas and both the volunteers and department staff have clear understanding of each others roles and responsibilities.
The department has a strong commitment to recruiting and hiring officers and support staff to ensure that the department’s demographics reflect those of the community. The equitable representation of racial and ethnic minorities and men and women in the department, and at all levels of the department, is an important goal. This goal must be achieved while at the same time maintaining high standards for personnel, requiring qualifications commensurate with and appropriate to the position, and aggressive recruiting to find the highest quality candidates available while at the same time advancing our ability to increase diversity.
The department believes in positive relations with the media. Commanders and supervisors are expected to meet and speak with the press and represent the department’s philosophy, positions, and interests as well as provide facts on current news events.
The department has been involved in a leadership capacity in organizing and participating in inter-municipal and regional initiatives, recognizing that in some cases there are efficiencies and economies to be achieved through such efforts. Examples include the Tri-Town Narcotics Task Force; Metro Traffic Services; a regional special weapons team; and a computer aided dispatching, records management and mobile reporting system.
Leadership Profile for Position of Police Chief
• The chief must have complete honesty and integrity, and set and exemplify high standards for moral character and professional excellence for the department.
• The chief must be a strong leader who is passionate about the job and the community; be dedicated to the community; be persistent and follow through on initiatives until they are carried out; and lead by example.
• The chief must take responsibility for and be accountable for the community’s public safety and the operation and reputation of the department. The chief must instill that sense of responsibility and accountability throughout the rest of the department staff.
• The chief must be an excellent communicator, able to articulate goals and expectations to all department personnel, and be an active listener willing to hear and respond to the ideas, suggestions and criticisms of the department both from department personnel and from the community. The chief must be comfortable engaging all segments of the community.
• The chief must demonstrate a desire and willingness to carry out fair and effective discipline throughout the department, with consequences, which are commensurate with the offense.
• The chief must be committed to the continuing education and professional development of all department staff, both in fundamental policing skills, leading edge theory and practice and skills necessary to interact successfully with the community.
• The chief must be a proponent of community oriented policing and value its advantages for crime prevention, crime solving, intelligence gathering, and building positive relationships with all segments of the community and the local government. The chief must be able to effectively communicate and instill this philosophy throughout the department, and implement community policing in a way that is appropriate given the size of the department and community as well as the resources available.
• The chief must be able to work with local schools and social service agencies to establish effective working relationships and to deal with youth crime education, prevention, and enforcement as well as the family issues that may contribute to youth crime.
• The chief must work with other departments in the town government sharing information and resources in a collaborative effort to deal with public safety and community issues in a proactive way.
• The chief must be open-minded and willing to listen to and consider new ideas, different perspectives, and alternative approaches to policing both from inside and outside the department.
• The chief must be able to respond fairly and in a timely manner to resolve disputes and settle discussions promptly and to move on to action.
• The chief must be committed to an effective chain of command system that inspires confidence and ensures that department goals and activities are accomplished. At the same time the chief shall foster an environment where command and line staff feel empowered to use their judgment in both routine and critical situations. This will require the chief to clearly articulate policies, practices, procedures, and department expectations throughout the force.
• The chief must be committed to respecting diversity both in the community and inside the force. The chief must be willing to deal in a constructive way with the inevitable tensions that arise when a community’s racial and ethnic makeup is changing. The chief must also be committed to the principle that diversity can be a strength in the community and in the department.
Northwest Park
The Town of Manchester is seeking candidates who possess a strong commitment to professionalism and contemporary police administration and practices to direct its police department. The following factors of education, experience, command and management style as well as personal and professional traits have been identified as ideal and necessary for the Police Chief to succeed in this position. The Police Chief is appointed by the General Manager, reports to, and is evaluated by the General Manger.
To be considered for the outstanding opportunity, please submit your resume and completed employment application to:
Town of Manchester
Human Resources Department
41 Center Street, P.O. Box 191 ٠ Manchester, CT 06045-0191
Following the closing date of October 31, 2003, resumes and applications will be screened in reference to the criteria outlined in this Recruitment Profile as well as in the job description. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in an oral examination. The top scoring candidates will then be invited for an interview with the General Manager. All candidates will be advised of their status once finalists have been selected.
Applicants must be Connecticut P.O.S.T. (Police Officers Standards and Training) Certified or eligible for comparative certification by Connecticut P.O.S.T. Council. Final appointment is contingent on meeting P.O.S.T. requirements.
Police Chief
The Town of Manchester, Connecticut, population 54,740, is seeking candidates who possess a strong commitment to professionalism and contemporary police administration and practices to direct its police department. The Chief manages an annual operating budget of $13.4 million. The department is a progressive, internationally accredited law enforcement agency with 122 sworn officers and 32.5 civilians working in a variety of areas.
Manchester is a thriving, culturally diverse, full service small city, located in central Connecticut, 10 miles east of Hartford, the state capital. The Town’s 27 square miles encompass a variety of historical and new residential neighborhoods, a super regional shopping and service center, two interstate highways, and a large mixed industrial/commercial economy. Manchester operates under a council/manager form of government. The Police Chief reports directly to the General Manager.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required, supplemented by courses in police science and administration, plus 10 years of increasingly responsible experience in police work, including four years at or above lieutenant rank or equivalent. Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration or related discipline preferred. Experience with and record of success in community oriented policing, professional development, innovative management, and a diverse community and police force is desired. Must be a strong communicator, a leader, and willing to engage with all segments of the community and town government in a collaborative manner. Manchester residency during tenure required by Town Charter. Salary range is $74,749 - $112,473. If interested in this outstanding career opportunity, please submit your resume to Town of Manchester, Human Resources Department, 41 Center Street, Manchester, CT 06040; For additional information, call our Recruitment Hotline 860-674-3170 or visit our website at www.hr.ci.manchester.ct.us Resumes must be received or post-marked by October 31, 2003. EEO/M/F/QID
