BACKGROUND:
The Police Department currently has 70 policies governing the actions, standards and expectations of all police personnel. Officers of every rank are expected to know the details of each policy, review them regularly and adjust operations whenever policies are updated. Reviews must be performed regularly to update policies to conform with changes in law, current best practices and to make adjustments whenever department policy fails to address unforeseen situations. Maintaining up-to-date policies and ensuring that all police personnel are aware and trained on current or changing policies has become a challenge as the agency continues to grow and law enforcement standards continue to evolve.
It has also become a common practice for police agencies to publish policies on various issues. When a policy is updated, the new policy must be published to promote public trust that the agency remains transparent.
Power DMS is a secure cloud-based repository to manage policies and procedures. The software will enhance the department's ability to develop, review, approve and distribute policies. The software also promotes accountability by tracking signatures and building custom tests so that personnel demonstrate their full understanding of each policy. Power DMS also provides police personnel access to policies from any device and ensures that only the current version of each policy is available. Select policies will also be available to be viewed by the public and the software will immediately update the published version whenever changes are made.
Power DMS is also a tool used by many Michigan law enforcement agencies to streamline the process of accreditation through the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (MLEAC). Accreditation through MLEAC is a long-term goal for the police department. The use of and familiarization with Power DMS will assist in the path toward that goal.