You have been elected Sheriff and upon taking office have determined that the department seems disorganized and unfocused. You believe that a clear mission statement is the first step in bringing the department back on track. Review the mission statements from at least three Sheriff's offices or city police departments and create a 4- to 5-page report in Microsoft Word that covers the following: •Identify the departments you reviewed. •Describe how well each one meets the goal of providing a clear mission for the department. Identify the best parts of each, and indicate any changes or additions you would make. •Next, develop a proper mission statement for your department. Be sure that your mission statement spells out the department's goals and priorities. Keep in mind that the mission statement will be viewed by the public and should reflect well on your department, so proper spelling and grammar is critical. The mission statements you reviewed above should provide guidance.
¶ … police departments and sheriff departments vary in terms of their layout, length, and specific content. However, they share some core elements in common such as the commitment to the community. This paper analyses three sheriff department mission statements, seeking their commonalities as well as differences. Building on this analysis, a proper mission statement tailored for my department will be presented. The proper mission statement will take into account the size and composition of the local community served, the makeup of the personnel, and the goals and priorities of the community.
The first department's mission statement to be evaluated is the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office in New Jersey. The Atlantic County Sheriff's Office organizes its mission statement into sections. The first section is an overview, followed by sections on professional responsibility, community responsiveness, integrity, dedication, cooperation, innovation, fiscal management, and office goals. These sections make the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office mission statement comprehensive in scope. The second department's mission statement to be evaluated is the Cook County Sheriff's Office in Illinois. Contrary to the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office, the Cook County Sheriff's Office maintains a terse mission statement that includes only two paragraphs. It is many times more general than the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office mission statement, which has both advantages and disadvantages. Finally, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office in Colorado will be evaluated too. Unlike either the Atlantic County or Cook County Sheriff's Offices, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office mission statement focuses on a list of values to which the department aspires as opposed to either concrete goals or generalized statements.
The advantages of the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office mission statement are its level of detail and thoroughness. With a mission statement this specific and lengthy, it is less likely to encounter ambiguities or miscommunications with regards to departmental policy or procedure. The Cook County Sheriff's Office mission statement offers greater flexibility, which may be helpful in certain situations in which political expediency is an issue. However, there is more room for corruption when a mission statement remains too vague. The Cook County Sheriff's Office does pledge allegiance to the state and federal constitutions, and also affirms a commitment to "respect, fairness, and compassion." The Boulder County Sheriff's Office also mentions a commitment to the constitutions of the State of Colorado as well as the United States of America. While the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office does not specifically mention allegiance to the state and federal constitutions, such an affirmation should at least be implied. Keywords like "respect" and "community" occur in the mission statements of all three of these sheriff's departments. Words like "fairness" and "partnership" occur only in the mission statements of Cook County and Atlantic County, but not in Boulder.
Although it is brief, the Cook County Sheriff's Department mission statement offers a succinct impression that covers all of the core bases such as commitment to the law, partnership with community, the protection of life and property, and the preservation of peace, law, and order. These are the most fundamental features and functions of the sheriff's department anywhere. Moreover, it is important to note that the Cook County Sheriff's Department mentions maintenance of quality of life as part of the department's mission.
Quality of life is not mentioned in the Boulder County Sheriff's Department's mission statement, but is in Atlantic County. It is important for quality of life to be included in a mission statement, because it is an overarching goal of any social and political institution in the community. Only Boulder County Sheriff's Department mentions diversity, which is something that should be included in a mission statement from the perspective both of citizens and personnel. Likewise, it is important to note personal responsibility and employee ethics as part of a mission statement because eof the way it would influence human resources policy decisions.
Of these three mission statements, the most effective is the Atlantic County Sheriff's Department because of its level of specificity. However, some core elements from the Cook County and Boulder County mission statements should be included when crafting our model mission statement. The following is a proper mission statement for our sheriff's department.
Mission Statement
The goal of the Sheriff's Department is to protect and serve all people in accordance with the law, and with the ultimate goal of creating and maintaining a high quality of life in the community. High quality of life is in part defined by respect and tolerance, as well as safety and order. To serve the primary goal of promoting a high quality of life, the Sheriff's Department will work with any and all community organizations as willing partners. The Department values cooperation, compassion, and communication. All stakeholders will be treated with respect, and in accordance with egalitarian values and social justice. Discrimination will not be tolerated, either within the Sheriff's Office or in the community at large. Ultimately, the laws of the county, state, and nation are our primary provision. The preservation of human rights and liberties is also our mission.
Safety and the protection of life and property are cornerstones of the Sheriff's Office responsibilities. To serve this goal, the department will maintain ethical standards in the conduction of investigations. All employees are to be held accountable for their actions, and corruption will not be tolerated. Members of the Sheriff's Department are expected to be personally invested in their work and be accountable for their actions as well as those of team members. Furthermore, the department operates with a cooperative and collaborative framework that facilitates the carrying out of the core goals of the Sheriff's Office. It is our mission to serve as role models for the community, that successive generations will reap the benefits of our work and enjoy the fruits of our labor. This means that the tenor of community discussions, and the specific programs we help to spearhead will become entrenched in the community. It is our mission to be part of an outstanding community characterized not only by safety, but also by creativity and quality of life.
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