Location: Baraboo,WI, USA
The Chief of Police performs responsible administrative and supervisory police work directing all activities and employees of the Baraboo Police Department. The City and the Department expect the Chief to be an effective leader engaged with their employees, able to collaborate with others within and outside of the Department, and able to enthusiastically embrace challenges and opportunities to innovate and improve. The Chief must be a highly skilled developer of talent who uses that talent to ensure the Department moves forward. The Chief must be comfortable making decisions and able to skillfully implement those decisions. The successful candidate must be able to build trust and confidence with all interested segments of the community. The Chief must be able to use their interpersonal skills to develop and maintain effective relationships and to use those relationships to create critical communication pathways throughout the Department and the community it serves.
Supervision Received:
Appointed by the Police Commission. Supervised by the Mayor and City Administrator, operates under policies established by the City Council, with oversight of those policies by the Public Safety Committee.
This position description has been prepared to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty required by this position. It is not intended as a complete list of specific duties and responsibilities. It also is not intended to limit or modify the right of the department management to assign, direct, and control the work of employees in this position. The City of Baraboo and the Police Commission reserve and retain any and all rights to change, modify, amend, add to, or delete from any section of the position description, as they deem appropriate.
The City of Baraboo is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. The City of Baraboo is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or other legally prohibited characteristics.
The Chief of Police is responsible for directing all police functions of the City including planning, organizing and controlling patrol, criminal investigations, records, and related services. The work also includes preparing an annual budget, insuring proper training, and discipline of all department members. The Chief of Police has the responsibility of promoting teamwork, productivity, morale, and punctuality within the department. The Chief of Police is responsible for the adherence to a chain of command by all members of the Department. The Chief of Police is responsible for the supervision of the Police Department with the support and cooperation of the Mayor, the City Council, and City Administrator within the guidelines of Wis. Stat 62 13. The Chief of Police exercises law enforcement powers and responsibilities assigned under Wisconsin Statutes and the Code of Ordinances for the City of Baraboo.
The Police Chief is responsible for:
Strategic Leadership:
o Take an active role in setting the tone and the vision for the Department aligned with the needs of the community.
o Be forward thinking, look beyond the status quo and envision what will be effective for the future.
o Be able to reach beyond the Police Department and collaborate across agencies to push forward public safety, recognizing that the goal of public safety is a community interest.
o Ensure their strategic perspective translates into day-to-day actions (e.g., policies, procedures, attitude, and comportment) including open communication and accountability at all levels.
o Demonstrate through word and deed the leadership behaviors of valuing the diversity of thought and background in consideration of the strategic vision.
o Balance the needs of different constituencies within the community to ensure effective police services are provided to all.
o Serve as a role model for the Department in interacting with the community and beyond, guiding the staff in this process, and ensuring community relations are effectively addressed at all levels.
o Must lead by example and instill confidence in stakeholders and employees regarding the overall tone and direction of policing, ensuring that the Department is prepared to meet the needs of the future.
Team Leadership:
o Be prepared to identify and build a strong leadership team who will be actively involved with the officers and supervisors.
o Motivate and interact with the rank and file, while respecting the chain of command.
o Demonstrate care and concern for officers' wellness.
o Foster ownership among all employees in the goals of the Department including ensuring an accountability at all levels for actions taken.
o Reinforce the values of inclusion and equity when interacting with and/or leading others.
o An open communication approach where officers. and supervisors feel comfortable reporting both successes and failures is critical.
Operational Readiness/Emergency Action:
o Actively evaluate and train the Department to ensure that it is positioned to handle a range of law enforcement responsibilities such as patrol, investigations, security, and other emergencies including natural and man-made disasters.
o This readiness includes ensuring that training matches the operational and community needs, and that officers' actions match the Department's intent.
o Use modern policing methods including the use of crime statistics, crime prediction, and community-oriented policing.
o Must collaborate with others (cities, departments, task forces, regional working groups, etc.) within the region to address and solve problems/issues affecting the community recognizing that Baraboo, while a medium-sized community, is affected by communities around it.
o Be the face of the Department and be prepared to respond to and support officers in the field.
Community Relations:
o Capable of and comfortable with interacting and responding to the community on current and trending issues of interest.
o Embrace a community-oriented approach to policing, seeing the value in personal interactions, and modeling this behavior in order to lead the Department forward.
o Work to build trust and confidence in the Police Department with various stakeholders, looking for opportunities to be inclusive when seeking out community involvement.
o Be proactive and transparent in the workings of the Department and able to communicate the challenges related to law enforcement and the steps taken to address the community's concerns.
Managerial Stewardship
o Must be able to perform a variety of management capabilities.
o Will partner with other City departments on budget management, HR policies and procedures, legal processes/procedures, use of technology, and use of metrics/data to evaluate Department performance.
o Must maintain a good working relationship with the police union while advising the City's negotiating team in collective bargaining and administering the applicable collective bargaining agreements.
o Managing collective bargaining to the best interest of the City and community.
o Develop and implement practices to limit the environmental impact of the department and provide long-term sustainability
Government Relations:
o The Chief works with the City Administrator on day-to-day operations, the Common Council and Public Safety Committee on policy issues, and the Police Commission on hiring, firing, and discipline of employees.
o Will serve as the primary point of contact with other agencies within the City, State, and country, and within the law enforcement community and should be sensitive to legislative issues related to police that may impact the Department and the City.
Budget and Financial Management:
o Identifies priorities for budget consideration and oversees the acquisition and use of resources in a fiscally sound manner.
o Must ensure that financial decisions align with the City and the community.
o Must be able to seek out additional sources of revenue as needed and appropriate (e.g., financial assistance through grant writing or joint projects with other law enforcement agencies.)
o Involved and active in ensuring the Department is sensitive to a broader citywide perspective on budget demands to be more innovative, efficient, and effective.
Other:
o Serves as staff liaison to boards, committees, and commissions; attends various evening meetings, seminars, and training sessions, and represents the City in its law enforcement capacity; participates in professional organizations; responds to public record requests in accordance with state law; develops innovative solutions to attracting, retaining, and promoting diversity in the work force.
The Chief of Police hires, promotes and disciplines subordinates in conjunction with the Police Commission under Wis. Stat. 62.13 and the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
The Chief of Police develops, implements, and enforces all Department rules and regulations, policies and procedures and general work methods.
The Chief of Police develops and maintains all departmental personnel files and training files.
The Chief of Police is the legal custodian for all departmental records.
The Chief of Police is responsible for Department personnel and scheduling.
The Chief of Police is responsible to conduct annual employee evaluations.
The Chief of Police is responsible for the proficiency and general maintenance of Department equipment.
The Chief of Police may, at times, be responsible for performing all the duties of a patrol officer including patrolling, answering complaints, conducting investigations, making arrests, and completing all necessary paperwork and reports.
* Bachelor's Degree in police science, criminal justice, public administration, psychology, sociology or other related field required, or the equivalent combination of education and experience; a relevant Master's Degree or higher is preferred.
* Must have at least ten (10) years of police experience with at least five (5) of those years being increasingly responsible management experience in a command level capacity with a range of operational and administrative experience in an urban/suburban police department.
* Wisconsin State certification as a Police Officer or be able to obtain certification within one year of employment
* Valid driver's license at time of application. If out of state, a WI license must be obtained within 60 days of hire.
* Certification of firearms training and continuous education proficiencies are mandated yearly.
* Must not have been convicted of any federal felony or of any offense which if committed in Wisconsin could be punished as a felony unless there has been granted an absolute and unconditional pardon.
* Must not have been convicted of any misdemeanor crime of domestic violence unless there has been granted an absolute and unconditional pardon.
* Must be a United States citizen.
* Must be of good character.
* Must be free from any physical, emotional or mental condition which might adversely affect performance of duties as a law enforcement officer.
* Must maintain primary residency within fifteen miles of the City's jurisdictional limits. Residence must be obtained within six (6) months of acceptance of the offer of employment
* Completion of an advanced police leadership training, such as the FBI National Academy, Senior Management Institute for Police, or the Northwestern University School of Police or similar is preferred.
* Must be able to pass a comprehensive law enforcement background investigation and psychological assessment.
Additional Considerations:
* Extensive knowledge of modern law enforcement practices, principles & policies required; must be comfortable using these policing methods including the use of crime statistics, crime prediction, and community-oriented policing.
* Extensive experience in driving law enforcement practices that exemplify fairness, consistency, respect for differences and absolute compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and departmental and citywide policies.
* Superior verbal and written communication skills.
* Must be able to motivate and lead by example through honesty, integrity, openness, and transparency.
* Leadership experience in a variety of management functions such as HR, legal, performance management, discipline, recruitment, budget, and labor negotiations preferred.
* Proven ability to foster effective and positive working relationships with external and internal stakeholders, including employees, residents, visitors and city officials.
Valid Wisconsin Class D operator's license
Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB) Certified