NCJ Number
182944
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 67 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2000 Pages: 34-37
Date Published
January 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Using an innovative management tool, the Torrance Police Department (California) upgraded an officer's position to that of a sergeant and created a full-time court liaison sergeant's (CLS) position; the cost savings were immediate and continue to increase.
Abstract
In the first week of the program, the CLS found a fresh batch of subpoenas waiting on his desk. In reviewing them, he noted a case with 17 officers subpoenaed for an upcoming preliminary hearing. He immediately called the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office and spoke with the handling district attorney. When he questioned the necessity of so many officers, she informed him that the case was being continued, and no officers would need to appear for the original subpoenaed date. The sergeant asked her to review the case to determine which officers were absolutely necessary before re-subpoenaing for the preliminary hearing. The district attorney called back the next day and said she would need only six officers to appear. In this case alone, the Torrance Police Department would have paid out approximately $2,525 in court overtime if court case management had not been used. During that same week, two other cases with subpoenas for six to eight officers were received. The follow-up calls to the prosecuting attorneys reduced those numbers by half. The total savings in court overtime for that one week were more than $5,000.