NCJ Number
203965
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 71 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2004 Pages: 24,29,31
Date Published
January 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the comprehensive approach of the Washington State Patrol (WSP) leadership model, which is based on the CompStat model of policing.
Abstract
The WSP model incorporates all four core principles of the CompStat model (time information, effective tactics, rapid deployment, and assessment) but provides a more comprehensive approach by holding the agency’s nontraditional police functions, such as the fire marshal’s office and the missing child clearinghouse, to the same standards. Implemented in January 2002, the WSP model relies on weekly bureau meetings to report on outputs and outcomes. This type of close working relationship establishes an atmosphere conducive to collaboration, aggressive decisionmaking, risk taking, and sustainable success. One of the hallmarks of the WSP model is the decentralization of budget management. Each district and division of the WSP is responsible for managing and reporting on its budget, which helps to streamline operations and empower commanders to make informed decisions concerning the management of their district or division. Furthermore, as a result of the decentralization of power, the WSP provides an accountability-driven model of leadership. The 22-month review of the WSP model provided encouraging results that involve increased efficiency in police operations and increased collaborations between divisions to more effectively impact crime. Although challenges exist to sustaining this type of policing model, in the end, the accountability-driven leadership that emerges from the WSP model exposes impediments to policing progress and obligates police leaders to work with the best interests of the community and the department in mind. Endnotes