THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 22, 1995 TAG: 9502220634
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 138 lines
Police Chief Melvin High lacks the ability to lead his department and has a top-down managerial style that ignores rank and file officers, according to a new morale survey released Tuesday by two police groups.
The 97-question survey, presented to the City Council, was sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Brotherhood of Police.
The survey was answered by 410 of the 667 officers queried. It was wide-ranging, but it clearly focused on High. In 1993, he became Norfolk's first black police chief after serving as a ranking officer of the Washington, D.C., force.
The FOP and the union stopped short of calling for High's resignation, but - in a summary of survey findings - they reported:
``Respondents indicate that they do not feel the Chief is doing a `good job.' They also lack faith in the Chief's ability to lead the police department.
``Respondents indicate that the Chief is not in touch with the rank and file. Respondents feel that they are left out of the decision making process, and that they have no input. Respondents find that authority is not pushed down to the proper levels. Respondents also think that manpower issues are not based on sound processes.''
Calls to High's office Tuesday afternoon, seeking comment, were not returned.
Under High's leadership, the department helped reduce reported crimes 10.5 percent in 1994, the city announced in January.
The city gave much of the credit to PACE, the department's widely publicized community-policing program.
But Norfolk's police officers, according to survey results, do not think PACE is working as it should:
``Respondents do not feel that PACE reflects the concept of community policing, they do not understand the PACE program, do not think citizens are sharing their burden in the partnership, and do not think that PACE has improved communication, or cooperation between the police and citizens.''
Union president Howard E. Kangas and Capt. Benjamin Rogerson, FOP president, presented the survey results at an afternoon council meeting attended by many uniformed officers. Kangas compared the Police Department to a patient whose illness had not been diagnosed.
``Help us heal it and make it better, so we may better serve citizens,'' he urged the council.
Mayor Paul Fraim responded that he didn't know morale was as big a problem.
``There's no mention of this made to me then,'' Fraim said about a previous meeting with the union and FOP.
``I'm surprised to see you down here.''
Fraim said changes to any department can cause stress resulting in low morale.
But the city is proud of its police department and is concerned with their welfare, he said.
He went on to say that council would have to examine the results more closely before any decisions can be made.
After the presentation, Rogerson said the mayor had known about police concerns and the morale survey since September.
Lack of communication between City Hall and the Police Department is one reason morale is so low, Kangas said.
``This has been a lengthy process, and we're putting them on notice,'' Kangas said about the council. ``But we're not going to point fingers and make recommendations now.''
``We're going to allow City Council to absorb this,'' he said.
Kangas and Rogerson would not discuss in detail the reasons behind some of the concerns, or any solutions.
But they suggested low morale has been caused by changes in police policies and procedures.
The survey indicated that the department is not allowing middle management to make decisions.
Instead, complaints or infractions are being handed down from the top.
Kangas said city officials also can increase morale by speaking positively to police officials, especially the officers on the street.
Union and FOP representatives hope to meet with council in at least two weeks to talk about other solutions, Rogerson said.
``We hope they have open minds to make it better for the city,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Norfolk Police Chief Melvin High
Graphic
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The Norfolk Police Department Morale Survey was mailed in
mid-October to 667 - or nearly all - of the department's officers.
More than 60 percent were returned a month later.
Responses were ranked on a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 indicating the
most negative assessment and 6 the most positive.
The 97 questions were divided into 13 categories. Most responses
were in the lower half of the scale.
Some of the results:
The average response on the question ``Overall, my morale is good''
was 2.04.
Discipline - which involves who and how disciplinary actions are
dealt with and whether complaints are handled thoroughly - 1.75.
Supervision, which includes questions about Chief Melvin High -
2.20.
Pay - 2.16. Respondents said recognition and job satisfaction are
more important than salary. They also indicated that a 20-year
retirement package would be better than the current 25- to 30-year
standard.
Training, which relates to in-service training and training for job
proficiency - 3.54.
Promotions - 2.11. The best candidates aren't always picked,
respondents said. They also did not feel that the Police Department
controlled promotions.
Transfers within the department - 3.18.
Operational strategies, such as the PACE program - 2.32. Results
showed that officers did not think PACE reflected community
policing, they do not understand PACE and they do not think
residents are sharing the burden in the partnership.
Career development - 1.85.
Manpower - 2.39. They do not agree with High's position of placing
more troops in tourist areas, if that means shortages elsewhere.
Communications, which includes a reduction in paperwork - 3.06
Employee relations - 3.35.
Facilities, including equipment, clothing and police centers -
4.73.
by CNB