Departmental
Reorganization
In 1993, the Riverside Police Department (RPD) began the
transition from a traditional policing model to a Community Policing and
Problem Solving (COPPS) model. This style of policing proved to be a
decidedly different approach to the way in which Riverside police protected
and served their community. Policing beats were divided into five geographic areas known as Area Commands. Each
area was assigned a lieutenant to oversee the day to day policing needs of
the community and to help solve area problems through cooperative
collaboration with community members. The COPPS model also introduced the
Problem Oriented Policing (POP) officer to the Area Command and this proved
effective in dealing with neighborhood problems and rental properties. While the department and community enjoyed many
successes with community policing, and remained committed to this model, it
became clear that the move of lieutenants from Watch Commanders to Area
Commanders created several unanticipated issues with internal accountability
and a clearly defined and effective command structure. In an effort to rectify the
consequences of decentralization, the Office of the Chief decided to
re-establish a lieutenant Watch Commander that would maintain management of
a 24 hour system for operational oversight of line supervisors and personnel
thereby improving internal accountability and community safety. As a result, the department command accountability
structure was improved by upgrading the Deputy Chief of Police position to that
of Assistant Chief of Police, a captain position to that of Deputy Chief of
Police, creating two new lieutenant positions as Watch Commanders, and
adding three new sergeant positions to provide an officer to supervisor
ratio of 7:1, a ratio more in line with police agencies throughout the
country. The departmental reorganization also modified the
basic RPD structure by dividing the Field Operations Division into two
divisions. One division (Field Operations) provides basic patrol operations,
manages the Field Training Officer Program, The Problem Oriented Policing
Programs, Crime Free Multi-Housing, Canine, Bicycle Patrol, Public
Education, Safe Parks, Reserves, and all Area Commanders. A second division
(Special Operations) manages SWAT, Aviation, Traffic Enforcement, Accident
Investigations, Public Safety Communications, Volunteer Programs, Crossing
Guards, Special Events, and Emergency Operations and Critical Incident
Planning. One police captain manages each division. The additional captain
required for the management of the Special Operations Division was
reassigned from Management Services. The Special Operations Division also
required an additional lieutenant responsible for providing second level
supervision to operations and for the preparation of strategic plans dealing
with all special operations and critical incident planning. The Management
Services Division police captain was replaced with a civilian police
administrative services manager position. In addition, the Public Safety
Communications Bureau, primarily responsible for field activities, was
reassigned to Field Operations. Finally, the Telephone Reporting Unit was
relocated from Management Services to the Communications Bureau in Special
Operations.
The management philosophy of the Riverside Police Department supports the advancement of community policing through innovative leadership and an organizational strategy that demands departmental accountability and encourages problem solving partnerships. It is a priority of the Executive Command Staff to achieve the following four strategies through clear and decisive leadership: Becoming an employer of choice, Striving for professional excellence, Providing quality customer service and Committing to state of the art technology.
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