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Benchmark’s Continued Collaboration with AWS

Posted on by Amy Vracar

Government organizations – including law enforcement agencies – often grapple with the responsibility of managing highly sensitive data digitally. A resilient, secure, and compliant cloud infrastructure is critical for data agility, efficiency, and effectiveness. AWS GovCloud, launched in 2011, was developed as a specialized system to meet these distinctive security and compliance requirements of the public sector.

Benchmark and AWS

AWS GovCloud is transforming local and state government operations and how they engage with data, by incorporating extra safeguards to protect sensitive information. AWS GovCloud adheres to rigorous compliance standards, including FedRAMP High, ITAR, DoD SRG, CJIS, and HIPAA, ensuring an unparalleled level of security and regulatory adherence.

Becoming an AWS Public Sector Partner

As a data and analytics company focused on personnel management within law enforcement, Benchmark is proud to host our suite of platforms on AWS GovCloud. The advantages of choosing a solution hosted on AWS GovCloud are numerous, and include:

  1. Enhanced Security: AWS GovCloud was built to manage sensitive data and regulated workloads with an additional layer of protection for heightened security assurance.
  2. Compliance: AWS GovCloud meticulously aligns with an extensive array of stringent compliance standards, including but not limited to FedRAMP High, ITAR, DoD SRG, CJIS, and HIPAA.
  3. Data Sovereignty: GovCloud provides an unyielding commitment to data sovereignty, alleviating concerns regarding the geographical location of data.
  4. Tailored Services: AWS GovCloud presents a suite of specialized services meticulously designed to cater to the unique demands of government agencies and organizations.
  5. Seamless Integration: AWS GovCloud seamlessly integrates with other AWS partners, ensuring a harmonious synergy. This strategic integration empowers organizations to harness the full spectrum of AWS capabilities while upholding compliance standards.
  6. Scalability and Flexibility: GovCloud seamlessly delivers unparalleled scalability and flexibility. This emboldens government agencies and organizations with the capacity to innovate, expand, and modernize their IT infrastructure with utmost efficiency.

Over the years, Benchmark and AWS have achieved remarkable milestones together — including in 2022 when Benchmark graduated from the AWS Accelerated Partner Program and gained acceptance into the AWS Public Sector Partner initiative. This accomplishment was the result of combined efforts from Benchmark’s sales, marketing, and technical teams, including completing the AWS Foundational Technical Review (FTR).

The AWS FTR enables AWS Partners to demonstrate that their software solutions meet industry best-practices based on the AWS Well-Architected Framework as well as standards for evaluating systems architecture and operational practices. The AWS Well-Architected Framework is built around six pillars:

  1. Operational excellence
  2. Security
  3. Reliability
  4. Performance efficiency
  5. Cost optimization
  6. Sustainability

These pillars focus on technical design principles and best practices, including running and monitoring systems and protecting data and information.

Acceptance in AWS ISV Accelerate and AWS Marketplace

In 2023, Benchmark continued its dedication to growing its collaboration with AWS, with acceptance into AWS ISV Accelerate and a position on the AWS Marketplace.

The AWS ISV Accelerate Program is a co-sell initiative designed for organizations offering software solutions that run on or integrate with AWS. This program not only accelerates the sales cycle but also fosters new business opportunities, demonstrating a mutual commitment between AWS and Benchmark.

In addition to joining ISV Accelerate, Benchmark’s inclusion in the AWS Marketplace represents another significant milestone. This digital catalog simplifies the discovery, testing, purchasing, and deployment of software on Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS customers can now access and acquire Benchmark Management System® (BMS), First Sign® Early Intervention, and Case Action Response Engine® (C.A.R.E.) directly through their Marketplace accounts.

“We have entered a new era of policing as cities can take advantage of methodical, data-driven systems to systemize and engage officers who are engaged in problematic conduct, while simultaneously identifying and supporting officers who are successfully on track,” said Chris Casula, Chief Partnerships Officer, Benchmark Analytics. “By accessing BMS, First Sign and C.A.R.E. on AWS Marketplace, customers can now take the first step in capturing important people data all in one place.”

To learn more about Benchmark’s collaboration with AWS Marketplace, read our press release here.

Targeted Federal Funding and Resources for Law Enforcement

Posted on by Nicholas Frankel

Stemming from recent economic uncertainty, 2021 saw a massive mobilization of federal funding geared towards mitigating the broad range of effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic. In addition to disruptions to employment, supply chains, and medical care, the pandemic brought with it a rising violent crime rate, putting further strain on law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Along with taxing law enforcement resources, this rise in violent crime and shifting public perceptions of policing have contributed to rising levels of stress and burnout felt by officers.

federal funding arrivesWith talks on a larger police reform bill not yielding results yet, lawmakers sought to find manageable areas of agreement on more targeted provisions structured to address the pressing needs of law enforcement leaders and officers. Those pieces of legislation from 2021 and the funding they provide have now or are beginning to take effect – with critical funding arriving for research into structural issues in law enforcement and more current needs. What follows are some of the most notable examples of recently distributed funding for law enforcement from 2021.

The American Rescue Plan

Signed into law on March 11, 2021, The American Rescue Plan Act was a $1.9 trillion bill created to mitigate the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with stimulus spending and grants. The funding in the bill covered a vast range of spending priorities related to the pandemic, building upon the mission of the CARES Act of 2020 and covering everything from direct stimulus payments to small business loans and grants. The American Rescue Act included $350 billion of financial support that, in part, is designated for “state, locals, territorial, and, tribal governments to… put more officers on the beat”.

The funding was included in response to rising violent crime rates since the start of the pandemic, acknowledging a need for comprehensive strategies and coordinated resources to fight the surge. Below are just a few examples taken from a 2021 White House memo highlighting initiatives that will be or already are funded by the law.

  • Tucson, Arizona plans to invest at least $7 million in community safety, health and wellness, and violence interruption programs
  • Albuquerque, New Mexico is putting $3 million towards gunshot detection technology and using $450,000 for programs designed to bolster recruiting
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is dedicating $1.3 million in support of evidence-based violence interruption programs and an additional $3 million towards Transitional Jobs Programs
  • Walla Walla, Washington and Kansas City, Missouri are using portions of their federal funding to support new police hires and restore police staffing to pre-pandemic levels.

Investing in COPS

In November of 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced $139 million in grant funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), specifically designated for increasing law enforcement hiring. The funding comes via COPS Hiring Program (CHP) and is to be used to hire an additional 1,066 law enforcement professionals. As of November, 183 agencies have been awarded grants through this program, with funds being used to support programs designed to improve community trust in law enforcement and to promote the hiring of new officers to confront rising crime rates.

COPS was formed in 1994 to advance community policing in the United States. Since its founding, it has invested more than $14 billion towards that mission. Looking ahead in 2022, current budget proposals call for at least $1.3 billion in reform-related grants and spending across many agencies and initiatives, representing a 78% year-over-year increase. Notably, this budget proposal currently before legislators seeks $388 million for CHP grants, more than doubling the 2021 funding levels. While legislators have not yet agreed to these funding levels, they suggest that federal funding for recruitment efforts is a priority.

Resources for Officer and Family Wellness

Coinciding with news of the 2021 CHP grant awards was the signing of three bipartisan bills that provide additional resources to support law enforcement officers and leaders. With discussions of broader police reform measures currently paused, these laws addressed key issues facing law enforcement officers and their families.

The Protecting First Responders Act of 2021 funds substantial improvements to the Public Safety Officers Benefit administered by the DOJ. The bill provided benefits of $370,000 and ongoing education assistance of $1,200 to the spouse or children of first responders who die or are permanently disabled in the line of duty. Before the Act was passed, disabled first responders could only receive benefits if they could never again perform compensated work. This law amends that provision to account for therapeutic work or work providing special accommodation for a first responder’s disability. Additionally, the law ties interim death benefits to the consumer price index so that new adjustments do not have to be enacted to compensate for inflation.

Also signed into law in November was the Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support (COPS) Counseling Act. Recognizing the value of peer counseling in law enforcement, the law provides confidentiality for federal law enforcement officers participating in peer support programs (except in cases of officers admitting to committing crimes). Peer counseling programs are consistently shown to be a highly effective resource for reducing burnout and increasing officer wellness. Confidentiality is a crucial component to building trust, rapport, and buy-in from participants in these problems and contributes significantly to removing perceived stigmas when seeking help.

Lastly, the Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Federal Law Enforcement Protection Act provides financial resources to ensure that anyone who might kill federal law enforcement officers and staff while on duty abroad can be brought to justice in the jurisdiction of the United States. The law is named for two U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Special Agents who, in 2011, were killed in the line of duty while serving abroad in anti-drug trafficking operations. The law is designed to help give comfort and resolution to the surviving family members of those who gave their lives in service by ensuring those who attacked their loved ones can be fully prosecuted in U.S. courts.

As law enforcement strives to meet the challenges of 21st century policing, it is clear that evidence-based programs and support structures are necessary to ensure that officers can fulfill their mission of combating violent crime and increasing community engagement. In 2021, policymakers targeted funding and resources to address some of the most pressing concerns in the profession and provide forward-looking funding for new measures designed to provide lasting support to officers and the communities they serve.

Three Factors Driving Increases in Municipal Insurance Premiums

Posted on by Nicholas Frankel

City risk managers, municipal budget directors, and law enforcement leaders are increasingly viewing rapidly growing insurance premiums related to policing as a major concern going into 2022. With premiums rising as much as 20% year over year, many municipal budget officials are finding themselves in a difficult position to balance revenue and expenditure on essential city services. What’s more, a global pandemic and changing legislation have created new funding priorities.

raising ratesFor municipalities with police agencies, law enforcement-related insurance coverage is typically the most significant contributor to overall municipal insurance costs. A diverse set of factors are creating the upward pressures in premiums felt around the country including increasing severity of liability claims, statutory changes to workers compensation coverage, the global pandemic, and hard reinsurance market conditions.

Police Misconduct & Liability Claims

Misconduct settlements are among the most publicly visible drivers of growing municipal insurance premiums related to law enforcement. Though data is limited due to a patchwork of reporting requirements, available data shows that many of the largest municipalities in the country have paid hundreds of millions of dollars over the previous ten years. Whether these settlement claims are paid out through commercial insurance, municipal risk pools, or self-insurance, it is clear that the strain is being felt at the local level in many municipalities.

However, there is something of a disconnect between the perception of the frequency and size of payouts in settled cases of police misconduct. Available data shows that the overall number of police misconduct settlements has remained relatively flat or decreased since 2015. In addition to increased media coverage and public attention, what has changed is the size of the settlements in misconduct cases.

The are several theories as to why this might be. One is that attorneys taking misconduct allegations to court may be getting more selective in the clients they represent, preferring to pursue cases more likely to result in a settlement as opposed to lengthy litigation. Another mainstay theory is that cities, especially those that self-insure, may be more eager to settle to avoid an expensive, years-long trial that could damage a city’s or department’s reputation.

Though experts continue to debate the cause for the rise in settlements costs, it is believed the frequency of claims did not increase much simply because policies and regulation of law enforcement agencies had largely remained unchanged in the 2010s. With the dawning of a new decade, substantial changes have come into play. A tidal wave of reform efforts spurred by several high-profile incidents has led to significant legislative changes in law enforcement regulation and practice. What’s more, a global pandemic has placed what is likely to be once-in-a-generation strains on law enforcement and government.  At the end of the day, the increasing severity of claims is a direct driver of increased premiums for municipalities.

Compensation-Related Legislation

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been a substantial source of change and instability across many sectors for the past two years. Much like it has upended our day-to-day lives, it has also put first-responders once again front-and-center in our response to the crisis. Responding to people in distress during a pandemic has put first-responders at increased risk for contracting the virus. Look no further than recent statistics involving law enforcement officer deaths to understand the pandemic has played an outsized role in contributing to on-duty deaths.

Recognizing the issue’s urgency, state legislatures have introduced new laws to cover injury to first responders due to COVID-19 in their state workers compensation programs. Lawmakers in 27 states proposed legislation to establish workers compensation presumptions of compensability related to COVID-19. Though some bills have since failed, several of these pieces of legislation are still pending at the time of this writing.

In addition to the strain of COVID-19, several high-profile incidents involving police have led to rapid, reform-driven legislative changes to policing. Much of the legislation is focused on accountability and transparency measures – use-of-force procedures, body-worn cameras, duty to intervene, and measures concerning the deployment of specific tactics are common. What doesn’t always get as much press are elements of legislation designed to address and improve officer physical and mental wellness. To many, these new laws reflect a growing societal awareness of the importance of mental health, especially in first responders.

For example, recent changes to the Minnesota workers compensation statute have created an evidentiary presumption for PTSD claims. Practically, this means it is much easier for those making PTSD claims to receive workers compensation benefits. From 2014 to 2019, the city had a total of 30 PTSD claims from first responders. In contrast, from mid-2020 to the end of 2021, the city had more than 180 claims. The total cost of these claims will easily be in the tens of millions – all of which are subsequently reflected through increasing rates for these lines of insurance.

A Hard Reinsurance Market

Increasing settlement costs arising from misconduct allegations, the COVID-19 pandemic, a changing workers compensation landscape, and other forms of social inflation are creating an excess loss for insurers. Reinsurers cover these losses through excess loss contracts. However, the reinsurance sector is currently experiencing hard market conditions. Simply, there are significant constraints in capacity (capital) in the reinsurance market driven by an aversion to new and changing forms of risk driven by unprecedented events such as the recent wave of settlements in police misconduct cases.

A tightening of the supply of capital in the reinsurance market is leading some municipalities and risk pools to pay significantly more for reinsurance. In some more extreme cases, these entities are not receiving any bids for reinsurance on excess loss. Driven by low supply and market volatility, reinsurance cost increases create additional upward pressure to premiums for municipalities, presenting an obvious challenge to city budgets.

What’s to Come

The pace of legislation driving increases in municipal insurance premiums shows no signs of letting up. The reform dialog around policing is likely to continue, creating new demands on agencies and officers to evolve into new capabilities. Additionally, increased awareness of mental health issues is likely to translate into greater availability of health care and workers compensation coverage for these conditions. In addition to social inflation pressures, a hard reinsurance market will creating further stress on municipal budgets in the near term.

Risk managers, insurers, and policymakers are already looking for new tools to understand and plan for these changing risks. Risk Managers, policymakers and law enforcement leaders are increasingly relying on analytic tools to help them better understand risks in law enforcement and address them before they become more significant problems.  In the long term, the only way to reverse the cycle of rising municipal insurance costs is to fundamentally mitigate the underlying risk that is driving increased claims payment.

 

Understanding Agency Culture and its Impact on Reform

Posted on by Amy Vracar

The following is part 2 of 2 in our IACP Leadership Series conversation between Benchmark CEO Ron Huberman and Chuck Wexler, Executive Director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). In this entry, Mr. Wexler shares his thoughts on agency culture, reviewing use of force incidents captured on camera from other agencies to collaborate on generating new policies and procedures for desired outcomes . . . as well as the need to invest in the future of policing in meaningful ways rather than defunding the police.

RH: Chuck, I’d like to go a little bit deeper dive on culture…and for those of you who don’t know, Chuck publishes interviews six days a week (through PERF). I would say it’s pretty compelling…and for those who don’t subscribe to that email, I have found it super important as a way to hear the voices of other folks and what they’re struggling with…and I think your decades of experience helps in synthesizing that information.

You had a column that you published in your email, that you said to me got the most response — and I found it very compelling. It was about Monday morning quarterbacking. Can you give us a quick summary, Chuck, of what you advocated for and why it’s such a sea change from what’s occurring today in American policing?

Chuck: Well, the area that I find the most fascinating and has the most opportunity for change and reform is the one that’s least talked about — and that’s culture…the culture of an organization. I’ve gone into literally hundreds of police departments in the country, as you have Ron, and you walk into a department and you can feel what kind of culture it is. And there’s not just one culture in a police department, there’s the 11th District culture…there’s detective culture, and so on. The point is that culture, in so many ways, drives policy and action.

Like you, I think America has been exhausted from the videos that are seen, whether it’s in Kenosha, or it’s Rochester or George Floyd or it’s Ferguson…it’s exhausting. I began to think about this and I began to think about culture. You know, we teach ICAT, which is Integrated Communication Assessment Tactics, which is going to change policing. When we were in that class with people, we would show them videos because my folks view videos every single day. We’ve been doing this for five years on every officer-involved shooting. We have a Google search engine that’s picking them up, looking at them, analyzing them…and that’s how we develop our training. When you show these videos to a class of police, the first thing they do is they fold their arms, they cock their head about 45 degrees, and someone raises their hand and says, “You weren’t there. We shouldn’t be commenting on it.” We all look at him; we know it’s at that moment they’re in charge of the informal culture in that room.

You have to work through that issue with them. For people who are such tough guys, they can be very sensitive about criticism, and so forth. They want to protect each other — understood. However, today, what we know is with 18,000 police departments and all these videos, if you don’t take that video, and you don’t use that video in your own department and say, “What would happen if we had this situation?” You’re wasting an opportunity.

The idea is this terrible thing happened, like Rochester, for example. You look at that situation, and you say to yourself, “Okay, it’s three o’clock in the morning, we get this call, we have this naked person, we think he’s on PCP…how would we handle that in our city?” My point is that we need to be doing Monday morning quarterbacking and policing because that’s the way the field is going to change. It’s not going to change if we say we can’t talk about that because we weren’t there. That’s the old thinking.

The new thinking is, “This is a terrible thing that happened. How can we learn about that so that maybe a terrible thing won’t happen to our community? And it’s okay…maybe we don’t have the answers.” I’ve even said, take that video from Rochester, and go into a community and bring stakeholders together and show them the video and say, “What should we do in our community? Should the police own this or should a social service agency? Are they available at three o’clock in the morning? Would you like to come with us to that call?”

There’s a way to take these tragedies and use them in a way that’s helpful to your own community so that people get a sense, first of all, how your own department would perform. Sometimes you’ll find out it’s almost like how the NTSB does it with airplanes when they crash…they try to figure it out. This is different. This is much lower risk because you’re not doing your own department. I still believe in that. Chris Magnus in Tucson is doing a magnificent good job but this is a way in which every day you can be teaching your department and learning where you have gaps. “Would we do this? Do we have policy on this? No, we don’t. Oh, okay.” So, I think that’s how policing is going to change. That’s all culture. We have to write this policy. We have to train this way, but what happens in the real world, does that make sense?

RH: To me, it makes a ton of sense. The challenge to do that is you have to make it safe for people and it’s a hard thing to do. Chuck, you know them but a lot of people probably don’t — in my many jobs in life, I was the CEO of the Chicago Transit Authority. I had a few derailments while I was the CEO and the NTSB came out, and the train operator was in the room, the Union was in the room, I was in the room, the NTSB was in the room and it was designed in a way that was safe. We were all just trying to figure out what went wrong in the system so that we could ultimately fix it and make it less likely to happen in the future…and it was wildly effective because we would always end up with action items.

CW: It’s interesting because when you are doing it on your own, there are some risks involved. Let’s face it, it’s like, you can uncover, “Oh, my God, we didn’t do this,” but it is what it is because someone’s going to find out so it’s better to find out right away. What I’m talking about in some ways is very low risk because it happened in someone else’s jurisdiction. You’re trying to learn from it. It’s almost like a very low-risk, high-outcome kind of thing where you have the value of sitting around with your colleagues and say, “What if five officers respond to that?” You’ve seen that in Chicago, right? You can have five people respond and one of those officers somehow knows that the other four are doing something wrong, but he or she doesn’t know how to deal with it — “What do I say? What do I do? This doesn’t feel right”.

RH: I think one of the most befuddling, challenging things for folks to wrap their head around, is this idea of de-fund the police. I think that’s the case because no one really understands what it is. It’s more of a response or an outcry. Two questions, Chuck. One is, what do you think de-fund the police actually means? Why do you think this has become a thing in certain cities in the US?

CW: Well, it’s interesting. I’m just going to go back to Ferguson; if you look at that period, what did reform look like? Basically, it was about implicit bias training…and it was about body-worn cameras…it was about de-escalation. It was about those kinds of things…about training…it was about technology. Now with the George Floyd moment, I don’t think anyone expected that the response to this terrible incident would be how do we take resources away from the police department. It was counterintuitive. It almost felt like people were angry that we can’t fix the police, so let’s reduce the police. Let’s have other people do what the police should be doing.

We did a survey and we saw that about 48% of the police departments somehow have reduced their budget. Unfortunately, it had some impact. Now, I don’t know if that’s because of what’s happening with COVID-19, and the economy and taxes. I think some of that is there. I actually think what’s happening now is cooler heads are prevailing in most places, like in New Jersey and places where people say, “You know what, we need good police.”

The reality is, if you want to fix the police, it takes an investment. You have to invest in the police to fix the police. You look at Seattle. Seattle spent $100 million over five years to put in reforms. I think in terms of training, in terms of technology, in terms of technical assistance, those are relatively small pieces of a police department budget — 90% or 95% is personnel. If you have to cut a police department’s budget, you’re going to wind up either having to cut a class or not hire a class. Look, in New York, they went from $6 billion to $5 billion and in LA, they cut a quarter of a billion dollars. That’s huge…and you’re really impacting the future generations of that police department.

If you’re trying to change the culture, a big part of that is bringing new people in. I think that cooler heads are starting to prevail. It just seems to me counterintuitive if you’re trying to fix the police. Because if you’re trying to avoid that George Floyd situation or any of these situations, it means ultimately finding ways to get the police to respond differently. That requires attention, technology, training, hiring new people, and diversifying your workforce.

RH: Chuck, having run many large organizations like yourself, I can tell you, they only win when you invest in people in a meaningful way. When there is a death spiral of budget and cuts, the impact on morale is I think the exact opposite of what folks who are advocating for this would want to see happen. Rather than raising the standard, raising the expectation of conduct, investing in the training and the technology to achieve it, we’re seeing the opposite in some places.

CW: The only thing I have to measure this against was 2007 and 2008, when we had the great recession, and we did all sorts of reports on that period of time. It was really interesting because we run the Senior Management Institute for Police —you’ve been there, you know about it. What I found interesting was that departments, even though they had to cut back on hiring, they were sending people to SMIP. I remember talking to some people like Chuck Ramsey, and so forth, and I said, “You’re having to do this stuff.” And he said, “Well, you know what, we have to invest in the future.”

It was like you have to invest in people. I think those were the really great managers that recognized, I might have to cut here, but I want to make sure I’m sending my people. I want to make sure that we continue to move forward…even if we can’t hire new officers. I want to make sure I invest in my workforce.

RH: Chuck, we’re grateful for what you do. We’re grateful for the Police Executive Research Forum. For those folks who aren’t super familiar with it, it’s policeforum.org. I can tell you certainly as someone who has been involved or watching or participating in this profession for a long time, I’ve always found the work that you and your organization have done have helped lead the way throughout a lot of difficult times. Thank you very much. We appreciate it.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Meaningful Police Reform Includes an Early Intervention and Warning System

Posted on by Amy Vracar

Every day we witness extraordinary acts of bravery from those sworn to serve and protect — and who are deserving of our respect and appreciation. But we’ve also witnessed firsthand the impact even a single, negative incident can have on an entire organization. And while that dynamic is not exclusive to policing – and almost certainly exists within most any workplace environment – the consequences can be just so much deeper and more tragic.

Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) aptly stated, “the vast majority of this country’s law enforcement officers are principled men and women who provide professional service to the communities they serve. Their responsibilities are great, and the expectations from their communities are high. Unfortunately, there are times when officers’ performance fall short of agency expectations for any number of reasons.”

Police ReformNever before have we as a country had such a sustained national dialogue on police transparency, accountability and yes, reform. While police reform is complex, the idea’s essence is that policing requires transformation in order for today’s agencies to continue to meet the challenges of their profession and better serve their communities. Such transformation requires a vested commitment from police departments for sure, but also from community leaders and elected officials. And the burden is on all to understand what can be done to pre-empt and prevent one more incident from happening in their neighborhoods and on their streets.

Meaningful police reform should include early intervention and warning systems
A law enforcement early intervention and warning system is a police force management tool designed to identify officers whose behavior is concerning, or problematic, at the earliest possible stage so that intervention and support can be offered in an effort to re-direct performance and behaviors toward agency goals.

(Source: Best Practices in Early Intervention System Implementation and Use in Law Enforcement Agencies)

According to an article in Police Chief Magazine, “EISs are a staple in U.S. police departments—a 2007 survey showed that 65 percent of surveyed police departments with 250 or more officers had an EIS. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies, the U.S. Department of Justice, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Police Foundation have all recommended departments use these systems. Most federal consent decrees require a department to use an EIS.”

With that said, there are different types of EI systems to consider. The most common are threshold-based systems, that are reliant on fairly simple triggers. For example, if an officer has had three use-of-force incidents in the last six months . . . or if they’ve taken more than 10 days of sick leave in the last two months . . . a flag gets raised. And the problem with that simple system is that it’s almost always inaccurate. It also creates two types of critical errors — false positives and false negatives.

A research-based system evaluates total behavior patterns including context of activity and peer group, by utilizing algorithms to provide risk scores for officers across the department. This predictive model not only identifies patterns of police officer conduct that lead to problematic behavior, but also identifies patterns of behavior that lead to exceptional conduct. Further, it evolves and gets smarter over time as new insights, lessons learned, innovative practices and technical advancements are uncovered.

The impact of a research-based EIS
As part of an agency’s larger effort to support and improve officer performance and identify and address officers before a serious problem occurs, a research-based system – such as Benchmark’s First Sign® Early Intervention – can enhance accountability and transparency as well as the overall integrity of the agency’s performance.Research EIS

Powered by evidence-based research and analytics, First Sign is preventative by design to notify you at the ‘first sign’ of a real need to intervene. First Sign leverages data captured on officer performance and behaviors and allows supervisors and commanders to review and compare data for individual officers, units and watches. Supervisors can assign intervention actions early on for potentially problematic behavior in need of correction, as well as make recommendations for exceptional performance deserving recognition.

Agencies across the U.S. continue to choose First Sign as part of their police reform strategy, because its data-driven system proactively and pre-emptively identifies potentially problematic officer behavior so supervisors can take corrective action. Ron Huberman, CEO of Benchmark Analytics, stated in a recent article “The whole idea behind what we do is to allow police leaders to get in-front of problematic situations before they occur. What makes it predictable is that officers who are engaged in problematic conduct rarely ever do we see it occur from a single incident, where they had one problematic incident. Typically, it’s a cluster or pattern of problems.”

To learn more about First Sign, visit our page at https://www.benchmarkanalytics.com/first-sign-early-intervention/

To learn more about why your agency should consider an early intervention system, download our Must-Have Checklist for Meaningful Reform: 6 Critical Criteria of an Early Intervention System.

I Was the Mayor of Minneapolis and I Know Our Cops Have a Problem

Posted on by Amy Vracar

Note: The following article is reprinted by permission of POLITICO LLC, and originally appeared on June 2, 2020.

___________________________________________________________________________

I Was the Mayor of Minneapolis and I Know Our Cops Have a Problem

Racism permeated the culture of the department. But there are ways to change that culture that other cities can copy.

By R.T. Rybak

The searing images from the past several nights of anger and violence in dozens of cities across the country have shocked and horrified the nation. But there is one image that we need to keep fixed in our minds, the one that started it all:

A human being, staring calmly off into the middle distance, while his knee slowly suffocates another human being.

Our repulsion should boil over as we realize that the white police officer, who took an oath to protect and serve that person on the ground, who is black, would not have acted so brutally if the man he was restraining were white. Until every one of us can see that image for what it is—an example of a two-tiered justice system that treats black and white people differently—we cannot move another inch forward. We need to acknowledge that on some level, every one of us had a role in keeping this inequity in place.

I’ll go first, because after living in Minneapolis all my life, covering the Minneapolis Police Department as a Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter and, more directly, serving 12 years as mayor of this city, I should.

My own efforts to change a police department and its culture failed badly. That starts with appointing three different police chiefs who all made change but not enough. It includes attempts to diversify the force, to change practices in mental health and numerous efforts to work with individual officers on softening their approach so they could empathize more deeply with community. These failures will haunt me for the rest of my life, and it should. As each of us sees and acknowledges our own part it can be paralyzing. It was for me.

But I was heartened by something a colleague at the Minneapolis Foundation said to me the other day. Chanda Smith Baker grew up and raised a family as an African American in north Minneapolis, and for years has lead the Pillsbury United Communities. She has seen so many more of the consequences of our deep, endemic racism than I ever will. But as we surveyed the damage and pain in our community she said simply: “We have no choice but to act.”

So we are acting. Our foundation, which has been centered on racial equity for decades, is granting $1 million in the next few weeks to community-based solutions that strive for justice and healing in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in police custody. Knowing we need to have tough conversations about race and culture, we launched our “Conversations with Chanda” podcast that will give our community, which has avoided those tough conversations for too long, the space to “go there.”

Like everyone in this city, we know that is still not enough. A very well-intentioned friend asked me what one thing he could do to make this situation better. I had to say, “There’s no one thing.” You can’t fully stop racism in policing without understanding the racism in the laws we ask our police to enforce, the racism in a criminal justice system that over-incarcerates black men, the racism in how we white Americans perceive a threat when we see someone who is black. An unjust economic system matters, and so does the issue where I focus most these days: the intolerable racial inequities in education. So does the classism that allows so many of us with privilege to have someone else’s child put on a police uniform and walk into tough situations so we can safely, mindlessly go about our lives.

But, right now, nothing matters more in Minneapolis than reforming the city’s police. An obvious first step would be to demilitarize the department. As a mayor who took office right after 9/11, I quickly saw that the community-based preventive programs like Bill Clinton’s “cops on the streets” initiative lost funding while we seemingly had a blank check for equipment and weapon systems that too often have the officers we want to “protect and serve” separated from their communities by shields and armored turtle suits.

Fortunately, we don’t need to invent a solution from scratch. We already have the Obama administration’s “21st Century Policing Plan,” which lays out in detail how our country’s police departments can be rebuilt around six pillars: building trust and legitimacy, policy and oversight, technology and social media, community policing and crime reduction, training and education and officer safety and wellness.

One of the most important values I took from that plan is something I learned on a deeply personal level as a mayor: Police officers are human beings. We then train them, put them with others we have trained into cultures that develop around the job and expect them to perform in the most high-stress situations imaginable.

We also know a lot about what makes that human being performing as a police officer thrive in the job or become a headline from a searing incident we could have prevented. The Center for Data Science and Public Policy at the University of Chicago has studied officer conduct over time in major departments and analyzed what actions signal when behavior starts to go off track. This helps us act more quickly when we need to intervene so that officers can be retrained or treated, and get back on track.

When I first saw this research, I realized that if, as mayor, the police chief and I, and the department’s supervisors, had known early when our officers needed our help and attention, we could have saved tens of millions in settlements costs and scores of lives. The problem was we never had the technology or tools to connect in real time what was happening with each officer and we didn’t have access to what we now know about how to step in.

That’s why I joined the founding board of Benchmark Analytics, which is now using that work in 60 cities and the state of New Jersey to connect department internal personnel systems to that deep research so mayors and chiefs can do what I never could to prevent the next tragic incident.

There are many more specific actions that can be taken but above all we need to address police culture. I have never been a police officer, so my experience is limited to what I have seen as a reporter and mayor. But I have come to know so many officers and continue to struggle with how I can know so many truly committed people whose collective actions I don’t recognize. In my city, at least, we have a majority of officers who let a minority of officers create an us-vs.-them culture that over time dehumanizes the people and neighborhoods the officers are supposed to protect and serve. Throw race into this toxic mix and you end up with behavior that often has to be named for what it is: racism. It plays itself out when a knee stays on the neck of a human being treated like he’s not human.

Much has been written by people who know more than I about police culture, but I do know it can be reformed only from within. That means the majority of officers need to rise up and take control of their culture. To the many good officers I know exist, I say this: I know the consequences of being shunned by your co-workers, but I also know you know in your heart that George Floyd should not be dead. Your silence is deafening and this city, and this country, cannot move forward until we hear your voices.

There is good news. We have stood at this place before, in Minneapolis and across the country. Yes, this might seem like the beginning of a familiar and dispiriting cycle: a terrible incident, a few days of promises and then, as the attention fades, so does the hope of change. But I also know that this is not a predestined conclusion. Change is possible. I know because I have seen it before in this very city.

Forty-one years ago, I was a young crime reporter. Night after night, I covered a police department that had deep issues of trust with two communities: residents who were black, and residents who were gay.

All these years later, one of those groups has seen enormous change. The Minneapolis police, which back then routinely beat and humiliated gay residents, is now one of the most gay-friendly departments in the country with openly gay officers serving in every part of the force, including at one point, the role of chief. There was no one action that made that possible, instead, in thousands of interactions, that wall creating an us vs. them turned into a we because each group recognized we are human beings on the other side.

The fact that we have seen so much progress with gay residents and almost none with black residents says a lot about the perniciousness of racism. We need to own that. But it does also say that change is possible, and now we have to prove that is true.

Copyright 2016 POLITICO LLC.

Tackling Covid-19 Workforce Challenges with Law Enforcement Technology

Posted on by Amy Vracar

The Covid-19 pandemic did not stop law enforcement officers from patrolling areas by car, motorcycle or even foot, directing traffic during signal malfunctions or accidents, assisting in processing crimes, or executing other duties required to protect and serve their community. While these might be considered routine activities, they still put officers at high risk of exposure to the Covid-19 virus. Likewise, new requirements and responsibilities such as responding to complaints for shelter-in-place violations have increased face-to-face interactions, as well as Covid-19 exposure, for law enforcement personnel.

Law Enforcement COVID 19

But even after state and municipal shelter-in place restrictions end, exposure risks will persist. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), communities will be dealing with the virus through the summer months, with a potential second wave coming in the Fall. That means that agencies and their officers will need to maintain their diligence for the foreseeable future.

Law Enforcement Technology that Support Agency Workforce Challenges

Overcoming this pandemic will take resilience and time, but it is important for us to tackle these new challenges with innovative solutions. With the abiding impact of Covid-19, public safety agencies need to determine the most efficient strategies for controlling its effect and managing fluctuations in workforce availabilities. While dealing with these peaks and valleys isn’t new to some public safety agencies, it’s safe to say that most have not experienced limited workforce challenges that could last several weeks, if not months.

The Benchmark Covid Impact Management System (CIMS) was developed to address these challenges. With CIMS, public safety agencies have a single-source, turnkey software platform — designed to report and track all Covid-related incidents in one unique, easy-to-administer and security-protected location. CIMS provides agencies essential reports which include Potential Exposure, Sick Leave, Test Tracker, and Return to Service.

According to the National Police Foundation COVID-19 Law Enforcement Impact Dashboard, nearly every state has had a law enforcement officer exposed to the virus. Law Enforcement TechnologyOur Potential Exposure Report is completed when a police officer or department staff member has reported that they may have been exposed to the Covid-19 virus. It includes:

  • Definitions/guidelines of exposure and close contact
  • Date, time, location and nature of potential exposure
  • Name and contact information of individual exposed
  • Description of any health-related symptoms since contact
  • Recommendations for further actions

The Sick Leave Report should be used when a department employee has officially gone on sick leave due to exposure, and provides data on:

  • Date leave effective, symptoms and Covid-19 related queries
  • Results of any medical tests conducted during sick leave
  • List of contacts within and outside of the agency
  • Information on specifics of quarantine, if applicable
  • Details of any future work-related conflicts due to leave

The CIMS Test Tracker Report provides relevant information on any Covid-19 test taken by an officer or staff member. It includes:

  • Reason for taking test and details of exposure, if applicable
  • Date, time, type and location of test
  • Symptoms exhibited at time of test and following test
  • Results reported for the Covid-19 test

Lastly, the Return to Service Report should be completed and reviewed before an officer can return to work following a sick leave, and summarizes:

  • All symptoms reported since beginning of sick leave
  • Answers to all Covid-19 related inquiries
  • Current condition of employee on sick leave
  • Requirements of return and anticipated date of return
  • Review and recommendations for return to service

While the COVID-19 pandemic has formed new obstacles for public safety, the Benchmark Covid Impact Management System provides agencies the information they need to manage their workforce efficiently and effectively. To learn more about CIMS, as well as view a demo of the system, visit https://www.benchmarkanalytics.com/cims/.

The Advancement of Training Platforms and How Our Curated Content-as-a-Service™ is What Your Organization Needs

Posted on by Amy Vracar

Computer-based training can be traced back to the mini-computer and mainframe of the 1960s and ‘70s. It was the first-time training was conducted without having to rely on printed worksheets or face-to-face instruction, and instead, employees logged into shared terminals to access training materials. It was 1998 when we experienced the first generation of online instruction.

(Source: eLearning Industry https://elearningindustry.com/history-of-blended-learning)

Curated Content as a Service

Today, many organizations deliver online instruction through training platforms, which are online tools that provide training administrators and employees access to information and resources that support training delivery and management. However, not all training platforms are the same, and there are pitfalls to having a legacy platform in place.

What is a legacy training platform?

Legacy training platforms refer to software applications that rely on old methods and have become outdated, such as traditional Content-as-a-Service (CaaS).

Traditional CaaS software provides a content repository, such as a collection of videos, research papers and PowerPoints, to be accessed by organizations for training and professional development needs. While having content in one place is certainly beneficial, there are disadvantages to having this type of legacy system within your organization. Legacy System

For example, some organizations purchase off-the-shelf training that is designed for a mass-market audience versus a specific organization’s need. The traditional CaaS will store the off-the-shelf training, but it lacks the capability to distinguish what training is relevant to your organization’s specific needs. Additionally, protocols and industry standards constantly change, and traditional systems aren’t wired to update courses and content that would be considered outdated or obsolete.

It can also be difficult for training administrators to get to the content they want within the traditional CaaS platform because they’re spending time filtering through unneeded training. In the end, organizations may have learning content that they do not utilize or worse, is not relevant to their current needs.

What is Curated Content-as a-Service?

Engagement is critical when training your employees. According to HR Daily Advisor, “When learners are provided access to personalized, curated learning content that is applicable to their current roles and career trajectories, they will constantly search for opportunities to exhibit the skills they’re learning at work because they’ll be relevant. And when they optimize their performance and see how their learning paths are helping them achieve their goals and move forward in their career trajectories, they’ll be more engaged at work.”

Curated Content as a Service

At Benchmark, we understand that the most successful LMS outcomes is research-driven, evidenced-based eLearning content. Equally important, the most effective LMS is one that engages your employees in a way that inspires them, elevates their skills and improves their performance in meaningful, measurable ways. Which is why our LMS strategy employs Curated Content-as-a-Service™ (C-CaaS) as our differentiating, breakthrough process for enabling 21st century workforce skills in the workplace.

We’ve adapted the 21st Century Workforce Skills model to serve as a roadmap for partnering with public sector entities to create a thoughtful, curated content plan that will elevate your employee skill sets – and measurably improve performance levels ­– to better meet the needs and goals of your agency.

Here’s how the process works:

  • Meet and Assess
    Meet to understand and assess your current training program and compliance needs — as well as the level of workforce skills.
  • Establish Objectives
    Set eLearning objectives to comply with your training guidelines and address specific areas in need of improvement.
  • Curate Content
    Assign a Benchmark C-CaaS team of research-driven content curators to identify and deploy content that meets your objectives — accessing our robust library of eLearning offerings.
  • Configure and Implement
    Collaborate with your employee development team to configure and implement our LMS platform to meet your unique needs.
  • Evaluate and Evolve
    Evaluate your LMS content regularly to track performance, obtain feedback and make informed adjustments to evolve and advance your offerings.

Our LMS was built specifically with public sector agencies in mind. The Benchmark eLearning team includes thought leaders with years of experience in government operations, policymaking, education, professional development and eLearning proficiency.

Their expertise includes research and data analytics, software architecture and design, research-based content curation — along with highly skilled platform configuration, implementation and customer support.

To learn more, visit our Benchmark eLearning Differentiator: Curated Content-as-a-Service™ page at https://www.benchmarkanalytics.com/government-lms/

Funding Resources in Response to the COVID-19 Crisis

Posted on by Amy Vracar

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has impacted communities across the country, as law enforcement and other public sector agencies prepare for the short- and long-term effects of this virus. This includes having tools in place to support staffing, training and communication; having ample supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE); being prepared for evolving community requests; and delivering plans and procedures that reflect recommendations from local, state and federal authorities. COVID-19 Funding

To ensure that public safety agencies across the U.S. are prepared for the current impact of COVID-19, as well as what lies ahead, Federal grant resources have been issued.

Federal Grant Resources: BJA-CESF
On March 30, 2020 a grant solicitation was shared by the Office of Justice Programs  regarding the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) program. The funding program has $850 million available and the BJA intends to make 1,873 awards.

The BJA-CESF program will provide funding to assist eligible states, local units of government, and tribes in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the coronavirus. BJA -CESF

In the solicitation, the BJA shared that “States, U.S. Territories, the District of Columbia, units of local government, and federally recognized tribal governments that were identified as eligible for funding under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program are eligible to apply under the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program solicitation. Only the State Administering Agency that applied for FY 2019 JAG funding for a state/territory may apply for the state allocation of CESF funding.”

The eligible allocations for the FY 2020 CESF Program can be found at: https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations

What will BJA-CESF be used for?
Funds awarded under the CESF program will be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Allowable projects and purchases include, but are not limited to:

  • Overtime, equipment (including law enforcement and medical PPE)
  • Hiring
  • Supplies (such as gloves, mask, sanitizer)
  • Training (such as training management software for organization-wide virtual training — as well as cross-training of personnel for temporary duty reassignment to assure proper coverage of essential duties)
  • Travel expenses (particularly related to the distribution of resources to the most impacted areas)
  • Addressing the medical needs of inmates in state, local, and tribal prisons, jails and detention centers.

BJA-CESF program next steps
The application for BJA-CESF is due May 29, 2020. Cities and states are awarded funding on an ongoing, rolling basis from now till the application due date.

For more information how the BJA-CESF program works and grant submission help, visit our Grants Page at https://www.benchmarkanalytics.com/covid19-grants/.

The importance of COVID-19 data collection
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has shared that collecting data and documenting response protocols for future review and assessment during this time is important as well. “While pandemics rarely occur, an agency can learn a lot about its emergency response by studying past efforts,” as stated in IACP’s resource Organizational Readiness: Considerations for Preparing Your Agency for COVID-19. Types of data include, but are not strictly limited to, COVID-19-related calls for service, officer exposure, staffing numbers, and health and wellness measures of officers.

COVID-19 Data Collection

To that, agencies are partnering with personnel management software providers for monitoring, tracking and reporting data. For example, the Benchmark Management System® can create custom COVID-19 Exposure Forms that capture interactions related to coronavirus — to help identify trends, facilitate proactive intervention and help keep department personnel serving on the frontlines safe. This data can also be used post-pandemic to justify reimbursement of expenditures at the state and federal levels.

Visit benchmarkanalytics.com to learn more.

 

21st Century Skills: Developing Today’s Public Sector Workforce

Posted on by Amy Vracar

More than ever before, public safety and other local government agencies – including state, county and all municipalities therein – face a host of challenges within their respective communities.  Creative thinking and discovering new ways to problem solve are critical at this time — as is identifying the most effective means for communication and collaboration between colleagues.

21st Century SkillsWith that said, it is essential for today’s public sector workforces to be equipped with 21st century skills that allow them to be successful in complex work environments . . . while executing daily operations. These skills include:

  • Critical Thinking: The ability to observe, analyze, problem-solve, and make decisions.
  • Creative Thinking: The ability to organize, see what’s not there, and problem-solve in an open-minded, stimulating environment.
  • Collaboration: The ability to work effectively with others, compromise, and delegate.
  • Communication: The ability to share ideas in different formats, both oral and written, as well as actively listening and engage with one another.
  • Information Literacy: The ability to identify, find, evaluate, and use information effectively.
  • Media Literacy: The ability to identify and utilize different types of media — and understand the messages shared.
  • Technology Literacy: The ability to use and understand technology to access, integrate, create and communicate information.
  • Flexibility: The ability to adapt to change, as well as the willingness and ability to respond to changing circumstances.
  • Initiative: The ability to think individually and innovatively, develop and implement something new, unique or improved . . . and make incremental, bold changes to improve processes.
  • Social Skills: The ability to listen, cooperate, and have empathy for others.
  • Productivity: The ability to problem-solve, manage time, handle stress, and make solid, actionable decisions.
  • Leadership: The ability to think strategically, manage people, initiate change —and plan and deliver on proposed activities and projects.

Source: http://www.nea.org/tools/52217.htm

How Do We Advance 21st Century Skills in the Public Sector Workforce?

We are two decades into the century so the concept of  “21st century skills“ is not a new one, and some may assume that today’s workforce has embraced these skills. Yet, research shows that, for many, 21st century skills are still lagging. According to an American Management Association Critical Skills Survey, 51.4 percent of survey respondents said employees had average communication skills — and 46.9 percent stated employees had average skills in creativity. Additionally, in a report by the Stanford History Education Group, individuals in the study demonstrated a lack of literacy skills and had a hard time distinguishing advertisements from news articles . . . or identifying where information came from.

As community leaders, public safety and other local agencies must all take action to continue building these skills. This is not a lofty aspiration.

21st Century WorkforceWith the right tools and plans in place, organizations can provide the training and courses to build their current workforce. Public safety agencies and municipalities can begin by utilizing technology, such as an effective learning management system (LMS), to turbo-charge the learning experience. The Journal stated a 21st century LMS should have an intuitive interface, collaboration tools that go beyond standard teacher-learner communication, analytics and reporting dashboards — and the capacity to structure learning for and individuals, as well as for an entire organization.

Additionally, an effective LMS can provide courses that build specific 21st century skills. A few examples include:

  • Courses that are collaborative and measure success by department or unit results build collaboration skills.
  • Courses that promote cross-cultural understanding build social skills.
  • Courses that provide opportunities for learners to lead, implement and delegate develop leadership skills.

The entire public sector workforce can develop 21st century skills by establishing mentoring programs where individuals collaborate, share knowledge — and communicate both in-person and through written formats. The Alliance for Innovation also suggests organizations can create career development programs, utilizing features in the LMS, where employees move in various directions – gaining essentials skills to keep pace in today’s workplace.

The Benefits Are Clear. 

The benefits of developing your workforce goes far beyond day-to-day operations. By advancing 21st century skills, employees are increasing their capabilities to manage their responsibilities efficiently and effectively — and employers are strengthening their internal groups to develop, grow and lead the organization.21st Century Public Sector Skills

If you are ready to learn more about tools that can help your organization build 21st century skills, take a look at our blog post “The Benefits of a Learning Management System for Today’s Public-Sector Organizations.”