Quality in law enforcement is a vital asset to the community, and should be encouraged, promoted and formally recognized. The philosophy behind this award is to recognize excellence in policing and to encourage member law enforcement agencies to share with their peers those programs they've developed to address community problems and have enhanced them in the eyes of their respective communities.

Award Categories:

The project should focus on achievements in one or more of the following award categories:

• Continual improvement of services to the community.
• Strengthening of police relations and promotion of community participation.
• Effective use of resources in addressing a significant community concern.
• Enhancement of communication within and cooperation among law enforcement agencies, and/or other service providers.
• Development of creative and innovative approaches that raise the quality and effectiveness of law enforcement.
• Successful strategies for enhancing quality of life within the community by implementing initiatives to increase citizen safety and security.

Submissions will be evaluated by the FPCA Rocky Pomerance Excellence in Policing Awards Committee made up of chief executives of Florida law enforcement agencies.

Sharing Excellence:

The most important goal of the Rocky Pomerance Excellence in Policing Award is to foster the exchange of ideas and solutions to problems so others can learn and benefit. This is accomplished by inviting recipients to (an awards luncheon/the banquet) at the annual summer conference, and by publishing an article in the first Florida Police Chief Magazine publication after the conference.

The association President will distribute a news release to the home newspaper of recipient agencies, and media throughout the state identifying the recipient agencies and providing them with a project summary for each agency.

Eligibility:

The Rocky Pomerance Excellence in Policing Award is open to all Florida Police Chiefs Association member public law enforcement agencies. To enter, each agency must submit a description of its local project or process that details how well it has achieved one or more of the six previously described initiatives. Agencies can submit for multiple projects.

Award Recipients:

Annually, one award will be presented, with recognition awards presented to the first and second runner ups.

General Restrictions:

Submissions must be signed by the senior-ranking officer of each agency. Generally, this official is the chief of police of a municipality, the sheriff of a county, or the director of law enforcement of a state agency. If an agency wins the award for a particular program or initiative, it is eligible to compete again as long as it does not submit the same program or initiative.

Judging Criteria:

The basic premise behind the Rocky Pomerance Excellence in Policing Award is to recognize Florida Police Chiefs Association member agencies for implementation of programs that assess their effectiveness in addressing a particular problem or challenge they've faced. Projects will be evaluated in several areas including project selection, analysis techniques, solutions and results. Consideration will be given to how well the applicant agency identified the problem the project addressed, how solutions were developed and implemented, and how they institutionalized the project (ensured that it will have enduring results).

Ongoing projects are eligible for consideration so long as applicant agencies can demonstrate significant progress toward project goals.

Timetable:

• April 15: Submission deadline
• May 30: Recipients notified

Summer Conference:

Winners honored at the annual summer conference. Recipient agency project summaries published in Florida Police Chief Magazine, winners announced in local media of recipient agencies, and to state media.

Submissions will be accepted for projects that commence following the previous summer conference.

Appendix I

Judging Criteria

Because this award is modeled after the Webber Seavey Award, judging criteria generally follow that of the Webber Seavey. The Awards Committee will be looking for projects that leave a positive impact on the submitting agency and/or the community that is sustainable long after the project itself is completed.

Project Selection:

In this area, participants are judged on the care taken and foresight exercised in the selection process. Selected projects should be neither too ambitious nor too modest in proportion to the size of the agency and its available resources. Projects may focus on either timely agency or community issues. In either case, direct input from both agency and community members should be sought and utilized. Consequently, it is important for applicant agencies to submit letters of endorsement from community leaders or organizations with their submission. Specific goals should be set based on benchmarking with other agencies. Forecasted improvements and a time schedule should be established.

Key considerations for evaluation of this component include: How did the applicant agency choose the project? Was proper input elicited from agency and community members? Have clear cut objectives and a time schedule been established, based on appropriately projected goals? Do all participants in the project understand their role in carrying out the project?

Analysis Techniques:

Throughout the course of the project, analysis techniques should be used (i.e., methods of charting and evaluating progress). In this area, participants will be judged on how effectively they use these techniques to drive the project to completion while keeping it focused on the primary project objectives.

Key considerations for this component include: Has the applicant used analysis techniques to identify the source(s) of the problem being addressed? Have methods been developed to chart and evaluate progress? Has use of charts and diagrams helped keep the project in focus and to monitor results? Have these techniques helped to evaluate the results with respect to the original project goals?

Solutions:

In this component, participants are challenged to explore a number of possible solutions to determine the most creative and innovate approach. A strong case must be made for the chosen solution. A clear understanding of what the applicant expected to accomplish through implementation of the project is important (whether the problem is to be prevented, contained (stopped from spreading), or solved (eliminated permanently). The implementation plan should be clearly defined, with documentation and regular meetings to analyze and re-evaluate progress. Finally, the plan of action should demonstrate innovation and creativity in the methods used to determine the solution and in the solution itself.

Key considerations in evaluating this component include: Have various solution alternatives been examined? Can a strong case be made for the chosen solution? Is the project intended to contain a problem or solve it entirely? Does the implementation plan include regular analysis and re-evaluation? Does the project demonstrate innovation in its planning, development and implementation?

Results:

Participants will be judged on whether or not they achieved what they set out to achieve (in the case of ongoing projects, whether or not they are showing significant progress toward the final goal). Quality of the results is more important than quantity. In addition, other positive results that came about as a by-product of the project should be stated. These effects will be evaluated for overall positive impact and for how well they have been documented and verified.

Key considerations in evaluating this component include: Has the applicant achieved what they expected to achieve? Are the results the direct outcome of the skills applied throughout the project? Do the results measure favorably against the difficulty of achievement? Were there other positive effects besides those originally intended? Has the applicant demonstrated flexibility in assessing success (projected or actual) and adjusted accordingly to keep the project on track? Has the applicant verified these effects through documentation?

Institutionalization:

Institutionalization requires that improvement is maintainable over an extended period of time, and it can occur on several levels. It may consist of procedural changes, equipment upgrades, or ongoing training programs within the applicant agency. Or it may consist of a lasting impact within the community that can be sustained and furthered. Projects showing promise as a model for other law enforcement agencies will score highly for institutionalization. Finally, institutionalization in the way the applicant agency typically approaches law enforcement problems is also worthy of merit. As a result of completing this project, the applicant agency should have advanced in the understanding of quality principles. They should display a preparedness to apply and adapt these principles to other problem-solving tasks in the future.

Key considerations in evaluating this component include: Are the positive results of the project maintainable over time? Is the project readily adaptable to other agencies and organizations? Is the applicant agency prepared to adopt the quality principles learned through this project as standard operating procedures?

Submission:

The project submission should be clear and concise, and should follow a logical sequence from problem identification and analysis through implementation, results, and institutionalization. Particular emphasis should be placed on the improvement process. Charts, graphs, and other analysis techniques should be used to help illustrate how the project developed and to support its findings and direction. These analysis techniques must have direct relevance to the various phases of the project. All documentation must follow the required format: project document (up to 10 pages) and the abstract (up to one page typewritten) and must be sent to the FPCA.

Key consideration in evaluating this component include: Does it follow a logical sequence? Is the primary emphasis on the improvement process? Do the charts, graphs, etc., clearly relate to the various project phases? Does the submission follow the required format?

All submissions should be sent to:

FPCA Headquarters via mail at, 924 North Gadsden Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32303