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These goals and objectives are the guiding principles by which we serve our community. They are quantifiable elements of a total quality service plan designed to best assist and aide the citizens and visitors of our greater community. Click on these goals for more information.
As you can see, the police have a number of different goals and objectives with which to contend as they fulfill their mission. It is an imperative that all members of the Department pursue these goals to their conclusion. New challenges are faced everyday, with each one being unique and different. Meeting those challenges and preparing for those to come are the the foundation of the dynamic nature of police services. Primary GoalAs Sir Robert Peel stated in 1829, "the police are the public and the public are the police. The police are only members of the public that are paid to give full time attention to duties that are incumbent upon every citizen in the interest of community welfare and existence." The Constitution of the State of Georgia states public safety is the paramount duty of government. Thus, the primary goal of this department is to form partnerships with the citizenry that prevent crime while enhancing the community's safety and improving the quality of life. The department and the citizens accomplish their primary goal in a distinct, two-fold mode:
The department must perform its mission within the Constitution and with respect for law. All departments are bound and obligated to recognize and adhere both to the statutory, as well as the judicial limitations of police authority. It is not the role of police to legislate, to render legal judgements, or to punish. It is the role of police in partnership with the public to problem-solve. The primary responsibility for upholding the law lies not with the police but with the people. Since crime is a social problem, crime prevention is the concern of every person living in society. Society employes full-time professional police to assist in preventing crime and to deter it, and when that fails, to apprehend those who violate the law. Crime is a symptom of the ills in society which are not the sole responsibility of the police to cure. The police are responsible for interacting with the community to generate a mutual understanding so that there may be public support for crime prevention. Community involvement is essential to facilitate a free flow of information between the public and the police; to assist in the identification of problem areas and to inform the public of crime trends and statistics. Additionally, knowledge of the community is essential so that each officer and employee may be instilled with a sense of concern for crime problems and law enforcement needs. Street crime is curbed by the potential criminal's fear of immediate apprehension or by the increased likelihood of detection. Deterrence of crime requires the investigation of behavior which reasonably appears criminal in nature. In deploying patrol forces to inspire public confidence in the police's ability to ensure a peaceful environment, a balance must be struck between the deterrent effect of visible patrol and the undesirable appeareance of oppression. The administration of justice consists of the identification, arrest, prosecution, and punishment of the violator; the objective of which is voluntary compliance with the law. Once a crime has been committed, the duty of the police is to initiate the criminal justice system process by identifying and arresting the perpetrator, to obtain necessary evidence, and to cooperate in the prosecution of the case. As the certainty of swift and sure punishment serves as an effective deterrent to crime, so must the police strive to solve all crimes and bring perpetrators to justice. Recovery and Return of Stolen Property The actual costs of crime are difficult to measure; there can not be a dollar value placed on broken bodies, ruined lives and human misery. However, it is possible to observe mounting costs of lost and stolen property. This loss, as well as other costs of crime, must ultimately be borne by the victims. To minimize the losses of crime, the police will make every reasonable effort to recover lost and stolen property, to identify the owner, and ensure its prompt return. To facilitate the safe and expeditious movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the police must exercise the responsibility for traffic law enforcement. To enforce compliance with traffic laws and to develop driver awareness of the causes of traffic accidents, the police will appropriately warn, cite, or arrest traffic law violators. Traffic accidents are investigated to protect the rights of the injured parties, to care for those injured, and to determine the cause of the accidents so that methods of prevention may be developed and implemented. Often, because there are no other private agencies available, the public relies upon the police for assistance and advice in the many routine and emergency situations that occur in their lives. Saving lives, aiding the injured, locating lost persons, keeping the peace, and providing for the many other miscellaneous needs are basic services provided by the Department. |
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[Mission] [Goals]
[From the Chief] [Organization] © 2001Athens-Clarke County Police Department, All Rights Reserved. If you have any problems with this site, or comments, please contact the Webmaster. Site designed and developed by Earthrise Interactive.
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