Before I cover the "Vision for 2009", I want to thank all of you for your hard work in 2008.  As you recall, the 2008 Vision was to build a unified department by the concept of true district policing.   Our goals and objectives were:

• 1) Make all necessary resources available to further enhance career development;
• 2) Bridge the communication gap;
• 3) Develop creative crime solving tools;
• 4) Enhance productivity in all units; and
• 5) Hold ourselves accountable for what occurs in our respective areas of responsibility.

I feel that the vision and goals were met in 2008 and we had some excellent accomplishments, to include:

• Maintained "Meritorious" distinction for reaccreditation
• Successfully reorganized and continued efforts to move towards true district policing by breaking down barriers and enhancing teamwork; and enhanced the sharing of information between detectives and patrol officers
• Completed Phase I of Succession Plan (mid-level managers) by conducting two training sessions with Lieutenants.  Sessions were 40 hours long and emphasized:  policing strategies; management/leadership/program evaluation; community relations; ethical issues in policing; and scenario presentations and research papers.    
• Training programs were formed for Communications/911 Center employees.
• Thirty-one employees enrolled in college.
• Cold Case Homicide Unit was formed by utilizing retired law enforcement officers.
• LiNX database system
• Increase of Community Watch Groups by 45% (July - December 2008).
• Received grant money for the training, education and prevention of "domestic violence"; Domestic Violence Training - designated personnel assigned to each squad.
• Strengthened relationship with District Attorney's Office by sharing additional information.  Good example:  GPS tracking system for repeat property crime offenders. 
• Enhanced positive relationships with media representatives through our Public Information Officer; therefore, providing additional opportunities for positive stories.
• Enhanced traffic safety initiatives by hiring additional Civilian Crash Investigators, increasing safety presentations, and increasing citations.    Fatalities reduced by 38%.

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• Combined gang unit with Cumberland County Sheriff's Office to allow for    sharing of information and enhanced relationship.  
• Formulated a Homicide Unit to work strictly on homicide cases, which greatly enhanced our clearance rate.
• Employee turnover rate is down 20% from 2007.
• Partnered with the Child Advocacy Center to provide training and investigative tools for detectives.
• Successfully coordinated with District Court Judges to increase the number of defendants in drug courts.
• Great success with Burglary Task Force and Crack House Task Force by strengthening the partnership between Narcotics Unit and Special Projects Unit.

While we had many accomplishments in 2008, we must face the cold brutal fact that along with the rise in population, there was a rise in crime.  As a department, you have proven that we cannot arrest ourselves out of crime.   This coming year will be increasingly challenging because of the current economic situation and anticipated growth through BRAC.  We must move forward to improve upon the community policing concept by developing innovative proactive approaches.       With that in mind, I have established the following list of goals for us to focus upon in 2009:

•1)                   Community Involvement

•2)                   Recruitment

•3)                   Continued Education/Development of Employees

I'd like to take this opportunity to briefly explain these goals for 2009:

Community Involvement

Since July 2008, we've seen an increase in Community Watch Groups by 45%.   We need to continue to build on this by educating and finding innovative ways to get the community involved in policing strategies and problem solving. Some actions we can take include:

• v Develop foot and bike patrol programs
• v Become involved in mentorship programs by increasing our presence in local schools and universities (lectures, presentations, involvement)
• v Offer additional sessions our Citizens Police Academy and Youth Public Safety Academy
• v Develop partnerships with faith based organizations and the business community (great example of this would be the "B Street" initiative, based on the "Broken Windows" theory)

For this process to be successful, it will take the entire community:   City of Fayetteville, faith based organizations, business community and citizens.  It will also require that the entire community maintain these relationships to ensure continued success.

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Recruitment

Even though we saw an increase in retention over the last year, our recruitment efforts continue to be a challenge.   A few suggestions to overcome this are as follows:

• v Develop ethnically diverse recruitment teams
• v Develop innovative strategies to recruit
• v All members of this organization (sworn and non-sworn) have the responsibility to promote a positive image of this Department to enhance recruitment efforts

Continued Education/Development of Employees

We've seen great progress in this area already with the Career Development rotations.  To reiterate our goals from 2008 and expand upon them, I'd like to make these suggestions:

• v Provide management development training opportunities for all ranks, to include: Management Development Program (MDP), Law Enforcement Executive Program (LEAP), Southern Police Institute (SPI), and/or FBI National Academy.
• v Provide additional training opportunities for all employees
• v 2^nd Phase of Succession Plan (first line supervisors)

Keep up the good work.   I am looking forward to seeing the progress we can make in 2009!