P - Jacksonville Sheriff`s Office

Sheriff John H. Rutherford
Office of the Sheriff
501 East Bay Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32202
Dear Sheriff Rutherford:
Enclosed is the Annual Report for the Department of Personnel and Professional Standards.
During this past year, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was honored to receive the Excelsior Award from
the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement (CFA) in recognition of our maintaining the highest
standards of excellence in accreditation for 5 consecutive cycles. Additionally, JSO was reaccredited by
the American Corrections Association (ACA) ,The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement
(CALEA), as well as The National Commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC). We were 100% in
compliance with all mandatory standards. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is proud to continue to retain
the “Triple Crown Award” from the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA), which we have held since
1997. JSO is a member of a small elite group, consisting of only 44 sheriff’s offices in the nation that
has qualified for this honor since its inception in 1993.
Also of note, our Personnel Division was given direct hire authority from the City of Jacksonville in
October 2014. There has already been a dramatic decrease in civilian vacancies. We have streamlined
the process of hiring and look forward to continued success in our ability to hire new employees that
meet our strict background and hiring qualifications.
The Department of Personnel and Professional Standards is proud of our achievements in 2014; as we
look forward to more success in the coming year.
Sincerely,
A. M. Smith, Director
Department of Personnel and Professional Standards
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Content
Page(s)
Table of Contents
iii-iv
Department of Personnel & Professional Standards Organization Chart
v
Letter to Sheriff Rutherford
ii
Internal Affairs Overview
1-2
Internal Affairs Total Complaints Received by Citizen and In-House
3
Internal Affairs In-House Initiated Complaints / Citizen Initiated Complaints
4
Internal Affairs Final Complaint Dispositions/Disciplinary Action by Year
5
Internal Affairs Complaints Against Members by Employee Title/Citizen Complaints Against Members by Month
6
Internal Affairs Citizen Complaints Against Members by Years Employed and
Citizen Age/Race
7
Internal Affairs Appeals of Disciplinary by Year/Member Discipline by Group
8
Internal Affairs Bias Based Profiling Annual Analysis
9
Internal Affairs Bias Based Complaints by Employee Assignment
10
Internal Affairs Origins of Bias Based Complaints
11
Internal Affairs Personnel Early Warning System
12
Professional Standards - Accreditation
13-16
Professional Standards - Continuous Improvement Unit
17-22
Professional Standards - Leadership Development Institute
23
Professional Standards - Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Training &
Education Center
24-25
Professional Standards - Firing Range
26
iii
Content
Page(s)
Professional Standards - Recruiting and Selection
27-29
Professional Standards - Crime Analysis Unit
30-33
Professional Standards - Information System Management
34-36
Personnel Division
37-41
iv
Director
Chief
Professional Standards
Division
Chief
Personnel Division
Hiring
&
Promotion
Time
&
Attendance
Wellness
Program
Employee
Information
System
Employee
Assistance
Program
Lieutenant
Recruitment
Selection
& Training
Internal Affairs
Unit
Recruitment
&
Selection
Accreditation
Unit
Academy
Continuous
Improvement
Firing Range
Inspections
Senior Technology Executive
Information
Systems
Management
Crime Analysis Unit
Fusion Center
Polygraph Unit
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs Unit is the branch of the Professional Standards Division
responsible for ensuring all allegations of misconduct against employees of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office; sworn
non-sworn, civilian, and bailiff are appropriately investigated.
The cornerstone of community policing is the
partnership between law enforcement agencies and the community they serve, and for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s
Office, there is no higher priority. This successful partnership is based on mutual trust and civic accountability. The
Internal Affairs Unit plays a critical role in safeguarding this partnership.
The Internal Affairs Unit serves as the conduit for citizens and employees to report allegations of misconduct
and know that the allegation will be professionally investigated. In 2014, the Internal Affairs Unit partnered with the
Information Systems Unit to develop and implement an online complaint reporting portal where complaints can be
submitted electronically to the Internal Affairs Unit. The online portal began operation on September 27, 2014 and it
adds a new method for allegations of misconduct to be reported while maintaining greater security of complaint
information. Citizens can now file a complaint anywhere that internet access is found. Prior to the implementation of
the online portal, the Internal Affairs Unit received approximately fifty (50) complaints per month in 2014 through
various methods of delivery of complaint forms (mail, email, and hand delivery). Once the online portal was activated,
complaints were received at an increased rate of approximately sixty-seven (67) per month with approximately fifty-six
(56) percent of all complaints being received through the online portal.
The thirty-four (34) percent increase in
complaints received during the last quarter is likely attributable to the immediate online access of complaint reporting.
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Employees that are subject to disciplinary action have the right to appeal such action through the established
grievance process. The Internal Affairs Unit has the additional task of monitoring and coordinating the steps involved
when employees elect to appeal their discipline through the grievance process. This additional area of responsibility
requires that the Internal Affairs Unit coordinates with both the Office of General Counsel and the City of Jacksonville.
Internal Affairs detectives are instrumental in ensuring that the facts of a sustained investigation are presented in a
manner that supports the charges brought against the employee.
During 2014, the Internal Affairs Unit received 861 complaints from both external and internal sources. The
total number of complaints is nine percent (9%) higher than the total number of the complaints received in 2013 and
five percent (5%) higher than the three year average for years 2012-2014.
The following charts will provide an
overview of the number, type, and outcome of the allegations of misconduct involving Sheriff's Office employees
reported in 2014.
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Total Complaints Received by
Internal Affairs: Citizen and In-House
3
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
In-House Initiated and Citizen
Initiated Complaints
4
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Final Complaint Dispositions
Disciplinary Action by Year
5
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Complaints Against Members by Employee Title
Citizen Complaints Against Members by Month
6
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Citizen Complaints Against Members
by Years Employed and Citizen Age/Race
7
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Appeals of Discipline by Year
8
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Bias Based Profiling Annual Analysis
Event/Element Data
Bias Based Profiling as defined by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Operational Order 2.4.4 is the detention,
interdiction, or other disparate treatment of any person on the basis of their race, color, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, physical handicap, economic status, age, cultural group, religion or other belief system.
In support of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office core value Worthy of Trust, policy is that bias based profiling
in law enforcement is not tolerated. Specific areas of focus are actions of Sheriff's Office members during traffic
stops, field contacts, seizure and forfeiture of assets. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has published guidelines
supporting policy against bias based profiling. These policies are in place to promote a culture of responsible law
enforcement as well as to protect officers from accusations of alleged profiling while acting dutifully and within the
parameters of law and policy.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office remains steadfast in its dedication to protecting the rights of all citizens
regardless of race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, physical handicap, religion or other belief system. In
an effort to ensure all employees understand the mission of the Sheriff’s Office and are in compliance with these
guidelines, members are required to complete regularly scheduled training pertaining to ethics and bias based
profiling.
Topics include proactive enforcement tactics, officer safety, courtesy, cultural diversity, the laws
governing search and seizure, and interpersonal communications skills.
Event / Element Data
During 2014, there were twelve (12) allegations of bias based profiling filed against Jacksonville Sheriff’s
Office employees.
All complaints were routed to the Internal Affairs Unit after complainants completed the
Complaint Against Employee form. These complaints were then tracked through the Internal Affairs Unit
database.
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Bias Based Complaints
Bias Based Complaints by Employee Assignment
All bias based complaints, even if there appears to be no merit to the complaint, are thoroughly
investigated. This is part of the continuing effort of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to strengthen the partnership
between the Sheriff's Office and the community.
The charts below indicate the complaints received by
employee assignment and the origins of the citizen contacts regarding the complaints.
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Origins of Bias Based Complaints
The majority of the 2014 bias based complaints stemmed from questions regarding officers’ actions and motives for initiating contact with complainants during traffic stops and traffic related incidences. Eleven (11) of the twelve
(12) complaints were determined to be unfounded, not sustained, exonerated, suspended, supervisor referrals, or terminated by the complainant. The remaining case is currently active and confidential. Seven (7) of the twelve (12) complaints involved white male officers. The remaining complaints, that involved officers were: one (1) white female officer,
one (1) black male officer, one (1) Hispanic officer, and three (3) incidents where the race/ethnicity of the officers were
unknown.
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Personnel Early Warning System
A comprehensive Personnel Early Warning System is an essential component of good discipline in a wellmanaged law enforcement agency.
Through this system, officers are identified by behavior, performance and
situational factors. The early identification of employees developing potential disciplinary problems and a menu of
remedial actions emphasizing proactive intervention can increase agency accountability and offer employees a better
opportunity to meet the agency’s values and mission statements.
On a monthly basis, early warning notifications are created for employees who meet established parameters
during a three month period.
The notifications are sent to the employees’ chains-of-command for review.
Supervisors review the notifications with employees and determine if they require disciplinary action, remedial action,
appropriate referral or no further action. During 2014, a total of twenty-eight (28) early warning notifications were
sent out and reviewed with the effected employees. Twenty-five (25) notifications were returned to Internal Affairs
indicating no further action required. For the remaining three (3) notifications, the employees received informal
counseling in two (2) situations and one employee received additional training.
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
ACCREDITATION UNIT
The Accreditation Unit is responsible for ensuring the agency maintains compliance with five accrediting
bodies and ensures standards are met with the Florida Model Jail Inspections. These standards are used as
guidelines or benchmarks to measure the “best practices” that JSO uses to function as a law enforcement
agency.
Accreditation requires an agency to develop a comprehensive, well thought out, uniform set of written
directives. This is one of the most successful methods for reaching administrative and operational goals, while
also providing direction to personnel. Accreditation standards provide the necessary reports and analyses a
CEO needs to make fact-based, informed management decisions. Accreditation is a means for developing or
improving an agency’s relationship with the community and strengthens an agency’s accountability, with both
the agency and the community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance,
and responsibilities.
An accredited agency can limit an agency’s liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates that
internationally recognized standards have been met, as verified by a team of independent outside assessors,
and accreditation facilitates an agency’s pursuit of professional excellence.
Beginning in March 2014, the Accreditation Unit conducted two Jail Inspections, two mock
assessments, and four accreditation onsite assessments. In March, the first assessment was conducted by the
American Corrections Association (ACA). The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Department of Corrections was
evaluated by four seasoned auditors from various parts of the country. In the final report, the Accreditation Unit
facilitated the best onsite in the Department of Corrections history, with 100 percent compliance on mandatory
standards and 97 percent compliance on non-mandatory standards.
Additionally, the Audit Chairperson
“expressed appreciation for the cooperation of everyone concerned and congratulated the facility team for the
significant progress made and encouraged them to continue to strive toward further compliance with standards
and excellence in the field.
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The team acknowledged their ongoing commitment to decrease the number of non-compliances for this
audit. The team also extended their congratulations for an endeavor truly well done. Finally, the team
expressed appreciation for the outstanding spirit of cooperation given to them and the sincere welcome and
hospitality extended to them during the auditing process.”
During the ACA Commission Meeting, the
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was recognized as “being in the top 1 percentile of agencies in the country”, by
the Commission Chair.
In July 2014, the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) conducted an
onsite assessment with three assessors from the state of Florida. During the Commission meeting, the
Accreditation Unit was presented with the prestigious “Excelsior Award”, which is a recognition program for
Florida criminal justice agencies which have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the Florida
accreditation process which is criteria based upon two key benchmarks: Commitment to Accreditation Candidate agencies should have been awarded five successful reaccreditation cycles by the Commission;
and Excellence in Accreditation - A candidate agency’s reaccreditation interval should only be credited
toward this new recognition status if conditions were not assessed by the Commission. The Jacksonville
Sheriff’s Office proved compliance of 100 percent mandatory and non-mandatory standards for a fifth
consecutive time.
In October 2014, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. conducted
a “Gold Standard” reaccreditation onsite of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. CALEA® introduced a new
methodology for assessing agencies seeking reaccreditation; known as the Gold Standard Assessment
(GSA), this voluntary assessment format focuses primarily on processes and outcomes associated with
standards specific to agency policies. In short, it works to measure the impact of accreditation as opposed
to simply confirming compliance through a file-by-file review. In addition to strong organizational health and
an absence of issues that detract from the professionalism of the agency, the following general criteria must
be met before an agency may be considered to participate in the GSA process:

Must have two previous accreditation awards at the level of accreditation currently being sought.

Must not have had compliance issues in most recent assessment.

Must not have had process management issues in most recent assessment.

Must not currently be under a consent decree or memorandum of understanding.

Must not be exercising agency requested assessment extension option for current process.

Must have submitted all three Agency Status Reports as required and on time.
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This was the second “Gold Standard” Assessment for the Accreditation Unit, and the Jacksonville
Sheriff’s Office was found in compliance with 100 percent compliance on both mandatory and nonmandatory standards.
In December 2014, the Accreditation Unit facilitated the National Commission on Correctional
Healthcare survey, which was a five day onsite focusing on the Department of Corrections’ Health Services
Division. Five experienced surveyors reviewed files, health care charts, written directives, and facilities.
After an intense scrutiny, the lead surveyor verified that all mandatory standards were in compliance.
With these successful assessments, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continued to maintain the
National Sheriff’s Association Triple Crown Award, which was initially awarded in 1997. This award was
established by NSA to recognize those sheriff’s offices, who achieves simultaneous accreditations from the
Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies, the American Correctional Association’s
Commission on Accreditation for Corrections and the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare.
Achieving these accreditations individually is a daunting task. Acquiring all three at the same time is an
extraordinary feat. In fact, the Triple Crown distinction is so rare, that since the establishment of the award
in 1993, fewer than 44 sheriffs’ offices have qualified.
The Accreditation Unit is responsible for maintaining the written directives for the agency;
coordinating the activities associated with the agency’s accreditation processes, providing guidance to other
areas of the agency on how to best meet accreditation standards, and answering public requests for our
many written directives.
Written Directives
As an ongoing function of the accreditation process, all written directives are reviewed annually.
This year, the Accreditation Unit reviewed all written directives:
Law Enforcement/Agency
General Orders
Operational Orders
Duties & Responsibilities
Forms
Unit Procedures
Department of Corrections
78
117
236
52
37
Operational Orders
Duties & Responsibilities
DHS Unit Procedures
Forms
158
109
60
26
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The Accreditation Manager facilitates the agency’s Written Directive Review System. The Directive
Review Committee (DRC) met on a regular basis throughout the year to review proposed policy changes,
forms and review employee suggestions that relate to policies and procedures. The Accreditation Unit
facilitated 12 DRC meetings in 2014. As a result of these meetings, the following items were updated and
disseminated in written directive packets:
Law Enforcement/Agency
Department of Corrections
General Orders
20
Operational Orders
27
Operational Orders
45
Duties & Responsibilities
41
Duties & Responsibilities
29
DHS Unit Procedures
30
Forms
15
Forms
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In addition to the numerous successful on-sites that were conducted in 2014, the Accreditation Unit
facilitated a tremendous change in the reporting of Vehicle Pursuits. In 2014, the clerical support member of
the Accreditation Unit was responsible for manually entering all Vehicle Pursuit reports into our information
database for tracking purposes. The data was entered into separate databases for future analysis. In
September 2014, the online Vehicle Pursuit Report was introduced. It was designed using the LEAN
philosophy espoused by the Continuous Improvement Unit.
All data is now entered by the indicating
lieutenant to meet rigorous crime analysis standards. This ensures accurate and timely data.
As the central location for written directives and department policies, the Accreditation Unit
manages the Information Bulletins and Sheriff’s Office Memorandum system. In 2014, 138 Information
Bulletins and 21 Memorandums were distributed. The unit is known as the information clearing house,
therefore the staff is often called upon to route appropriate informal information to the agency. Over 491
policies and documents were sent to agency personnel for editing. As the agency’s custodian of the written
directive system, a total of 164 policies were sent to other law enforcement agencies. Additionally, the
Accreditation Unit handled 73 public records requests for archived written directives in 2014.
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT UNIT
Continuous Improvement is the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office’s (JSO) philosophy of constantly reviewing
our professional environment for opportunities to eliminate all forms of waste, improve the work experience
for our employees, and perfect our ability to add value to our services for our customers.
Since its
inception in the summer of 2004, the Continuous Improvement Unit (CIU) has become instrumental in how we
conduct our business. Today Continuous Improvement (CI) is part of the JSO culture.
Top down leadership is imperative for improvements to occur and be sustained.
been extremely supportive.
Sheriff Rutherford has
He understands all employees should participate in improving their work and
processes. His support was not only the foundation but also the reason for JSO’s cultural transformation.
An editorial in January 2015 from the Florida Times Union newspaper stated the following about Sheriff
Rutherford:
“…he has actively embraced cutting edge management techniques.
He has been an enthusiastic user of lean management, which empowers employees
at all levels to come up with solutions. It saves money, it improves customer service
and it causes morale to soar.
Rutherford is convinced that this smarter way of doing business is now part of the
department’s DNA and will remain so long after his departure.”
(Florida Times Union Editorial January 28, 2015)
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A small unit, the Continuous Improvement Unit operates with a civilian manager and an administrative support employee. CIU meets monthly with the CI Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is comprised of
the Undersheriff, the five Departmental Directors, the Chief of Professional Standards, and the CIU’s supervisor. At this meeting CIU provides updates on current projects. The Committee can make assignments and/
or give priorities to upcoming CIU projects. Additionally in this meeting, team members from earlier CI events
report the results and recommendations from completed projects to the executive staff. This allots time for the
employees who made the improvements to inform the administration of their accomplishments and seek removal of any remaining obstacles. Increased communication and information are positive results gained
through the process. The time spent by the involved employees with the administrators increases morale.
Employees are seen, heard, and recognized for the improvements.
Sheriff Rutherford and Executive Staff
Continuous Improvement Tools
Because of JSO’s CI philosophy, employees are familiar and use Lean tools to solve problems, improve
processes, eliminate waste, and add value to our services. Some of the Lean tools most frequently used at
JSO include:
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
Rapid Improvement Events (RIE) (3 – 5 days)

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) of processes, problems, ideas, etc.

Mini - Rapid Improvement Events (RIE) (1 day)

7S projects (Visual Organization)

Voice of the Customer (VOC) surveys

5 Whys and “DMAIC Plus” for Root Cause Analysis

Identify and Eliminate the 8 Types of Waste (Downtime)

Walk the Process (Gemma - Go and See)

Standardization

Brainstorming Sessions

Employee Suggestions

Work along within JSO

Consulting with employees
2014 Highlights
The “Rapid Improvement Event” is a main tool used by JSO. CIU facilitates the event but employees involved in the process create and implement the improvements. Ownership of the process is crucial for successful and sustainable improvements. Prior to events most processes typically contain 50 - 95% waste.
After waste is eliminated the team creates the ideal or new current state of the process. Most RIEs result in
waste reduction of at least 50%. By participating in an event, team members remove waste, add value to
processes, see their significance as employees, and understand their responsibilities for improving their quality of work. It’s a win, win, win result for the employees, JSO, and Jacksonville.
Two major processes were our focus in 2014. The Field Investigation Report (FIR) for our new Automated
Records Management System (ARMS) and a new Investigative Case Management system. New training
videos were made by an officer and the IT department to train users on the new FIR. Officers watched the
videos and passed a test (70% or higher) to use the new system. If an officer did not pass the exam, he/she
had to attend classroom FIR training.
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Field Investigation Report (FIR)
Rapid Improvement Event (RIE)
CIU also worked with employees to follow up on previous process improvements. Some of these processes were Forfeiture, Secondary Employment, School Crossing Guards, Employee Exits, and Public Records
Requests. Other new areas for improvement included Corrections’ Sexual Predators’ Checklist Packet, Organized Retail Crime Thefts, an employees’ survey in the Communications (9-1-1) Center, Juvenile Sexting,
and Traffic light cameras. Truly all areas of an organization can utilize a CI philosophy to reduce waste and
add value to services provided.
Substation and Public Record Requests Team
Employee Suggestions
CIU is also the process owner for Employee Suggestions. In 2006, CIU began to improve JSO’s employee suggestion process. Prior to this the number of yearly employee suggestions were 1 – 3. Since 2006,
seven hundred ninety (790) suggestions have been submitted to CIU to start the process. In 2014, ninety
(90) employee suggestions were made. Eighty-nine (89%) of the suggestions were completed. Completion
means the suggestions were implemented, partially implemented, or not implemented. The remaining ten
(10) suggestions eleven percent (11%) were in the research phase. The research is done by JSO’s Core
group. These are employees from across the agency who are interested in making things better. In addition
to the employee volunteers, all JSO’s Chiefs are part of Core.
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Prior to the meeting, Core members vote on the suggestions. This group meets every other Thursday to
discuss any new suggestions. The group has three options regarding suggestions:

Conduct further research

Approve and move forward

Deny the suggestions
Employees who submitted suggestions were kept apprised of the status of the submissions.
Even if the
suggestions are not accepted, the submitter is given a written explanation as to why the decision was
reached. All suggestions and responses were placed on CIU’s intranet SharePoint site for everyone to see.
Spreading the Word
Word of mouth and the Internet have been instrumental in helping other law enforcement agencies and
other organizations see all JSO is doing in Continuous Improvement. CIU received numerous requests about
how to do Lean and Continuous Improvement.
We are always willing to share lessons learned and best
practices with other entities.
This year Renea Chandler, CIU’s manager, presented at two conferences. In October JSO was invited to
speak at the annual Maryland World Class Consortia’s (MWCC) conference in Baltimore. The feedback from
attendees was extremely positive. In November the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) conference was held in Jacksonville. JSO and CIU had significant roles in the conference. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was one of the organizations chosen to provide a CI tour to attendees. Approximately forty (40)
people toured various units within JSO. Ms. Chandler and Sgt. Daniel Janson, Homicide Unit, presented at
the conference. As was the case at the MWCC conference, feedback was very affirmative. Thirty-two (32) of
the participants requested further information.
Employee Recognitions
Once a quarter, the Continuous Improvement Award is presented to an employee.
Nominees for the
award can be submitted by any JSO employee. The prize winner, chosen by the Meritorious Awards Review
Board, is an employee who embodied the CI philosophy and/or implemented improvements. The employee
demonstrated leadership in an area identified as needing improvements. The employee took a direct and
active role to implement positive changes. The recipient’s actions were significant in removing waste and
adding value to the provided service or process. The recipients were then eligible for the CI Employee of
the Year award.
The 2014 Continuous Improvement Employee of the Year was Officer Christy Conn. Of-
ficer Conn earned this honor for her work implementing an updated electronic database that is used to keep
track of firearms. The improvements have resulted in less paperwork and reduction in man hours being spent
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on various administrative tasks associated with managing the firearms.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Just as the Continuous Improvement Unit’s name suggests, improvement is a constant process never
completely finished as new technology and fresh ideas emerge. In a year replete with budget cuts and force
reductions, JSO was able to continue to assist the citizens of Jacksonville with excellent professional service.
Our core values align with the goals of Continuous Improvement. We know our best assets are our employees. When we utilize their skills, eliminate waste, and communicate well with each other and our citizens, we continue our path to provide better services with more value to our citizens. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is a front runner for utilizing Continuous Improvement and Lean in law enforcement.
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
In 2014, The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Leadership Development Institute (JSOLDI) provided a variety of
leadership and management courses to the police, corrections, and civilian personnel of this agency. A total of five
hundred and seventeen (517) employees attended multiple offerings of thirteen (13) separate courses. All newly
promoted Corrections Sergeants attended the Welcome to First Line Corrections Supervisor Course. This training
was customized to ensure that newly promoted supervisors have the necessary tools for a successful transition to
their new positions.
Along with the new supervisor training, the JSOLDI, in conjunction with the Emergency Preparedness Unit,
delivered six (6) Incident Command System (ICS) courses ranging in topics from the Initial Response and Dispatch
Essentials to Managing the Active Shooter Scene. Additionally, new police officers received training in Emotional
Survival for Law Enforcement Officers in order to prepare them for the emotional demands law enforcement places
on their professional and personal lives.
In 2015, the JSOLDI plans to offer leadership and management training to newly promoted police,
corrections, and civilian supervisors in addition to hosting outside vendors to offer enhanced leadership training.
There will also be a continued emphasis on specialized courses focused on ICS principles.
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JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
NORTHEAST FLORIDA CRIMINAL JUSTICE
TRAINING AND EDUCATION CENTER
The Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Center (NEFCJC), simply known as the Academy, operates in
partnership with the Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). The facility is located at 4715 Capper Road, North
FSCJ Campus, and consists of training rooms such as a mock courtroom, two defensive tactics training gyms, a
police driving track, a training house, and an aquatic training tank.
The Academy is commanded by a JSO Lieutenant who serves in the capacity of one of forty Florida
Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) recognized Training Center Directors. The Lieutenant also commands the
Recruiting Unit, the Firing Range, and the Inspections Unit. The Leadership Development Institute continues to
remain under the management of a JSO Lieutenant assigned to the Detective Division. A JSO Sergeant serves as
the Training Center Assistant Director and supervises a training staff comprised of two civilian training specialists, six
law enforcement instructors, three corrections instructors, and one clerical support aide .
In order to provide law enforcement agencies and the community with a professional and disciplined force,
the mission of the NEFCJTEC remains constant; “To effectively train, in an academically sound environment, officers
who will provide the essential knowledge, teamwork, and leadership skills to effectively serve in the law enforcement
field.” To accomplish this mission the NEFCJTEC provides basic, advanced, and specialized training to law
enforcement officers, corrections officers, reserve (auxiliary) officers, and recruits.
During 2014, the Academy trained ninety-eight (98) hired police recruits and ninety ( 90) hired correctional
recruits. Additionally, the academy trained sixty-six (66) self-sponsored FSCJ law enforcement recruits. Many of
these recruits were later hired to fill Court Bailiff Officer positions with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Throughout the year, the Academy conducted sixty-three (63) specialized/advanced training courses in
support of regional training needs with law enforcement partners consisting of agencies spanning Duval, Clay, St.
Johns, Nassau, and Putnam counties. In-house instruction at no cost to the agencies covered topics such as Case
Preparation and Court Testimony, Specialized Defensive Tactics, Death Investigations and Lifeguard Certification, to
name a few. During 2014, one thousand seven hundred-one (1701) officers attended a specialized/advanced training
course.
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To support the mission of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Academy conducted one hundred eightsix (186) police officer In-Service Training sessions. This mandatory session resulted in thousands of training
contact hours for JSO employees and covered FDLE mandated annual professional training. Key components
of 2014 in-service training were the Response to Resistance, making sound tactical decisions, first aid, and
driving police vehicles safely.
In 2014, the Academy continued to support training requests from various specialized units such as;
SWAT, Hostage Negotiators, Dive Team, K9, the E.O.D (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Unit, Zone Task Force
Units, the Bike Unit, the Traffic Motorcycle Unit and the Narcotics / Vice Division. The Academy resources
allowed these units to meet their training needs and requirements .
In order to provide timely and relevant training, the Academy provided monthly online roll call trainings
through the use of PowerPoint and video presentations. Both methods provide convenient and timely training
that affords the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office the opportunity to find a balance between training time and
operational time. This method reduces the amount of time employees are physically at the Academy, which
allows them to spend additional time completing their assigned duties. In support of JSO Core Values, the
Academy continually seeks ways to improve the manner in which we operate. In order to provide the best
methods of training that supports our agency and our partners.
25
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
FIRING RANGE
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Firing Range operates as part of the Training Academy. The Training
Academy Director is responsible for the overall operation of the Firing Range and is supported by a JSO Sergeant
who serves as the Range Master, handling day-to-day operations and training. In 2014, the range staff positions
were changed from two (2) Police Officers and one (1) Civilian Training Specialist, to three (3) JSO Police
Officers. All three personnel are cross-trained and serve as Assistant Range Master or Range Master during the
absence of the sergeant.
Approximately four-thousand three-hundred (4,300) Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Police Officers,
Correctional Officers, Judicial Officers, Security Personnel, State Attorney’s Office Investigators, and Retired
Police Officers completed either the FDLE or JSO qualification course during 2014. The eight (8) hours of
minimum annual firearms training was conducted through two (2) training sessions per officer.
The JSO Firing Range supports FDLE Region five (5) law enforcement partners consisting of ten (10) law
enforcement agencies. Additionally, the range supports requalification and training needs for elements of the U.S.
military and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies. As part of this training, the Firing Range staff conducted
specialized courses including the Active Shooter course, Police Tactical Rifle course, and additional advanced
SWAT and shooting courses. All of the courses were offered to our Region five (5) training partners. Additionally,
in 2014 the Firing Range trained approximately sixty-six (66) Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Training and
Education Center Basic Law Enforcement Officer and Corrections Officer Recruits by providing eighty (80) hours
of firearms training as part of their FDLE training curriculum. The Firing Range also assists the community by
hosting the JSO Citizens Academy and conducting other citizen programs.
26
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
RECRUITING AND SELECTION UNIT
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continues its commitment to recruit only the most qualified
candidates for employment within the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, while maintaining a workforce
representative of the population in which it serves. A JSO Police Sergeant supervises the unit, supported
by two (2), full-time Police Recruiters and two (2), full-time Correctional Recruiters. In addition, two Human
Resources Support Staff members perform the administrative processing of our new hires. Retired
Jacksonville Police Investigators are employed on an as-needed basis, to conduct our background
investigations and ensure that hiring standards are maintained. Their proven investigative experience
makes our Recruiting Unit second to none. The Recruiting Unit is responsible for recruiting and selecting
individuals for the positions of: Police Officer, Reserve Police Officer, Corrections Officer, and Certified
Court Bailiff.
The selection process consists of an initial on-line application and screening, a criminal
history check, a credit check, a driver’s license verification, a drug survey, a written examination, a physical
qualification test, a polygraph, a background investigation, an oral interview, a medical examination with
drug test, and a psychological examination.
In 2014, recruiters made eighty-nine (89) appearances and distributed information on employment
opportunities at such locations as; job fairs, community centers, colleges and universities, church
meetings, civic gatherings, military events, and city events. These efforts were supplemented through mailouts to community leaders and organizations, which employed potential candidates, outlining the unit’s
recruiting initiatives, minimum qualifications, and available positions. Minority faith-based organizations
within our community were a main focus.
Internet advertising efforts include; Job News postings,
Monster.com, Facebook, and Army Pays.com. Using the Monster.com link for our recruiting
advertisements, the unit was able to have its recruiting efforts affiliated with sites such as BlackPlanet.net,
AsianAvenue.com, iHispano.com, Woman Co, and many other minorities based web sites. In addition, we
have recruiters dedicated to military placement programs where we focus on potential military veterans
who have served our country honorably.
These sites include but are not limited to the, US Military
Pipeline, Hiring Our Heroes and the National Minority Update.
27
Polygraph Unit
The Polygraph Unit is responsible for conducting pre-employment polygraph examinations for JSO
applicants, as well as providing support to other units when polygraph exams are needed in criminal or
administrative investigations.
During an examination, the examinee is asked a series of questions while a
polygraph device continuously records any physiological variances that occur during the testing process. A series
of charts are produced which graphically represent the responses of the examinee during the testing process.
Ultimately, the polygraph examiner analyzes the data and renders an opinion regarding the presence of significant
responses during the examination. The Polygraph Unit is staffed by two (2) full-time police detectives, who
maintain membership in the American Polygraph Association and regularly attend proficiency training sponsored
by this organization. The unit is supervised by the Inspections & Polygraph Sergeant.
Pre-employment polygraph exams are given to all prospective police, corrections, reserve, bailiff, and
civilian employees. These examinations screen the accuracy of information provided by applicants during the
initial phases of the application process.
Investigative polygraph examinations are given when requested by
another unit for the purpose of furthering a criminal or administrative investigation. The Polygraph Unit also assists
the Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department (JFRD) by conducting pre-employment examinations for some of their
applicants.
In 2014, the Polygraph Unit conducted a total of 840 polygraph examinations:







JSO Pre-Employment (Police positions)
JSO Pre-Employment (Corrections positions)
JSO Pre-Employment (Bailiff positions)
JSO Pre-Employment (Civilian positions)
JSO Pre-Employment (Reserve positions)
JFRD Pre-Employment
Investigative
307
190
50
162
14
88
29
28
Inspections Unit
The Inspections Unit is responsible for conducting inspections of all departmental operations for
efficiency, effectiveness, policy compliance, and adequacy of management controls.
The staff inspection
process is crucial in evaluating the quality of the agency’s operations, ensuring that the agency’s goals are
being pursued, identifying additional resource needs, and maintaining agency-wide accountability.
Each
inspection includes a walkthrough of the facility, an assessment of equipment used by the unit, analysis of the
policies and procedures relevant to the unit, a check of the files and records stored by the unit, and interviews
with the unit’s employees. Additionally, at least eighty percent (80%) of the employees are given a confidential
survey that includes questions about work conditions, morale, leadership, and resource management. In 2014,
the Inspections Unit conducted nineteen (19) staff inspections, which included assessing fifty different (50)
units. The Inspections Unit is staffed by three (3) full-time police detectives. The unit is supervised by the
Inspections & Polygraph Sergeant.
In addition to staff inspections, the Inspections Unit is responsible for multiple auxiliary functions. The
unit is tasked with reviewing each Response to Resistance (RTR) report and SWAT After Action report. In
2014, a total of 1,078 RTR reports and 1,363 SWAT After Action reports were reviewed. The Inspections
Unit also schedules and prepares Response to Resistance Board hearings for incidents involving the discharge
of a firearm, any incident that resulted in death or great bodily harm, or any other use-of-force incident for which
a Sheriff’s staff member recommends the board convene. In 2014, the Inspections Unit prepared eleven (11)
RTR board hearings.
The Inspections Unit is also responsible for conducting certain unannounced spot inspections. The
following is a list of the 66 spot inspections performed in 2014:
Quarterly Cash Counts (15 locations)
60
Quarterly ISM Inventory Checks
4
Yearly Forfeiture Vehicle Spot Inspection
1
Yearly K-9 Drug Vault Spot Inspection
1
The Inspections Unit also scheduled, planned, and hosted the Florida Police Accreditation Coalition
Conference and the Attorney General’s Conference on Preventing Crime in the Black Community.
29
Crime Analysis Unit
The Crime Analysis Unit of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continued its rich tradition of providing
innovative and groundbreaking strategies for analyzing crime patterns, series, and trends and offering an
unsurpassed level of investigative case support in 2014.
Administrative analysis to assist with effective
deployment of resources was also conducted. The Crime Analysis Unit actively participated in large-scale
callout operations in the county by providing operational analysis to on scene active crime investigations. These
callouts included homicides, abduction investigations and numerous missing person cases.
The Crime
Analysis Unit also assisted the sheriff’s office with identifying long term crime problems, assisting in the
development of responses and assessing the effectiveness of tactics and strategies.
The ability to acquire and integrate relevant data both within the department and from external sources
continues to separate our unit from others throughout the world. The use of social media and other open
source data was expanded from the previous year by the Crime Analysis Unit in 2014. The integration of data
at the fingertips of analysts was instrumental in providing tactical and investigative support for the following high
profile investigations:
30

Murder at Fat Katz Nightclub

Potential Abduction Investigation involving a 4 year old victim

Domestic Murder leading to a recovery in Missouri

Murder Investigation of a 14 year old victim
In 2014, the Crime Analysis Unit continued its effort to utilize new and emerging technology for crime
and disorder problems. Technologies that were instrumental included, but are not limited to, cell phone mapping
and social media monitoring for investigations. The incorporation of cell phone mapping for investigations often
led to analysts playing an important role in prosecution of cases. The use of social media monitoring for
investigations was critical in the following high profile investigations or events:

Robbery incidents surrounding social media sale sites

Marissa Alexander Trial

Jacksonville events following the Ferguson, Missouri decision such as the Hart Bridge demonstration

Michael Dunn Re-trial

Jacksonville Fair
As a major component of the Sheriff’s Intelligence-Led Policing strategy, the Crime Analysis Unit continued to
support long term projects to fight crime and disorder throughout the city. Some of those projects include the
following:

City of Jacksonville projects including the Human Blight Committee, Crosswalk Coalition, Renew Arlington
(formerly Project Dolphin), Summer Night Lights and New Town Success Zone.

Analytical support for allocation of resources to maximize efficiency.

Analytical support for the jurisdictions of Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach with a
grant from the United States Department of Justice. The beaches analyst position allows for comprehensive
analytical coverage for all of Duval County.
31
While analysts support all areas of the agency, a critical function of the Crime Analysis Unit is
investigative case support. Analysts supported detectives from areas including, but not limited to, Homicide,
Robbery, Aggravated Battery, Burglary, Intelligence, Integrity, and Gang Units in 2014. In support of these
areas, analysts collaborated with other local, state, and federal agencies including the Clay County Sheriff’s
Office (CCSO), St Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO), Jacksonville Aviation Authority Police Department,
Charlotte-Mecklenburg (North Carolina) Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Florida Department
of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC), Federal Bureau of Investigations
(FBI), United States Secret Service (USSS) and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
Supporting the responsibilities assumed from the Research and Development Unit was continued by
the Crime Analysis Unit in 2014. In support of these responsibilities, Crime Analysis Unit staff analyzed trends
and completed ad-hoc information requests for efficient and effective agency decision making. The Crime
Analysis Unit continued its strong tradition of partnering with researchers from George Mason University
(GMU). The Crime Analysis Unit, in conjunction with the Information Systems Management (ISM) Unit, was
also responsible for Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) for the agency. This responsibility included submitting and
verifying the end-of-year 2013 and mid-year 2014 statistics. Both of these submissions were certified by FDLE
and forwarded to the FBI for inclusion in Crime in the United States, a report that provides crime information for
jurisdictions across the country.
32
The FDLE requires strict adherence to the UCR guidelines put forth by the FBI and it is the job of the
Crime Analysis Unit to ensure that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is in compliance. Ensuring the integrity of the
UCR crime statistics is one of the most important tasks completed by the Crime Analysis Unit each year.
As the field of crime analysis and technology is ever-changing, training is essential for the quality and
effectiveness of the unit. Analysts are encouraged to participate in trainings within the unit and outside the
agency, as well as online offered by other law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations. Despite
budgetary limitations, analysts were still able to attend a number of trainings throughout 2014. Some of the
trainings include the 2014 International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA) Conference, National White Collar
Crime Center Cell Phone Training and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Leadership Institute.
In addition to attending training, Crime Analysis Unit personnel also delivered training at the following
events: George Mason University Center for Evidence Based
Crime Policy Symposium for First and Second Line Supervisors
and Annual
Symposium,
Conference;
2014
2014 Washington,
Southern
States
Crime
DC GovSec
Prevention
Conference; 2014 International Association of Crime Analysts
Conference; and 2014 Fall Symposium of the Virginia Crime
Analysis Network (VCAN). The Crime Analysis Unit staff also
continued to provide training focused on investigative analysis
and analytical tools to other Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and City
of Jacksonville personnel. As a leader in the crime analyst
community for many years, law enforcement agencies frequently
contact the unit to learn about our processes and techniques. In
2014, the Clay County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough
County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol contacted the Crime Analysis Unit. (Why did they
contact CAU – for assistance, training, best practices?)
In 2014, the Crime Analysis Unit once again built on past successes by developing new techniques for
series, pattern and trend identification and investigative case support.
Analysts continued to enhance
technologies such as cell phone mapping and social media monitoring. The effort of analysts were showcased
through presentations at a variety of conferences and these training opportunities allowed them to bring back
ideas and strategies used throughout the law enforcement community. This continued collaboration and
development of cutting-edge analytical techniques will assist the unit in continuing its’ rich tradition of being one
of the best units in the world.
33
Information Systems Management
Information Systems Management consists of five functional groups that together support all the
Information Technology needs of JSO. This team of dedicated individuals provides 7 x 24 support to keep the
JSO officers connected to the network. In 2014, ISM undertook some major projects – the deployment of
ARMS Phase I and the upgrade of the Core network switch are two very prominent projects. We migrated the
cell phone connectivity from AT&T to Verizon, saving JSO significant dollar amount per year while providing a
much better connectivity to the officers. We continue to look forward to a very productive 2015 as a number of
ongoing initiatives will come to fruition.
Help Desk
The Help Desk team is responsible for all Level 1
support including walk-in customers and phone support. This
year, the Help Desk personnel
resolved
three-thousand
eight
hundred seventeen (3,817) work
orders and fielded more than
fifteen thousand (15,000) phone
calls annually. The Help Desk was
involved
in
various
projects
including the deployment of twohundred twenty (220) new laptops
for Patrol, twenty-two (22) Panasonic Toughbook machines for the Motor Unit,
and sixty-six (66) laptops for those in civilian and administrative positions. They
were also involved in deploying one-thousand seven hundred fifty six (1,756) Verizon WIFI’s throughout the
agency and installing the new Dual Factor Authentication system (2FA ONE) on more than seventeen-hundred
(1700) laptops.
Computer Support
The Personal Computer (PC) Technicians are
responsible for all Level Two Support requests. This
includes diagnosis and repair of more than threethousand four hundred (3,400) laptops and desktops
and
an
additional
three-thousand
(3,000)
plus
peripherals. The Technicians repaired in-house an
average of 5 – 7 laptops per day and completed threethousand nine hundred ninety two (3,992) customer
submitted work orders.
34
The team was a key resource in the distribution of WIFI to all laptop customers during the ATT–Verizon
transition.
Network Support
The Network Engineer Team is responsible for network designs and solutions, implementations as well
as enterprise network management. Enterprise network management includes data infrastructure,
communications, and security, servers, user account database and data backup and restores. The team is
additionally responsible for Level Three Support, resulting in the completion of
two-thousand nine (2009)
customer work orders. The team accomplished the installation of a new network core switch. The core switch is
the keystone device of computing for JSO. The Network Engineers upgrade the Police Memorial Building data
fiber lines one hundred percent (from 1,000 GB to 10,000 GB). This new infrastructure will provide a richer
media experience in the future. The Network Engineers are also replacing the old dual authentication software
called 2FA with a new software from Dell called Defender. This new dual authentication will be less
cumbersome for the agency, will be more secure than our current platform and complies with the CJIS security
policy.
Project Management
The Project Management team is responsible for overseeing the numerous projects that ISM is
involved with. These projects could be internal only to ISM or could also involve the whole agency or just certain
units/divisions within JSO and sometimes even external agencies are part of a project. The project
management team also researches the proposed systems or requirements validating that the project is a
benefit to the agency, to make sure waste and time are lessened. The team accomplished a full rollout of
Verizon WIFI devices to the entire agency, which replaced the AT&T air cards that JSO had previously used for
eighteen (18) years. The team also installed forty (40) Dell 630 laptops and WIFI in the classroom of the Jail on
the 4th floor. They are currently working on an upgrade for the CMIS software and hardware that will greatly
assist the corrections officers with their daily duties and responsibilities. In addition, the MOFIS project, which is
also in progress, consists of patrol officers having mobile fingerprint scanners in the field so they can run
individuals fingerprints to see if they have a criminal history.
35
Application Development
The Application Development team of nine (9) continued to support over 178 production applications,
leading to the deployment of numerous program enhancements of varying complexity, and the completion of
726 maintenance related work orders. Pursuing the agency’s goal of reducing paper processes they created
new electronic forms and workflows for areas including Public Record Requests, Juvenile Civil Sexting
Citations, and provided support to units developing their own SharePoint sites on 94Net. To continue to aid in
the area of intelligence led policing, 10 new datasets were brought into the Data Warehouse for analysis, and
four major dataset upgrades were done. New applications such as ARMS Phase I, Impound Warehouse web,
Online Employee Complaint Form, and the JPICS to LInX upload were created and deployed, while new
versions of workhorse programs such as JSOPE, ARMOR, and Inmate Search were also completed and
deployed. Other accomplishments included converting applications and databases to newer versions, and
virtualized environments in order to keep up with the ever-changing face of information technology.
36
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
PERSONNEL UNIT
The Personnel Division considers itself the “heart” of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO). In 2014,
Personnel provided a wide variety of services to JSO employee’s.
Some of these services include: personnel
management, time and attendance record keeping, Occupational Health services, Worker’s Compensation
services, assistance with screening employees for limited duty assignments, Family Medical Leave assistance,
Civilian Recruiting and screening, Corporate Care Works EAP, Employee Performance Mastery System, and
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Personnel Division is responsible for the
maintenance of personnel records, medical information, bi-weekly payroll, overtime and compensatory data
entry and salary incentive pay. The Personnel Division also has oversight, processing and administration of
high profile promotional exams which this year included military makeup exams for the Police Sergeant, Police
Lieutenant and Corrections Sergeant. The Personnel Division ensures that JSO employees adhere to the
appropriate collective bargaining agreements as well as the Civil Service and Personnel Rules and Regulations.
The Personnel Division also handles public records requests, oversees and helps resolve employee grievances
while administering the U.S. Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission program, responding to
unemployment claims, and handling requests for information from the City’s Risk Management Division.
The Personnel Division is a cornerstone of JSO. Salary and benefits equate to 86% of the operating
budget. The employees in the Personnel Division ensure personnel and medical information is maintained
accurately, and employee records are up-to-date.
Additionally, the Personnel Division is tasked with the
responsibility of processing payroll for approximately 3,650 employees which includes Civil Service full-time,
appointed and part-time employees.
Direct Hire Authority
The Sheriff tasked the Personnel Division with obtaining “direct hire authority” for hard to recruit
positions such as Police Communications Officer and various Health Services Division positions.
On
September 11, 2014, the Director of Employee Services for the City of Jacksonville granted JSO Personnel
Division direct hire authority for thirteen civilian positions. The Personnel Division procured the necessary
equipment to begin the process. Direct hire authority allows the Personnel Division the ability to continuously
recruit for positions that have a high turnover rate or are difficult to recruit (e.g., the Police Emergency
Communications Officer, Policer Services Technician I), and various Health Services Division positions (e.g.
Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, and Mental Health Counselor).
37
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
PERSONNEL UNIT
Having direct hiring authority helps with reducing the time it takes to produce an eligibility list.
Applicants are still required to apply through the City of Jacksonville’s applicant tracking system, NEOOGOV;
however, the Personnel Division posts the identified positions and screens the applications for eligibility. This
streamlines the process by reducing the reliance on the City of Jacksonville Employee Services Department.
Civilian Recruiting Coordinator
The Civilian Recruiting Coordinator’s primary responsibilities are ensuring Personnel staff is recruiting,
processing new employees, assisting with background checks, coordinating medical screenings and setting up
polygraph examinations for appointed, Civil Service and part-time civilian employees. We must maintain a high
standard of responsibility and accountability in bringing new employees into our agency to support our stringent
hiring guidelines.
The following information details the data on the application process to fill vacancies in 2014:

3,933 applications were received for various external postings for various positions that included Police
Emergency Communications Officer (PECO), Police Services Technician (PST) I, Registered Nurse,
Licensed Practical Nurse, Mental Health Counselor, part-time Bailiffs, and other civilian positions.

Personnel posted external job openings that included posting the PECO announcement on four separate
occasions which yielded 1,859 applicants and posted eleven external and internal postings for Health Services
Division positions.

Out of 521 qualified
applicants that
were
interviewed, Personnel
hired
272
civilian
employees.
38
The Civilian Recruiting Coordinator was instrumental in hiring an outside vendor to assist with polygraphs.
In 2014, the JSO Training Academy ramped up hiring for Police and Corrections Recruits, putting a strain on
the two current polygraphist. With the backlog of civilian vacancies, it was necessary to find a means to keep
the civilian hiring processes moving. Adding the additional polygraphists allowed the Personnel Division to
decrease the number of days a position is vacant at the end of the year and look for this trend to continue into
2015.
Special Projects
The Personnel Division is responsible for overseeing the administration of the promotional exams for
Police and Corrections. While the big exams took place in 2013, we completed three military makeup exams
for Police Sergeant, Police Lieutenant, and Corrections Sergeant. Test development and technical assistance
were provided by our Subject Matter Experts (SME), selected from around the agency.
To maintain the
integrity of the testing process, these exams mirror the original exams in the study guides provided, multiple
choice test, protest review, orientation, assessment center exercises, and posting of final grades. All exams
were considered a success.
Occupational Health
The Occupational Health Manager position continues to maintain a close working relationship with the
City of Jacksonville’s Workers’ Compensation Division. The email work group remains active in sending
notifications for every claim filed by a JSO employee that resulted in seeking care from a Workers
Compensation treating provider. As a result, the Occupational Health Manager tracks all injured workers, any
work restrictions, and verifies the appropriate leave is submitted in the Employee Information System (EIS) as
Injury on Duty (IOD). Department directors, supervisors, employees and the Worker’s Compensation office
frequently call upon the Occupational Health Manager for clarification on occupational health matters.
Therefore, providing an opportunity for every division to request information about an injured JSO employee
and receive prompt assistance.
The Personnel Division is also in the process of implementing an electronic system wherein First
Reports of Injury (FROI) and Exposure Reports would be submitted electronically to the Worker’s
Compensation staff in real time. This will guarantee delivery of reports and save time by eliminating the
necessity for a supervisor to write the FROI and Exposure Report and fax to the Worker’s Compensation Office.
Also, the electronic submission of Exposure Reports will ensure that an employee is contacted by the Infectious
Control Nurse expeditiously to initiate the process of handling this type of incident.
The implementation of restricting entry of IOD leave in EIS to only authorized JSO Personnel Division
staff members is presently operational and successful. Employees are required to send all leave requests, as
well as the documentation substantiating the leave request for IOD to the JSO email work group and are
primarily handled by the Occupational Health Manager. This has resulted in a significant decline in
unauthorized IOD hours being utilized.
39
The Personnel Division continues to administer and supervise the JSO random drug testing program.
The Occupational Health Manager meticulously reviews the invoices submitted to JSO to ensure that all items
were correctly billed based on appropriate services rendered, including accuracy and timeliness of results. This
review has resulted in an approximate $1,195 reduction in the annual bill.
The Personnel Division continues to maintain the “Temporary Light Duty” (TLD) spreadsheet.
Employees are alerted one week prior to the expiration of their TLD request to either provide additional
information from the treating medical provider to remain on light duty or submit the appropriate paperwork to
return to full duty.
The spreadsheet is monitored, updated each week and provided to the appropriate
Directors. The spreadsheet is also monitored for employees who are on light duty for longer than one year.
Employees may not be accommodated on light duty for a period of more than one year; therefore, they are
given American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) paperwork to place them in a different classification within the
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or the City of Jacksonville. If the employee refuses the accommodation or if such
position is not available, they are separated from employment. Corrections Officers do not have the option to
request a permanent accommodation.
Subsequently, in 2014, two Corrections Officers were separated for this reason. Conversely, two Police
Officers requested to be permanently accommodated.
The Personnel Division received and processed 155 Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests in
2014. Each request must be inspected for completion and accuracy. The Occupational Health Manager notifies
each employee’s supervisor of their denial or approval and applicable approval dates. If approved, the
Occupational Health Manager must activate an element in EIS so the employee can enter FMLA and turn off
the element at the conclusion of their approved FMLA. The Occupational Health Manager also assists
employees daily regarding the FMLA process; as well as supervisors regarding questions about compliance.
The Personnel Division received and facilitated requests for psychological, medical, and military fit-forduty evaluations. This requires that information is gathered and summarized for the physicians, schedule
appointments with the applicable doctor, notify the employee, and ensure the results are relayed to the
appropriate member in the chain-of-command. In 2014, seventeen employees were sent for fit-for-duty
evaluations.
The Personnel Division continues to utilize Life Scan Wellness program. The Occupational Health
Manager reviews the invoices submitted to JSO to ensure that all items are correctly billed. In addition, the
Occupational Health Manager coordinated with Life Scan to perform special requests for special law
enforcement physicals.
40
In Conclusion
In 2014, the Personnel Division took on the major challenges of maintaining a steady pool of
candidates for the civilian positions and establishing Direct Hire Authority. The Personnel Division will continue
to strive to meet the Sheriff’s Office Core Values of “Always Improving”, “Community Focused”, “Respect for
Each Other” and “Worthy of Trust”. In addition, we look to make positive changes in 2015 to improve and
streamline processes.
41