Review Recommends 'Minor Changes' to 'Strong' Police Department

The Newton Police Department "remains strong," but "minor changes or reorganization" could make some bureaus "more efficient and productive."

So concludes Chief Howard Mintz in his internal review report released last week.

Mintz assumed the chief's position on an interim basis in August 2012 when the prior chief, Matthew Cummings, was placed on administrative leave. In March 2013, Newton Mayor Setti Warren appointed Mintz to the position permanently.

At the time of Mintz' appointment, the department was coming through a rocky period that included the firing of Cummings after an internal investigation revealed he verbally humiliated his secretary and kicked her in the foot.

Mintz announced at his appointment his intention to conduct a 45-day review looking at all personnel positions, policies, procedures and the "overall structure of the department."

The report Mintz released about that review featured a number of action steps, but also outlined some elements that are going well.

Women in the Department

Newton's sworn police force is 12 percent women, according to Mintz' report. That number aligns with the 13 percent national average Mintz cited from a recent International Association of Chiefs of Police paper.

"We were in line with the national average, but it’s not to say we should be satisfied with it either,” Mintz told Patch. Mintz said that, among other things, a focus group is being formed to review gender relations in the department.

"I didn’t maybe anticipate that the gender issue would come up like it has, but it certainly has and I think it’s something that should be looked at," Mintz said.

Mintz acknowledged in his report that there are ongoing gender discrimination cases pending against the department and said he intends to focus on "discipline, training, education and merit" to address issues of culture and gender.

Consistent Discipline

While he wouldn't say a top priority emerged during his review, Mintz did say a couple of items stood out that needed some attention – among them, the discipline processes of the department.

"I want to take a close look at the overall discipline, how we handle discipline … and making sure people know what’s expected of them and what’s tolerated and what isn’t … and that all the supervisors are more or less consistent,” Mintz explained.

Mintz's report indicates he intends to, among other things, form a committee to review the uniformity and effectiveness of discipline processes as well as explore "additional avenues of positive reinforcement for the rank and file."

"The other thing that we also have to do is make sure that not only are we looking at discipline, but also are we rewarding and complimenting our officers," Mintz told Patch.

The encouraging news, Mintz said, is that the number of complaints filed against the department is quite low; he listed a ratio of 24 to 4 compliments to complaints.

"Generally, if I had to characterize it, the caring response -- that people are courteous -- is probably the most common compliment that we receive,” Mintz said. “People seem to really care that they’re getting a compassionate response. [Officers] will do the extra bit of work, go the extra mile for the citizen, which is pleasing to hear.”  

Training Improvements

According to Mintz's report, Massachusetts ranks 47th in the country in terms of spending on training for law enforcement, but "training is imperative for morale and professionalism."

Mintz admitted that resources are limited when it comes to training, but his action steps include seeking external resources for staff development opportunities in addition to providing "Respect in the Workplace" training and other opportunities.

Evaulations and Promotions

Part of Mintz's report includes action steps for addressing "issues of advancement and equal opportunities for all employees across the department."

Specifically, Mintz wants to look at performance evaluations, the selection of specialist positions and promotions.

Conclusions

Mintz, a 30-year veteran of the department, said he wasn't necessarily shocked by anything his review revealed.

His interviews with bureau chiefs and multiple patrol officers revealed "the police department remains strong and fully capable to perform its mission."

Mintz also asserts that "there are areas where minor changes or reorganizations could promote the services of the impacted bureaus in a more efficient and productive manner."