A Colorado Community Tries a Novel Approach to Police Protection

Could this be a new wave to attract new officers to the profession?

One of the largest challenges facing communities of all sizes is the recruitment and retention of talent and perhaps this felt no more acutely in law enforcement. Ever since the turn of the decade, law enforcement has become a less attractive profession and the recruitment of talent has become intense. Officers are often recruited away from one to community to serve in a new place with the signing bonuses and even modest increases in pay.

And given the law enforcement is a very relational activity, there is a certain comfort for both officers and the community to have familiarity with each other. Having a seemingly revolving door of officers in a community doesn’t help build community bonds nor does it help grow a an officer corps that can be more adept at serving the public.

The City of Golden, Colorado, has embarked on an innovative experiment that could very well pave the way for the future of work in public sectors across the nation. A few months into its pioneering four-day workweek pilot, the Golden Police Department (GPD) has not only met but exceeded expectations, heralding a potential shift in how work is structured in law enforcement and beyond.

A Successful Transition

The pilot program, which reduced the workweek from 40 to 32 hours without altering employee compensation, has yielded impressive results. Notably, the initiative has led to quicker response times to calls, no spike in crime, significant cost savings, improved community engagement, and a workforce satisfaction rate consistently above 90%. This achievement is particularly remarkable in a city of 20,000, where the change has been met with universal approval from residents and city officials alike.

Golden's decision to extend the pilot by another six months underscores the program's success and the city's commitment to a comprehensive evaluation. The extension will allow the GPD to gather a full year of data, providing a robust basis for assessing the program's long-term viability and potential expansion to other city departments.

Key Outcomes and Innovations

The GPD's transition to a four-day workweek has been characterized by several key outcomes:

• Enhanced Efficiency: The department reported faster response times across all call categories, including priority 1 or emergency calls. This improvement is attributed to reduced time spent in meetings and roll calls, enabling officers to dedicate more time to community engagement.

• Financial Savings: A noteworthy reduction in overtime spending has been achieved, with the department saving approximately $115,000 over six months. This decrease in overtime has not compromised the quality of service, indicating that the department has effectively adapted to the shorter workweek without sacrificing operational effectiveness.

• Workforce Satisfaction: The pilot has been exceptionally well-received by the department's staff, with satisfaction levels averaging above 90%. This high level of satisfaction spans across different generations within the workforce, although adjustments to the new schedule varied among age groups.

• Community Engagement: The GPD has seen a significant increase in community engagement hours, further solidifying the bond between the police force and the residents of Golden. This increase is a direct result of the department's ability to reallocate time previously consumed by internal meetings and discussions to community interaction.

Looking Ahead

As Golden evaluates the possibility of extending the four-day workweek to other municipal departments, the implications of this pilot extend far beyond the city's borders. Other municipalities and public agencies may look to Golden's experience as a benchmark for assessing the feasibility of similar initiatives within their own operations.

The success of the GPD's pilot program challenges traditional notions of work in the public sector and suggests that a four-day workweek can enhance operational efficiency, employee satisfaction, and community engagement without compromising service quality. As Golden continues to monitor and report on the pilot's progress, the city's experience may well serve as a catalyst for widespread changes in work practices across the country.

In conclusion, the City of Golden's bold experiment with a four-day workweek in its police department has not only proven to be a resounding success but also a potential blueprint for the future of work. As cities and organizations seek innovative solutions to improve efficiency, employee well-being, and community relations, Golden's pilot program stands as a testament to the transformative power of reimagining the workweek.

As communities of all shapes and sizes look to do more with less, the model out of Golden is one that is worth a deeper investigation as it has acheived many of the operational and financial goals that was set before it.

Thanks for reading today’s Civic Capacity Newsletter. Could something like this work in your hometown? Let us know by participating in today’s poll and always feel free to share your ideas in the comment section. Of course, feel free to share this newsletter with your friends and neighbors as well.