Today’s law-enforcement officer has to contend with a bevy of
issues that arise
from not following protocol: pay loss, sizable fines, extra labor
hours, missed
criminal convictions, and, ultimately, loss of employment. With all
the new digital
documentation devices available, it would seem that a better
policy-management and
employee-testing software system would be firmly in place.
Unfortunately, there’s
always that one lawsuit that leaks out, and the media runs wild
with it.
Take, for instance, the Austin, Texas Police Department’s policy on
using dash cameras.
After an officer shot a suspect fatally without recording it, a policy was put in place mandating that all stops be
recorded.
Whether out of blatant disregard or not, two Austin officers
elected not to activate
their dash cams during two separate field stops and were punished
with suspension.
While installing digital cameras in the cars would eliminate the
need for officers
to activate the device and then spring into action (the perk is
that they would
run continuously and send information back to HQ in real time), it
would be a dizzying
task to carry out, not to mention the $8 million price tag to
update the entire
fleet of cars. Until that time, proper policy management coupled
with routine training
and retention testing will have to be the primary solution.
Cover Your Bases with the Right Employee Testing Software
Investing in the right kind of training and testing tools often
nips most policy
management problems in the bud. Technology helps organizations
eliminate potential
mishaps single-handedly and prevent the pitfalls of human error.
Unfortunately,
most organizations gloss over the usefulness factor when it comes
to employee testing
software, opting instead for email or a cumbersome paper process.
In terms of learning and internalizing an organization’s policies
and procedures,
employees should be able to document that they have read, taken,
and understood
within a few clicks of the mouse.
A training module – part of any comprehensive employee testing
software platform
– is vital for continuing education on a variety of departmental
and company-wide
specifics, and ensures employees are up-to-date on the training and
certification
required for their job. Learning doesn’t just come through
repetitive, bland paper
tests – graphic representations such as interactive tests, Power
Point presentations,
and video elements are necessary for internalizing the new
information. Since training
is one of the most time-consuming (and costly) tasks involved in
adding employees
to the payroll, streamlining the employee education process is
crucial. Technology
allows us to create employee testing software that is quick,
effortless, and entirely
web-based. After all, training on job duties and internal policy
management should
be as easy as getting on the Internet or checking email.
A software suite that’s compatible with the needs of an
organization is a key component
to staying on top of policy-and-procedure management – and with the
right employee
testing software, violations are often significantly reduced. It
goes without saying
that an organization hopes its employees will be at the root of
very few errors
during their tenure; after all, any error – grievous or not –
equates to a substantial
drain of resources.
Broken Protocol – Heavy Fines
What makes policy management so incredibly important to any
organization are the
fines that occur when and if protocol is broken. Consider what
happens when a policy
is changed. Say a company has 3,000 employees. A lot of work – not
to mention time
– is required to print 3,000 copies and then verify that everyone
has signed their
copies. The job is far from over – someone will need to file all
signed copies into
alphabetical folders. With an online policy management and training
software system,
the time spent on these tasks would be minimal, and multiple
resources would be
saved.
When a policy is violated, however, internal affairs must
investigate regardless.
The organization in question is also called on to prove that the
employee saw, read,
and was trained on the procedure. In many cases, the liability
falls back on the
department, and extreme violations can result in a significant
lawsuit, costing
millions. The beauty of an online policy management and employee
testing software
system is that it saves time and money both immediately and in the
long run. As
there’s no way to tell when a lawsuit may occur, prepare your
employees, department,
and organization for the future and equip them with the right
on-the-job tool –
a web-based policy-and-procedure-management system that makes
everyone’s job that
much easier.
Additional Reading
The following articles discuss the importance of implementing effective policy management solutions to avoid costly violations:
Deputy's Taser Used On Security Guard At Epcot Center
Police
cleared in racial complaint
About the Author
Joshua Brown is the founder and CEO of
Innovative Data Solutions, Inc. (IDS). A former IT
Administrator for the
Hernando County Sheriff’s Office in Brooksville, Fla., Brown began
working as a
consultant as the demand began to present itself. He created custom
software and
completed database work for clients. From this first step, it
became intuitive that
if he merged his knowledge of law-enforcement policies, procedures,
and training
with his programming skills, he could develop a simple solution for
law-enforcement
supervisors to keep track of their personnel databases. After eight
years, his nationally
distributed solutions continue to meet the needs of public safety,
as well as many
private-sector organizations. For more information about IDS’ policy management
offerings, please visit us at www.powerdms.com.
