Police Commission Rates Police Chief’s Performance

By Andrew Gorosko

In its annual job performance review of Police Chief Michael Kehoe, the Police Commission has given the chief high marks for his work in leading the town’s 47-member law enforcement agency, with the highest marks provided for his performance in the areas of financial management and professional development.

The review period covers the fiscal year ending June 30. Chief Kehoe has worked as a town police officer since 1978. His current annual salary is $99,397.

The Police Commission is using a new, detailed job performance evaluation format to rate the chief. The commission developed the format during the past year. The new format replaces a basic, general job performance review which previously had been used.

In previous job reviews, Chief Kehoe fared very well. In his review for the 2007-08 fiscal year, Police Commission Chairman Carol Mattegat termed the chief’s performance “excellent.”

Police Commission members decided to use the new format to more specifically describe on paper their consideration of the chief’s performance as the town’s top law enforcement official.

The new evaluation is lists four different grades of performance. They are: “exceeds expectations,” “meets all expectations,” “meets most expectations,” and “unsatisfactory.”

In the current evaluation, Chief Kehoe achieved the rating of “exceeds expectations” in the areas of financial management and professional development. He also received the rating of “meets all expectations” in the areas of service to the community, leadership, initiative, people management, and communication.

Besides the grades on the chief’s performance, Police Commission members offer their comments on his performance in the various categories evaluated.

Comments

In the area of service to the community, Police Commission members said that the chief is committed to providing the highest quality service to the community, in view of the town’s participation in the police accreditation process and the operation of police department’s traffic enforcement squad.

Also, the chief is well respected by town agencies, according to the commission. The panel recommends that the chief or his designee become more active in the community through participation in some social service organization.

In the area of leadership, the Police Commission commends the chief for continuing to update police policies as needed. The commission acknowledges the chief’s efforts in the areas of computer-aided dispatching, police records management, a voice communications recording system, and changes to operational policies, adding that his work has increased the overall effectiveness of the police department in those areas.

The chief has generally met the Police Commission’s deadlines for information and reports. However, the commission asks that the chief respond to such requests for information on certain as-yet unspecified “key issues” sooner than has occurred in the past.

In the category of “initiative,” the commission provides some comments.

The panel acknowledges that the police chief has successfully implemented new ideas, such as the traffic enforcement squad, but asks that he be more receptive to other concepts raised by the commission or by the public.

“When discussing potential solutions to problems or a discussion of opportunities for change, there is a tendency to fall into the ‘We’ve tried it before’ mode, rather than thinking about ways to work around the frustrations of the past. However, once engaged, Chief Kehoe is always committed to providing full support and effort to resolve sensitive issues,” according to the commission.

The panel commends the chief for effectively managing the police department’s workforce, as well as addressing with the department’s space needs.

In the area of people management, the commission offers several comments.

The chief has done an excellent job of developing his command staff, which is leading the department in a positive direction, the commission observes.

The commission asks that the chief develop a strategy for improving management relations with the rank-and-file members of the department.

In the category of communication, Police Commission members report that Chief Kehoe communicates effectively with commission members and the public. “The [commission] encourages the chief to focus on providing a complete picture of issues,” it adds.

“The [commission] would like to see the chief focus on building better lines of communication with the subordinate staff … and seek areas of reasonable compromise when possible,” the commission notes in reference to rank and file members of the department.

In terms of financial management, the commission lauds Chief Kehoe.

“This is a competency that the chief has well under control. He consistently demonstrates to the [commission] that he has the department budget well under control and skillfully manages the department resources. The chief’s performance with regard to decisionmaking on financial issues is at the ‘exceptional’ level and he consistently presents a quality picture of the department finances to the commission,” according to the panel members.

On the topic of professional development, the agency lists high marks.

The police chief maintains good relationships with town departments and agencies and also serves on several police organizations, the commission notes.

In general comments on the chief’s job performance, the Police Commission writes, “Generally speaking, the [commission] is satisfied with the chief performance over this review period. He has effectively managed the department resources and finances during a very difficult fiscal year with no erosion of service to the residents of the Town of Newtown. For this he should be congratulated.”

The Police Commission lists some goals for the chief for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010. They are: working to improve the police department’s limited space situation; fully implementing and upgrading the dispatching system for police; obtaining higher levels of police accreditation; and improving employee/management relations.

In response to the evaluation, Chief Kehoe writes, “The department will be challenged to meet the organizational goals, as established. I look forward to working closely with the Police Commission to meet and exceed the established goals.”