Hillsdale Police Department Annual Report 2014

As the ninth Police Chief of Hillsdale, I have been responsible for this department since August 1, 2014 and it has been my privilege and honor to be in this position. This is my first annual report that I have completed as Chief, I hope you find it informative and insightful in gaining an understanding of the functions and duties of the department.

The members of this department are strongly committed to the concepts of serving and protecting you and your families. The officers take serious responsibility of the community caretaker function.

As Chief I have been afforded a tremendous opportunity of taking over this department with almost half of the patrol officers having less than three years of service in law enforcement. This has given me the chance to change the culture of the organization and giving all of the officers an opportunity to change the attitude of “that’s the way it has always been done. The organization now gives the officers to be a stake holders in the organization, where they can elaborate on what they would like see accomplished within the agency and take ownership. With a team work philosophy more can be done within the community. That being said, a quote from Stephen Covey who I find inspirational sums it up:

“An empowered organization is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organizational success.

I am committed to the principles of proactive and participative management. I encourage the public and employees to be active participants in the decision making process that drives this organization. The senior leaders of this agency and I understand that it would be senseless to ignore input from our staff after having trained and educated them to their highest levels. They also understand my philosophy that collaboration among the stakeholders in the community promotes accountability, and therefore, operational effectiveness.

All this being said, I believe that the Hillsdale Police Department is moving forward into the 21st Century as one of the premier departments in Bergen County and even in New Jersey itself. Having the proper leadership and hiring the right personnel is what makes this department the best it can be. I encourage any questions or comments from the readers of this annual report.

Respectfully Submitted,

Chief Robert Francaviglia