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Police Operations and Data Analysis Report, Morgan Hill, California
2
General Observations
Overall, CPSM was impressed by the professionalism of the Morgan Hill Police Department.
We found the department to be a well-managed, service-oriented department that strives to
provide outstanding customer service and engage the community. At all levels of the
department, in both the sworn and civilian ranks, we noted a workforce committed to
creating a safer and more secure community. This was reflected in data from our workload
study, which showed that 45 percent of all workload activity for 2015 was self-generated by
the department’s officers.
FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data show that Morgan Hill enjoys a relatively low violent
crime rate at approximately 60 percent below the statewide average, while its property
crime rate is 40 percent below the state’s average. However, given recent changes in state
law and sentencing guidelines for a variety of offenses, the city should anticipate increased
criminal activity, particularly as it relates to property crimes.
In comparison to studies conducted by CPSM of other law enforcement agencies, Morgan
Hill’s crime rate and service demands (calls for service) fall below the other studies’
averages, as does the department’s sworn staffing levels. However, the Morgan Hill Police
Department is more responsive to its community’s needs than some other departments.
This is reflected in the fact that averages from these studies show that MHPD deploys
modestly more resources and spends somewhat more time on calls for service and other
activities than average. As well, out-of-service time, which includes administrative duties
such as report writing and special projects, was found to be extensive. As a result, the
workload hours for MHPD officers reflect higher-than-average numbers.
One area of concern noted was that of lengthy response times to calls for service,
particularly to high-priority calls. CPSM will address this concern at various stages of the
report, but it is believed that the practice of writing police reports in the station rather than
in the field, and the number of administrative tasks assigned, are significant contributors to
lengthy response times. (
When made aware of this concern, the department immediately
began to take steps to identify causes of reported delays and to take action to correct issues
related to this matter.
)
CPSM believes that only modest staffing changes are required. Specifically, our
recommendations involve the creation of a Professional Standards Unit, and secondarily,
removing some administrative duties from patrol supervision to enable more direct
oversight of field operations. These needs will be addressed in the list of recommendations
that follows as well as in the reporting on the Divisions/Sections beginning in Section 3.
In virtually all studies conducted by CPSM, lack of communication is cited as a major
organizational impediment. That sentiment was expressed in Morgan Hill as well. In some
cases, the concern raised is justifiable, and in other cases, those who express the concern
have subjected themselves to selective awareness. In any event, open, constructive
communication is vital to any organization. In the case of Morgan Hill, the department is to
be commended for establishing a Communications Committee designed to provide updates
on organization progress/change. Nonetheless, several line personnel indicated that the