Being part of the same team is crucial to civilians employed in law enforcement agencies. In the Baltimore County Maryland Police Department, the volunteer civilian Auxiliary Police Team handles non-emergency calls for service which allows sworn officers to remain in service and handle calls of a more urgent nature. The auxiliary team may work details that include traffic functions and security at carnivals, festivals, and charity events. Though they do not carry guns, they do carry an ASP Baton and OC Spray that can be used as defensive tools.
The nature of the calls the auxiliary unit respond to include destruction of property, parking complaints, telephone misuse, animal complaints, lost/found property, abandoned autos, road hazards, and slim-jim details. In essence, the auxiliary team responds to any incident that will not place them in an altercation or life-threatening situation. "Our auxiliary officers are trained to look for and recognize criminal activity which can then be transmitted via their police radio. This further enhances our response times and our ability to be proactive in the prevention of crime," says Sgt. Theodore Waga III, Auxiliary Administrator for the department.
Sgt. Waga believes a civilian unit is beneficial to the department. "Another added value is the personal expertise and knowledge each member brings with them that can be used to serve the department in ways other than simply covering details or handling calls for service. One more benefit that many don't think of is the monetary benefit. Our auxiliary officers volunteered over 8,000 hours last year. Based on a sworn officer’s starting salary, that would be approximately $175,000 worth of services rendered," says Sgt. Waga.
Across the region from Baltimore, the Arlington County Virginia Police Department also effectively utilizes civilians in the department. "Just by the nature of the job, uniformed police officers tend to be the public face of the department. But our civilian staff plays a vital role in day-to-day operations. We could not police the streets of Arlington without them working behind the scenes to keep things running," says Chief M. Douglas Scott. Of the 475 employees in the department, 365 of those are sworn position with over 100 civilians who work in various areas including records processing, parking service aides, school crossing guards, crime analysis technical support, human resources, and administrative staff. Civilians also volunteer through the department's cadet and intern programs as well as the auxiliary police core. An information counter is primarily staffed by civilians who are, oftentimes, the first people that the public encounters when they walk in with questions or need reports taken.
The Washington D. C. Metropolitan Police Department joins other departments in utilizing civilians. Presently, they are in positions that include one Crime Scene Technician that deals with theft from autos, domestic violence, and destruction of property, and two Mobile Technicians that handle suicide and murders. The technicians are out in the field where they collect evidence, process the scene, obtain DNA, and gather the information needed to later testify in court proceedings. A directive from the city's mayor calls for the department to hire an additional 14 civilian Crime Scene Technicians. By employing civilians in various capacities, the police department is making an attempt to position as many sworn officers as possible on the street.
Civilians are utilized in a rather unique manner within the Los Angeles Police Department. A total of 16 psychologists that are directly employed by the department and are not contract employees, unlike many other departments, they are civilians. The psychologists are assigned to every division within the department. They work with first line supervisors and command staff to help assess and intervene with behavioral and organizational work groups to increase efficiency. Consequently, civilians and sworn personnel have to work together closely.
Dr. Kevin Jablonsky, the chief psychologist of the unit, explains that he is part of the team that determines how to organize the administrative framework. However, he points out those civilians have to earn police respect. "Not that you're just a civilian but are you are an unknown entity," he says.
However, there is a generational change, he notes, where officers don't mind talking to him in the division or in the field. Dr. Jablonsky attributes this to the message delivered by Chief William Bratton in which he advocates there is value in obtaining assistance from the doctors on staff. Dr. Jablonsky stresses that message needs to come from the top senior management, and he believes visibility is also important.
Though Dr. Jablonsky's civilian team provides evaluation and treatment or may give advice, direct contact with the community is limited. However, at times, they do provide assistance to police officers in the field. An example is illustrated by an event that occurred in South Los Angeles. A van was travelling at a high rate of speed and hit another vehicle with an adult and three children. The crash caused a fire and explosion, and the deaths that resulted involved children. The police officers saw this situation before anyone else did. Because it is a highly emotional situation to view people that are burned, as well as to attempt to save the lives of the victims, a psychologist immediately responded to the patrol division and to the geographic area to provide assistance to the officers before they returned to the precinct.
The psychologists in Dr. Jablonsky's unit also provide consultation on cases that include homicide and counter- terrorism, and they assist in addressing cultural, behavioral, and medical issues involved with cases or situations. They also provide training to new recruits and assist in the development of new programs within the department.
It is apparent that a significant number of law enforcement agencies are employing civilians and adding to their staff at an increasing rate. Nationwide, departments have discovered that civilians are valuable assets that can help their agencies perform a variety of tasks to achieve their goals. "The strength of a department lies in the empowerment of each member to contribute individual expertise," say Terrance W. Gainer, U. S. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and former U. S. Capitol Police Chief.
For the law enforcement agencies that have already been proactive in utilizing the talents and skills that civilians can offer, they are discovering the rewards that benefit their departments and allow officers more time dedicated to performing the integral functions of their jobs. Civilians are proving to be the wave of the future in progressive law enforcement agencies.
