Mission Statement:

• To serve, protect and defend the citizens of Bedford and those visiting or traveling through Bedford while preserving the rights and dignity of all;
• To prevent, detect and solve crime and enforce the law; to protect people and property and pursue criminal investigations;
• To ensure highway safety to make our roads safe for all users; to reduce injuries, property damage and the loss of life caused by motor vehicle accidents through vehicle and traffic enforcement and education;
• To render general assistance to all in need and protect citizens and their property from harm; to assist citizens in resolving problems in partnership with other service providers;
• To promote peace and order by providing security in all types of natural and man-made emergencies and to provide for the safety and security of individuals and groups of citizens in furtherance of their rights, duties and responsibilities;
• To support our members with the highest quality support services in an efficient and effective manner;
• To support others by creating partnerships for safety and security with individuals, groups and the communities within and throughout the Town of Bedford;
• To empower our members by encouraging and rewarding creativity and teamwork;
• To accomplish our mission with uncompromising integrity to maintain the public trust and confidence and
• To carry out our mission with fairness and compassion and strength in accordance with the rule of law and to demonstrate both moral and physical courage in the execution of our solemn duties and responsibilities.

 Program Description/Major Service Areas:

• Administration:
  • To establish the vision for and provide the leadership to ensure the Bedford Police Department (PD, Department) successfully executes its mission. 
  • To set the standards for excellence in performance, efficiency and effectiveness to ensure the mission of the Department is achieved through adherence to the highest standards of performance, integrity, excellence and service in law enforcement. 
  • To ensure the Bedford Police Department executes its mission in an efficient and effective manner through sound fiscal control to achieve the highest level of public safety and service for every tax dollar budgeted for the Department.
  • To ensure each division within the Department is accountable and responsible for attaining performance goals and objectives in furtherance of the Department’s overall mission. 
  • To ensure each member of the Department is held to the highest standards of integrity in conformance with applicable law and Departmental rules, regulations, policies and procedures. 
  • To assure the administration of the Bedford Police Department is conducted in accordance with generally accepted national, state, regional and local standards of performance, policies and procedures. 
  • To ensure all members of the Department comport with all mandatory training requirements and to ensure each member receives sufficient training to assure their safety so as to ensure the safety of the public and to improve overall agency and individual performance.

Administration Program Specific Objectives:

• Identify, recruit, train, certify and deploy candidates to fill existing vacancies to bring the Department up to its full-authorized strength of 38 sworn members, which includes the proposed addition of a second School Resource Officer (SRO) partially funded by a grant from the United States Department of Justice, Community Oriented Police Services (COPS) Program (pending final approval by the Town Manager). 
• Develop and implement a comprehensive Field Training Program (FTP) for supervisory personnel with initial emphasis on first-line supervisor(s) (Patrol Sergeants).  Building upon the Department’s mentoring program, the development of a supervisory FTP acknowledges the need to begin training the next generation of supervisors in their current rank or position.  This program will also be delivered to current supervisory personnel in the form of continuing education conducted by Department personnel and external resources.
• Enhance the Department’s FTP for probationary police officers to assure all instruction provided to new recruits by Department Field Training Officer(s) is consistent and in congruence with Department and professional best practice(s). 
• Enhance and improve the Department’s critical incident management system that standardizes the Department’s response to all critical incidents (crime and traffic related) to continue to improve overall performance.
• Increase the number of certified Mountain Bicycle Patrol Officer(s) to increase the Department’s patrol capabilities in compact suburban environment(s) in view of pending economic development.
• Increase the number of certified Motorcycle Patrol Officer(s) to increase the Department’s traffic enforcement posture and maximize the utility of the Department’s police motorcycle to address complex traffic enforcement issues in an increasing congested environment that limits the utility of patrol officer(s) assigned to standard police cruiser(s).
• Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department’s command staff through continuing education and internal instruction.
• Develop and deploy a standardized matrix of performance measurements for patrol officer(s) that is based upon assigned duties, responsibilities and task(s) as well as upon an analysis of past organizational performance specific to duty/tour assignment(s). 
• Continue to improve and enhance crime and highway safety analytics through timely intelligence product(s) designed to drive and maximize resource allocation to prevent crime and reduce harm.
• Enhance the Department’s scenario-based (simulation; SBT) training to improve response and performance to Active Shooter and tactical patrol critical incidents beyond school properties to prepare for a critical incident response in a business/retail environment.  This enhancement will continue the effort begun during 2016 to incorporate the Department’s Incident Command and Unified Command Systems and procedures into critical incident response.
• Continue to conduct a minimum of two (2) Department-wide scenario-based tactical training evolutions that will improve the performance of patrol officers, first-line supervisors, Department Command Staff and Unified Command in response to critical incident(s).
• Continue the on-going program to identify and revise Department Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) consistent with the Department’s efforts to eventually seek national accreditation.  Special emphasis in 2016 will focus on a review and revision to the Department’s Disciplinary and Internal Affairs related SOPs.  In furtherance of preparation for accreditation the Department will develop and deploy an internal Department-wide Inspections Program that will require regularly scheduled internal evaluation(s) to test adherence to Department SOPs and professional standards.
• Improve the investigative skill sets and advancement opportunities of Patrol Division officers through temporary assignment to the Detective Division, contingent upon the availability of staffing.  The reduction in staffing during 2014-2016 exacerbated by the difficulty experienced by the Department and all regional partners in terms of the dearth of qualified applicant(s) prevented the Department from rotating patrol officers into this assignment.  The completion of training for three (3) new-patrol officer(s) in November 2016 will enable the Department to reinstitute this important program that enhances the investigative skill sets of patrol officers and provides them an opportunity to expand their professional horizons and prepare them for promotion as well as improve staff retention.
• Increase motor vehicle traffic safety enforcement by increasing the number of traffic safety directed patrol activity and motor vehicle stops by 10% and motor vehicle summons/warnings by 20% during 2017.
• Maintain the current low-level of property crime in Bedford by increasing crime-related directed patrol activity to deter and prevent property crime by 15%.
• Improve the Department’s Community Policing Program by increasing the number of community-based programs in all combined segments by 25%.
• Obtain certification for all Department Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) members to improve Patrol Division officer’s response to and the handling of mental health and substance misuse/abuse related calls-for-service.  In 2016 the Department met its goal to establish and deploy the CIT; in 2017 the Department will enhance this program through additional continuing education of the CIT member(s).
• Develop a revised Department Strategic Plan that will guide the Department through the next 5-year(s) of organizational development with a special emphasis on the President’s Task Force Report on 21st Century Policing see http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf