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Pleasant View police report backlog drops and process changes under 'high performing cities' effort
Summary
Police Chief Stetson updated council on a lean/process improvement effort that standardized vehicle equipment, reduced detective case backlog and boosted recruitment via a lateral program and ApplicantPro.
Police Chief Stetson told council the department is implementing a “high performing cities” program drawn from lean and 5S approaches to reduce wasted time, standardize equipment and improve case workflow.
Stetson outlined early wins: standardizing vehicle equipment and storage, adding standardized rifle racks and cage configurations, and reorganizing report and evidence workflows so the handling officer completes required documentation more promptly. The chief said these process changes have helped bring the detective backlog down substantially: “I think we went from … at one point we had, like, a 130 to a 150 open cases. … Checked the other day … I think there's, like, 20 cases,” Stetson said.
Why it matters: The changes aim to free officer time from administrative tasks so they can focus on patrol and investigations; the department has also invested in recruitment and retention tools, including a lateral hire program and an ApplicantPro application portal that has generated regular new applications.
Recruitment and training: Stetson said three lateral hires with a combined 40 years of experience have joined the department and that the city’s multi‑year compensation plan has improved recruitment prospects. The department is increasing in‑house training capability through a master officer program that requires instructors to become certified in specialties, reducing the need to hire outside trainers.
Other items: Stetson gave examples of operational savings such as revised prisoner transport procedures to reduce officers’ out‑of‑service time, and said staff is working on patrol visibility, school crossing enforcement (recently a few tickets per day, but fewer than last year) and an upcoming pickleball ribbon cutting scheduled for Sept. 10.
Ending: Council thanked Stetson and staff for process work and encouraged continued reporting on recruitment metrics, citizen satisfaction measures and detective backlog.
