City of Ithaca
Chief of Police Search Process
Characteristics By Category Listing*
Commitment to Diversity
- well-known in the community where s/he is currently working as a model of appropriate behavior who tolerates no hint of discriminatory talk or action whether on the streets or in the locker room (43)
- ability to work with and guide police officers to work with diverse social, age, economic groups as well as community agencies representing those groups (49)
- willing to diversify the police department (51)
- a sense or record of fairness in dealing with people of different classes (52)
- someone who has a strong commitment and a proven record in affirmative action (53)
- sensitive to issues of diversity within the larger community, and specifically within the city of Ithaca; e.g., race, sexual preference, etc. (54)
- dedicated to positive racial interaction (55)
- training and sensitivity to diversity and community dynamics (56)
- experience with heterogeneous communities (i.e., rural, urban, race, class, sexual preference, etc.) (70)
Dedicated to Community Collaboration
- someone who is himself or herself a trainer in community relations, diversity issues, staff development, and group dynamics (12)
- to be a person of color and/or female and/or low income background (24)
- s/he should be respected in the community for service, dedication and understanding of the population who live here (40)
- have a previously demonstrated ability to be connected with community constituents (41)
- to have previous work experience from a community that is reflective of Ithaca's population; i.e., ethnicity and racial composition (44)
- s/he must be committed to working cooperatively with the community police board and the community lay advocates (57)
- believes in community participation and accountability of the police force to the community (59)
- able to deal with all of the problems Ithaca faces through community involvement and understanding of the community (63)
- able to communicate with various communities in an ethical, knowledgeable and professional manner (69)
- ability to work closely with the various groups and organizations within the city to improve the daily life of residents (71)
- someone with specific programs s/he can implement to improve communications between the community and the Ithaca Police Dept. (73)
Community Issue Oriented
- an understanding of issues involving youth and does not look at them as necessarily creating problems (25)
- a professional with a strong commitment to productive partnership with the local schools (30)
- lots of knowledge about domestic violence and rape (38)
- enforcing an up-to-date domestic violence policy (39)
- experience working with drug enforcement teams (45)
- a college education (46)
- experience with proactive prevention measures as they apply to youth of today and developing cities (48)
- think about overall safety of community (64)
- a professional with a strong commitment to communication with and maintenance of safe neighborhoods (66)
Open-Minded, Accessible Communicator
- appreciates diversity in community but also, after listening to all points of view, isn't afraid to make a decision (7)
- balanced and respectful of all people (22)
- ability to listen to both officers and community (listen to concerns and help people to find common ground) (23)
- the ability to listen, hear, empathize, and talk with people (27)
- the ability to communicate with a diverse public (28)
- willingness to collaborate and share information within community groups and agencies (37)
- in touch with the community (67)
- a civic-minded individual with the desire and ability to educate him/herself on all aspects of this community (68)
Preventive/Alternative Approaches
- emphasis will be on restorative justice, victim-offender reconciliation, diversionary programs and target prevention programs in the community (10)
- understands that crime is often a symptom and that simplistic and/or repressive approaches leave the real problems untouched (31)
- will not seek laws expanding police power (36)
- versed in preventative application of policing and has resources for alternative incarcerations (prevention of recidivism and true rehabilitation) (72)
Personable
- someone who is outgoing, friendly, and civil (14)
- someone who is able to take criticism (15)
- someone who could triumph over physical disability (16)
- someone who is moral and will serve with ethics and commitment for justice for all (17)
- a people person with a sense of humor to enable the chief to get through each stressful, high energy, challenging day (18)
- able to accept the amount of pressure required by the community (21)
Innovative/Visionary
- someone who is proactive in heading off problems before they come to a head (3)
- someone who has global vision; is able to fairly assess various populations as they relate to police work (on the victim side as well as the perpetrator's side) (11)
- be connected with state and national organizations of police, to have ready access to new developments (35)
- demonstrated ability to move departments toward the future; i.e., computerization, community policing, etc. (42)
- someone who continues the department's current innovation in investigative techniques--burglary, drug intervention, shoplifting (58)
- improve each individual officer's level of education and training, including training in the protection of civil and human rights of all citizens (60)
- willing to try innovative policing methods that make the Ithaca Police Dept. a proactive police dept. (61)
- someone who will keep the Ithaca Police Dept. up to date in training, technology, equipment and diversity (62)
- s/he should be an innovator, not only in training but in equipment/technology, police practices, and dealing with issues of a diverse community (65)
Leadership/Management
- to inspire the police department to work together to make changes by having more of a leadership role in the department (1)
- be willing to develop workable alternatives by exercising good management skills (2)
- someone who will lead the Ithaca Police Dept. into the next century with a mission statement that sets the standards of professionalism (5)
- to provide a timely plan of action to address issues of accountability within the department (6)
- administrator that understands an organization that is quasi-military, but also understands the power and impact of a police officer carrying a gun (8)
- able to stop the "code of silence" (9)
- someone who expects that officers are civil, friendly and available for community members to speak to them (13)
- implement policies and training that would help the Ithaca Police Dept. treat all people equitably (50)
- demonstrated ability to provide leadership to Ithaca Police Dept. fairly, consistently, and with integrity (74)
Uncompromising Honesty
- someone who is able to enforce rules while facilitating complaint/grievance exchange by treating people fairly and respectfully and not playing "favorites" (4)
- someone who is not a political pawn or puppet and has the courage to do what is needed as opposed to what is "politically correct" (19)
- a person who "commands" respect from police officers as opposed to "demanding" respect (20)
- has the respect of the officers and public in communities that s/he has served (26)
- knows you can always learn and be willing to learn from his/her staff (29)
- uncompromising honesty and demands the same of the officers in terms of evidence and respect to due process of the law (32)
- part politician, part street cop (33)
- ability to rise above the petty politics in this community (34)
- the ability to articulate the limitations, expectations, and needs of the police department (47)
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