|
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the Chief of Police? David Dial took some time out to answer some frequently asked questions about the job, the community and the man.
What does the Police Chief do?
I am ultimately responsible to the city manager, the city council, and the citizens for delivering a full range of police services to a community 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year. As part of my primary role, I am responsible for setting the direction and determining the strategic mission of the department, concentrating on the coordination and alignment of department assets, and making final decisions on the expenditure of budgetary resources. This involves the management of an organization with 300 employees and a budget that exceeds $29 million/year.
What is a typical day for the police chief?
There really is no “typical” day for me in Naperville, nor is my day similar to what a neighboring chief of police may do. The issues and problems each of us face are unique to our communities depending on the size of our cities and the demographics in the area we serve. I do attend a lot of meetings with members of my staff in dealing with crime suppression, criminal investigations, and assorted management issues facing the police department. Additionally, I attend many other meetings that deal with how the police department works with other city departments to accomplish the strategic goals of the city of Naperville.
What professional organizations do you belong to?
I am a member of the Police Executive Research Forum and co-chair the Community Policing Committee for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. I serve as chairman of the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group, and chairman of the DuPage County Chiefs' Homeland Security Committee. I also serve as first vice-president of the DuPage County Chiefs of Police Association and am a member of the Will County Police Chiefs’ Association. Finally, I am a charter member of Police Futurists, International.
What do you like most about your job?
The most desirable aspect of my job is the ability to work with a dedicated group of professionals who are sincerely interested in providing the highest level of service possible to the community and setting the direction of the organization to accomplish that task. We constantly change what we do in an effort to meet the changing society we serve and are deeply committed to the philosophy of community policing which I feel has the best chance for success.
What do you like the least about your job?
I suffer the same job frustrations as any other police officer. I dislike very much seeing people victimized by criminals and our inability to have a truly “crime-free” community is the part I like the least. In the day-to-day operations of the police department, there are just too many meetings.
What do you like about Naperville?
Naperville is a very special place blessed with outstanding citizens who truly are concerned about quality of life issues. I am fortunate to be working with some of the finest law enforcement professionals I have ever met and to be serving a community that is extremely supportive of our efforts.
What do you want residents to know about the police department?
We continually involve members of the community in the operations of the police department. We have volunteer groups who work with the police department and a volunteer program for our younger citizens known as the Police Explorer Post. One of our volunteer groups, known as Community Radio Watch, is one of the most effective citizens’ groups in the country who assist law enforcement agencies. These men and women volunteer their services to provide additional eyes and ears for the police department and routinely operate the highly successful program of notifying citizens whenever their garage doors are open during the nighttime hours. We offer two citizen police academies each year that are designed to introduce citizens to the inner workings of the police department. Finally, the citizens of Naperville need to know that the Naperville Police Department requires a bachelor’s degree for all of its police officers and hires only the finest quality personnel to serve and protect them.
How do you interact with other city departments?
The police department is only one “cog” in the wheel known as the City of Naperville. We could not exist without cooperation and collaboration of other city departments. While we have a special affinity with the fire department since we both provide vital emergency services, our relationship with other departments is critical to the overall success of our mission. The public works department keeps our fleet operational, as well as our physical plant clean and functioning. The transportation, engineering, and development group is another department with which we work closely, especially in the area of code enforcement.
In our model of community policing, we try to become problem solvers and not just responders to calls for service. Many of the issues in which citizens complain about to the police are not truly “criminal” in nature. Many involve other quality of life issues which cannot properly be addressed by any one department. Thus, the police department works closely with other city departments and agencies outside the city to address those issues in the most effective way possible.
What challenges lie ahead for the police department?
Development of our young people is our primary challenge. We need to accommodate them with recreational activities, educational opportunities, and jobs. Traditionally, young men between the ages of 15 – 25 years of age are the predominant offenders of criminal statutes. If their energy had been redirected to recreational activities and jobs, it would have reduced the chance for them becoming involved in criminal activities.
The economy is another issue. Just like the rest of the nation, our city has been faced with a significant downturn in the economy. As a result, budgeting has become a year-round effort. Funding for cities has become much more volatile in recent years. Citizens are demanding, and rightfully so, that we give them the biggest “bang for the buck.” Our challenge will be to continue to work with available resources and create the strongest partnerships possible with the community in order to address Naperville’s issues.
Finally, as a result of terrorism threats, we have a need to gather intelligence and to connect with other law enforcement agencies in unprecedented ways.
How does the police department respond to youth development in the community?
The community education/crime prevention unit is deeply involved with the youth of our community. This involvement begins at very early ages with the provision of several child safety programs including the very popular Safety Town and Officer Friendly Programs. As children move into the fifth grade, they receive character based training taught by police officers. As they enter middle schools, they have contact with middle school resource officers that teach gang resistance education courses, violence education courses, and gang awareness courses. Each of our high schools has a police officer assigned who serves as a high school resource officer. That officer is responsible for a variety of tasks including serving as a resource to the students and school officials, as well as maintaining security in each of our high schools.
What do you do for fun?
When I am not working, most of my free time is spent with my family. My wife and I enjoy dining out, movies, and activities with friends. I like to fish and play golf, although you wouldn’t know it by my golf score.
I also enjoy reading and have read all of John Grisham’s books. In addition to reading for pleasure, I frequently read for research or professional purposes.
|