Major GPD policy manual overhaul approved

Mar. 21—GOSHEN — After more than a year of updates and revisions, a major overhaul of the Goshen Police Department's policy manual was officially approved Monday by the Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety.

Back in December of 2020, board members approved a contract with California-based consulting firm Lexipol LLC to monitor, review and update the various policies of the Goshen Police Department. The overhauled policy manual, which now includes more than 700 pages, is the result of that work.

Founded in 2003, Lexipol is a private company that provides policy manuals, training bulletins, and consulting services to law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other public safety departments throughout the country.

"Lexipol provides fully developed, state-specific policies researched and written by subject matter experts and vetted by attorneys," GPD Chief José Miller said of the company in a provided memo. "These policies are based on nationwide standards and best practices while also incorporating state and federal laws and regulations where appropriate. In addition to this, Lexipol will keep our policies updated as new subject matter develops.

"Since Dec. 7, 2020, the police department administration, along with our representatives from Lexipol, have been working to complete the updated police department policy manual," he added. "If approved, these policies will be replacing all current police policies."

Board member Michael Landis noted that the contract with Lexipol, which included a one-time implementation fee of $22,583, as well as a one-year annual subscription fee of $14,775 to utilize the program, will allow the city to stay up to date on evolving police policy at the local, state and federal levels much better than simply relying on the efforts of the city's police and legal departments alone.

Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, who also holds a seat on the board, agreed.

"Lexipol wasn't the cheapest option for us — well, maybe it was, actually, since they're bringing so much to the table — but it's highly valuable, because like you said, the legal department can't possibly keep up with everything going on in the United States, and neither can the chief," Stutsman said. "So, this really helps us stay on top of our policies."

Stutsman also noted that he likes the fact that the contract with Lexipol includes not just policy updates, but ongoing training and testing for the city's officers to ensure they are made aware of, and understand, those policies moving forward.

"It's money well spent hiring Lexipol to do this, because they'll keep us up to date," added City Attorney Bodie Stegelmann. "And as standards change, we'll bring back to the Board of Works any revisions that are appropriate."

While he had originally planned on setting the policy manual's effective start date for April 4, Chief Miller noted Monday that he would actually prefer to extend that date out to May 16 in order to give his officers more time to familiarize themselves with the extensive amount of updated material.

"I initially felt four weeks would be appropriate, however after discussion with my administration, we feel extending that time to eight weeks for all to become effective would be realistic," Miller told the board. "The intention is to start implementing the policies in order of importance."

The board's members agreed, and the policy manual overhaul was approved unanimously with an effective start date of May 16.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business, board members;

—Approved the resignation of officer Matthew Shultz from the Goshen Police Department effective Friday.

—Approved a grant agreement between the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and the Goshen Police Department for 2022 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funding. The GPD applied for and was awarded $34,602 in grant funding through the agreement. The funding will be used for the purchase of a new evidence camera for the department.

John Kline can be reached at john.kline@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240315. Follow John on Twitter @jkline_TGN.