As you know we here at Loose Topics are some of the first people to criticize the city when we don't agree with what they do. But we also want to be one of the first voices heard when the city does something right. We want to give credit where credit is due.
One of the best hires the city of Corpus Christi has made lately was hiring police Chief Troy Riggs. Chief Riggs has come into a department that was lazy and over budget in our opinion. Since his hiring he has turned the Corpus Christi Police Department around.
Another thing that Chief Riggs has done is put his face and his department in the media spotlight every chance he gets. Whether it is doing a small interview with the local newspaper or having a televised press conference to announce new changes in the department. He makes sure the public sees or hears about what his department is doing. Being transparent to the public like that is a great way to build a strong and effect relationship with the general public. Very smart.
Chief Riggs does not accomplish these things alone. His fellow officers have gotten behind Chief Riggs and his new approaches to running the police department.
So where and how does police Chief Riggs come up with these ideas to improve his department? He speaks with and visits his officers many many times, asking them for suggestions on what they feel is needed to improve their department. These aren't scheduled meetings either, Chief Riggs is known to stop by the sub-stations or pop in around shift change to meet with his officers. This is actually a great time to meet with the officers because you will get a perspective from a ongoing and off coming officer. Two officers doing the same job but at two different times of their shifts, will provide two different opinions on the questions asked.
He has had about 25 of these meetings with his officers since taking the Chief of Police position.
Chief Riggs has been having these meetings, along with meeting with civilian employees to discuss the future of their department. He says its an ongoing mission that will never stop.
Chief Riggs has told his officers that none of them signed up to be an average police officer, they signed up to be great at their job. Chief Riggs believes they can be great and the citizens of Corpus Christi deserve that from the police department. This isn't just political talk either. Just look at Chief Riggs and what he does, will tell you that he walks the talk. He dresses in the same uniform that his fellow officers wear. That says a lot about him right there alone. Not only does he dress in the same manner as his fellow officers but he actually gets out on the streets with his officers. This builds a strong connection between him and his officers.
Chief Riggs has told his officers that in order to make their department great they will have to look deep inside themselves and inside their department. They will have to challenge every assumption about what they do as a department.
Chief Riggs does not measure success for his department in the same way other departments do. Most departments measure success by crime statistics and crime reports as well as number of arrests.
Chief Riggs states that those things don't necessarily point to a successful department. A recent survey here of Corpus Christi residents showed that 17% of the surveyed people were victims of a crime they did not report, and the number is probably higher then that due to not every resident was surveyed. Chief Riggs urges his officers to stray away form the idea that more arrests equals good police work. Chief Riggs has told his officers to concentrate on the quality of the arrests.
Chief Riggs gives a great example of this. If a officer running radar on a quiet street gives out multiple citations that day, while an officer across town patrols an area known for burglaries but makes no arrests, who was more successful? In Chief Riggs mind it is the officer that prevented the burglaries from happening. We agree.
Chief Riggs was a great outside hire by our city. The city may have made another really good hire in city manager Ron Olson. Since Mr. Olson has taken that position he has done and attempted to do some really good things for the city. We will wait until he has had a full year under his belt in that position to decide whether he was a great hire or not.
Tell us what you think about Chief Riggs and some of the things he has done? Tell us if you think the city should hire a Fire Chief from outside the current department or from inside the department?
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