B OYNTON B EACH P OLICE D EPARTMENT OFFICE OF MEDIA RELATIONS
100 East Boynton Beach Blvd. Boynton Beach, FL 33425
Jeffrey S. Katz Chief of Police
Phone (561) 742-6191 Fax (561) 742-6185
A CFA Accredited Law Enforcement Agency
Stephanie Slater Public Information Officer SLATERS@BBFL.US (561) 436-4806
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 28, 2014
Police launch new internal program to foster teamwork, improve efficiency Boynton Beach Police have instituted a new program designed to foster teamwork, develop organizational awareness, enhance professional knowledge and improve the overall efficiency of the department. Through the Uniform Services Liaison Unit, four road patrol officers will be given the opportunity to develop investigative skills by working in the detective bureau. Four detectives will be assigned to a road patrol shift and respond to calls that require specialized investigative skills. After one year’s time, those personnel will return to their normal duties and a new group of officers and detectives will participate in the program. “This program is meant to mentor, train and provide guidance to road patrol personnel by utilizing the specialized training and first-hand experiences of detectives,” Major Stewart Steele said. “It will also reorient detectives to road patrol operations, which will increase understanding and appreciation across the two divisions.” Detectives assigned to road patrol will work the standard 11.5-hour shift and respond to calls throughout the city that are considered major cases, including homicides, sex crimes, armed robberies and aggravated assaults. This will reduce the amount of time it takes for an on-call detective to arrive on scene, leading to better utilization of manpower and increasing the likelihood of solving cases through evidence preservation and witness identification. Officers assigned to the detective bureau will be given the opportunity to develop investigative skills by working cases alongside seasoned investigators, similar to an internship program. “This program is a win-win for the department and the public as it will provide the immediate response of a detective to a crime scene and strengthen the investigative knowledge base of our road patrol officers,” Steele said. “This is just one in a series of innovative steps we are taking to transform into a teaching police department with a focus on teamwork and personnel development.”