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As leaders of the community, the Lafayette Police Department (LPD) performs their duties with the utmost fairness and respect for all citizens.  LPD will be loyal to their mission and to the community they serve. They will protect and defend the rights of all citizens with dignity, honor, and compassion. LPD will have the courage to do what is right and to stand against what is wrong, while always applying common sense to the difficult decisions they must make. 

Situation:

The LPD was concerned with the process efficiency of the Records Division and sought to streamline the workflow as it plays a critical role in keeping the whole department operating smoothly. The Records Division serves as the brain of the LPD and manages the flow of all documents for which the agency is responsible. Last year, the Records Division processed over 20,000 total cases--a monumental task that requires the employ of seven full time employees. Despite LPD's best efforts, the unit was facing challenges that were difficult to manage due to an ever increasing workload.

Solution:

Purdue TAP was contacted to conduct a study of LPD's process flow in the Records Division. Professor Mark Lehto and his team worked hand in hand with LPD's records personnel to conduct a workflow study. Professor Lehto provided analysis and identified changes to improve the efficiency of the division.

Results:

Purdue TAP successfully completed the project with the LPD, and significantly reduced the backlog of police reports. This was a pilot study of the high-performance government project, and served as a first step toward the LPD operational improvement initiative.

The Records Division personnel provided feedback and suggestions based on these recommendations, which resulted in significant physical changes to the layout of the office and changes in workflow of the division. This combined effort has led to significant improvements in efficiency and eliminated paperwork backlogs that were persistent for months.

“Having a fresh set of eyes examine our processes was critical in identifying changes. We are extremely pleased with the outcomes and are already actively investigating potential future projects with TAP and Purdue University,”

- Patrick Flannelly, Chief of Police, Lafayette Police Department