Special Incident Reporting: A Management Tool For Staff Safety

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

The Maricopa County Adult Probation Department recognized a need for meaningful information about special incidents and safety issues in order to make sound decisions that would enhance staff safety and security. The department underwent a major shift from an unarmed agency to an armed one, which amplified management’s need for information on safety issues. The department’s special incident reporting process was revised, new special incidents management reports were created, and management found that information from the reports was useful. A variety of staff safety and office security enhancements have taken place. Knowledge from the reports and discussions with staff led to policy changes, new trainings, equipment additions and enhancements, new office procedures, architectural changes and the addition of security staff at probation offices. Credible data helped managers secure support from court and county managers in order to implement safety enhancements.