Hiram PD Safeguards Agency Health with Vector Solutions’ Early Intervention Solution

The Challenge

While census data says the population of Hiram, Georgia is approximately 4,900, its proximity to Atlanta and the 800+ businesses within its borders means its daytime population swells to more than 70,000. The Hiram Police Department's 26 sworn officers provide services to the city's citizens, working hand-in-hand with other law enforcement agencies in the area.

According to the Chief of Police, policing a community with such unique dynamics comes with its own set of hurdles.

"It's a unique community. I've never been in a place like this before that had so many different challenges," he said.

The Choice

When the Chief first took over the mantel of leadership in 2021, Hiram PD had already implemented Guardian Tracking, an early intervention and conduct management solution.

"It took a little bit of time to understand how Guardian Tracking fit into the management of the agency," he said. "But what I found as we've been working through certification issues is how beneficial having Guardian Tracking is when it comes to the things that are required for state certification."

To maintain state certification in Georgia, agencies are required to track and provide written analyses of certain aspects of policing on an annual basis, including uses of force. According to the Chief, creating these written reports can be a very time-consuming process.

"At first, I was too immature with the system to understand how robust it is as far providing historical data," he said.

Since getting up to speed, Guardian Tracking has saved time by simplifying the process of tracking, gathering, and analyzing data.

"It helps me save time by allowing me to focus on critical tasks," he said. "The problem is we're overburdened with too much information today. We can't see the real value of the data because we're constantly bombarded with it. If you can take something like Guardian Tracking and boil that data down into its purest form, then I can start seeing trends."

With these trends, the Chief can identify areas of growth and opportunities to amend policies or training.

The Change 

Through Guardian Tracking, Hiram Police Department has:

• Simplified and streamlined processes around yearly reporting requirements to maintain state certification.
• Ensured satisfactory staffing levels despite nationwide law enforcement staffing shortages by creating a positive workplace environment that attracts new recruits and lateral transfers.
• Built a culture of recognizing and documenting the positives alongside the negatives, giving supervisors and agency leadership a more holistic view into each officer's conduct.
• Consistently documented all noteworthy conduct, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks and all behavior is considered during annual performance reviews.
• Reduced liability around terminations and records requests through consistent and comprehensive documentation that can be quickly and easily provided to other departments, outside entities, or overseeing organizations as necessary.
• Collected and analyzed data on conduct and behavioral trends and then used those findings to inform changes to procedures or training when appropriate.

As a result of the workplace environment Hiram PD has built, in part due to Guardian Tracking, the department has become an attractive place to work for new recruits and experienced officers looking for a place where they can be part of something meaningful.