January 13, 2023 4 min read
Medford PD Retains Officers through Positive Recognition and Non-Punitive EI
Industry:
Solution:
The Challenge
With more than 25 years at Medford PD, Deputy Chief Darrell “D.J.” Graham saw the challenges his department, like many PDs, faced in consistently recognizing positive behavior as well as catching negative behavior patterns that may need to be addressed.
Chief Graham wanted a solution to help create continuity among supervisors, increase accountability, and consistently track positive recognition. He knew the tool they used to document and track internal affairs couldn’t accomplish these goals, so he found a better solution.
Dept. Profile
- 109 officers (of approx. 170 employees)
- ~85,000 population
- Guardian Tracking, 2020
The Choice
Medford PD selected Guardian Tracking for its positive recognition and Early Intervention (EI) capabilities to improve Medford PD’s culture.
Looking at intrinsic rewards and the impact supervisors could have on performance and retention; Chief Graham knew the importance of recognizing high-performing employees to encourage more and similar behavior across the entire team. The solution enabled the department to easily, transparently, and consistently document positive recognition from supervisors and peers.
Chief Graham also liked the EI ability to help identify behavior patterns, which can be difficult to track as officers change teams, to provide appropriate support at the lowest level before problems become too big to fix.
The Change
With Guardian Tracking, Medford PD is changing its culture by:
- significantly improving the flow of communication between management, supervisors, and frontline employees
- establishing a process for consistent peer-to-peer positive recognition
- improving the transparency of officer personnel files
- increasing continuity between supervisors to help identify patterns and save careers
Chief Graham emphasized the value of the customizable system to tailor forms and flows to meet the department’s unique needs.
After seeing success with Guardian Tracking at the PD, the City of Medford also adopted the tool to improve insight, communication, and recognition across the city.
“This job comes with a lot of pressure and stress. Just by recognizing the good work [officers] do in the moment, we see a change in their attitude, their behavior, and a redirection of their future.”
Darrell "D.J" Graham
Deputy Chief
To read more client testimonials, check out our Success Stories.
