California Law Enforcement Challenge - Tips for a Successful Application

Learn what it takes to be a winner in the California Law Enforcement Challenge
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  1. First impressions count! A neat, well organized application that the judges can follow easily during their scoring process makes a big difference. If they have to hunt for the information, they may not even take the time to find it.
  2. Quality is far more important that quantity! Just because you fill volumes of notebooks, it doesn't necessarily impress judges who can see through "filling space" to the real meat of the program information.
  3. Be concise, but thorough. Tell your story, but make sure there is a story to tell! You are competing with hundreds of other agencies, and the judges' time is limited so they will be looking for clear information and innovative ideas - not innovative ways to fill out an application. What your agency is doing in the community is what is important, not how fancy you make the application container. The judges will see through a pretty package if there is nothing to back it up. Again, only submit ONE one-inch binder.
  4. Make sure you provide information on every question asked even if you don't have or can't get some information. Explain why you don't, otherwise the judges will look for it and deduct points if you don't explain. Some excellent applications have failed to make the grade because they left out vital information. If the information is lost in transport, the judges may never see your hard work.
  5. While a pretty package can't make up for a program that lacks substance or creativity, an attractive, substantive and good quality application will score higher than an application that shows evidence of good programs, but is put together with little attention to presentation. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, so use photos to heighten your presentation.
  6. Use tabs to locate or highlight important items. It is much easier for the judges to follow, therefore it usually results in a higher score.

Organizing the Application

Policy and Guidelines

  1. Include only the necessary page(s), not the entire policy of the agency!
  2. Highlight the appropriate sections/wording.
  3. If no policy, say so. Don't make the judges search for it.
  4. State law is NOT your agency policy, unless your policy says you follow state law.
  5. If you say you have a policy, REMEMBER to attach it in a way that it will not be separated from the rest of your application.
  6. Guidelines can also include goals and objectives.
  7. Speed/Belts and Child Seat enforcement.>

Training

  1. Include the PERCENTAGE, not number, of officers trained.
  2. Do not include training that has little or nothing to do with the categories.
  3. You do NOT have to include detailed documentation for each officer's training, rather make sure it is included in the body of your public information and education section as a description of the type of training officers received, and why it was needed to do a better job.

Incentives & Recognition

Additional points are awarded for agencies that reward officers for a job well done and citizens that practice safe driving. Rewards and incentives are important elements in letting people know that traffic safety is a priority in the community and the agency. Up to 5 points will be awarded in each of the following areas:

  1. Participation in Saved by the Belt/Airbag programs (state, local, or IACP Saved by the Belt)
  2. Recognition of officers for DUI enforcement
  3. Recognition of officers for Speed Enforcement
  4. Your participation in National and/or local Mobilization Waves (click It or Ticket, etc.)

Public Information and Education

  1. This section is VERY important. The bulk of the points are given based on your efforts to promote the issues of occupant protection, impaired driving, and speed enforcement. These points can make or break an application.
  2. Show your documentation include samples of news articles, pictures, letters, etc. But please DON'T send videos of your media coverage or events. As good as these might be, the judges simply don't have the time to view them. You should describe the activities and documents (e.g., news coverage by the number of broadcasts, number of stations, and amount of air time). A few photos, interspersed among the description of your program efforts are usually most effective to help the judges envision your efforts.
  3. The bulk of points in the applications are given based on your efforts to promote the issues which the application asks for: DUI, Speed, and Occupant Protection. These 40 points can make or break an application.
  4. Tell the judges what you did; give details on how well it worked or didn't work, then explain why; who was involved; and how you were able to form effective partnerships in your community with businesses, other agencies, civic associations, and legislators.

Enforcement Activity

  1. Give them the numbers! Show what you have done! Compare to previous periods. The numbers make sense compared to the total number of sworn officers you have in your department.
  2. If you have issued 250 citations for seat belt violations - GOOD!, But if you have 200 officers - NOT VERY GOOD!
    If your agency has a "no warnings" policy, say so. If you just put "0" in that line without explanation, you'll lose points.
  3. State the number of special enforcement efforts and what they were. Explain in detail what you have accomplished in these waves. DO NOT give a number without explanation of your program activity.
  4. If you have shown improvement over a number of periods or years, show it.

How Effective Were You?

  1. You must show a difference! What was the change in ... belt use ... in your community during this time?
  2. Show the number of speed-related and alcohol-related crashes. If you state "unknown" you will not get credit in your score.
  3. Do the research! Find the numbers it's part of the requirement. While this may seem difficult for smaller departments, it is ALWAYS a good idea to keep track of the numbers. They are used to help plan and make program decisions in your agency and help you determine how to best allocate resources.

Quality of Submission

  1. The judges will look at how well you organized your application.
  2. Make things easy to find, use the application order. Remember there are many applications.
  3. DO NOT send more than ONE one-inch three-ring binder. DO NOT send any videos or audio tapes. Judges will not have time to review each one.
  4. Make your submission unique to your agency and programs.