NEWS

Report: Fort Collins police chief lost officers' trust

Jason Pohl
jasonpohl@coloradoan.com
Chief John Hutto speaks at a news conference on Friday. The department released a video of a fatal shooting in August captured on body cameras worn by officers.
Chief John Hutto speaks at a press conference at Fort Collins Police Services on Friday, January 13, 2016. The department released a video of a fatal shooting in August captured on a body cameras worn by offices.

Fort Collins Police Services' top brass lost the trust and support of beat cops who believed their leaders' priorities were more reflective of those at City Hall than those of their fellow officers, according a newly released assessment of agency culture.

The 156-page report commissioned by the city compiles findings from hundreds of interviews, confidential surveys and focus groups conducted throughout the department since January. Its release follows the city's announcement that Police Chief John Hutto will resign, effective May 12, amid the aftermath of two high-profile settlements and ongoing investigations of two officers' use of force.

Occasionally complimentary and at times scathing, the report offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of cultural issues that reportedly divided the department over the course of years. It also adds credence to anecdotes revealed in a recent discrimination lawsuit against the department concerning gaps in leadership, communication and departmental transparency.

Among its findings:

  • Trust of leadership: One-third of respondents were not satisfied with police department management practices, and half did not trust and believe the executive staff. Only 57 percent of respondents indicated they felt respected by executive staff, and 39 percent of employees felt the agency applied policies fairly to all employees.  
  • Communication across the agency: 30 percent of respondents believed that communication from executive staff was transparent and clearly described the reason behind policy decisions. Many viewed existing requests for feedback by executive staff as merely a way to "check a box."
  • Transparency within the promotion process: Respondents believed strong test-takers and those with personal relationships with department brass were promoted above those who demonstrated strong leadership. This contributed to a general feeling of distrust of executive staffers. 

“I think that we all could have done a better job at communicating the value that the chief brings to the police organization when he’s doing work with city hall," City Manager Darin Atteberry said Friday. He cited Hutto's efforts behind the scenes on issues ranging from body-worn cameras to issues related to homelessness to staffing concerns more generally — police-related matters that weren't communicated down the chain.

"I think that I could have done a better job at that," he said. "I think that John could have done a better job at that. I think his deputies could have done a better job at that.”

The report offers insight into what preceded Hutto's resignation. Across surveys, interviews and focus groups, employees said they wished Hutto would have taken a more active and visible role in the lives of line-level officers.

Atteberry said he was cognizant of frustrations about Hutto's time spent outside the department, apparently not connecting or communicating with employees. He's an introvert, Atteberry said, and there's plenty of opportunity to fix those issues going forward. Still, the issue of juggling multiple roles —  cop on Timberline Road, planner at city hall — is not going to go away.

“I’m definitely mindful of that and I see that we can get better at that from a usage of time standpoint," Atteberry said. "But I’m going to be asking the next chief to continue to be an active executive on these issues because police services isn’t a standalone unit. It’s part of a city organization."

More: Fort Collins moves to fill police leadership gap

Many said they doubted Hutto, 56, even knew the names of his roughly 300 employees — report writers recommended a yearbook of sorts be made to help. Some criticized the chief's perceived lack of engagement with front-line employees — authors suggested the department's next chief field calls on the streets or at least stay tuned to officer radios to demonstrate a genuine interest in daily operations.

"There is a strong perception, especially among sworn line officers and supervisors, that the chief of police and to a broader extent the executive staff, is fundamentally disconnected from the experience of the average officer," according to the report. "This translates into a perception that the interests of the department are not appreciated, understood and advocated for to city management."

Investigation findings were released to Fort Collins police Thursday and provided to the Coloradoan shortly thereafter.

Authors noted the police department's culture was deeply rooted in a commitment to the community and built on trust — especially at the line level. Beat cops, sergeants and those involved in day-to-day policing share accountability and are driven to serve Fort Collins residents.

More: Cascade of events led to Hutto's resignation

But rifts emerged between beat cops and top brass.

Many expressed concern that Hutto represented the interests of city leaders rather than the interests of his employees. Examples abound, but participants commonly cited an anecdote where the agency opted to provide patrol officers two-wheel drive vehicles instead of four-wheel drive options.

"Many sworn focus group participants believe this reflects broader city policy but does not take into account the operational reality of policing, and so represents a failure on the part of FCPS leadership to understand and advocate for day-to-day operational needs," authors wrote.

Authors also highlighted the city's continued low rates of violent crime and generally positive image and reputation run contrary to "recent events (that) have brought negative attention to the agency."

Those "highly unusual" events included a $425,000 settlement of last year's lawsuit alleging racial and ethnic discrimination within the agency that led to retaliatory practices. There was also this year's $150,000 out-of-court settlement stemming from a July incident where an officer allegedly barged into a residence and roughed up a man. On top of all of that, a high-profile use-of-force incident from Old Town earlier this month catapulted the city to national headlines and led to ongoing investigations.

More: Timeline: Hutto's tenure as Fort Collins police chief

Given the department's recent string of negative press, "Participants were universal in their belief that the day-to-day work of the agency is not being affected by recent lawsuits and public scrutiny of FCPS policing practices," the authors wrote.

Respondents said some things had improved — key executives who contributed to negative perceptions related to organizational culture are no longer employed by FCPS. They also urged for transparency as the agency moves past the lawsuits and redefines its culture, noting that "the city and department should restore that sense of steadiness with a measured and well-disseminated process."

More: City council addresses concerns about Fort Collins police

Researchers highlighted nine specific areas for improvement and suggested steps for a plan to move forward, rooted mostly in improving communication, the department's promotion process and making employees feel more valued.

Among the steps:

  • Improve police management, practices, operations and employee engagement by enhancing communication between chief, executive staff, command staff and front-line personnel. 
  • Enhance communication by developing a new internal plan. 
  • Integrate representatives from human resources, the city attorney's office, finance and other city groups into departmental operations for broader organizational integration.  
  • Change the way police employees are recognized for good work. 
  • Revise promotional processes to improve fairness and transparency.
  • Develop leaders and conduct skills assessments for all sergeants and lieutenants that includes feedback from subordinates, command staff and other development plans, all the while developing new mentor programs. 
  • Value diverse culture by continuing the implementation of implicit bias training, which was stipulated in the January settlement agreement. 
  • Maintain access to patrol training by altering the current schedule. 
  • Utilize experiences of senior employees by incentivizing field training officer options. 

Ohio-based Novak Consulting Group compiled the studies and reports. The group works with governments and other entities across the country, including in Colorado, to assess operations and potential shortcomings.

Of the police department's 311 employees, 208 responded to the confidential online survey, and two-thirds of them were sworn police officers. Ninety-one employees took part in a total of 10 focus groups — 72 were sworn officers.

As of Friday, The Novak Group invoiced the city of Fort Collins for $34,318 this year.

Reporter Jason Pohl covers law enforcement for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason.