values

These values guide the operation of the Public Safety Department and the conduct of its members. Values set standards for our members in executing their public safety duties. These values guide our actions.

Our highest priority is the protection of human life. There is no more important priority to the Clinton Public Safety Department than protection of human life. In every situation, we are committed to using all reasonable means to prevent injury to the public.

We believe that while crime and fire prevention are our principal goals, we should vigorously pursue those who commit serious crimes and those who endanger lives by setting fires.

We treat members of the public with respect and dignity. We maintain the highest levels of integrity and professionalism in all actions. We will treat all those we serve in a compassionate, sensitive, courteous, and professional manner, regardless of sex, race, lifestyle, or reason for public safety contact. There can be no question or suspicion among the citizenry regarding Department ethics. Professionalism requires impeccable conduct, careful protection of all citizens’ rights, and the maintenance of high levels of accountability from all members of the Department.

We recognize that the Department members are its greatest asset and assume responsibility to treat them professionally and support their professional development. All Department members are entitled to respectful, fair, and consistent treatment. We seek the input of our members and involve them in the decision-making process.

We are committed to solving neighborhood problems. We care about the quality of life in the City’s neighborhoods and believe that our services must answer their needs. We must seek new ways to address the contemporary neighborhood problems of crime, fear of crime, disorder, and physical and social decay. We are committed to providing a highly visible presence in all the City’s neighborhoods.

We maintain open communication with the community we serve. The community’s input helps to determine public safety policies, priorities, and strategies. The Department recognizes the need to collaborate with the public in order to reduce crime, disorder, fear, and all other negative factors lessening the quality of life.

We believe that public safety strategies must preserve and advance democratic values. The Public Safety Officer in a democratic country must be the living expression of the values and potentialities of democracy. The Officers must, as a matter of course, know and use the most effective techniques. They must respect and protect the rights of all citizens as guaranteed by the State’s Constitution. These rights include the right to move throughout the City without fear, the right to be free of harassment and discrimination, and the right to speak and/or demonstrate one’s opinion in a lawful and orderly way.

We are committed to managing our resources in a careful, efficient, and effective manner. The management of a Public Safety Department is very similar to the operation of a business. The Department must be managed so that there is a maximum return from the expenditure of each tax dollar appropriated. Issues such as employee productivity, fiscal accountability, planning, and resource utilization will be carefully studied and systematically addressed.