COLUMBUS, IN - On Tuesday, October 14, city officials approved slight changes to a Columbus Police Department (CPD) general order that outlines how the vast majority of its employees are evaluated annually.
Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety members approved an update to CPD's General Order 35: Performance Evaluations, which was last updated back in December 2017, The Republic reported.
CPD periodically updates general orders based on recommendations by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and policies mandated by the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board (LETB).
The general order states that all full-time employees of the department will be evaluated annually based on their job descriptions and ability to meet performance standards.
City documents state that employees receive scores from one to three across different categories, with a score of three meaning "performance was exemplary and exceeded most expectations."
They can also get scores of "N/A (not applicable) and N/O (not observed)" in specific cases.
The chief of police and recruit officers who have not finished the field training officer program are evaluated differently.
The chief of police may be evaluated at any time by the administration, whereas recruit officers are evaluated by the system described in General Order 33.4.3.
Overall, the board made three substantive changes to the general policy. One change is related to when new sergeants and/or supervisors receive training on how to do the evaluations.
Previously, evaluators were trained at an evaluation training session, but there was no timetable associated with it.
Now, supervisors are trained on how to conduct the evaluations just before they start evaluating as a means of keeping how the process works "fresh on the mind," CPD Captain Brian Wilder explained to the board members.
Another change states that a score of "one" in a given category must be supported by documentation through Guardian Tracking entries during an evaluation period. Guardian Tracking is the software CPD uses to manage employee behavior, recognize high performance, and flag potential issues early on.
Scores of two or three in a given category "should" be supported by prior Guardian Tracking entries, but supervisors can add additional comments in a notes field as well if they choose.
A change to the "evaluation components" section removes a previous requirement that what evaluators write on the notes section of the evaluation form "originate from supporting documentation of the employee's performance during the review period."
Also removed were requirements that "supporting documentation shall specify specific examples of performance, not generalizations" and that the "supporting documentation shall be generated at or near the time of occurrence."
Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety members approved an update to CPD's General Order 35: Performance Evaluations, which was last updated back in December 2017, The Republic reported.
CPD periodically updates general orders based on recommendations by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and policies mandated by the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board (LETB).
The general order states that all full-time employees of the department will be evaluated annually based on their job descriptions and ability to meet performance standards.
City documents state that employees receive scores from one to three across different categories, with a score of three meaning "performance was exemplary and exceeded most expectations."
They can also get scores of "N/A (not applicable) and N/O (not observed)" in specific cases.
The chief of police and recruit officers who have not finished the field training officer program are evaluated differently.
The chief of police may be evaluated at any time by the administration, whereas recruit officers are evaluated by the system described in General Order 33.4.3.
Overall, the board made three substantive changes to the general policy. One change is related to when new sergeants and/or supervisors receive training on how to do the evaluations.
Previously, evaluators were trained at an evaluation training session, but there was no timetable associated with it.
Now, supervisors are trained on how to conduct the evaluations just before they start evaluating as a means of keeping how the process works "fresh on the mind," CPD Captain Brian Wilder explained to the board members.
Another change states that a score of "one" in a given category must be supported by documentation through Guardian Tracking entries during an evaluation period. Guardian Tracking is the software CPD uses to manage employee behavior, recognize high performance, and flag potential issues early on.
Scores of two or three in a given category "should" be supported by prior Guardian Tracking entries, but supervisors can add additional comments in a notes field as well if they choose.
A change to the "evaluation components" section removes a previous requirement that what evaluators write on the notes section of the evaluation form "originate from supporting documentation of the employee's performance during the review period."
Also removed were requirements that "supporting documentation shall specify specific examples of performance, not generalizations" and that the "supporting documentation shall be generated at or near the time of occurrence."
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Comments
2025-10-20T16:29-0400 | Comment by: James
What hogwash! So now there is no requirement for "supporting documentation of specific examples of performance at or near the time of occurrence"! Also, GENERALIZATIONS are to be used!? This makes it very easy for the "good ole'boy and good ole'girl system to be used for unfounded and unfair promotions! More socialist behavior made legal by a socialist city council! Can anyone say race based promotions!