Dear CDPS Members,
According to
The Culture Code, a survey of 600 organizations "found that only two percent of employees could name the top three priorities of their company in order." Why does that matter? Because seeing the big picture provides a sense of purpose and a touchstone or guiding star to orient our decisions.
The CDPS Mission is: "
Engaged employees working together to safeguard lives and deliver diverse public safety services." Our priorities are safety and public service, and we operate with a focus on honor, respect, collaboration, and innovation.
Sometimes, these priorities are front and center in our daily work. Other times, the connection may not be obvious at first -- but it's for
those times that I'm writing this reminder. If you ever find yourself feeling disconnected from the mission, take a moment to do a little investigating: follow the trail that leads from the work you're doing back to how it helps support our ultimate goals.
- Maybe that report helps build a foundation of data so that leadership can create a solid strategy for where to focus life-saving resources.
- Or processing that paperwork will make sure a firefighter gets paid for the long hours s/he put in protecting a community.
- Spending time honing a process will improve our service to the public.
- Collaborating with someone from another division could create efficiencies, saving taxpayers dollars.
You get the picture.
We have many support positions in CDPS whose hard work makes it possible for us to save lives and deliver services. If you're one of those workers, THANK YOU. Your contribution is critical to our mission. If you ever don't see that critical connection, I invite you to chat with your supervisor and explore ways to get out into the field and see the services in action that your support makes possible.
--Stan Hilkey
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Director Hilkey Selects Jana Locke as New Deputy Director
On Feb. 4, Executive Director Stan Hilkey appointed Jana Locke as the new Deputy Director of CDPS. Jana previously served as the Chief Planning and Communications Officer in the EDO, and as interim Deputy Director after Rebecca Spiess retired at the end of 2018.
Jana has worked for CDPS since 2010, when she came on board as the legislative liaison. Prior to CDPS, Jana worked as a Senior Manager and Budget Analyst in the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) from 2007 to 2010. Before serving the State of Colorado, Jana obtained two fellowships in Washington, D.C. As a Presidential Management Fellow in the Department of Justice, she analyzed $7 billion in spending and programs and made funding recommendations to DOJ leadership. Jana was also a Graduate Policy Fellow for Women In Government, where she researched best practices and emerging trends in women’s health legislation, authored reports, and analyzed legislation. Prior to her move to DC, Jana worked as a reporter for the Colorado Statesman in Denver and as the Press Secretary for the Colorado House Minority Office in the Colorado General Assembly.
Jana has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Denver, and an M.S. in Justice, Law and Society from American University in Washington, D.C..
CDPS Will Have Updated PMP Process For 2019/2020 Fiscal Year
Coming soon, HR will share information, training and guidance for an updated Performance Management Plan (PMP) process for CDPS employees for use in the 2019-2020 performance period. The update primarily consists of changes to the PMP form and a small shift in the PMP process timeline. The updates were recommended by the CDPS Professional Development Team (a group of employees representing all of our divisions) in order to better align the PMP with State of Colorado core competencies and to create a more logical timeline.
There are no changes to the final evaluation process for 2018-2019 PMPs. Supervisors and employees will close out 2018-2019 performance plans using the existing PMP forms, with the exception of new hires who are coming on board now (they will go straight to the new form). HR will send out information starting in March about the new PMP form and process.
Get Ready to See Increased OIT notifications
Starting March 4, you may notice an increase in email notifications from OIT alerting you to major incidents they are managing (such as network outages, critical security patches, etc.). These emails w
ill come from the OIT Major Incidents mailbox and will have a red banner that reads "Urgent Service Impact." In most cases, these alerts are for your awareness only; the email will inform you whether any action is necessary on your part.
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Customer Service 101: Be Reachable
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Being available to your customers is an enormous part of customer service. In addition to being reachable during regular business hours and responding in a timely manner, this means making sure your customers can get a hold of you easily -- without having to spend time looking for your business card or searching for your contact information online.
Here's one easy step you can take right now to instantly improve your customer service: Set up and enable a standard email signature in your state gmail account.
It's a best practice to set up the full signature for all new messages, as well as to ensure that your reply emails contain a signature with, at the very least, your name, title, and phone number(s).
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Getting Rid of Clutter? Consider Donating to Help Build our Green Meeting Kit & Library
If you are getting rid of unnecessary clutter in your home, CDPS has use for
good condition, dishwasher-safe plates, mugs and silverware in order to create a "Green Meeting Kit" that will reduce the use of disposable cups, plates, silverware and water bottles. If you are clearing out your books, CDPS will also take your non-fiction books on leadership, emotional intelligence and professional development. These books will be used to create a CDPS library for all to use.
If you are in the metro area, you can drop off these items on the first floor of 700 Kipling. If you are outside the metro area, we encourage you to take the lead on creating a Green Meeting Kit and/or lending library for your location!
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Our Public Safety Mission in Action
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CSSRC Threat Assessment Symposium Looks at Why Kids Kill; Digital Threat Assessment
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The Colorado School Safety Resource Center hosted a one-day threat assessment symposium for schools on Feb. 5 in Thornton. The symposium provided a deep-dive look at two critical threats facing schools today: school shooters and digital threats.
The four-hour morning workshop featured Dr. Peter Langman, author of the books
School Shooters: Understanding High School, College and Adult Perpetrators and
Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters. Dr. Langman gave a fascinating, detailed examination into the psychology of school shooters, followed by tips on how school personnel can assess and proactively address potential threats.
Sam Jingfors, Vice President of Safer Schools Together, presented on Digital Threat Assessment in the afternoon. Digital Threat Assessment was developed in response to the need to keep pace with the ever-evolving technology challenges that face today’s students. These challenges have entered the education domain with force and have overwhelmed school districts and staff throughout the world. Jingfors explored the current social media world, demonstrated tools to proactively identify student safety concerns, and provided strategies for dealing with online situations as they arise.
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CBI Commemorates Missing Persons Day
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CBI joined Colorado families, law enforcement agencies and community leaders on Feb. 4 to commemorate Colorado Missing Persons Day at the state Capitol.
The commemoration began with a Missing Person Resolution read by Senator Jerry Sonnenberg during the morning Senate session. At the conclusion of the Senate session, a ceremony took place on the west steps of the Capitol to honor the 524 individuals currently missing for more than a year in Colorado.
“It is my honor and privilege to join the families of those missing in Colorado, and to offer the continued support and resources of the CBI in addressing this critical issue,” said CBI Director John Camper.
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DHSEM Leads Multi-Agency Team in Update to Emergency Guidelines
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The
Emergency Response Guide (ERG) is a critical source of information for all state of Colorado employees: the 60-page document provides potentially life-saving guidance on what actions to take in a wide variety of emergency situations, from natural disasters (earthquake, flood, severe weather, etc.) to man-made threats (active shooters, suspicious mail, bomb threats, etc.).
On Jan. 25, following a nearly year-long, multi-agency review and revision process, DHSEM released the 2019 update to the ERG. The new guide is easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to navigate -- all critical elements to ensuring people understand what to do in an emergency situation. Dozens of state employees, including representatives from all CDPS divisions, participated in the ERG work group that reviewed and revised the document.
If you haven't read through it yet, don't wait until an emergency happens to familiarize yourself with it! Take some time this week to read through the overview and the guidance for what YOU should do in the event of various emergencies. It could save your life and/or the lives of your coworkers! You can find the ERG on the
home page of the CDPS Intranet, featured prominently under "Alerts & Critical Information."
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CBI Fraud/IdentityTheft Experts Offer Tax-time Tips for Protecting Your Identity
It's tax time, and unfortunately that means that fraud criminals are out in force looking to profit from your personal information. The CBI ID Theft and Fraud Investigation Unit offers these helpful tips to protect your identity and your finances:
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- If you use a storefront tax preparer, ask them to return all of your notes and paperwork. Before you begin the process with them, ask how they will protect your information once it is in their system.
- Filing online? Once you have completed and submitted your returns, transfer all information to a flash drive or other mobile storage device, then delete it from your computer. Then clean out your recycle bin to make sure the information is not being held on your computer. Store that mobile storage device in a safe place. If someone manages to hack into your computer, they cannot access information that is not there.
- Remember to do the same for any emails that you use to communicate about your taxes.
- If at all possible, file early. ID thieves will try to beat you to the punch and file using your ID before you do it. The IRS will usually process the first return they receive.
- If you receive a notice that you cannot file your returns because the return was already filed, your dependent filed a return, or your SSN was used as a spouse on someone else's return, you are probably the victim of Tax ID Theft. Immediately file a police report with your local law enforcement agency, and file an IRS Form 14039 with the IRS as soon as possible.
- Sign up for a MySSA (My Social Security Account) at the SSA.gov website. This way, you may check your wage earnings before tax season and see if anyone is fraudulently using your social security number for work. If they are, call CBI right away for help removing those fraudulent wages. If left unaddressed, you could end up paying taxes for someone else.
Questions? Call the CBI ID Theft & Fraud Investigations Unit 24-hour Hotline: 1-855-443-3489
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CSP Launches High School Seatbelt Challenges
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On Feb 6, Colorado State Patrol Lamar/LaJunta Troop 2C kicked off the inaugural State Patrol four-week seat-belt challenge. This is the first of what the Colorado State Patrol hopes to be a yearly challenge to last as long as cars continue to be driven by people.
Troop 2C picked two high schools in the Troop boundaries to participate: Lamar HS and LaJunta HS. The two schools have a longstanding rivalry. The campaign follows this schedule of seat-belt safety messaging and challenges:
- Week 1: focus on the individual
- Week 2: focus on the school
- Week 3: focus on the family
- Week 4: focus on the community.
Competitors will be scored on a matrix based on three areas: seat-belt surveys, seat-belt pledge forms and social media posts. Community partners and local business helped CSP purchase 1,000 donuts for the campaign kickoff, which featured the slogan "DONUT get caught not wearing your seat-belts." Each student who signed a pledge form received a donut, and CSP performed seat-belt surveys outside the schools.
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Office for Victims Services Launches New $2 million Grant Program
The Office for Victims Programs (OVP) within the Division of Criminal Justice announced a new, $2 million grant program in February to help Colorado non-profits access legal resources to help them address identified, specific legal issues related to crime victimization.
The new Colorado Civil Justice Corp (CCJC) Grant Program is an initiative of the Civil Legal Services for Crime Victims Special Project. In partnership with the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, OVP will administer approximately $2 million in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Program funds for the implementation of the new grant program. The grant funds will pay for the cost of placing recent University of Denver Sturm College of Law graduates with selected host organizations for a two-year fellowship term to work on an identified and specific civil legal issue related to crime victimization.
DHSEM Supports Safety at X-Games
Chuck Vale and Jessica Nixon of DHSEM mobilized to support Pitkin County during the 2019 Winter X-Games. Jessica even assisted Aspen PD with some analytical support in the arrest of a suspect that had extradition warrants who was part of the Games.
Consider a Communications Center Career!
Are you a current CDPS employee who has thought about making a career move? CSP Communications is always looking for motivated people with positive personalities to join our team. Communications is an ever-changing environment full of challenges. The ability to multi-task, think on your feet and customer service skills are just a few of the traits that make a successful communications officer.
Find out more and apply here.
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DFPC Honors Goerlitz for Outstanding Support
The DFPC Professional Qualifications and Training (PQT) Section recognized Debbie Goerlitz for her outstanding work over the last two years working on difficult procurement projects. Section Chief Mark Quick thanked Tammy Lichvar’s Procurement Team for their efforts to make the procurement process much easier for the end users. Debbie had been saddled with handling two very large procurement purchases for the PQT Section and worked with strict grant funding timelines. She was described as being a true collaborator who is very much about building relationships and serving her customers. Not only did she strive to make sure DFPC received the best product for the best price, she ensured that we maintained strong relationships with the vendors that is necessary for ongoing support and maintenance of the acquired equipment. Debbie was presented with a structural firefighting helmet with the designation of Honorary Chief.
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EDO, DHSEM Find Creative Ways for Peers to Give Recognition
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Employee engagement is a top focus at CDPS, and one important element is thanking and recognizing our members. Because everyone is different, recognition must take various forms in order to make sure we're meeting the varied needs of our people and our organization -- from formal Division and Department award ceremonies, to individual words of praise and thanks from direct supervisors.
Hearing "thank-you" from peers is another powerful form of recognition; not everyone wants to be up on stage in the spotlight, but most people want to know that their team-mates and customers appreciate their contribution. In this spirit, DHSEM and the EDO both recently pushed out peer-to-peer recognition opportunities. Neither effort was brand new, but rather a refresh aimed at increasing participation in peer-to-peer recognition.
DHSEM rolled out an online form that anyone can fill out, then print or email the form to the individual they want to thank or praise. The EDO Funstigators created hand-print templates and encouraged EDO members to give each other "high fives" by writing something they appreciate about a colleague inside the template. The hand-written "high fives" were plastered all over the EDO's main office at 700 Kipling, and team members around the state could also email in "high fives" to be added to the wall of pride.
You can find out more about these recognition efforts, or add your own ideas, by visiting the
IDEA Center.
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Pueblo CDPS "Polar Punishers" Take 1st Place in Team Fundraising
A team of 8 brave CDPS members plunged into the icy waters of Lake Pueblo on Feb. 23 to raise money for the Special Olympics. The "Polar Punishers" team raised $2,687 for Special Olympics, making them the top fundraising team by a landslide.
The team included Brian Lyons, Sandra Amman-Kelly, Jason Fagan, Phyllis Tafoya, Tonya Billinger, Kathleen Denney, Arthur Gumke, and Sandra Youngs.
If this looks like fun, CDPS will have a Special Olympics Polar Plunge team on March 10, 2019, at the Washington Park event.
Sign up using this link, and make sure to join the CDPS Team. If you don't want to plunge, you are welcome to just run the 5k, or sleep in and donate to a team-mate's fundraising page.
Polar plunges happen all over Colorado, so if you live/work outside the metro area, please keep an eye out for other CDPS-led teams that will be forming in 2019.
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Employees Donate Enough Blood to Help 129 People!
Sgt. John Ehmsen organizes several blood drives per year at the Kipling campus. A total of 47 people donated 43 units of blood at the most recent drive, held on Jan. 15. This has the ability to impact as many as 129 patients! The next Kipling campus blood drive will be on May 23.
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Do you have news, stories, events, "People on the Move", or other content to share with all CDPS employees? Submit your story ideas, details and photos by the 10th of the month to your Division PIO or to
Patricia.Billinger@state.co.us
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