IACP Enforcement Program Staffing Requirements Study Report

In 2008, the Enforcement Program contracted with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) to conduct a staffing study for the Program.

The IACP has over 50 years of experience in allocation and deployment of law enforcement personnel and has conducted similar studies across a broad array of agencies throughout the U.S. In 2004, the IACP completed a staffing and deployment study for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in 2006, conducted a similar staffing and deployment study for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The purpose of the study was to:

• Determine workload by enforcement function and geographical area.
• Determine number of Officers needed to address workload.
• Determine deployment and allocation strategies for the Program.
• Provide a dynamic model that can be used for future allocation and staffing needs.
• Identify alternative/supplementary staffing options.
• Optimize deployment of current Officers.

The IACP study produced staffing requirements for the following units of the Enforcement Program:

• All WDFW Regions (1-6)
• Statewide Marine
• Fleet/Aviation
• Statewide Investigative Unit
• WILDCOMM Dispatch Unit
• Headquarters Administrative Staff

To quantify the Program's current workload, the IACP examined workforce variables including:

• Land Variables: Workload driven by the amount and nature of the land patrolled.
• Water Variables: Workload driven by the amount and nature of the waters patrolled.
• Population Variables: The size and nature of the population addressed that has important implications for workload.
• Regulatory Variables: Workload driven by the amount and nature of regulatory activities that Officers must undertake.

The results of the study recommend that the Program's workforce double in order to meet the workload requirements currently placed on it. The study proposed staffing levels for Officers (193), Detectives (18), Sergeants (35), Lieutenants (6), and Captains (8), and administrative staff (45).