PRESS RELEASE
DALLAS – Lexipol, the leader in policy, training and wellness support for public safety and government leaders, worked with the Lake County, Ohio, Commissioners’ Office to bring its policy management system to all 22 law enforcement agencies in the county. Two years later, the impact is being felt across the region.
Chiefs across law enforcement agencies in Lake County—some who had used Lexipol’s solutions previously—came together in favor of partnering with Lexipol on a countywide basis, working with Commissioner John Hamercheck to coordinate the effort. Commissioner Hamercheck championed the idea and worked with fellow Commissioner John Plecnik, as well as agency leaders and community stakeholders, to bring it to fruition in 2022.
Lake County sought this partnership with Lexipol to build trust and accountability in their law enforcement agencies in a time when police legitimacy was being questioned across the nation. Commissioner Hamercheck emphasizes that the county is focused on ”walking the walk” and doing right by its citizens. “With Lexipol, our policies are standardized across the county; we have our local policies, but they’re all harmonized with revised code, court precedent and best practices,” Hamercheck explains. “And residents know that something is different. They may not know why, but that something is Lexipol.”
And this partnership is a historic one. “The work we’re doing in collaboration with Lake County—serving all agencies within the region—is the first of its kind,” says Lexipol CEO Bill Nunan. “Lexipol is proud to partner with the Commissioners’ Office and each law enforcement agency in their efforts to build upon a strong foundation of professionalism and excellence in service to the community.”
Standardizing policies through Lexipol has made operations simpler and more streamlined for Lake County law enforcement, both within each agency and when it comes to interagency operations such as pursuits and mass-casualty incident training and response. “This partnership allows us as chiefs to respond to our communities properly and better manage our agencies,” says Chief Dan Waterman of Painesville Police Department. “We’re a group in this county that want to stand above, and this has been a step in that direction. This program allows us to refocus ourselves on strategic needs in other areas without sacrificing when it comes to policy. It’s a more streamlined operation now with Lexipol.”
Chiefs also tout the accessibility of their policy manuals within the mobile app, giving officers answers to policy questions anytime, anywhere. Additionally, Lexipol’s Daily Training Bulletins are a valuable tool at all levels of the agency, helping ensure officers know how to properly apply policy. Not only does this ensure effective and compliant operations, it also builds officer confidence and assists with retention, the chiefs explain.
Residents see the benefit of better policy management and training, too, through reliable processes and greater confidence in their law enforcement agencies. When residents have questions, concerns or complaints, they can trust they will get consistent answers from department officials.
“This was a collaborative effort; very few of us in this county could have done it alone. We saw an opportunity with Lexipol to set our standards higher than anybody else, standards of the utmost integrity, professionalism and dedication to the people we serve,” explains Chief James Schultz of Willoughby Police Department. “It’s made us better servants, and people are seeing that.” Chief Schultz highlights that community trust and engagement have grown since implementing Lexipol policies, evidenced both in community interactions and at the polls. Last year, 75% of Willoughby residents voted to fund the construction of a new police station, demonstrating their widespread support for the department.
Learn more about Lexipol’s policy management solution and how it supports the law enforcement agencies in Lake County and around the country.