Most, particularly attorneys do not like to admit a weakness nor do they like to give direct answers. Specifically, the strength of our police legal office is the fact our PLA is not generally involved personnel matters so officers tend to pay attention to him and do not carry a personal grudge against him. This allows him to get the most out of his presentations and conversations with officers. At the same time, it leaves our PLA in the dark when it comes to personnel matters unless civil service is involved. The disadvantage is that he does not know what type of discipline is appropriate for types of infractions, nor can he provide guidance early in the action.
Recommendations for improvement of services: Overall, the legal office provides advice and suggestions for the administration of each division to assist in policy creation and discipline actions. The biggest complaint from others is the length of time it takes the legal office to respond to draft and review policies. That said, when it comes to the PLA, our current attorney is very responsive. He keeps an open door policy, which is a welcome change and has built a relationship with members of the police department. The consequence of this relationship is officers email Mr. Knoll routinely requesting opinions without going through the chain of command. Mr. Knoll commented he would prefer officers go through the chain of command so he may focus on the priorities of the