Operating Principles & Priorities

Operating Principles
The Battle Creek Police Department’s Operating Principles define the foundation of how we serve our community and support one another. These guiding commitments reflect not only what we do, but who we strive to be—an organization grounded in values, driven by leadership, dedicated to fairness, and committed to continuous growth. Together, these principles shape our approach to policing, strengthen our relationships with the community, and ensure we are always working toward a safer, more trusting, and more connected Battle Creek.

1. Be a values-driven organization
   It is our ability, in a simple way, to articulate that collaboration, leadership, ethics, excellence and respect for human dignity are our organizational core values.
2. Be a catalyst for change
   Leadership, by definition, requires appropriate risk taking, a tolerance for change and courage. If the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD) is going to control its own destiny, we must lead this effort.
3. Be legitimate to those we serve
   When the community perceives the police are legitimate in their actions, they are more likely to comply with the orders and obey the law. As a result, the community is safer and so is the operating environment for our police officers. On an interpersonal level, police legitimacy requires the police to be fair, neutral and unbiased in our decision making. It also obligates the police to treat people with courtesy, dignity and respect.
4. Be a learning organization
   As we continue to bridge the gap between the community and the police, one way to do this is to actively manage the education of our officers, justice system partners and community members. The extent to which we capture, use, share and increase what these partners know about crime and how to report and prevent it will largely determine our future success.