Law Enforcement

Determine staffing needs through an in-depth understanding of service needs, workloads, and alternative ways to manage work.

Analysis of law enforcement staffing needs cannot be based on metrics such as officers per thousand – consideration of of community characteristics, workloads, and service philosophies invalidate this approach.

Instead, staffing needs for all areas of a law enforcement agency should be based on:

• • Service needs
• • Workloads
• • Approaches to managing operations
• • Opportunities for alternative service delivery, such as civilianization and regionalization

For example, of critical importance for patrol is how much time do officers have to be proactive? How is that time used to solve problems?

Our expertise is based on extensive data analytics, community input, and by working closely with agencies to develop appropriate strategies.

Case Study: Carlisle, PA  Kansas City, MO

Find the most effective way to deploy your resources with the right shift schedule.

When and where patrol officers are deployed has a significant impact on their ability to be effective in the field.

Our advanced analysis will examine a number of shift schedule configurations in order to determine the best ways to meet the call demands of your jurisdiction while maintaining officer safety and response capabilities at all times.

Case Study: Columbia, MO

Evolve your beat structure and equalize workload among beats.

Patrol beats with high crime levels require the most proactive policing. But if officers are constantly moving between calls, problem solving and community interaction fall by the wayside.

Our ability to redraw beat boundaries creates a foundation for proactive policing by equalizing workloads and call demands.

Designing a community-oriented patrol beat structure provides a cost effective way for agencies to significantly enhance their patrol capabilities – whether the community is large, medium, or small.

Case Study: Raleigh, NC

Policing today requires law enforcement to be holistic in its engagement with the community.

Community policing is everything that is policing. It is every employee’s job to be appropriately engaged with the community to address crime and quality of life issues. This requires organizations to be committed to providing effective:

• • Leadership
• • Commitment to the community
• • Partnerships with the community
• • Recruitment and training techniques
• • Policies and procedures
• • Mentoring and supervision
• • Data-driven support

Case Study: Austin, TX

Effective management within law enforcement agencies is more critical today than ever.

Management systems require law enforcement managers to be leaders both internally and within the community, impacting the need for:

• • Strategic planning
• • Community engagement
• • Communications
• • Policies and procedures
• • Mentoring and organizational development
• • Continual improvement

These areas need to be addressed because the community and today’s workforce expect it.

Case Study: Asheville, NC

Determine the feasibility of establishing a regional or consolidated law enforcement agency.

There are a multitude of factors involved with the decision to move forward with a regional approach to law enforcement. Our sophisticated analytical models will provide answers on every aspect of its feasibility:

• • Detailed costs associated with the consolidated/regional agency, including both startup and operating expenses
• • Governance and cost allocation
• • Agency organizational structure
• • The staff needed to establish the agency in each function and classification
• • A comprehensive plan for implementation

Case Study: Riverside County, CA JPA

Are contract communities receiving the services that they are paying for? Are they contracting for the right service levels?

Contract service can be a useful and cost-effective strategy for many communities, often allowing them to obtain more services than they would otherwise be able to afford. However, effective contracts should include:

• • A structure that meets the needs of the community – not the contract entity.
• • Accountability for meeting contracted service levels.
• • Overhead costs that are reasonable and verifiable.
• • Transparent and easily understood reasons for cost increases.

Case Study: Laguna Hills, CA

Control overtime costs not by dictating a budget number, but by examining needs for overtime, controls, and service alternatives.

The use of overtime in law enforcement agencies is an important area of public debate. Overtime usage is linked to a number of factors, and needs to be understood within the context of:

• • Overall staffing needs
• • Deployment and scheduling
• • Policies and procedures
• • Supervisory controls

Overtime will never be eliminated. However, thorough analysis of these factors can help control and enhance accountability for its usage.

Case Study: Portsmouth, NH  Vacaville, CA

Plan for the future in a rapidly changing environment by knowing how demand for police services will evolve as your community grows.

Our comprehensive forecasting process will determine the impact of changes to call volume, crime, and population on staffing needs in each area of the department.

We will work with city and regional planning resources, police department officials, and other stakeholders to gather the information and data needed to develop an accurate model of your community’s public safety needs and its emerging trends.

With a plan in place, the department will remain a step ahead of change.

Case Study: Roseville, CA