Contract to study police staffing OK’d

LITTLE ROCK — Members of the city’s Board of Directors on Tuesday approved entering into a contract with a Washington-based firm to study staffing resources within the Police Department and make recommendations about how to apportion those personnel.

The Center for Public Safety Management, a firm that originated with the nonprofit International City/ County Management Association, is expected to study the issue in exchange for a contract amount of $87,500.

City directors approved the resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into the contract along with other items during a unanimous vote to adopt the consent agenda of Tuesday’s meeting.

A police official told board members earlier this month that a report will be produced by the Center for Public Safety Management in the near future.

Maj. Heath Helton on March 9 told board members that the report is expected in 90-120 days after data is provided to the Center for Public Safety Management’s assessment team.

Of the five firms that responded to the city’s request, the Center for Public Safety Management was found the most qualified, according to the text of the resolution.

Three bureaus — executive, investigative and operational — make up the Police Department.

According to a memo from the city manager’s office, the completed study from the Center for Public Safety Management is expected to include benchmarks for the Police Department’s staffing policies compared with other cities of similar size and recommended solutions for any issues that are identified.

The firm is also expected to provide recommendations regarding sworn versus civilian positions and how to transition sworn personnel to civilian jobs, according to the memo.

At the same meeting earlier this month, Police Chief Keith Humphrey responded to a question from at-large City Director Antwan Phillips, who raised the question of whether the study will examine adding a certain number of social workers to the department.

Humphrey suggested that the study will say whether there are areas of the department that officials might be able to “civilianize.”

The police chief described the staffing study as “something that’s long overdue.” It will provide an overall look at how the organization is deploying resources as well as the department’s resource needs today and into the future, Humphrey said.

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has said funding for the study will be provided by federal asset forfeiture dollars available to the city, as opposed to tax dollars from residents.

The U.S. Department of Justice and Department of the Treasury participate in a federal asset forfeiture equitable sharing program that allows federal authorities to share assets obtained from offenders with participating state and local law enforcement agencies, according to a Department of Justice guide to the program.

According to a memo from the city manager’s office, the completed study from the Center for Public Safety Management is expected to include benchmarks for the Police Department’s staffing policies compared with other cities of similar size and recommended solutions for any issues that are identified.