2012 2:00:00 PM

Monday, October 22, 2012 2:00 PM
Sparks Legislative Building, 745 E. 4th Street, Sparks, NV 89431

Consent Items: 5.3

Title: Consideration and possible approval of a contract in the amount of $49,000.00 with the Police Executive Research Forum to conduct a Personnel Utilization Study for the Sparks Police Department.

Petitioner/Presenter: Steve Keefer, Chief of Police/Steve Keefer, Chief of Police

Recommendation: Approve contract with the Police Executive Research Forum to conduct the Personnel Utilization Study.

Financial Impact: N/A

Total Costs: $49,000.00

Fund: Sparks Grants & Donations Fund Account: 603242
Program: Federal Drug Forfeitures CFDA 16.922 (091002)
Amount: $49,000.00 Budget Status: Over Budget (See Budget Correction Plan)

Budget Correction Plan:
Funds to pay for the study are within Program 091002.

Business Impact (Per NRS 237):
A Business Impact Statement is not required because this is not a rule.

Agenda Item Brief: The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) has conducted over 250 studies and evaluations of state, county, local and campus police departments, sheriff’s offices and federal law enforcement agencies. The Sparks Police Department is requesting Council’s approval to have PERF complete a Personnel Utilization Study for the Sparks Police Department. This study will provide an overview of the current demand for SPD services, identify benchmarks/best practices in police staffing in comparable U.S. cities, develop a staffing methodology and make recommendations for SPD staffing and patrol utilization for the next three to five years.

Background: The Sparks Police Department has used a metric of officers per thousand residents to determine the need for additional personnel. The common comparisons are based on the Federal Bureau of Investigations ratio of 1.8 officers per thousand residents or the ICMA comparison of 2.3 ratio in similar size cities. Historically, the police department has not reached the ratios that have been commonly used for comparison and is currently at a ratio of 1.17 officers per thousand. Through the Personnel Utilization Study, the police department will gain the knowledge and understanding of what the needs of the department are based on a set of metrics that have been developed by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The Police Executive Research Forum is a private international non-profit 510 (c) (3) organization that was founded in 1977 to provide high quality management services, technical assistance and training to support law enforcement across the United States. PERF has conducted over 250 studies and evaluations of state, county, local and federal law enforcement agencies. The staffing model that will be presented in the study has been determined a “best practice” within the law enforcement community. The Study will be focused along four major tasks. First, PERF will provide an overview of the current demand for service to include: identification of core business practices and functions; measuring the demand for service within the office of the chief, patrol and detective divisions; staffing for special events; support staff workloads; response times for calls for service; case clearance rates; and other department performance measures. Second, PERF will identify benchmarks and best practices in police staffing in comparable U.S. cities. Thirdly, the Personnel Utilization Study will develop a staffing methodology for the department and resource allocation. Fourth, PERF will make recommendations for staffing and patrol utilization for the next three to five years. At the conclusion of the study, a final written report will be provided to the police department and city management.

Analysis: Over the course of the last four years, the police department and the city as a whole have made drastic cuts to preserve the financial stability of the city. The use of ambiguous comparisons does not truly establish a need for additional personnel. The Personnel Utilization Study completed by PERF will give the city and the police department a clear understanding of the staffing needs and workloads of the department. This study will be able to be used as a tool to continue developing the overall strategic plan for the police department and identifying citizen expectations. PERF develops the framework of the study in a manner that can be duplicated by the city at a later time.

Alternatives: The Council can choose not to approve contract with the Police Executive Research Forum to conduct the Personnel Utilization Study.

Recommended Motion: I move to approve the contract with the Police Executive Research Forum in the amount of $49,000.00 to conduct a Personnel Utilization Study of the Sparks Police Department.

Attached Files:

PERF Contract.pdf

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