A study of Unified Government law enforcement is underway, the UG Commission learned on Thursday.
At a special session at 6 p.m., UG Administrator Doug Bach said the study will cover the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office.
UG officials are hoping the study identifies savings in the two departments. However, as Mayor Mark Holland remarked at the meeting, both the Fire Department study and Wyandotte County jail study have recommended that the UG spend more money. Since public safety makes up about 60 percent of the UG’s budget, “making sure we’re doing it right is key,” he said.
Gordon Criswell, assistant UG administrator, said the Matrix Consulting Group was selected from more than five applicants to conduct the study.
Melissa Mundt, assistant county administrator, said the study is scheduled for completion in mid-November.
Mundt outlined the study’s objectives. Among several objectives are that the study will evaluate staffing, deployment and scheduling in the different functions of the law enforcement departments, ensure efficient operations management, and best utilize staff to serve the community.
The study will look at where services are duplicated and how they could be addressed or coordinated better, she added.
Criswell said it is a 16-week study. They have started working on an analysis of the workloads, service levels and other information, he said.
Mundt said the consultants were on-site last week and met with UG officials. Now, they are gathering information from employees through a survey.
The consultants also will gather information from community policymakers and external stakeholders, she said. They also plan to collaborate with staff and project steering committees, she said.
In the 11th week, according to Criswell, the consultants will provide the UG Commission with the draft study findings and recommendations.
“We are such a diverse community that all of our important partners, public safety in particular, need to reflect the community, not only in staffing but in procedures in management,” Commissioner Harold Johnson said.
Commissioner Hal Walker agreed and he asked to revitalize the Human Relations Commission, which he said hasn’t met in at least eight months.
The UG also heard about a Parks and Recreation study at the 6 p.m. meeting. The UG has hired a firm, Vireo, to do a study of parks, community centers and recreation programs. It includes a survey, fall community meetings, analysis, an evaluation of community centers, and then a presentation about recommendations. In 2017 the recommendations and budget may be completed, with a master plan to be approved, according to UG officials.
For more information about the law enforcement study, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fPm5_ch7Yc (at 30:00). The parks study information is at the start of the meeting.