HomeMy WebLinkAbout05(H) - Resolution approving Contract with BerryDunn to Engage in Staffing and Key Operations Study for the Police Department
City of Prior Lake | 4646 Dakota Street SE | Prior Lake MN 55372
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
ITEM: 5H
MEETING DATE: October 16, 2023
PREPARED BY: Liam Duggan, Police Chief
PRESENTED BY: Dan Olson, Commander
AGENDA ITEM: Resolution Approving Contract with BerryDunn to Engage in
Staffing and Key Operations Study for the Police Department
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a resolution approving the use of State of Minnesota Public Safety State Aid funds
(disbursed to City of Prior Lake) to engage in a Staffing and Key Operations study of the Police
Department through BerryDunn Consulting.
BACKGROUND:
Objective analysis of operations including positional workload, process efficiency, schedule
impacts on personnel and budgetary effectiveness and operational alignment with current
standards within the policing industry is key to current service delivery and future planning for
recruitment, retention and to ensure citizen and city needs are being met. The Prior Lake Police
Department has never had an outside analysis performed on its operations.
The current job market for both civilian and sworn police employees is at critically low levels for
qualified and interested candidates. Opportunities for experienced employees to either leave the
job market for other endeavors or to laterally move to other government roles are at an all time
high. The ability for the City to critically evaluate its operations to ensure its ability to recruit and
retain the very best employees is paramount.
Additionally, the financial burden of required overtime to adjust to changing personnel needs
necessitates the thorough analysis of staffing schedules to maximize resource allocation. This
study will facilitate a deep and comprehensive analysis of all staff workload areas as well
positional assessments and schedule focus to determine areas of current excellence and those
where changes may be possible to further develop both staff and efficiencies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The total cost of this contracted project will be $42,000. Funding for this study will come from the
one time State Public Safety Aid that will be received by December of this year.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Motion and second as part of the consent agenda to authorize the contractual
engagement of BerryDunn for a Staffing and Key Operations study within the Police
Department
2. Motion and second to remove this item for further discussion.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Prior Lake Staffing and Key Operations LOE v.2 Oct 2023
October 6, 2023
City of Prior Lake and Prior Lake Police Department
Liam Duggan, Chief of Police
4649 Dakota Street SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372
Sent via email to LDuggan@priorlakemn.gov
On behalf of BerryDunn McNeil & Parker, LLC (BerryDunn), we are pleased to submit this Letter
of Engagement (LOE) as a formal proposal per our ongoing discussions. In the pages that
follow, we offer our approach to conducting a key staffing study of the Prior Lake Police
Department (PLPD), introduce our proposed team members, and outline our fees for this
service.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with this additional information. As the principal of
BerryDunn’s Justice and Public Safety Practice, I am authorized to bind BerryDunn to the
commitments made herein. Our proposal and price quote is valid for 90 days from the
submission date of July 13, 2023.
Should you have any questions regarding our services or wish to discuss your goals and
objectives with us in more detail, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to learning
more about how we can help the PLPD achieve its goals and objectives for this important
initiative.
Sincerely,
Michele Weinzetl, Ed.D., Prosci® CCP
Senior Manager
t/f: 207-842-8120
e: mweinzetl@berrydunn.com
Doug Rowe, PMP®, ITIL
Principal
t/f: 207-541-2330
e: drowe@berrydunn.com
Professional Services Proposal – City of Prior Lake 1
Project Scope
The need for police agencies to deliver high-quality professional police services is at an all-time
high. Communities and government officials have significant, but reasonable expectations
related to the efficient and effective use of the resources they have committed to the public-
safety mission. In turn, police officials have a responsibility to monitor and examine operational
processes to ensure they are optimally configured, and that they are consistent with
contemporary police standards and industry best practices.
BerryDunn understands that the City of Prior Lake, MN (City), and the Prior Lake Police
Department (PLPD) are interested in a workload-based review of police department staffing,
including a review of the patrol work schedule and the efficiency and effectiveness of the
deployment of patrol personnel. The results of the project are intended to drive progressive
change for the City, helping to ensure efficient staffing and overall functionality of police
operations. In our experience, assessments of this nature help to deepen community trust,
stakeholder confidence, operational best practices, productivity, and workforce satisfaction.
Project Approach Overview
BerryDunn has developed a Key Staffing and Operations Review process to assist police
agencies in assessing their organizations from a critical vantage point. In collaboration with the
PLPD, the BerryDunn team will conduct an examination of key staffing and procedural aspects,
both with respect to the individual policing environment, and the overarching standards of the
professional policing environment. Following the assessment, BerryDunn will produce a written
report that will identify key findings, as well as any gaps in practice that might benefit from
adjustment. Our work with the PLPD will entail the following:
› A workload-based analysis on staffing levels for patrol
o Separation of in-City and On-Reservation workloads
› A workload-based analysis on staffing levels for investigations
› A review of staffing of non-sworn positions and all other sworn positions
› A review of response times, patrol zone layouts, and response efficiency
› A review of targeted operational aspects of the department, assessed independently for
the agency, and in comparison to prior police agencies studied, and industry best-
practices:
o Personnel allocations by rank and unit;
o Staff diversity;
o Hiring, recruiting, and attrition rates;
o Serious crimes and crime clearance rates;
o 21st Century Policing benchmarks;
o Field technology use;
o Examination of the patrol work schedule in relation to service needs and demands;
o A report on possible patrol work schedule design changes.
Professional Services Proposal – City of Prior Lake 2
Due to the focused nature of this project, the analysis and results will be limited to the specific
operational areas identified above. BerryDunn can optionally provide an expanded level of
analysis, which would evaluate and analyze other organizational functions, including:
› Organizational leadership and culture
› Youth and other community
engagement
› Operational policies and procedures
› Dispatch and communication services
› Department training, equipment, and
technology
› Internal affairs and community
accountability
As discussed, we are happy to add various elements to the project scope based on the PLPD’s
needs.
Detailed Project Work Plan and Phases
What follows is a brief outline of our work plan and the different phases of the efforts we will
engage to complete the desired tasks for the PLPD, based on the identified scope. BerryDunn
strives to be flexible when developing and executing an effective project plan. Accordingly,
BerryDunn will work with the PLPD project team to make adjustments to this work plan, should
the need arise. Our approach includes four phases.
An overview of the four phases of our approach is illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Four-Phased Project Approach
PHASE 1:
PHASE 2:
PROJECT PLANNING AND
INITIATION
DATA COLLECTION AND
ANALYSIS
PHASE 3:
PHASE 4:
PREPARATION OF FINDINGS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
AND PATROL SCHEDULE
REVIEW
Phase 1 – Project Planning and Initiation
Task 1.1: Conduct a preliminary planning meeting: BerryDunn will conduct an initial project
planning meeting, in person, with the PLPD’s project team to review our proposed plan of
services and schedule, clarify goals and objectives, identify known project constraints, and
refine dates and/or tasks as appropriate. As part of this meeting, we will discuss our approach
for managing communications between BerryDunn and the PLPD, as well as our approach to
scope, risks, and resource management.
Based on these initial project planning discussions, we will draft a summary Project Work Plan
and Schedule for distribution to key project team members detailing the scope of work, plan of
Professional Services Proposal – City of Prior Lake 3
strategy and approach, and project schedule with all major components. We will facilitate a
teleconference with the PLPD to gain the project team’s approval of the Project Work Plan and
Schedule, collecting any feedback for incorporation in the final version.
Deliverable 1: Project Work Plan and Schedule
Task 1.2: Provide ongoing project management. Throughout the project, BerryDunn’s project
manager will maintain regular communications with the PLPD’s project manager and provide
appropriate project updates in the following areas:
› Status of project activities, including tasks and deliverables completed over the reporting
period
› Upcoming tasks and deliverables, including scheduled on-site work and the planned
schedule for completion of activities
› Decisions/actions pending
› Risks or issues to be addressed with the PLPD that might impact the timing or scope of our
services
Phase 2 – Data Collection and Analysis
Task 2.1: Collect and analyze data. To conduct a thorough project, BerryDunn will call upon
the PLPD to produce and provide various documents and data—either through gathering or
reorganizing current police department data or through the completion of worksheets and
surveys that our team provides. BerryDunn anticipates receiving the following data from the
PLPD:
Worksheets Agency Information
› Authorized personnel
› CAD/RMS dataset
› Investigations case, leave, and personnel data
› Patrol leave data
› Patrol unit data
› Patrol watch shift hours
› Technology scorecard
› Training hours data
› Agency budget
› Organizational chart
› Patrol schedule
› Patrol district/sector map
› Vision, goals, and objectives
This list is not intended to be all-inclusive, and BerryDunn may request additional data to inform
this project, as necessary. We recognize that the time expended to produce this data might be
significant, depending upon where and how the data are stored and the ability to retrieve the
data. We also anticipate that in some cases, the data requested might not exist. In addition,
some of the requested data will need to be produced in a specific format, and it will need to
include specific data elements in order to be useful. Where appropriate, BerryDunn will provide
guidance or other support on how the PLPD can compile the data to help ensure it is produced
in a usable format and to improve the efficiency in retrieving and providing data for this study.
Professional Services Proposal – City of Prior Lake 4
Task 2.2: Issue Internal Worksheets and Surveys. In addition to gathering existing data from
the agency, we will use several instruments to collect relevant data for management,
operations, and staffing studies. For this project, BerryDunn will use the following worksheets
and surveys:
› 21st Century Policing Assessment Survey: Assesses the extent to which the department
is engaging in contemporary policing practices, as outlined in the 21st Century Policing
Task Force Report
› Investigations Workload Worksheet and Survey: Quantifies various investigations
duties and expectations and aids in calculating workload capacities for detectives
› Patrol and Investigations Leave and Training Worksheets: Identifies the amount of
available work time for officers assigned to these units
› Patrol Workload Worksheet and Survey: Quantifies actual workloads through a real-time
data collection instrument, which allows for validation against data collected from
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)
› Patrol Schedule Assessment Worksheet: Documents the consistency of the parameters
of the patrol work schedule against best practices standards
› Personnel, Patrol, and Investigations Staff Worksheets: Collects personnel data that
identifies personnel deployment to different sections of the department
› Recruiting Processes, Actions, and Survey: Outlines the recruiting and hiring efforts of
the agency, including quantification of attrition rates
› Technology Scorecard: Assesses the deployment and functionality of the hardware and
software technology of the patrol fleet
Task 2.3: Conduct individual interviews and internal group discussions. BerryDunn will
schedule and conduct onsite interviews with key department leaders and functional personnel
from various units. The purpose of these interviews is to assess goals, objectives, policies,
procedures, practices, workload, problems, needs, and opportunities that characterize their
operations. We will work with the PLPD to schedule, prepare for, and inform participants of the
interviews prior to arriving on-site (as relevant).
Task 2.4: Review CAD/RMS use. BerryDunn will conduct a high-level technology review and
provide feedback to the PLPD regarding current technology use and availability, and possible
gaps in efficiency and effectiveness. The high-level review will include a review of public safety:
• Software
• Hardware
• Internal vs. external functional use
• Business processes
Tack 2.5: Training Impacts on operations and staffing. As the current regional training
center is nearing end of service, the PLPD has a need to examine its training processes, to help
Professional Services Proposal – City of Prior Lake 5
understand its needs and possible adjustments to approach. BerryDunn will collect information
to examine:
• Overall training hours and expectations
• Training master plan
• The commitment of instructor time
• Training venues and equipment
• Other training costs and training budget
• Possible training alternatives and/or collaborations
Phase 3 – Preparation of Findings and Recommendations
Task 3.1: Develop Preliminary Findings and Recommendations Report. Our analysis of
data collected in Phase 2 will focus on an assessment of organizational staffing and personnel
distribution and assignments, and any other defined scope items. We will identify any gaps in
practice or issues that require attention and develop preliminary findings and recommendations.
These findings and recommendations will undergo an internal review by the BerryDunn team of
SMEs and be revised, as needed, to address contemporary policing and best practices
standards. We will provide this draft to the PLPD for review and comment.
Task 3.2: Develop recommendations regarding the patrol schedule. As an element of this
project, BerryDunn will evaluate the layout, structure, effectiveness, and efficiency of the patrol
schedule, against best practices standards and against available workload data. This review will
result in 1 of 3 possible findings:
› The patrol schedule is generally meeting operational objectives;
› Making adjustments to certain schedule components within the current structure could
contribute to greater effectiveness and efficiency;
› Several areas of patrol schedule effectiveness or efficiency are not being met, and it is
likely that a full redesign of the schedule will be necessary to optimize effectiveness.
Task 3.3: Develop recommendations regarding possible patrol schedule designs.
Following the schedule assessment from Task 3.2, BerryDunn will engage a patrol schedule
redesign process. For this process, BerryDunn will facilitate a collaborative process with the
PLPD to accomplish the patrol schedule redesign. The process will involve several steps,
including:
› The creation of a committee to collaborate on this project
› Onsite training for the committee on best practices schedule parameters and options
› Collaborative development of three to four alternate schedule designs for consideration
› A report that outlines each design, along with pros and cons and considerations for each
model
› The proposed schedule models should:
» Help ensure there is compliance with scheduling parameters
Professional Services Proposal – City of Prior Lake 6
» Avoid schedules that involve different shift durations for different shifts
» Help ensure flexibility to manage leave and other operational needs
Following the redesign process, BerryDunn will provide the PLPD with a Patrol Schedule
Redesign Report that outlines and finalizes our recommendations. (This report will ultimately
become part of the full project report.) If necessary, BerryDunn will also provide assistance to
the PLPD with the initial design and implementation of the new schedule.
Deliverable 2: Patrol Schedule Redesign Report
Deliverable 3: Preliminary Findings and Recommendations Report
Phase 4 – Presentation of Findings and Patrol Schedule Review
Task 4.1: Develop Final Findings and Recommendations Report. Upon receiving feedback
from the PLPD regarding BerryDunn’s preliminary findings, we will develop the preliminary
recommendations into a final report relating to project objectives. The final report will be
delivered in Task 4.2.
Task 4.2: Present Findings and Patrol Schedule Redesign Recommendations. Upon
completion of the final report, BerryDunn will work with the PLPD to schedule and conduct an
on-site presentation of the findings and recommendations report, including any general
recommendations concerning patrol schedule redesign.
Deliverable 4: Final Findings and Recommendations Report and Presentation
Proposed Project Team Members
The BerryDunn team brings decades of executive law enforcement experience, augmented by many
years of independent mentoring, executive training, research and publishing, and consulting
experience. BerryDunn’s people are our differentiators. We hear this feedback repeatedly from our
clients, whose repeated selection of our services is a testament to their satisfaction with our team
members and work products. Below and on the following page, we introduce each project team
member and describe their role on the project.
Doug Rowe, ITIL, PMP®
Principal
Doug is principal of BerryDunn’s Justice and Public Safety Practice, bringing over
40 years of IT industry experience—20 of which have been spent working with
justice and public safety agencies. Doug’s focus is on recommending actionable
improvements for his clients. He has an in-depth understanding of the justice and public safety
operating environment and leverages this knowledge to develop recommendations that align with
operational goals and objectives. This experience includes work with police agencies, courts,
sheriff’s offices, departments of corrections, and fire departments, among others. He has overseen
nearly a dozen of BerryDunn’s project with police and law enforcement agencies nationwide.
As project principal, Doug maintains overall responsibility for maintaining BerryDunn’s agreement
with the PLPD. He reviews and approves all project deliverables to help ensure we meet the PLPD’s
Professional Services Proposal – City of Prior Lake 7
needs and our internal quality standards. When appropriate, Doug will also reach into BerryDunn’s
bench of consultants and pull in specialized resources to meet project needs.
Michele Weinzetl, Ed.D., Prosci® CCP
Senior Manager / Project Manager
Michele is a senior manager in BerryDunn’s Justice and Public Safety Practice,
with over 35 years of public safety experience. Michele served over 27-years in
policing, 17 of which were spent as chief of police for three Minnesota cities. Prior
to BerryDunn, Michele worked for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), evaluating
police departments’ operations, management, and staffing capabilities, and conducting technical
assistance and strategic planning projects for agencies across the country—ranging from 50 to
2,000+ officers. She is the former president of the IACP Minnesota chapter and former instructor at
St. Cloud State University in public safety leadership. Michele is an expert in 21st Century Policing
and industry best practices and brings extensive experience instructing hundreds of police officers
and police executives in the areas of supervision, leadership development, and a variety of policing
skills.
As project manager, Michele will serve as the primary point of contact with the PLPD and lead all
day-to-day activities. She will maintain the Project Work Plan and Schedule and delegate to the
BerryDunn team. Michele is the primary author on the PLPD’s final report.
The BerryDunn team brings decades of executive law enforcement experience, augmented by many
years of independent mentoring, executive training, research and publishing, and consulting
experience. BerryDunn’s people are our differentiators. We hear this feedback repeatedly from our
clients, whose repeated selection of our services is a testament to their satisfaction with our team
members and work products. Below and on the following page, we introduce each project team
member and describe their role on the project.
Melissa Vanlandingham
Business Analyst
Melissa is a consultant in BerryDunn’s Justice and Public Safety Practice and joins
the firm after 15 years of experience with the Austin, Texas, Police Department.
She began her career in dispatch and records maintenance for three years before
advancing to analytics. As a crime analyst, Melissa compiled and analyzed Records Management
System crime reports to understand potential causes of criminal activity, develop leads, and find
links in crime by attributes specific to the crime. Each week, she organized data into crime types, call
volume, response times, and call type allocation. Since 2015, Melissa has served as the Senior
Criminal Intelligence Analyst in which she worked with qualitative and quantitative data for the
purpose of analysis and intelligence gathering. She is an expert in translating data into meaningful
outputs.
As a business analyst, Melissa will support the project team as needed and provide valuable
insight during her time as a dispatch operator.
Professional Services Proposal – City of Prior Lake 8
F. Heath Gorham
Subject Matter Expert
Heath is a senior consultant in BerryDunn’s Justice and Public Safety Practice and
joins the firm after 14 years of experience with the Portland, Maine Police
Department, where he ended his law enforcement career as the Interim Chief of
Police. He trained and supervised the PPD’s current team of 158 sworn officers
and 51 civilian employees who respond to over 83,000 calls for service annually. As Assistant Chief
of Police, he implemented department programs, personnel management, and the latest mission
technology across the spectrum of the PPD. Heath has hands-on experience as an FTO Instructor,
Crime Reduction Sgt., and Hazardous Devices Unit Lt. He is known for managing complex incidents
with exceptional leadership while collaborating with the community.
As a subject matter expert, Heath will support Michele by co-facilitating group and individual
interviews, group meetings, and community forums. He will offer his expertise during deliverable
development to help ensure our recommendations align with best practices.
Professional Services Proposal – City of Prior Lake 9
Project Fees
In Table 1, BerryDunn presents our fees by project deliverable. We have developed our costs based
on our detailed work plan, staffing and resource allocation, and the estimated level of effort from
experience conducting similar projects in scope and size. Our firm fixed price for this project is
$42,000. This includes all tasks and deliverables described above, and all other associated costs,
including travel. BD anticipates 1 onsite trip for the initial project meeting and kickoff (see Task 1.1),
a 1.5-day onsite trip for fact-finding (see Task 2.3), a half-day onsite visit for the patrol schedule
redesign process (see Task 3.3), and a one-day onsite trip for presentation of the final report and
findings (see Task 4.2).
Table 1: Cost per Deliverable
No. Deliverable Cost
1 Project Work Plan and Schedule $ 4,000
2 Patrol Schedule Redesign Report $12,000
3 Preliminary Findings and Recommendations Report $22,500
4 Final Findings and Recommendations Report and Presentation $ 3,500
Total $42,000
Project Timing
Because of their comprehensive and complex nature, projects of this type require significant
time to accomplish. Based on the prescribed scope and our experience, BerryDunn estimates
that this project will take approximately four-five months to complete, from the point of
engagement through the delivery of the final report. This estimate assumes the timely
collection and return of the data requested as it relates to the scope of services. The timeline
for delivery of our proposed deliverables is outlined below in Table 2.
Table 2: Proposed Timeline by Deliverable and Actions
Deliverables and Actions Estimated Timeline
ACTION STEPS: Initial Teleconference and Schedule Discussion Month 1
Deliverable 1: Project Work Plan and Schedule Month 1
ACTION STEPS: Data Gathering; Interviews; Analysis Months 1-2
Deliverable 2: Conduct Patrol Schedule Redesign Process Months 2-3
ACTION STEPS: Develop Preliminary Findings and Recommendations Months 2-3
Deliverable 3: Preliminary Findings and Recommendations Report Month 3-4
ACTION STEPS: Develop Final Draft and Recommendations Month 4-5
Deliverable 4: Final Findings and Recommendations Report Month 4-5
ACTION STEPS: Onsite Presentation of Report and Findings Month 5
4646 Dakota Street SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372
RESOLUTION 23-XXX
A RESOLUTION APPROVING CONTRACT WITH BERRYDUNN TO ENGAGE IN
STAFFING AND KEY OPERATIONS STUDY FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Motion By: Second By:
WHEREAS, the Prior Lake Police Department is a 24 hours a day, 7 days per
week Public Safety Department; and
WHEREAS, the City of Prior Lake continues to support public safety as a key
pillar of our community; and
WHEREAS, recruitment, training, development and retention of the highest
qualified people within our Police Department is critical to service
delivery to our citizens; and
WHEREAS, understanding how our service workloads are distributed among
positions / staff and how scheduling dynamics affect fiscal health
is critical; and
WHEREAS, engaging in a thorough, objective analysis of key staffing and
operations will help to identify current and future successes and
areas for focus on; and
WHEREAS, funding for this project will come from the availability of State of
Minnesota Public Safety Aid monies.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PRIOR
LAKE, MINNESOTA:
1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein.
2. City staff is authorized to engage in contracted project for a Staffing and Key
Operations Study with BerryDunn Consultant Group in the amount of $42,000.
3. Funding for this project shall be provided from the use of State of Minnesota
Public Safety Aid monies being disbursed to the City of Prior Lake in 2023.
Passed and adopted by the Prior Lake City Council this 16th day of October 2023.
VOTE Briggs Braid Burkart Churchill Lake
Aye ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Nay ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Abstain ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Absent ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
______________________________
Jason Wedel, City Manager