NCJ Number
238417
Date Published
February 2012
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the key discussions, conclusions, and lessons of a 3-day symposium attended by 75 national and Michigan police leaders for a discussion of sharing public-safety services and consolidation, presentations on similar initiatives throughout the country, and a discussion of these issues with reference to Michigan.
Abstract
Speakers at the symposium noted the need for further research and discussion on consolidation as well as the need to better understand how best to execute regionalization, consolidation, and shared services. There are few systematic, data-driven lessons for practitioners and policymakers. In this regard, this report describes an initiative by Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice and the Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to provide much needed evidence-based lessons by conducting a comprehensive assessment of consolidated public-safety services. Symposium participants noted that stakeholders, needs, and interests in public safety consolidation should include elected officials, who have a comprehensive knowledge of community needs and expectations; administrators, who have concerns about liability, departmental identity, fiscal issues, and other organizational issues; employees, who may be concerned about job security and benefits, as well as opportunities for advancement; and citizens, who are concerned about the maintenance of service levels and cost issues. 3 figures