Milwaukee has hired a consulting firm to look at how to improve police service, says the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It is the first such review in more than 20 years. The $125,000 study will examine how best to use police staff, suggest optimum staffing levels, and look at how other cities use police resources. “At a time of limited resources, when I see a need to put more police officers on the streets, I want to make sure we are maximizing our current staffing levels,” said Mayor Tom Barrett.
Six consultants from the Palo Alto, Ca.- based Matrix Consulting Group will spend about five months on the review before submitting recommendations to the city, said president Richard Brady. Matrix did a similar review of the Milwaukee Fire Department and has worked with police departments in Nashville, Spokane, and Las Vegas. At $214 million, the police budget nearly equals the entire property tax levy, and the study should offer ways to spend the money more wisely, Barrett said.