Documents › Board Of Trustees, 2026-09-30

resolution 11 pages

Also attached to this agenda item: Resolution 240-2026 Police Study RFP

Proposal to Conduct a Police Department Staffing and Operational Study Village of Croton-on-Hudson, NY June 25, 2026 Sean M. Smoot, Managing Partner| 21CP Solutions LLC. | 10105 E. Via Linda, Ste 103 PMB 562, Scottsdale, AZ 85259 | 844-767-2127 | 1 SUBMITTAL LETTER ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2 GENERAL FIRM PROFILE ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 21CP AT A GLANCE ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 FINANCIAL STABILITY .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 EXPERIENCE WITH SCOPE OF SERVICES ............................................................................................................................... 3 APPROACH TO SCOPE OF SERVICES ......................................................................................................................................... 4 ORGANIZATIONAL AND OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS ......................................................................................................................................... 5 WORKLOAD AND DEPLOYMENT ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 STAFFING ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 5 RECOMMENDATIONS AND FINAL DELIVERABLES .......................................................................................................................................... 6 THE 21CP DASHBOARD ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 6 PROPOSED WORK PLAN AND TIMELINE ................................................................................................................................. 6 ASSIGNED TEAM AND QUALIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 7 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION ............................................................................................................................................ 8 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST .............................................................................................................................................................. 9 FEE PROPOSAL .................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 21st Century Policing Solutions (844) 727-2124 INFO@21CPSOLUTIONS.COM WWW.21CPSOLUTIONS.COM June 25, 2026 Bryan Healy, Village Manager Village of Croton-on-Hudson bhealy@crotononhudson-ny.gov Dear Mr. Healy: 21CP Solutions, LLC (“21CP”) is pleased to submit this proposal to conduct a Staffing and Operational Study for the Croton-on-Hudson Police Department (“CPD” or “the Department”). The Village has asked for an objective, data- driven analysis that will equip the Village Board to make sound, transparent decisions about police resources, both for the Department as it operates today and as the community grows. That is precisely the work 21CP does. Our Advanced Staffing Study moves past the static, formula-based staffing reports of the past and gives the Village a dynamic, interactive Dashboard that lets the Department and the Board test the staffing impact of different shift configurations, deployment choices, and anticipated population growth long after our report is delivered. We believe 21CP is an especially strong fit for Croton-on-Hudson for three reasons. First, our team combines senior law enforcement leadership with rigorous data analytics, so our recommendations are both operationally grounded and empirically defensible. Second, our proposed team includes professionals with direct New York public-sector and New York policing experience, which is directly relevant to the Village’s fiscal environment, labor context, and public-records obligations; this includes active contracts with other municipalities in the state. Third, we deliver a turnkey engagement that respects the limited capacity of Village staff: we drive the schedule, coordinate the meetings, and take ownership of the analysis. We have noted that policies and training parameters governed by the New York State accreditation process, as well as the Department’s physical facility, are outside the scope of this study, and we have scoped our work accordingly so that the Village’s investment is focused where it asked for it. This proposal remains valid for 90 days from the submission deadline. I am authorized to submit this proposal and to bind the firm, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss it with the selection committee. Sean M. Smoot Managing Partner 3 General Firm Profile 21CP Solutions, LLC (“21CP”) was founded in 2015 to help communities and law enforcement agencies reimagine public safety through innovative and evidence-based approaches. Since its inception, 21CP has partnered with local, state, and tribal governments of all sizes, as well as with colleges, universities, and schools, to identify opportunities to enhance current practices, adopt new innovations, and adapt public safety practices that have worked in other places to meet emerging community needs. From staffing studies and comprehensive organizational assessments to critical-incident after-action reviews, executive searches, and new-chief mentorship, the firm offers a wide array of services for communities and organizations of all sizes. 21CP does not simply make recommendations and walk away. Instead, we partner with clients to provide ongoing technical assistance and to translate broad objectives into operational realities. 21CP at a Glance • Ownership and structure: 21CP Solutions, LLC is a privately held limited liability company, founded in 2015. • Personnel: The firm is led by its seven partners and draws on a national network of affiliated subject-matter experts, including former police executives, data scientists, attorneys, and public-sector practitioners. • Services: Staffing and workload studies, organizational and operational assessments, community engagement, strategic planning, after-action reviews, and implementation technical assistance. • Clients: Municipal, county, tribal, state, and institutional public safety agencies across the United States. Financial Stability 21CP Solutions, LLC has operated continuously since its founding in 2015, providing public safety consulting services to clients nationwide, and has maintained stable operations supported by long-term and repeat client relationships. The firm is financially sound, carries the insurance coverage required by this RFP, including workers’ compensation, employer’s liability, commercial general liability, and professional liability, and has the working capital necessary to perform this engagement within the proposed timeline. Supporting documentation is available upon the Village’s request. Experience with Scope of Services 21CP has conducted numerous staffing studies, organizational assessments, and stakeholder-engagement efforts for municipalities and public safety departments across the country. We have developed an advanced staffing model that helps clients determine not only their current staffing needs but also project those needs into the future and evaluate how policy decisions affect staffing requirements. Our work is built around robust data analysis, deep staff interviews, community input, and benchmarking against peer agencies, resulting in prioritized recommendations presented in a final report and an interactive Dashboard the client keeps. The engagements below illustrate the depth and direct relevance of that experience to the work Croton-on-Hudson has described. 4 Champaign (IL) Police Department. 21CP was engaged by the City of Champaign (population approximately 86,000) to identify the appropriate level of staffing needed to respond efficiently to emergencies, investigate crime, adjust to demand from population growth, and proactively reduce crime. Using the Advanced Staffing Model, the team worked with the department to understand current workload demands and how staffing, shift assignments, internal policies, and community expectations affect officers’ ability to balance calls for service with proactive activity. The project concluded with a comprehensive report and an interactive staffing Dashboard the department continues to use. Fairfax County (VA) Police Department. 21CP is engaged to assist the department in understanding patrol demand and the impact on staffing levels. Using the Advanced Staffing Model, the team is working with the department to understand current workload demands and how staffing, shift assignments, court docketing, and internal policies affect the department’s ability to provide consistent service levels across districts and seasons. The project will result in a comprehensive report and an interactive staffing Dashboard the department continues to use. Knoxville (TN) Police Department. 21CP conducted a staffing and workload analysis focused on patrol officers across shifts and precincts, including the creation of an interactive Dashboard and staffing and operational recommendations tailored to both community dynamics and internal needs. 21CP also assessed the department’s recruiting efforts and advised on the redesign of its recruitment, selection, and hiring of sworn personnel. Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. 21CP conducted a comprehensive review addressing a wide range of organizational and operational concerns, including an examination of patrol district boundaries, staffing, and deployment across an 85-square-mile jurisdiction bordering four Arizona cities. 21CP provided data-driven recommendations on boundary lines and staffing levels responsive to the needs of the community and each district. Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins engaged 21CP to help build its first police department. 21CP co-created the department’s organizational design, policies, procedures, operations, hiring protocols, training, equipment, technology, and facilities, and developed both a five-year budget with projected growth years and a staffing analysis. This work demonstrates 21CP’s ability to align staffing with long-range planning and fiscal reality. Additional details about these and other projects are available at www.21cpsolutions.com. Approach to Scope of Services Most law enforcement staffing studies rely on approaches developed decades ago. They base staffing plans on rough approximations of officer workload and on unvalidated assumptions about ideal supervisory ratios and minimum staffing based on population. Studies built this way are not tailored to how a police chief, the department, and the community want public safety delivered. They often overlook geography and changing demographics, the use of civilian staff and technology, and how shift lengths, training, and overtime affect deployment. They may tell an agency to hire more officers based on population growth without helping leaders meet current demand more effectively with the staff they already have. And they leave the agency with only a static report that is hard to revisit as conditions change. 21CP’s approach updates the police staffing study for current practice. Rather than a static analysis, we deliver an analysis displayed in a dynamic, interactive Dashboard that lets Village and Department leaders see current staffing and 5 deployment and then test the implications of different choices, both now and as Croton-on-Hudson grows. Our model draws on five primary inputs: historical agency data, staff input, community sentiment, a legislative and literature review, and peer benchmarking. The sections below map our methodology to the specific elements of the Village’s Scope of Services. Organiza6onal and Opera6onal Analysis We will review CPD’s organizational structure, chain of command, and the alignment of its functions with community- oriented policing principles. This includes the Department’s command structure under the Chief of Police, the Patrol Division led by the lieutenant, and the Detective Division led by the detective sergeant, along with how the Department oversees part-time parking enforcement officers and school crossing guards. We will examine span of control and supervisory ratios, the allocation of sworn and non-sworn roles, and how specialized assignments such as the traffic detail, marine unit, bike patrol, and dive team are staffed and activated. Because the Department’s policies and training parameters are governed by the New York State accreditation process, we will treat those as established and focus our effort elsewhere, while noting any structural implications they carry for staffing. Workload and Deployment Analysis We will conduct an evidence-based review of CPD’s service demand, analyzing calls for service, crime and case data, traffic enforcement activity, response times, officer-initiated activity, and overtime, generally over a three-to-five-year period. For context, the Department recorded 4,410 calls for service in 2025, with 230 cases investigated by the Detective Division, 174 persons arrested, and 1,355 vehicle and traffic tickets issued. We will use this analysis to evaluate patrol coverage, shift schedules, and deployment, identifying where coverage aligns with demand and where adjustments could improve visibility, response times, or proactive capacity. We will also account for the seasonal nature of certain functions, such as marine patrol during the warmer months. Staffing Analysis We will determine appropriate sworn and non-sworn staffing levels for all Department functions, weighing workload, community characteristics, and industry standards. Our analysis recognizes that not every officer is equally available at all times, accounting for leave, training, court time, and limited duty. We will provide a comparative analysis against peer municipalities so the Village understands the service levels associated with different staffing numbers. We will work with the Village to identify appropriate peer communities, considering factors such as population, budget, geography, and the mix of residential and commercial characteristics, recognizing that Croton-on-Hudson is a Hudson River village of roughly 8,300 residents with a Department of 22 sworn officers. Community and Stakeholder Engagement We understand from the Village’s responses to bidder questions that the Police Advisory Committee already conducts an annual community survey and town hall to gauge general satisfaction, and that the Village will identify key stakeholders and provide contact information. Our engagement is therefore designed to complement, not duplicate, that work. We will develop a communications plan and meet with pre-identified key stakeholders, community groups, and regular users of police services to gather targeted feedback, with particular attention to the proposed solutions that 6 emerge from our analysis, such as changes to staffing levels or tour schedules. We will scope the number of meetings, focus groups, and forums in coordination with the Village, keeping the total reasonable as the Village has requested. Recommenda6ons and Final Deliverables Our reporting process is iterative. We provide preliminary findings for discussion so facts and assumptions can be verified before we issue a final report. The final report will present specific, data-supported recommendations on staffing levels, deployment strategies, and operational efficiencies, with recommendations linked where possible to tangible community outcomes such as improved police visibility, enhanced response times, or expanded community engagement. Recommendations will be prioritized as short-, mid-, and long-term, with suggested implementation steps, and every significant recommendation will be accompanied by a fiscal impact analysis estimating the associated costs or savings. Recommendations will be phased, scalable, and tailored to the Village’s financial reality, including the constraints of New York’s tax cap environment. Consistent with the Village’s long-term planning goals, our analysis and Dashboard will incorporate anticipated population growth from approved development. The Village has indicated that 67 units have been built and 134 more have been approved, with additional units possible within the next year, and we will model how that growth may affect future service demand and staffing needs. The 21CP Dashboard Once data are collected, validated, and incorporated, 21CP runs scenario-based simulations within the Dashboard. The Village can adjust shift configurations, deployment assumptions, call-demand growth, and policy choices and immediately see the staffing implications. The Dashboard is powered by commercially available software, so no proprietary application is needed to use it long-term, and our analytics partner provides a tutorial for designated staff. The result is both a report and a living tool the Village can use to study evolving demand and to present the basis for resource decisions to the Board and the community in clear, visual terms. Proposed Work Plan and Timeline 21CP takes full ownership of the project: we drive the schedule, coordinate meetings, and meet milestones with minimal burden on Village staff. Assuming a contract start in September 2026 and timely access to data and personnel, we anticipate completing the study in approximately four to five months, concluding with a formal presentation to the Village Board. The work proceeds in five phases: • Phase 1 – Onboarding and Data Request. Establish objectives and the data-collection framework with Village and Department leadership; issue the document and data request. • Phase 2 – Document and Data Review. Review produced records, including calls for service, crime and case data, traffic activity, schedules, overtime, and budget information. • Phase 3 – Site Visit and Engagement. Conduct on-site visits, structured interviews with personnel, and meetings with pre-identified community stakeholders. • Phase 4 – Analysis and Dashboard Build. Analyze workload and deployment, complete peer benchmarking, build the Dashboard, and run scenario simulations, including approved-development growth. 7 • Phase 5 – Reporting and Presentation. Deliver preliminary findings for review, issue the final comprehensive report with prioritized, fiscally analyzed recommendations, and present to the Village Board. Table 1. An+cipated Timeline (by project month) Activity Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec/Jan Onboarding, objectives, and data request ● Document and data review ● ● Site visit, interviews, and stakeholder engagement ● ● Workload analysis, benchmarking, and Dashboard build ● ● Preliminary findings, final report, and Board presentation ● Assigned Team and QualificaDons 21CP’s proposed team for Croton-on-Hudson pairs experienced public safety leadership with strong data analytics and writing support. The team is intentionally sized to the scale of this engagement so the Village receives focused attention and a single, accountable point of delivery. Erin Pilnyak (Project Lead) previously served with the New York City Police Department, where she held the two- star position of Assistant Deputy Commissioner at the Risk Management Bureau. In that role she developed policies and programs to guide the NYPD in implementing mandated reforms and managed the day-to-day operations of the approximately 200-person bureau. Ms. Pilnyak later became the Chief Operating Officer at IntegrAssure. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and Cornell University School of Law. Her direct New York policing and public-sector experience is well suited to the Village’s labor, fiscal, and public-records environment. She currently leads 21CP’s engagement with Fairfax County (VA). Ben Horwitz is a co-founder of AH Datalytics, 21CP’s strategic analytics partner, and leads data analytics and Dashboard development on staffing and deployment projects. His collaborations have included the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Policing Institute, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and the Baltimore Police Department, among others. Before launching AH Datalytics, he served as Director of Analytics for the New Orleans Police Department, where he established a crime analyst unit and implemented the nationally recognized Management Analytics for Excellence (MAX) program. He has built numerous dashboards and data visualizations and has authored analyses across government, business, and non-profit settings. Mr. Horwitz holds a master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts from American University. Michael Eddlemon is a distinguished law enforcement and corporate security executive with over 30 years of experience in leadership, risk advisory, and strategic development. Throughout his law enforcement career, Mr. Eddlemon rose through various leadership roles, ultimately retiring as Assistant Chief of Police in Peoria, Illinois. He 8 also has served as the acting chief of the Peoria Park District Police Department. His transformative approach to policing and dedication to building community trust have earned him widespread acclaim. In the private sector, Mr. Eddlemon served as Vice President of the U.S. and Canada for a global security agency, where he was responsible for operations in over 100 countries. He led the Enterprise Security Risk Management strategy, demonstrating exceptional strategic planning and protection strategies that aligned teams and projects with organizational vision. He was part of the 21CP team who supported the engagement with Champaign, Illinois. Beyond the named team, 21CP clients gain access to the firm’s broader national network of subject-matter experts, allowing 21CP to match each engagement with the specific expertise it requires, as well as to professional support personnel including a project coordinator to assist with scheduling and logistics as well as a professional writer. The following references describe work comparable to the services requested by the Village. Additional references are available upon request. Paul Noel, Chief of Police Knoxville Police Department (865) 215-7229 | pnoel@knoxvilletn.gov Project: Patrol staffing and workload analysis, interactive Dashboard, and recruitment and hiring assessment. Kevin Olmstead, Deputy Chief, Administration Division Champaign (IL) Police Department (217) 403-6909 | kevin.olmstead@champaignil.gov Project: Comprehensive staffing study and interactive staffing Dashboard for a growing municipality. Branville Bard, Vice President of Public Safety Johns Hopkins University (410) 614-3472 | Branville.bard@jhu.edu Project: Organizational design, staffing analysis, and multi-year budget development for a new police department. Other Relevant InformaDon Two features of a 21CP engagement may be of particular value to the Village beyond the explicit requirements of the RFP. A living planning tool, not just a report. The interactive Dashboard remains with the Village after the engagement ends. As development comes online and call demand shifts, the Village can revisit staffing scenarios without commissioning a new study, supporting the RFP’s goal of a credible, transparent basis for ongoing community dialogue and Board decision-making. 9 New York public-sector familiarity. Although the RFP lists New York experience as desirable rather than required, our proposed project lead’s NYPD and New York public-sector background means the team is conversant with the State’s fiscal constraints, including tax cap legislation, public-sector labor considerations, and Freedom of Information Law obligations. As a firm we have been engaged by multiple agencies in New York, including the New York State Attorney General’s Office, Binghamton, and Suffolk County. We also note that the Village indicated it is not seeking changes to how police services are delivered, such as contracting with the county. Our analysis is therefore framed around optimizing and right-sizing the Department as a standalone municipal agency. Conflicts of Interest 21CP Solutions, LLC has reviewed the relationships and interests described in Section 6.9 of the RFP and discloses no conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived, in connection with this engagement. Specifically, 21CP has no financial stake in the outcome of the study beyond the professional fees set out in this proposal. The firm has no business or client relationships that conflict with its obligations to the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, and no member of the proposed project team has a close personal relationship with any Village of Croton-on-Hudson official or employee. 21CP will conduct this study as an independent, objective consultant, and its recommendations will be based solely on the analysis and findings developed through the work. 21CP understands that the Village will review this disclosure to determine whether any conflict exists that would prevent award of the contract, and that all submitted materials are subject to the New York State Freedom of Information Law. Should any potential conflict arise during the course of the engagement, 21CP will promptly disclose it to the Village in writing. Fee Proposal To help agencies align their needs with available resources, 21CP offers flat-rate pricing for the various components of a staffing study, paid in monthly installments. Table 2 lays out the expected cost for 21CP to conduct its Advanced Staffing Study in accordance with the Village’s requirements. Up to 2 trips for 2 project staff (one based in NYC) are estimated. Table 2: Proposed Cost for Advanced Staffing Study for Croton-on-Hudson TOTAL Staffing Assessment, Peer Comparison, Dashboard Development, Delivery, and Dashboard Training $55,000 Travel (estimated at 2 trips for two staff) $2,750 TOTAL $57,750 10 Staffing studies typically require between 200 and 300 hours of professional labor, depending on the study’s complexity and the size of the agency. To help agencies align their needs with available resources, 21CP offers this flat-rate pricing invoiced in two milestone payments tied to delivery: half upon delivery of the preliminary findings and draft report, and half upon acceptance of the final report and completion of the presentation to the Village Board. This all-inclusive pricing structure covers overhead and administrative costs; travel expenses are invoiced separately as incurred at actual cost up to the estimated not-t0-exceed. 21CP’s travel expense policy provides that current US GSA mileage and M&IE reimbursement rates shall apply. Standard hotel rates shall apply unless the client provides a special rate code for a preferred hotel. Domestic air travel will be reimbursed at the Coach (or equivalent) or lowest available rate—First Class or Business rates shall not be reimbursed unless said rate is the lowest available. Rail transport may be coach/business class or lowest rate available (Acela may be booked when available). Ground transportation will be by UberX (or equivalent), standard taxi, or rental car (Standard or Economy). Billing terms are net 30 days. Payment via ACH or direct deposit is preferred.