Politics & Government

Consultant Coming for Police Review

Matrix Consulting Group was awarded a $35,000 contract for the study.

A Palo Alto, Calif.-based consulting company is scheduled to visit the starting next week to look for "opportunities to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency" of the department, officials said.

Matrix Consulting Group was awarded a $35,000 contract to perform the study, which includes extensive interviews of township and police management and staff, and an analysis of the department's budget, policies, calls and workload.

Township officials have said they plan to look at each department to see what functions are necessary and they are starting with the police department. Officials said they brought in an outside firm to do the review because they wanted it performed by experts. The approved the agreement with Matrix on Dec. 13.

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The review comes at a time when several police officials have said they plan to retire in the coming months and years.

"As a firm dedicated to assessing law enforcement service in New Jersey and across the country, we are excited for the opportunity to assess opportunities to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the Township of Montville's Police Department," Matrix Consulting Group President Richard Brady wrote in a Nov. 1 proposal.

Find out what's happening in Montvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He said the company has completed 250 similar assessments, including for departments in Bayonne, Ridgewood and Englewood Cliffs in New Jersey. The consultant team includes a project manager with a doctoral degree from Oxford University, an analyst who is a former municipal auditor and an analyst who is a former Southlake, Texas, police chief, according to the proposal.

The department has 42 full-time employees and a $5.1 million budget, according to the proposal.


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