0 ITEMS

For Immediate Release

by | Apr 7, 2022 | Latest News, PRI in the News, Uncategorized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 7, 2022

In March of 2021, the City of Aurora, Colorado, commenced a routine internal audit of the police department to assess the degree to which policy and procedure provided for compliance with Colorado public records law. This audit revealed concerns with business processes, efficiencies, and records management practices in the police department’s Records Section. The depth of the issues were beginning to be a concern to the City, as detailed in the audit report. The City’s Innovation Design Team (IDT) was deployed, conducted a thorough evaluation of the operation, and developed a comprehensive list of over 30 areas of potential efficiency gains. It was correctly determined the extent and complexity of the identified issues would require extensive time and expertise to resolve. The IDT also decided an appropriate course of action would be to determine if staffing levels are sufficient, and recommended engaging an independent consulting firm with police records expertise to conduct a staffing study, to include completing the following objectives:

  • Conduct a business process analysis including assessment of workflows, data, assignment and allocation of work, and constraints of the Records Section to determine if it is operating at peak performance;

  • Assess current shift schedules and work locations to determine how they may be impacting staffing requirements;

  • Determine root cause of any work backlogs;

  • Determine the required staffing level for the Records Section as it currently operates by conducting a time and motion study;

  • Provide findings and recommendations for achieving operational efficiency gains through better business process, optional alternative work schedules and work allocation, and development of performance measures;

  • Determine what the required staffing level would be if the recommended  improvements were to be implemented.

On October 20, 2021, the IDT authored a memo to the City Manager listing these findings and recommended hiring a consultant. The City issued a competitive Request for Proposals for a staffing study, which PRI became aware of through an online government bid publication service. After submitting a proposal, our firm was selected for this project.

PRI commenced work for the City of Aurora in January, 2022, which included a work task inventory, business process analysis, and data gathering, during which time our team identified critical levels of backlogged work which, in no uncertain terms, had created significant risk and liability to officer and public safety.  We also determined woefully inadequate measures, and urgency, had been given to the matter by the police department, hence our March 14th project update. As a contractor for our clients, it is always our duty to bring such risk immediately to their attention, not only for their protection, but ours as well.

Media reports regarding this matter have included two key pieces of information which are incorrect and fundamentally untrue. First, PRI is not conducting an audit. We were hired to complete a staffing study. This study is still in progress and not yet complete.

Second, this study did not include evaluating individual employee performance, nor was our work in any way, shape, or form, intended to disparage, smear, evaluate, or impact the employment of the Chief of Police. To suggest anything to the contrary, or to politicize this matter, is very unfortunate, mostly for the citizens of Aurora, and for the very important institution of journalism. Our work is based on fact-finding, objective analysis and was completed as per the requirements of our scope of work in response to a competitive solicitation for these services.

The City of Aurora had been assessing the problems in the police Records Section since early 2021. Furthermore, PRI has never had any contact or communication with any City of Aurora elected official. PRI has never had any contact or discussion with any City of Aurora employee regarding the performance of the Chief of Police, and is unequivocally not involved in any effort regarding her termination. PRI is a national, highly-respected firm which has provided these services with honor and integrity to American law enforcement agencies around the U.S. since 2008.

End of statement.