Scenario:
You have just been elected to a four-year term to the City of Millville, USA, Board of Commissioners responsible for managing the operations of the municipality with a population of 30,000 residents . The new mayor appoints you to administer the Department of Public Safety, which includes the police and fire departments, court services, and emergency management. The mayor discusses with you one of the most significant issues confronting the city put forth by citizens during the campaign, i.e., the rising crime rate in the city, particularly in “downtown” area where restaurants, entertainment establishments, and other businesses are located and experiencing a rising tide of gang activities, assaults, serious vandalism, theft, and burglaries. They have vehemently complained about police ineffectiveness and the comportment of police personnel when interacting with the community. You are, of course, aware of those complaints since they were a “hot” topic during the campaign debates.
As her very first directive, the mayor requests that you undertake an exploratory study that considers a potential innovative way to address the problem that has been employed by other jurisdictions for years where successes and disappointments have occurred. The mayor asks that you explore the suitability of privatizing all core police services in the city or even supplementing the police department with private security police to assist with their fundamental responsibilities.
The mayor wants you to write a report that addresses the factors causing the increased crime in the city and the dynamics causing the police department’s inadequacies, which are the foundations for the complaints voiced by our citizens. Additionally, the mayor stressed to you she wanted a comprehensive review of all the benefits and drawbacks or risks of employing private security operatives to perform the essential duties of a police officer. The mayor specified that categories of inquiry should include, but not limited to, a brief introductory paragraph explaining the purpose of the report; a brief historical overview of the relationship between private security and law enforcement; pre-employment and training standards; regulation and licensing issues; social, constitutional and legal authority concerns; accountability for actions; overall professionalism and demeanor; and economic impact.
In broad terms, the mayor asks that you distinguish the views held by critics and advocates regarding such an initiative. Based on your findings, the mayor wants you to provide a clear recommendation for or against privatizing core city police services in any fashion and explain your rationale supporting your position.
