Controller's office consolidates RFQ to study SFPD organization, district boundaries and foot patrols

Peg Stephenson of the San Francisco Comptroller's Office told the Police Commission that the office has posted a consolidated request for qualifications on March 7 to solicit consultants to assess several aspects of the police department.

Stephenson said the RFQ combines three project types: an organizational and strategic development analysis, a district-station boundary analysis required by legislation, and a study of foot-patrol effectiveness. The comptroller's office will make technical assistance available under Proposition C's set-aside for performance and financial work, she said, and will run a competitive selection process with commission participation on advisory and selection panels.

"The RFQ was posted recently on March 7," Stephenson said, and she told commissioners she expects a response-document and clarifying questions to be posted on the controller's website. She said responses are due April 9 and that selection processes will follow; she described two implementation models respondents should propose: consultant-led implementation with city-staff support, and city-led implementation with consultant support.

Commissioners asked whether most analysis would be conducted by outside consultants or by controller staff. Stephenson said the majority of organizational and strategic-development work would likely be done by consultants while controller analysts would provide technical assistance and follow-up analysis; the timelines vary across the three projects, with one project described broadly as a roughly one-year analysis and statutory deadlines applying to the district-boundary and foot-patrol projects.

Stephenson said the controller's office had reworked a prior solicitation and broadened scope so the RFQ would attract firms with both management-consulting and demographic/logistical experience. She said the office has been coordinating with the Mayor's office and other leadership to include concerns that have been raised in recent conversations about crime-data reporting and departmental organization.

The commission approved calling the announcement out of order so Stephenson could brief members. The commission identified commissioners to serve on selection and advisory panels and staff said the solicitation and timeline materials will be posted on the controller's contract-opportunities page.