Council approves police staffing study and HR consulting to reform promotion and selection

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Birmingham City Council on July 22 approved two professional-service agreements aimed at modernizing police staffing and selection processes.

Item 17 authorized a one-year staffing study with Matrix Consulting Group (not to exceed $145,000) to review precincts, beats, personnel allocation, field operations, communications and the jail and to recommend changes to ensure the department has an appropriate mix of detectives, patrol officers and support staff. After initial procedural referral to the Budget and Finance Committee, councilors reconsidered and brought the item to the floor; the motion passed with one recorded no vote from Councilor Tyson.

Item 18 authorized a professional-services agreement with Sienna Consulting (doing business as Yesco Group/Sienna Consulting) for human-resources services related to developing new promotion and selection processes for the Birmingham Police Department (term one year, not to exceed $291,100). Peggy Pope of the HR department said the work is intended to produce valid, reliable testing and a secure test bank to help the department move beyond processes that were covered by a prior consent decree.

Councilors said the measures were intended to support fairness and legal defensibility in promotions and selections. Council member discussion emphasized the need for independent, validated processes and asked staff to confirm whether additional related HR items were forthcoming; staff said none were anticipated at this time.

What’s next: The city will execute the contracts and Matrix and Sienna will begin their assessments and process design. Staff asked that any additional related HR or selection work be brought forward to the council when appropriate.