Public Safety Consolidation

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Consolidation is the process of reformulating public services in order to reduce redundancy and increase efficiency. There are many public services that municipalities can consolidate or contract out but this report focuses on the consolidation of police and fire services due to the fact that they are often the most public, controversial, and impactful on communities. There are two forms of consolidation: the public safety model and contracting. The public safety model merges police and fire services together and cross trains them whereas contracting is the process of paying another government entity to provide a public service. There are many costs and benefits to both types of consolidation; this report discusses each as well as how public perception is affected.

Authors

• Victoria Gomez, California State University, Fullerton

• Janet Perez, California State University, Fullerton

• Timothy Smith, California State University, Fullerton