CHALLENGER INSIGHTS Vol. 1:
Project Funding & Approach to Small Police Departments
For many of us, small police departments (what we refer to as Tier 2 or Tier 3 departments) aren’t the top priority when it comes to leads on public safety projects.
Typically, these departments lack the funding of their Tier 1 or Tier 2 counterparts, and new construction or renovation may take several years to materialize. In some cases, the new building these departments are hoping for simply doesn’t happen.
So, why concentrate on these types of PD’s?
Small but mighty, these departments still have the same standards to uphold with regard to secure storage and protecting the chain of custody. They are running out of storage at an alarming rate, and they are also in need of updated storage solutions that can help them maintain best practices and work with the advanced evidence technologies they’ve implemented.
The other reason? 80% of police departments in the United States serve populations of 10,000 people or lessrepresenting a big opportunity for our solutions. 73% of Law Enforcement Agencies have fewer than 50 Sworn Officers.
- Small Departments buy differently
While they may not have access to municipal bonds, raise special taxes, or even have someone pursue grants for funding, these departments still have budgets and some get funds from property auctions and task force participation. The smaller departments often have less bureaucracy. While the sale may not be as big, the sale is not often competed and closes quicker than a larger project. A Spacesaver Champion once told me, There are no small sales, some are bigger than others. - Identify the Mobilizer
I met with a lieutenant this year that referred to himself as a Hard Charger. He was describing the way he was not afraid to ask the city council for funds needed to improve the evidence storage at his facility. He is a Mobilizer. Mobilizers understand that buying has changed. Procurement isn’t as simple as a single contact who has purchase authority. Many purchases today involve multiple people in the purchase process. What a chief could buy based on his budget authority now requires City Council approval, City Manager Approval, and Finance Approval. The Mobilizer is the person that identifies the people involved in the purchase decision and mobilizes procurement. It is simpler to find a mobilizer in a small department. It’s often the Chief, but a Lieutenant, a Sergeant, even a City Manager could mobilize the resources to improve their organization.
These are just a few of the reasons to get on the radar of these departments. Take a look at the others below.
Tier 3 Police Departments: A How-to Approach
- Familiarize yourself with types of PD funding
There are many different ways the public safety market acquires funding. Besides a standard department budget, there are bonds, special taxes, grants, property auctions, tax force seizures, and municipal leases. When you’re meeting with a Mobilizer, ask about their purchasing process and the types of funding they receive. - Help them develop a plan for that funding
As a lieutenant at Fitchburg PD recently remarked, “We don’t usually get funding unless we have a plan. Getting involved when a department is in the space analysis stage when they’re first assessing their needs and making that knowledge public can create a situation where you can assist them with earmarking funds for the storage challenges that are high priority. - Make them aware of purchasing vehicles
NJPA, State, and GSA contracts can be of tremendous help to these small departments. The spirit of purchasing cooperatives is leveraging procurement work done by another procurement agency. It’s a huge advantage to the end-user, who doesn’t have to waste valuable time putting a project out to bid. - Help them prioritize
A good question to ask is,“If the funding was there, what would you change immediately?” The top items they talk about could potentially be the beginning of a phased approach at this department. - Look at a potential project in phases
Instead of going for a large sale right away, the best approach for these departments is to break apart an overall storage solution into much more “digestable” phases. For instance, if a department knows they won’t get a new building for another 10 years but needs more space for evidence now, a Wheelhouse system sold in phases by carriage might be the answer to their current needs—and it could be reconfigured, moved, and used once they get their new location. A $10,000 solution won’t have as much sticker shock as a $100,000 solution, and at that point, you’ve set yourself up as a trusted resource they can depend on to walk them through bigger projects in the future. Ten $10,000 sales are less likely to find competition than a single $100,000 sale. You will make a difference for your customer and receive beter compensation. It is worth your time. - Use a smaller solution as a way to get in the door
Instead of thinking about an entirely new evidence storage system or locker room, think about smaller solutions that can solve their problems in the present. If they have a small amount of narcotics or weapons evidence but still have the same need to keep these items secure, our Narcotics Evidence Locker or Weapons Evidence Locker can solve their need—and create a gateway for additional sales. Even helping them reconfigure their existing static shelving can create a small sale—and trust. - Leverage the budget process
Most departments retain part of the budget until the end of the year, and then hurry to spend every dollar. A section of RaptorRAC for creating organized bulk item evidence storage, or a couple sections of 4-Post shelving with slotted shelves and dividers could remedy the envelopes jammed in vertical filing cabinets that take up space and don’t open properly.
Spacesaver is currently testing ways to gain the attention of this particular market segment—starting with a page on our website geared toward attracting these Tier 2/Tier 3 departments. The page leverages readily available solutions and how our storage experts can help them with storage needs both now and when they acquire funding.
Check out Spacesaver's Tier2/Tier3 Police Department Page