In today’s high-pressure budget environment, public safety agencies are asked continually to do more with less. To respond to these challenges, an organization needs to better understand how it is using its people and how it can deliver more safety at less cost.

A high-quality staffing study evaluates a department's personnel allocation, deployment, and operational efficiency. The best studies go beyond headcounts to examine how staffing aligns with mission objectives, community needs, and workload realities, all while providing tools that make the study easy to implement. 

21CP Staffing Studies and our real-time staffing and deployment tools help departments manage their most valuable asset—their people. Using best-in-class experts we walk with you and your department to understand your challenges and develop a tailored solution to ensure your success in the field.

What We Do

At 21CP Solutions, we understand that modern policing requires more than just boots on the ground—it requires thoughtful alignment between staffing levels, community expectations, and strategic priorities. Our police staffing studies go beyond traditional headcounts to provide a holistic, data-driven blueprint for operational excellence and community trust.

Partnering with nationally-recognized former police chiefs, academics, and data analysts, 21CP develops best-in-class staffing studies, provides real-time staffing models to assist departments in using our reports in day-to-day work, and deploys ongoing technical assistance and long-term follow-up to ensure analysis is working in the field.

Our Approach: What Sets 21CP Staffing Studies Apart

Data-Driven Workload Analysis

We help agencies understand how staffing aligns with actual service demands.

• Analyze calls for service, response times, and officer availability

• Break down reactive vs. proactive time to assess workload distribution

• Identify peak demand periods to inform smarter staffing decisions

• Smarter Deployment and Shift Design

We evaluate whether current deployment models match the community’s needs.

• Review current shift structures and deployment strategies

• Assess fixed vs. flexible schedules and overlapping coverage

• Analyze patrol beat design and distribution

Balancing Community Engagement and Specialized Functions

We ensure departments are resourced to meet both urgent demands and strategic goals.

• Evaluate staffing for key functions like investigations, school safety, and community policing

• Assess whether specialized roles are supported without draining patrol or response capacity

Benchmarking Against the Best

We contextualize your staffing model using comparative data and proven practices.

• Compare your agency’s metrics to peer cities and national standards

• Highlight strengths and uncover opportunities for improvement

• Provide credible benchmarks to inform internal and external discussions

Organizational Structure and Civilianization

We identify opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness through structure.

• Assess supervisory ratios and spans of control

• Identify non-sworn roles that could be civilianized

• Recommend structural adjustments to free up sworn personnel for core duties

Community and Internal Engagement

We center our work in the lived experience of both the community and your team.

• Conduct listening sessions, focus groups, and surveys with officers and community members

• Integrate qualitative insights into staffing recommendations

• Ensure solutions reflect operational realities and public expectations

Future-Focused Forecasting

We help you plan for what’s next—not just respond to what’s now.

• Analyze the impact of population growth, development, and crime trends

• Model how changes in service delivery might affect future staffing

• Support long-term planning that’s proactive and sustainable

Usable and Sustainable Recommendations

Our work is designed for implementation, not just analysis.

• Deliver clear, actionable steps aligned with agency goals

• Provide tools for short-term fixes and long-term transformation

• Emphasize practicality, measurement, and operational relevance

Actionable Dashboard for Real-Time Deployment

We equip leaders with tools to adapt and respond dynamically.

• Provide a real-time deployment dashboard for executive use

• Allow for on-the-fly adjustments as crime patterns and service demands shift

• Enhance transparency and accountability in deployment decisions

To learn more about how 21CP can support your organization or leadership team, contact us at info@21cpsolutions.com or visit our Contact Us page.