As municipal police departments across the Commonwealth adapt to evolving expectations and legal standards, the Town of Shelburne, Massachusetts, recognized the importance of ensuring its police department’s wage and classification system aligns with contemporary law enforcement practices and the requirements of the POST Reform Bill. To support this critical initiative, Shelburne partnered with Capital Strategic Solutions (CSS) to conduct a comprehensive wage and classification study tailored to the department’s unique needs.
“This project is about investing in the people who serve and protect the community every day. We were committed to helping Shelburne establish a fair, competitive, and forward-looking compensation structure that supports recruitment, retention, and professional development.”
Jennifer Thompson, Chief Development Officer at Capital Strategic Solutions
CSS began with a detailed review of the department’s existing position descriptions and compensation practices. Our approach combined thorough legal compliance analysis, industry benchmarking, and best practices to create actionable, customized recommendations.
Our work focused on five major areas:
- Reviewing and updating existing position descriptions to ensure POST Reform Bill compliance.
- Conducting a comparative compensation analysis with similarly sized departments across Massachusetts.
- Establishing a clearly defined ranking system for all positions within the department, including Chief, Sergeant, Detective, Patrol Officer and Reserve Patrol Officer.
- Incorporating educational incentives into the compensation framework to encourage ongoing professional development.
- Delivering a final report with actionable recommendations, updated job descriptions, compensation data and analysis
With the final report now in hand, Shelburne is positioned to move forward confidently with a refined compensation structure that honors the dedication of its officers and sets a high standard for municipal public safety employment. The recommendations provided by CSS will help the Town attract and retain top-tier law enforcement talent, foster professional growth, and reinforce a culture of excellence and accountability within the department.
Shelburne officials expressed their confidence in CSS’s approach and outcomes:
“The Town chose Capital Strategic Solutions (CSS) because we were impressed with their credentials. Capital Strategic Solutions (CSS) is a Massachusetts certified Women-Owned Business with extensive experience working with municipalities similar in size to Shelburne. Most, if not all of their staff had worked in municipalities before joining CSS, therefore, they have a real understanding of challenges we face as a relatively small community with dedicated employees (competitive compensation, recruitment, and retention). We were impressed by their detailed methodology, their interaction and communication with town officials, their price point, and the delivery of a wage and compensation plan that will provide fair and competitive compensation for our police department with room for growth in the years to come.”
Rick LaPierre, Selectboard Chair; Terry Narkewicz, Town Administrator; Greg Bardwell, Chief of Police
In today’s challenging municipal hiring environment, a proactive, strategic approach to wage and classification planning is critical. Shelburne’s leadership demonstrated foresight by initiating this project, positioning the Town not only to meet current needs but to build a police department that remains strong, resilient, and community-focused well into the future.
About Capital Strategic Solutions
CSS is a certified woman-owned, disadvantaged business enterprise of municipal experts delivering creative, cost-effective solutions that maximize success and minimize risk. With deep local government expertise, we craft tailored strategies to meet each community’s unique needs.
Our capabilities span public administration, municipal finance, human resources, policy development, emergency management, public safety, public works, water operations, interim municipal services, public relations, community engagement, project management, grant writing, and onsite support. We partner with clients to define clear goals, overcome challenges, and implement human-centered plans that drive performance and transform communities.