About the Study

Law enforcement is an essential government service that touches the lives of every resident and visitor in Tompkins County. The professionals that provide this valuable service have dedicated their lives to keeping the community safe. However, the increased costs associated with the service and the changing demands of the community are forcing changes to the provision of law enforcement. This reality has led Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca, and the Villages of Cayuga Heights, Dryden and Groton to undertake a thorough evaluation to determine the best option for providing the highest levels of service in the future.

CGR and our partner Highland Planning will be engaged in a comprehensive review of law enforcement operations in the county and participating municipalities. As part of the project we will gather public input though a survey and at several public meetings. We will also be interviewing key staff in each of the participating law enforcement agencies in the county.

CGR started work on the project in January, 2017 and anticipates completing the project by June 2017. During the project, there will be opportunities for the public to learn about the progress of the study and to share their opinions. Public meetings will be announced through traditional county mechanisms as well as through this website.

CGR has also been engaged by Tompkins County to conduct a study of the criminal justice and jail system. To learn about that study, please go to: https://www.cgr.org/TompkinsCrimJust/