Bids to monitor NOPD reforms under consent decree vary widely

The city Wednesday morning made available for public viewing posted wide-ranging bids from seven companies vying to be selected as police monitor under terms of an impending federal consent decree with the New Orleans Police Department.

Correction: The city made the bids available for public viewing, but they are not posted online.

The monitor will be charged with ensuring that the decree’s mandates are enacted. The would-be monitors offered bids from about $7 million to $12 million over the four-year contract period.

• Chicago-based Hillard Heintze presented a bid of about $1.5 million a year in labor costs, plus an additional 18 percent in expenses, for a total estimated bid of about $7 million, the lowest tendered.*
• Pugh, Jones and Johnson capped their four-year fee at $8.3 million, all expenses included. The Chicago-based firm listed a New Orleans address on the bid cover sheet.
• Vigilant Resources International, run by Howard Safir, a former New York City police and fire chief, bid $8.7 million.
• New York-based Keypoint Government Solutions offered an aggregate bid of $7.55 million that tops out at $9 million when travel expenses are added.
• California-based Elite Performance Assessment Consultant (EPAC) wants $2.9 million in the first year, and about $2 million annually after that, for a total of about $9 million over the span of the contract.
• BDO Consulting out of Houston would charge $9.95 million over four years, or between $2.2 million and $2.6 million annually.
• Guidepost Solutions, headquartered in New York City,  listed hourly rates ($275 to $500) for a team of lawyers. Total costs would be capped at $12 million over four years.

*Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly stated that the Hillard Heintze proposal was for $7.2 million. It’s $7 million, as noted in the current version. (May 2, 2013)