KKL Collective was engaged in November 2022 to lead MPDʻs first five-year strategic plan. Together, with the new leadership team we:

• Listened – interviews with leadership and community stakeholders, small group discussions across each district, shift and bureau, and recurring meetings with local leaders helped to set a baseline of understanding to elevate frontline ideas.
• Reached outward – through a county-wide resident survey administered online, we collected feedback on priorities, concerns, and perceptions.
• Learned – through the Presidentʻs Task Force on 21st Century Policing, we were able to initiate conversations based on structures and best practices identified through nationwide research.
• Strategized – four objectives and an OKR framework with quarterly 0-1.0 scoring allowed progress to be measured, reported, and accessible both internally and externally.

• Recruitment & retention team dug in – vacancies in the POI and POII job categories nearly halved between 2023 and 2026.
• Leadership training opportunities in-house – At the request of the Chief, KKL designed and facilitated MPD’s inaugural Leadership Series with its first cohort graduating in May 2026 and a second cohort starting in September 2026.
• Investments back in its people – MPD took the feedback seriously, and implemented officer wellness programs, advocated for subsidized vehicles, and fought to deliver salary and cost-of-living increases that had been elusive in years prior.
• Thoughtful presence – a redeisgned website, a physical recruitment center, platform-specific reporting via social media, town halls, and proactive, positive storytelling have all aided in protecting trust with its community, while also modeling and recruiting the next generation of leaders into the Department.

This plan worked because of how MPDʻs leadership showed up. The Chief and his command team made themselves available for recurring work sessions, stayed open through difficult conversations, and acted on ideas that came from their within. The leadership of MPD positioned themselves as advocates for their team, and through crises, high-profile distractions, and challenges, they never lost sight of their responsibility to their community or the Department. KKL’s role was to listen, facilitate, and turn what was heard into a workable roadmap, and we had the privilege of staying alongside the team as they put they put those words to work according to their vision.