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At first, it felt like a slogan. Over time, it became a governing reality. Today, it is a structural condition.
Local governments across the United States are operating in a permanent state of fiscal scarcity. Costs rise faster than revenue. Pension and health obligations tighten budgets, as we continue to adapt to a “new normal” post-global pandemic. Infrastructure is aging, while too often federal promises fall hollow. Staffing pipelines shrink as public servants are told to absorb another role that becomes doing less with less — meaning fewer services, slower response times, deferred maintenance and communities that feel left behind.
This is not a criticism of government. It is a calculus of math.
The 21st-century challenge for the public sector is simple to state but hard to solve: How do we deliver more services, more effectively, with fewer resources?
The answer is not austerity alone. It is not simply raising taxes or hoping federal grants come to fruition. Rather, the answer is building smarter systems at scale — and that means embracing public-private partnerships (PPPs).
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
During my time as New York City’s public safety technology czar, and earlier as an assistant police commissioner in one of the nation’s largest police departments, I saw something powerful up close: Technology can transform law enforcement when deployed thoughtfully, ethically and with a clear mission.
I worked with police officials trying to solve crimes faster, prosecutors struggling to manage case backlogs and emergency managers trying to coordinate responses across agencies. The challenge was never a lack of dedication. It was a lack of tools that matched the complexity of the work.
When we introduced technology that improved information sharing, modernized evidence workflows or helped agencies coordinate across jurisdictions, the results were immediate. Cases moved faster. Officers spent more time in communities and less time on paperwork. Prosecutors could focus on justice instead of logistics. Communities became safer.
Those experiences taught me something important: Innovation in government works best when public leaders and private innovators collaborate with a shared purpose.
Public-private partnerships are not about outsourcing responsibility — they are about combining strengths. Governments bring mission, transparency and community trust. Private partners bring speed, capital investment, specialized expertise and scalable technology. Together, they can solve problems neither could tackle alone.
In public safety especially, I learned that technology for its own sake is meaningless. New tools must be aligned with real-world outcomes — reducing crime, improving response times, protecting civil liberties and strengthening trust.
When partnerships are built around those principles, they expand what communities can achieve. They allow public agencies to focus on policy, oversight and community engagement, while harnessing private-sector innovation to modernize systems and deliver services effectively.
CASE STUDY: PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN
After nearly two decades in government, I joined BusPatrol because I saw firsthand how this scalable model could work.
BusPatrol is a child safety technology company with a mission that is painfully clear: prevent tragedies around school buses. It is a mission-driven organization unlike any other with a singular focus on keeping students safe.
Every year, millions of drivers illegally pass stopped school buses. Children are injured. Some are killed. Many more experience trauma that stays with them for life. These incidents are preventable, but enforcement resources are limited. Police departments cannot be everywhere at once. School districts cannot absorb new technology costs. Municipal budgets are stretched thin.
This is exactly where a public-private partnership makes sense.
BusPatrol develops the technology, finances the upfront capital, installs and maintains the equipment, manages administrative processes like violation review workflows and mailings, and works with local partners to reduce dangerous driving behavior. Local governments retain authority over enforcement and policy. Taxpayers do not pay upfront costs. Programs are designed to deter violations, not generate revenue.
This model allows municipalities to provide a critical public safety service they otherwise could not afford. That is the essence of a good PPP: minimize taxpayer liability, maximize service delivery.
MISSION-DRIVEN WORK MATTERS
One thing I have learned in government is that people want their work to matter.
BusPatrol attracts professionals who spent careers in public service and still want to make a difference. Police officers, transportation experts, public administrators, technologists — people who care deeply about community outcomes — join us because they see the chance to reduce child injuries, child trauma and child fatalities.
This is not theoretical work — it’s real. Communities see violations drop, students feel safer, parents breathe easier, drivers change their risky behavior — that’s impact.
PPPs have the added benefit of leveraging the expertise and knowledge of government veterans on the other side of the fence.
Critics of PPPs often ask: “What happens when profit motives conflict with public good?” The answer depends on the principles of the partnership.
At BusPatrol, every decision we make must pass a simple test: Does it make children safer?
That principle matters because the PPP model can create perverse incentives if not handled carefully. For example, it would be easy for a company to focus only on the most lucrative routes or neighborhoods, leaving others in the community vulnerable and unprotected. Revenue-driven enforcement undermines equitable public safety and erodes community trust.
We take a different approach. Every child deserves the same access to safety technology, regardless of ZIP code. Our school bus safety programs protect all children, and we work with districts to cover fleets comprehensively, not selectively. Safety should not depend on income level or neighborhood politics.
Purpose-driven work is not easy and that’s exactly why it matters. There will be challenges. Local politics can complicate partnerships. Misunderstandings may arise. Change can be uncomfortable. But if we stay focused on this mission, with transparency and accountability, these partnerships can succeed.
SOLVING REAL PROBLEMS IN A FISCAL REALITY
Local governments today face impossible trade-offs. Fix a bridge or fund after-school programs? Hire more police officers or modernize technology systems? Expand transit or maintain existing roads?
PPPs offer a way to break those zero-sum choices.
In the BusPatrol model, we take on startup risk. We develop and finance technology. We provide ongoing maintenance. We handle administrative tasks that many municipalities do not have staff to manage — processing, logistics, customer service. Local governments retain enforcement authority, policy control and oversight.
The result is a safer transportation system delivered without taxpayer expense. This is not unique to school bus safety. The same model can apply to smart infrastructure, energy efficiency, broadband expansion, water management, data systems and more.
The key is structure: transparent agreements, clear performance metrics, public oversight and alignment of incentives.
When done right, PPPs allow governments to do more — truly more — with less. This builds trust, and trust is the currency of government. PPPs must earn it. That means clear rules, independent review processes, public reporting and responsiveness to community concerns. It means acknowledging mistakes and improving systems, not tearing them to the ground at the first sign of imperfection. It means remembering that technology exists to serve people, not the other way around.
In our programs, potential violations are reviewed by authorized law enforcement or municipal entities for their independent determination. Citations are only issued upon their approval. Programs are designed to reduce dangerous behavior, not maximize tickets. Success is measured by fewer violations and safer streets.
DOING MORE — AND DOING IT BETTER
Today, we no longer have to debate calling into question cutting services or raising revenue. Instead, it is a call to innovate.
Government does not and cannot do everything alone. We can establish partnerships that build public trust, accelerate progress and deliver results. At BusPatrol, we’ll continue with this one guiding principle — does our work make communities safer? By listening to communities, solving the problems of local leaders and harnessing the power of our technology, we’ll build new frontiers for PPP.
The future of local government will depend on leaders who are willing to think beyond traditional boundaries and who understand that collaboration between public and private sectors is not a concession, but a thoughtful strategy.
And if we do this right, we can create something extraordinary: safer communities, stronger services and a public sector that can deliver its promises in even the hardest fiscal times. Doing More. Doing it Better.
