What Major Cities Taught Us at NLC City Summit

What Major Cities Are Prioritizing in 2026 — Reflections from the National League of Cities City Summit

‍

As we wrap up an incredible week at the National League of Cities City Summit in Salt Lake City, one theme stands out above all others:

‍
Major cities are entering 2026 with a renewed focus on modernization, transparency, and operational control.

‍
Not just in infrastructure or economic development. Not just in housing, mobility, or public health. But also in something that historically lived in the operational shadows:

‍
Off-duty law enforcement programs.
‍

This year, the conversations were different. Smarter. More strategic. More forward-looking. And it became clear that off-duty management has officially become an enterprise-level priority for city leadership - not just a police department workflow.
‍

Below are the top reflections and insights we’re carrying home from this year’s summit.

1: Major cities are demanding transparency - and they’re no longer accepting opaque vendor models.

‍
City managers, council members, and mayors from across the country all expressed versions of the same concern:

‍
“We need clear visibility into how our off-duty programs operate - financially, legally, operationally.”

‍
What struck me most was how many leaders admitted they don’t have the visibility they want today:

• They don’t know how assignments are made
• They don’t know what liabilities they carry
• They don’t know which workflows are controlled by vendors
• They don’t know whether officers have adequate protections
• They don’t know whether their program is compliant as expectations evolve

Opaque, vendor-controlled processes simply don’t match the governance expectations of modern cities.

‍
The leaders we met want clarity, not confusion. Transparency, not guesswork. Control, not vendor dependence. This is where modern platforms separate themselves from “legacy” off-duty service providers that still rely on phone calls, manual assignment processes, or unclear insurance structures.

2: Scale exposes weaknesses - and major cities feel it first.

‍
One council member said it perfectly:
“Our city isn’t small. If something can break, it breaks faster here.”
‍

Large cities operate:

• multiple commands
• multiple precincts
• thousands of officers
• complex event operations
• high audit visibility
• multifaceted vendor & city-funded details

In this environment, a clunky interface, slow turnaround, manual processes, or rep turnover isn’t just inconvenient - it’s a liability. And the major cities we met made it clear:

‍
They’re done tolerating outdated or vendor-centric systems.

‍

They’re looking for real platforms. Enterprise infrastructure. Technology that performs under pressure.

‍
When a platform works for a major city, it works everywhere. And that truth is reshaping how cities evaluate their off-duty programs.

3: Officers deserve more, and elected leaders agree.

‍
This is new.

‍
For years, officers quietly resisted slow or frustrating off-duty systems because they assumed, “This is just how it works.” Not anymore.
‍

Elected officials told us:

• Officers are tired of waiting for callback approvals
  
• Administrations want self-service for schedule changes
  
• Vendors want modern mobile experiences.
  
• Officers want transparency in assignments
  
• Officers and Vendors want real-time notifications
  
• Communities want reliability, not service inconsistencies

Cities now see officer satisfaction as a recruiting, retention, and morale factor.

‍
That’s a massive shift. The best part?

‍
Leaders are realizing that modernization doesn’t just help admin staff… it improves officer safety, officer opportunity, and officer experience.

4: Compliance and insurance clarity are becoming non-negotiable.

‍
Several city managers asked us the same blunt question:

‍
“Who actually carries the workers' comp and liability in different off-duty scenarios?”

‍
This used to be a back-office conversation. Now it's a council-level conversation. Why?

‍
Because everyone understands the stakes:

• Compliance standards are tightening
• Liability scrutiny is increasing
• Dual-entry systems create audit risks
• Messy vendor models create ambiguity
• Legacy operational structures create exposure

Modern cities want clarity - in writing - and they are demanding it from their vendors.

This is where legacy models falter - and modern platforms thrive.

‍

5: Cities want partners, not vendors.

‍
This was perhaps the biggest shift.

‍
Major cities aren’t shopping for scheduling tools.

‍
They are searching for:

• governance partners
• operational partners
• compliance partners
• transparency partners
• modernization partners

Cities want someone who understands the complexity of large metropolitan policing - and the expectations elected leadership carries.

‍
They want a platform that evolves with them. They want a team that stands behind them. They want stability, support, and tenured people they can trust. This is the RollKall difference - and this week validated just how important it is.

Final Reflection: Modernization Isn’t Optional Anymore

‍
If I could summarize the City Summit in one sentence, it would be this:

‍
“Major cities are no longer willing to accept off-duty programs that operate in the dark, depend on phone calls, lack transparency, or rely on outdated vendor models.”

‍
The momentum is undeniable.

‍
Cities want:

• transparency
• control
• officer empowerment
• modern workflows
• audit-ready compliance
• enterprise stability
• clarity over liability
• tech that scales

And they want it now.

‍
We left Salt Lake City more energized than ever - because the cities we serve deserve the very best.

‍
And the conversations we had this week confirmed that RollKall is leading the way into the future of off-duty management.

‍
Thank you to every elected official, city manager, and public safety leader who took the time to meet with us.

‍
The work you do matters - and we are honored to support you.

‍

Respectfully,

Chris White

Founder - Chairman

RollKall Technologies, LLC