HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/01/2003, C7 - VOLUNTEERS IN POLICE SERVICES GRANT PROPOSAL i t
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CITY OF SAN L U I S O B I S P O
FROM: Deborah Linden, Chief of Polico
Prepared By: Kathe Bishop,Administrative Analyst Vb
SUBJECT: Volunteers in Police Services Grant Proposal
CAO RECOMMENDATION
1. Request approval to submit grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Justice, to seek
funding of approximately$50,000, to support enhancements to the Police Volunteer
Program.
2. Authorize the Chief of Police to execute all grant related documents.
DISCUSSION
The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), is
accepting proposals to fund initiatives designed to enhance local law enforcement community
policing efforts. The grant proposals do not require local matching funds, as such; this will be a
very competitive process. The grant period is 12-months, beginning October 1, 2003 and ending
September 30, 2004.
The Police Department is developing a grant proposal to fund the enhancement of the Police
Volunteer Program and to establish the program under Volunteers in Police Service (YIPS), as part
of the USA Freedom Corps program announced by President George W. Bush in his 2002 State of
the Union address. The goal of VIPS is to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement
to utilize volunteer programs. The civilian volunteers provide office and field support for a variety
of programs in order to free officers for frontline duty.
Preliminary information from the VIPS program emphasizes the importance of a volunteer
coordinator, as an effective volunteer coordinator is often linked to the success of VIPS programs,
and funds from this grant can be used to cover the costs of a volunteer program coordinator. In
addition to a part-time, temporary, non-benefited program development coordinator, the grant
proposal will seek funding for such things as travel and per diem costs to attend two days of
required VIPS-related training, a laptop computer for use by the development coordinator in the
Police Department and in the field, advertisements and marketing of the volunteer program, and
resources for volunteer coordination, implementation and evaluation efforts.
The intended outcome of the grant proposal will be an operational VIPS program that is self
sufficient, with greater program structure, to enhance the ability of the San Luis Obispo Police
Department to effectively provide public services, with no additional impacts or continuing costs to
staffing or fiscal resources.
Council Agenda Report-Volunteers in Police Services Grant Proposal
Page 2
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be no negative fiscal impact. All program costs are requested as part of the grant
proposal and the volunteer program development coordinator will utilize an existing workstation.
During the grant period, the volunteer program will be developed to enable the program to continue
beyond the grant period and within existing staff and fiscal resources.
ALTERNATIVE
Decline the submittal of a grant proposal to COPS and do not seek funding to enhance police
services. Staff does not recommend this alternative, as the enhanced volunteer program would be
fully grant funded with no matching City funds required. This program would be a benefit to police
services in this community, during a time when staff is working to mitigate the impacts associated
with the loss of two regular positions "frozen indefinitely"in the 2003-05 Financial Plan.
Electronic File Path: H:\Volunteers in Police Services\VIPS Grant Proposal CAR.doc
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