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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/09/2007, C10 - 2007-09 APPLICATION FOR OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT FOR TRAFFIC OFFICER AND EQUIPMENT councit MmunsD ` 1/9/07 j, ac Enna Report 1w.N. ., UD C ITY O F SAN L U I S O B I S P O FROM: Deborah Linden, Chief of Police Prepared By: Dan Blanke, Police Captain SUBJECT: 2007-09 APPLICATION FOR OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT FOR TRAFFIC OFFICER AND EQUIPMENT CAO RECOMMENDATION Authorize the Chief of Police to apply to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a grant in the amount of$292,293 to provide significant funding toward one traffic officer position and related equipment for a two year period, beginning October 1, 2007. DISCUSSION Background Traffic safety in the City is one of the primary responsibilities of the Police Department. This is accomplished through the education of our residents and motorists, the enforcement of traffic laws, and the investigation of traffic collisions. The team primarily responsible for these duties is the Police Department Traffic Unit, which consists of police motorcycle officers. However, patrol officers in cars also routinely enforce traffic laws and investigate collisions when calls for service allow. The Traffic Unit (motorcycle officers) is designed to consist of five officers and one supervisor (Sergeant) who also rides a motorcycle. In addition to investigating collisions and enforcing traffic laws, the team is also responsible for DUI enforcement, vehicle impounds, education programs such as the Bicycle Safety Rodeo, and traffic safety duties for special events such as the Tour of California, SLO Triathlon, City-to-Sea Marathon, Wheels of SLO, and various parades. As part of the FY 2003-05 Financial Plan, one of the Traffic Officer positions was eliminated in order to help close the significant budget gap with which the City was faced. An Administrative Lieutenant position was also eliminated during this same budget cycle, which shifted the administrative duties of this position to other managers and supervisors in the Department, including the Traffic Sergeant. In the FY 2005-07 budget cycle, the Police Department eliminated a patrol officer position in order to balance the budget. At the same time, calls for service have increased causing shortages in Patrol. As a result, traffic officers have been required to supplement patrol officers in responding to calls for service, rather than being able to pro-actively enforce traffic violations in the City. C[ o - - � Application for OTS Grant for Traffic Officer Page 2 2005 Traffic Enforcement and Collision Data The Traffic Unit has adjusted their enforcement priorities in order to focus on the most serious traffic violations and the highest collision locations. In 2005 (the most recent year of the annual Traffic Safety Report), officers increased the number of hazardous (moving) citations issued by 30% from 2004. In contrast, the number of non-hazardous citations decreased 27%, indicating this shift in focus with limited resources. The total number of collisions in 2005 decreased 12% from the year before; however bicycle involved collisions increased by almost 9%. In addition to number of collisions and citations issued each year, a standardized method of measuring the effectiveness of traffic enforcement programs is a city's traffic index. The traffic index is the ratio of hazardous citations issued to the number of injury and fatal collisions. This data is collected and reported to the State of California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), which tracks cities' indexes each year. Hazardous citations include moving violations for traffic offenses, as opposed to non-moving and mechanical violations. The Office of Traffic Safety considers a traffic index of 25 to be the minimum effective rate. The higher the index number, the more effective a program is considered to be. The 2005 index for the City of San Luis Obispo is 7.6 (calculated by dividing the 2,234 hazardous citations by the 293 injury and fatal collisions.) This is an improvement from 2004 when the index was 5.2, but it is still far below the state standard of 25. Staff believes the reductions in dedicated traffic officers, combined with a shortage of regular patrol officers, is a significant contributor to this low rate. Office of Traffic Safety Grant Opportunity Each year, the California Office of Traffic Safety solicits applications from cities for grant funds to mitigate traffic safety program deficiencies, expand ongoing activity, or develop new programs. Funds may be used for positions, overtime, and/or certain equipment. Grant funds cannot replace or supplant existing program expenditures.. OTS grants are based on the federal fiscal year, which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. Applications requesting full- time personnel must be submitted for a two year grant period beginning October 1, 2007 and ending September 30, 2009. The maximum amount of grant funding available for personnel grants is 100% of the salary and benefit costs the first year and 50% the second year. Proposed Grant Application In analyzing the City's traffic safety needs, and the most recent traffic index and statistical data, staff believes that adding back one traffic officer position to the Police Department Traffic Unit would increase our ability to pro-actively enforce traffic laws — including hazardous violations— and to begin improving our traffic index. Adding back one traffic officer would return the Traffic Unit complement to the same level that was in place prior to cutting the positions in 2003: five officers and one supervisor. The OTS grant presents an opportunity to use grant funds to offset costs for two years. After the grant money is exhausted, the position would be funded by the General Fund. Staff also analyzed the Police Department's equipment needs related to traffic enforcement. Currently, most of the radar enforcement units used by officers are old (some more than 10 years CD a Application for OTS Grant for Traffic Officer Page 3 old) and limited in their use. In addition, there are not enough handheld lidar units (laser devices to measure speed) to equip the existing motorcycle officers. There are no funds identified or budgeted to replace any of the radar units or to purchase additional lidar devices. The OTS grant presents an opportunity to replace and upgrade the old outdated radar units in the patrol cars and motorcycles with new devices that are much more accurate in measuring the speed of moving vehicles. This will enhance the ability of the motorcycle and patrol officers to enforce speed violations in the City. Staff is requesting approval to submit an OTS grant application for one police officer (assigned to the Traffic Unit), one police motorcycle, associated equipment for the officer and motorcycle, and twenty radar/lidar enforcement units (ten radar units for patrol cars, five radar units for motorcycles, and five handheld lidar units for traffic officers). If approved, the grant funding would begin on October 1, 2007. Staff considered seeking approval to apply for a traffic officer position in 2005, but because the City's future capacity to fund this position after the grant period was so uncertain, staff decided not to apply for the funds. With the passage of Measure Y, the City's finances are more stable and there is greater potential to continue funding this position from the General Fund beyond the two-year grant cycle. The grant funds will help leverage this potential by paying a substantial portion of the costs of the officer and equipment for the first two years. CONCURRENCES The Directors of the Public Works and Human Resources Departments concur with this recommendation. FISCAL IMPACT If the City's grant application is approved for full funding, grant money would fund 100% of the officer's salary and benefits for one year (October 1, 2007 — September 30, 2008) and 50% the second year (October 1, 2008 — September 30, 2009). These periods overlap both the FY 2007- 09 and the FY 2009-11 City budget cycles. Staff would incorporate grant funding and the necessary general fund contribution into the appropriate City financial plans. Item OTS Grant General Fund FY 07-08 FY 08-09 FY 09-10 FY 07-08 FY 08-09 FY 09-10 Traffic Officer 95,352 82,356 16,956 0.00 50,060 122,081 Motorcycle/Equip 29,833 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Radar/Lidar Units 20 67,796 0.00. 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Total 1 192,981 82,356 16,956 1 0.00 50,060 122,081 Total OTS Grant Funding: $292,293 1 Total General Fund: $172,141 A total of$292,293 in OTS grant funds would offset a portion of the cost of the officer through FY 2009-10, with the amount of grant funds decreasing each year. Beginning in 2008-09, the 0io - 3 Application for OTS Grant for Traffic Officer Page 4 City's General Fund would make up the.difference by contributing a total of $172,141, which allows the position to be fully staffed through FY 2009-10. The grant money would fully fund the cost of the police motorcycle, radar/lidar devices, and related equipment for the motorcycle and officer. Adding another motorcycle to our existing fleet will cost approximately 51,100 per year from the General Fund to maintain (for part replacement, repair, and scheduled maintenance). ALTERNATIVES 1. Council may choose not to replace a traffic officer position within the Police Department. This alternative is not recommended. The previously referenced Traffic Index clearly reflects the need for more officers to support the City's Traffic Safety Program goals. In addition, community surveys have consistently indicated that traffic safety is a top priority among City residents. 2. Council may choose not to apply for OTS grant funding, but to fully fund the replacement of a traffic officer, motorcycle, and related equipment with General Fund resources. If Council concurs that replacement of a traffic officer position is appropriate, the choice not to apply for this grant forfeits the opportunity to have OTS fund one-and- a-half years of a police officer's salary and benefits, as well as having OTS fully fund the cost of a motorcycle and all related vehicle and officer equipment. G:\PDStaff\CAO and CAR Reports\Council Agenda Report-OTS Grant for Motor Officer 1-9-07.DOC