The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About04/07/2009, C10 - EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM APPLICATION council MwbnDY 4/7/09 j acEnaa uepoRt "®N°nb�C/o C I T Y OF SAN LU IS O B I S P O FROM: Deborah Linden,Chief of Police Prepared By: Melissa Ellsworth,Senior Administrative Analyst SUBJECT: EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM APPLICATION RECOMMENDATION 1. Authorize staff to submit an application for a 2009 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of$78,925 to fund a half time Records Clerk position for two years,or police equipment and technology. 2. If grant is awarded,authorize the City Manager to execute necessary grant documents. DISCUSSION Grant Program Information On February 17, 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law in order to stimulate the Nation's economy. Included in the Act are $4 billion to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement through various grant programs, including $2 billion for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system, from multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces to crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives. JAG funds may be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, information systems for criminal justice, and criminal justice-related research and evaluation activities that will improve or enhance: 1. Law enforcement programs. 2. Prosecution and court programs. 3. Prevention and education programs. 4. Corrections and community corrections programs. 5. Drug treatment and enforcement programs. 6. Planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs. 7. Crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation). The JAG Program is a non-competitive formula grant and the funding allocation is based on the population and crime rate of the local jurisdiction. The amount allocated to our City is $78,925. Awards are made in the first fiscal year of the appropriation and may be expended during the C/o - i Council Agenda Report—Application for 2009 Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Program Page 2 following three years, for a total of four grant period years. JAG Program funds must be used to supplement existing state and local funds for program activities and must not replace those funds that have been appropriated for the same purpose. The applicant agency (Police Department) must make the grant application available for review by its governing body (Council) not fewer than 30 days before the application is submitted and members of the public must have an opportunity to comment on the application. Applications are due no later than May 18, 2009. Placement of this item on Council's April 7, 2009 consent agenda fulfills these requirements. Proposed Use of Grant Funds Currently a vacant half time records clerk position is included on the Police Department's list of potential operating budget reductions that may be needed to close the anticipated $10.4 million annual budget gap for fiscal year 2009-11. Although final recommendations to Council about operating reductions will not be made for several weeks, staff anticipates that this position (and others) may be eliminated in order to close the upcoming budget gap. Should this occur, the Police Department will need to reorganize the Records Bureau in order to maintain sufficient staffing to handle the necessary workload. As a result, the Police Department's administrative support of the San Luis Obispo County Narcotics Task Force (NTF) would be reduced by 50%. This will have a significant impact on the ability of NTF to function effectively. Staff recommends the JAG funds be used to continue funding the vacant half time records clerk position for two years, if the position is eliminated or unfunded as a result of operating program reductions. For more than 20 years, the Police Department has participated in and supported the San Luis Obispo County Narcotics Task Force (NTF) by dedicating one sworn investigator and a non- sworn records clerk to the Task Force. NTF is led and supported by the California Department of Justice, which commits over $700,000 worth of resources each year to NTF, including providing the NTF Commander and paying for the NTF office space. The focus of NTF is on major narcotic cases, gang-related narcotic trafficking, and drug endangered children cases throughout San Luis Obispo County, including our City. All the law enforcement agencies and many other agencies in the County contribute personnel and/or operating funds to NTF, including the various Police Departments, CHP, County Sheriff, District Attorney's Office, Probation, Child Welfare Services, State Parole and National Guard. NTF frequently partners with federal agencies such as DEA and Customs on major narcotics cases, which brings federal resources to the Task Force, including the reimbursement of overtime for local officers assigned to NTF. In addition, the existence of NTF benefits our City by providing a well-trained and experienced team to work narcotic and gang investigations and assisting in other types of major cases, such as homicides and robberies. Without NTF, our City would not have the resources to dedicate to these investigations. The Records Clerk assigned to NTF provides critical administrative support to all task force members by preparing and filing reports and cases for prosecution, processing phone calls and C-10 -a Council Agenda Report—Application for 2009 Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Program Page 3 information tips, tracking statistics, preparing audit reports, maintaining case files and databases, and many other duties that keep NTF functioning properly and efficiently. There is currently no other source of funding to pay for administrative support for the NTF. Should the vacant half time records clerk position be eliminated (or become unfunded) by Council, staff is recommending the JAG grant funds be used to continue funding the position for two years. This will.allow NTF to continue to operate with the necessary administrative support for at least two more years. The use of JAG funds for this purpose is allowable under.the JAG purpose areas and grant parameters. After the JAG funds are exhausted, staff would either seek additional grant funds to support the position or request the position be continued through the general fund if possible. The City Manager's recommendation of what positions to eliminate, and Council's final decision in this regard, must be made independent of the potential availability of the JAG grant money to fund the records clerk position (the decision must be made as if the grant does not exist). If Council decides not to eliminate the half time records clerk position, staff proposes utilizing the grant funds to purchase the following equipment and technology to improve the efficiency of the Police Department: 1. Automatic graffiti monitoring devices 2. Voice recognition software and digital recorders for report dictation 3. Updated hand-held computers for electronic citations (motorcycle officers) CONCURRENCES The Directors of the Finance/Information Technology and Human Resources Departments concur with the staff recommendation. FISCAL IMPACT City matching funds are not required for this grant. The following table depicts the cost of the halftime Records Clerk position for two years: Salary and Benefits-Records Clerk HW.Tfine Year JAG Grant Actual Costs* Cost to General Funding Fund 1 39,463 40,073 610 2** 39,463 40,689 1,226 To-tat $78,925 $80,762 $1,837 *Actual costs are based on a half time Records Clerk I,Step 1. **Salary assumptions for the second year are based on a 2%increase. Council Agenda Report—Application for 2009 Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Program Page 4 The City may draw down any or all JAG funds after acceptance of the award. To do so, a trust fund must be established in which to deposit the funds. The trust fund may or may not be an interest-bearing account. ALTERNATIVES 1. Modify the staff recommendation. Council may direct staff to apply for the JAG funds for a different purpose, as long as the use is consistent with the purpose areas described in this report. 2. Do not submit a grant application. Council may direct staff to not submit a grant application. The alternative is not recommended. The JAG Program is non-competitive and the funds have already been allocated to our City upon application, as long as the use is consistent with the purpose areas described in this report. i T:\Council Agenda Reports\Police CAR\2009\CAR_2009 JAG Grant Application.DOC