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Home My WebLink About2012/09/18 Item 05CITY COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT ~`~~ CITY OF =~ CHULA VISTA SEPTEMBER 18, 2012, Item S ITEM TITLE: RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA ACCEPTING $750,000 FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES, ADDING FOUR PEACE OFFICERS TO THE AUTHORIZED STAFFING LEVEL OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND APPROPRIATING $174,834 TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2012/2013 BUDGET OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE COPS HIRING GRANT PROGRAM SUBMITTED BY: CHIEF OF POLICE REVIEWED BY: CITY MANAGER S 1 ~- ~ S 4/STHS VOTE: YES ~X NO SUMMARY In June 2012, the Police Department was awarded a 3-year, $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to assist the City in hiring six sworn police officers. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This proposed activity has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and it has been determined that the activity is not a "Project" as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines because it will not result in a physical change in the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary. RECOMMENDATION Council adopt the resolution. BOARDS/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Not Applicable. 5-1 SEPTEMBER 18, 2012, Item Page 2 of 3 DISCUSSION In June 2012, the Police Department was awarded $750,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) for the COPS Hiring Grant Program. This grant program was extremely competitive. Only 16% of the police deparnnents across the country that applied for these funds received an award. This COPS grant allows the Police Department to hire six peace officers, and funds $125,000 per officer over a 3-year grant period. The terms of the grant require recipients to contribute a local cash match. New officers hired as part of this grant program must have been on active militazy duty on or after September 11, 2001. This grant program also required applicants to select one crime problem on which the funded officers would focus. The Police Department selected domestic violence as its focus crime problem, due to the large volume of calls of this nature received, as well as the lasting impact of this problem on the Chula Vista community. Since 2007, the Police Department has received an average of 3,700 calls for service related to domestic violence and domestic disturbances per year. In 2011, domestic violence/domestic disturbances was our third most common call type (false burglary alarms was #1 and more general disturbances by a person was #2). All six officers hired under this grant program will be deployed to the Community Patrol division and will be the preferred responders to domestic violence calls. The six officers will implement a variety of best practice responses recommended in the COPS/U.S. Department of Justice Problem Oriented Policing Guide on Domestic Violence and other publications. An example of an innovative response that has successfully reduced repeated domestic violence elsewhere is victim and offender follow-up within 7 and 28 days of the incident. A civilian analyst will assist the team of officers in identifying patterns relating to victims, offenders, and incident locations, so that the responses implemented can be tailored to the specific nature of domestic violence in Chula Vista. In implementing the project, the Police Department will partner with South Bay Community Services, apartment managers, and schools. The Department is planning on hiring three lateral peace officers (those who have completed a POST approved full academy) and three entry-level officers who will attend the San Diego Regional Training Academy in October 2012. It is anticipated that the lateral officers will be hired in late September 2012, and the entry-level officers will graduate from the 6-month academy in April 2013. DECISION MAKER CONFLICT Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is not site specific and consequently the 500-foot rule found in California Code of Regulations section 18704.2(a)(1) is not applicable to this decision. CURRENT YEAR FISCAL IMPACT Approval of this resolution will result in the acceptance of $750,000 of grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The grant will allow the Police Deparhnent to hire six officers funded by the COPS Hiring Program. In anticipation of this grant, two peace officers were included in the fiscal year 2012/2013 adopted budget, and four officers will be added to the authorized 5-2 SEPTEMBER 18, 2012, Item c Page 3 of 3 staffing levels of the Police Department at this time. Because the grant covers multiple fiscal years, the COPS funding for the six officers can be spread out over the three year grant period at the City's discretion. The table below details how staff recommends utilizing the grant funds over the next three fiscal years. As proposed, there would be no additional general fund impact in fiscal year 2012/2013. i ~~ i i i i, Estimated Personnel Costs $ 474,834 $ 784,485 $ 829,467 $ 862,077 Current Fiscal Year Funding Offset $ (300,000) $ (230,000) $ (230,000) $ (230,000) New General Fund Impact $ 174,834 $ 554,485 $ 599,467 $ 632,077 Grant Revenue -total $750,000 $ 174,834 $ 554,485 $ 20,681 $ - Projected General Fund Impact $ - $ - $ 578,786 $ 632,077 ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT The table above outlines the cost of accepting six new positions and staff s recommendation on how to apportion the grant funds over a four year period. The total cost for the six positions over four fiscal years is estimated at $2,950,863, of which $750,000 is funded via the COPS grant. This means the total General Fund impact over the four years will be approximately $2,200,863. In anticipation of receiving the COPS grant, the City had originally appropriated $300,000 in fiscal year 2012/2013 which means the additional new General Fund impact as a result of accepting this grant will be approximately $1,900,863. The City will assume the full costs of these six officers in fiscal year 2015/2016. As part of a separate report on today's agenda, the City Council is considering the extension of the memorandum of understanding with the Chula Vista Police Officer's Association. As noted in that report, it is the City Manager's intent to propose elimination of longevity pay from future contracts with the goal of offsetting the fiscal years 2015 and 2016 General Fund impact for the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services grant. The current MOU includes longevity pay of 3% for eligible employees as of July 1, 2012. Longevity pay will continue in fiscal year 2013-14. The estimated cost of longevity pay in fiscal year 2014 is $310,000. These costs savings could help reduce the projected fiscal impact for years 3 and 4 of the grant period. The Five-Year Financial Forecast for fiscal years 2013 to 2017 does not reflect the impact of these additional expenditures as the City had not received the grant when the forecast was prepared. The forecast presented to Council in May reflected a continued deficit ranging from $3.3 million to $1.7 million during the forecast period. These costs will be incorporated into the update of the Five-Year Financial Forecast. ATTACHMENTS None. Prepared by: Edward Chew, Administrative Services Manager, Polace Department 5-3 RESOLUTION NO. 2012- RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA ACCEPTING $750,000 FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES, ADDING FOUR PEACE OFFICERS TO THE AUTHORIZED STAFFING LEVEL OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND APPROPRIATING $174,834 TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2012-2013 BUDGET OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE COPS HIRING GRANT PROGRAM WHEREAS, In June 2012, the Police Department was awarded a 3-year, $750,000 grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice, to assist the City in hiring six sworn police officers; and WHEREAS, the Chula Vista Police Department recently had a staffing and organizational review study completed by Matrix Consulting Group which showed that the Community Patrol Unit was experiencing low proactive patrol times (22% on average); and WHEREAS, according to the study, the ideal proactive patrol time should be approximately 40% of the total available officer time; and WHEREAS, the Police Department is making organizational and policy changes to achieve the recommended 40% proactive patrol time; and WHEREAS, adding six new officers to the Community Patrol Unit will add approximately 12% of proactive patrol time; and WHEREAS, the $750,000 grant award can be spread over three years at the City's discretion. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the City Council of the City of Chula Vista does hereby accept the Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services grant in the amount of $750,000, and appropriate $174,834 to the Personnel Services category of the Police Department fiscal year 2012 - 2013 budget. Presented by: Approved as to form by: David Bejarano Police Chief ~~~ ~----~ l ' Glen R. Go ins r'-a2 6 City Attorney 5-4