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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020/01/14 Item 5 - Written Communications - Hendren/Campagna Written Communications t Item # .5 Name_f( en OFFICE OF HALL OF JUSTICE THE DISMf �' ORNEY DAVID P.GREENBERG 330 WEST BROADWAY ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAN DIEGO,CA 92101 COUNT�C`O , AN=DIEGO (619)531-4040 SanDiegoDA.com - SUMMER STEPHAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY January 13, 2020 VIA HAND DELIVERY Mayor Mary Casillas Salas Councilmember John McCann Councilmember Jill Galvez Councilmember Stephen Padilla Councilmember Mike Diaz City of Chula Vista 276 Fourth Avenue Chula Vista, California 91910 Re: District Attorney's Position on Use of Measure A Funds for Additional Positions for Chula Vista City Attorney's Office Dear Mayor Salas and Councilmembers: As you know, I am the Chief Law Enforcement Official within the County of San Diego, and my office has the responsibility of prosecuting both misdemeanor and felony crimes that occur within the City of Chula Vista. In this capacity, I have a strong interest in ensuring that critical public safety funds are legally spent and appropriately allocated to most effectively improve public safety. Prior to the June 2018 passage of Chula Vista's Measure A Sales Tax, I understood that the growth of Chula Vista had stretched both police and fire resources so thin that public safety was at risk of being sacrificed. Chula Vista's Measure A ballot proposition was marketed to voters and designed to address that important public safety issue by potentially providing additional funds to be used solely to address staffing and resource issues within the police and fire departments. Fortunately, Measure A passed, and my understanding is the collection of that sales tax began in October 2018. You now have a resolution pending before you to consider expanding the use of Measure A public safety funds outside of police and fire departments,to potentially add a city attorney investigator and a paralegal to the Chula Vista City Attorney's Office. Certainly, the City Council is absolutely entitled to fund what and how they please. Normally, I would not weigh in on such an issue. I am only doing so now because Measure A funding was supposed to be dedicated for public safety purposes. If the Council wishes to use funds other than Measure A funds to add positions within the City Attorney's Office,then I take no position on that. a VIA HAND DELIVERY Mayor Mary Casillas Salas Councilmember John McCann Councilmember Jill Galvez Councilmember Stephen Padilla Councilmember Mike Diaz City of Chula Vista January 13, 2020 Page 2 I understand the good intentions of this proposal, and I have great respect for the Chula Vista City Attorney's Office. I would be more than happy to form a working group and collaborate further with that office on how to best leverage existing resources to enhance public safety. However, I do not believe it is a wise or appropriate use of Measure A funds to pay for two new positions within the Chula Vista City Attorney's Office. I am afraid that not only would such use of Measure A funds be beyond the purpose voters were told these funds would be used for if Measure A passed, but it also seems duplicative and an unnecessary use of public safety resources since my office prosecutes crimes occurring in Chula Vista. Whenever there are crimes committed in Chula Vista, we stand ready, willing and able to ethically prosecute such crimes. The San Diego County District Attorney's Office has a branch office and strong presence in the heart of Chula Vista. We have 39 prosecutors, 11 paralegals, 11 sworn police officers, 5 victim advocates, and approximately 35 other staff members for a total of more than 100 persons dedicated specifically to prosecuting the misdemeanor and felony crimes that occur within the City of Chula Vista and the South Bay area. My staff has been working closely with Chief Roxanne Kennedy and members of the Chula Vista Police Department for years to make Chula Vista safer. In 2019, we filed 1,975 misdemeanor cases submitted to us by the Chula Vista Police Department(CVPD), and 745 felony cases(31 of which were submitted as misdemeanors, but we issued felony charges). The Chula Vista branch of my office filed a total of 4,907 misdemeanor cases in the entirety of the South Bay area and 2,366 felony cases. We have the resources we need to continue doing an excellent job prosecuting cases in Chula Vista and the South Bay, but if there's anything that you believe we could do to improve public safety in Chula Vista then I am always willing to meet and discuss such issues. I am absolutely committed to working with the City of Chula Vista to address any public safety issues. We constantly work with the community, law enforcement and other agencies to look at emerging public safety issues and reprioritize. My staff already regularly meets with members of CVPD staff and discusses ways we can improve public safety. We also frequently train CVPD officers, and work collaboratively with law enforcement to improve the apprehension and prosecution of criminals in Chula Vista and make the city safer. We have a Community Prosecutor assigned to the Chula Vista branch office who is dedicated to working with the community, law enforcement and governmental agencies to ensure our office is getting important feedback regarding how we can most effectively serve the public. My position is that choosing to take financial resources designed to improve public safety away from the police and fire departments and allocating those precious funds to expand the law office of the Chula Vista City Attorney, which primarily handles civil matters, code violations, and VIA HAND DELIVERY Mayor Mary Casillas Salas Councilmember John McCann Councilmember Jill Galvez Councilmember Stephen Padilla Councilmember Mike Diaz City of Chula Vista January 13, 2020 Page 3 violations of city ordinances, seems duplicative, an unnecessary use of critical resources, and outside the spirit of Measure A. There is already a prosecutor's office dedicated to improving public safety, and prosecuting crimes in Chula Vista. If you have any concerns about what we do, or how we do it, please let me know and I will be happy to address these issues with you. Meanwhile, however, I strongly urge you to continue to limit the use of Measure A funds to the purposes for which they were originally told to voters, to provide resources and staffing for the Chula Vista Police and Fire Departments. Sincerely, A�UwoU �Y� SUMMER STEPHAN San Diego County District Attorney cc: Glenn Googins, Chula Vista City Attorney