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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007/10/09 Item 2 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT ~~f:. CITY OF - - - CHUlA VISTA 10/09/2007 Item 2. ITEM TITLE: RESOLUTION ACCEPTING $329,999 FROM THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE FOR THE 2007 EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL DISCRETIONARY GRANT AND APPROPRIATING SAID FUNDS TO THE POLICE GRANT F D. CHIEF OF POUC CITY MANAGER 4/5THS VOTE: YES X NO SUBMITTED BY: REVIEWED BY: BACKGROUND The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. Funds can be used for demonstration, replication, expansion, enhancement, training and/or technical assistance programs. Grant applicants must establish an intelligence-led, data-driven, multi-jurisdictional response to violent crime and gangs. Applicants must document an existing or proposed multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional partnership, and are required to have an ongoing partnership with at least one federal law enforcement agency throughout the project period. The Chula Vista Police Department, in partnership with the San Diego County Probation Department, and with the support of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, submitted an application entitled "Chula Vista Violent Crime Project". 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. 2-1 10/09/2007, [tem~ Page 2 of 4 RECOMMENDATION That Council adopt the resolution accepting $329,999 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance for the 2007 Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grant and amending the Police Grant Fund budget by appropriating $220,586 for personnel costs, $63,894 for supplies and services and $45,519 for equipment. BOARDS/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Not Applicable. DISCUSSION The Police Department has recently received notice of the FY 2007 Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grant award from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. This award in the amount of $329,999 relates to a 12-month project called the "Chula Vista Violent Crime Project". The goal of the Chula Vista Violent Crime Project is to reduce robbery and aggravated assaults by implementing the following five objectives: 1) problem-solving policing to gather data from a variety of sources to develop a better understanding of robbery and aggravated assault problems, 2) advanced technology to monitor high-risk probationers, gang members and hot spot locations, 3) advanced crime analysis and mapping tools in police operations to direct efforts at reducing robbery and aggravated assault problems through directed patrol and investigative resources, 4) existing intra- and inter-agency task forces and units, and 5) the exchange of information about robberies and aggravated assault with the community. The department's public safety analysts will use existing crime analysis and mapping software to conduct in-depth analysis of past crime incidents at high-density crime locations to identify hot days and times, suspects or suspect groups, methods of operations, and other relevant information (Objective 1). The analysts, officers, and investigators assigned to this project will gather information on people and vehicles in the high-density crime locations by: ~ Partnering with San Diego County Probation Department to monitor the movements of up to 15 dangerous/high-risk probationers through GPS electronic monitoring devices (Objectives 2 and 3); ~ Tracking vehicles of targeted probationers and gang-members using vehicle tracking technologies (Objectives 2 and 3); ~ Collecting information on vehicles frequenting high-density crime locations using advanced mobile license plate recognition (LPR) technology (Objectives 2 and 3); and ~ Gathering and analyzing information on gang-members, probationers and parolees who frequent high-density crime locations through surveillance and direct contact by officers (Objectives 1 and 3). A temporary public safety analyst dedicated to this project will periodically integrate the above data with new crime reports, calls for service and other data, which consequently identifies active crime patterns, trends and possible offenders (Objective 1). Additionally, the analyst will produce reports, maps, and bulletins for commanders, 2-2 10109/2007, ItemL Page 3 of 4 supervisors, officers, investigators, multi-agency task forces, and the department's public information officer about robbery and aggravated assault trends (Objectives 3, 4 and 5). Directed patrol will focus on high-density locations based on the data synthesis, analysis, and reports. The purpose of this patrol is to deter offenses, identify suspects, and gather additional intelligence through contacts (field interviews, traffic stops, personal contacts, etc.) with persons frequenting the areas (Objective 3). Officers working overtime will be used to ensure attention is focused at specific locations at specific times. Furthermore, the regular beat officers and supervisors will be provided the same information to help them better allocate any free time they have to these areas. Street Team/Gang Enforcement Unit and JUDGE (Jurisdictions Unified for Drug & Gang Enforcement)l Unit officers will increase active monitoring of probationers and gang members identified through the above data synthesis. Street Team/Gang Enforcement Unit and JUDGE Unit officers will use wireless PDAs (personal digital assistants) to access the electronic monitoring data of probationers, local, regional, and state criminal justice data systems (Objectives 2, 3, and 4). Officers and investigators working on this project will increase the certainty of the punishment of apprehended offenders by: ~ Referring qualified gun-related cases to the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecution through the federal Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force effort (Objectives 2 and 4); ~ Working with San Diego County Probation to revoke the probation of identified violators (Objectives 2 and 4); and ~ Referring qualified cases to the San Diego County District Attorney's JUDGE prosecutor or Gang Prosecution Unit for special attention (Objectives 2 and 4). The Police Department will also develop a public education awareness effort based on the detailed analysis of robbery and aggravated assaults to provide information on how to protect against robberies and encourage citizens to notify police of suspicious circumstances (Objective 5). Included in this effort will be media events and press releases announcing the project, periodic public awareness bulletins, and presentations about the project at community meetings. In summary, the major elements of this project include crime analysis, electronic monitoring of probationers, license plate recognition technology, wireless connectivity to criminal justice databases, remote vehicle tracking, and outreach to the community. Key to this effort is the synthesis of data from a variety of sources to better direct patrol to hot robbery and aggravated assault locations and times, and better focus follow-up investigations. Police commanders and analysts with extensive experience managing similar programs will oversee and work on this 12-month project from 10/1/2007 to 9/30/2008. 1 JUDGE is a multi-jurisdictional task force that consists of police officers, probation officers and deputy district attorneys working together to target drug dealers and documented gang members involved in drug use and sales. 2-3 10/09/2007, ltemL Page 4 of4 After the grant funding ends, the strategies developed will continue by analyzing violent crimes and their locations and producing crime bulletins to direct the patrol efforts of regular beat officers. Furthermore, the Street Team/Gang Suppression Unit, the JUDGE unit, and the Crimes of Violence Unit will continue their enhanced monitoring of probationers and gang members identified as being involved in violent crimes. In addition, license plate technology will continue to be used at problem locations. Efforts will be made to find additional funding for the lease of GPS electronic monitoring systems for probationers to continue that element of the project. 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 I 8704.2(a)(l) is not applicable to this decision. FISCAL IMPACT Approval of this resolution will result in the appropriation of $329,999 to the Police Grant Fund, as detailed in the table below. The funding from the 2007 Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grant will completely offset these costs, resulting in no net impact to the General Fund. I I' i Temporary Analyst Wages & Benefits $53,241 $17,748 $70,989 Officer Overtime $89,698 $59.899 $149.597 Total Personnel Costs $142.939 $77.647 $220,586 Wireless PDA's & Airtime Fees $8,721 $1,650 $10,371 Remote Vehicle Trackers & Airtime Fees $8,111 $1,485 $9,596 GPS Monitoring System $30,386 $10,129 $40,515 DOJ Sponsored Conference $3.412 $0 $3.412 Totol Supplies & Services $50,630 $13,264 $63,894 License Plate Reader & Software $45.519 $0 $45,519 Total Equipment $45,519 $0 $45,519 TOTAL PROJECT COSTS $239,088 $90,911 $329,999 TOT AL GRANT FUNDING $239,088 $90,911 $329,999 Net 1m act to General Fund $0 $0 $0 ATTACHMENTS Attachment "A": Letter of Support from San Diego County Probation Department Attachment "B": Letter of Support from United States Attorney, Southern District of CA Prepared by: Jonathan Alegre, Senior Management Analyst, Police Department 2-4 D.:lvld E. Cr.mfont CHiEF PI'I06FoT10rl OFFICER (,\('lltl(ll (11SG}Sl4..:lI':ll FAA. (OSllJ5'~ 31:!\ (:ountp of $an I\iego DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION POST OFfiCE BOX :JJS!J7 SAN DIEGO. CAl..JFORNIA 9219J.J597 June 19, 2007 Rick Emerson Chief of Police Chula Vista Police Department 315 Fourth Ave Chula Vista, CA 91910 Dear ChiefEmefson: I am pleased 10 submit this leller of support for the Chula Vista Police Department's application for an Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance The Probation Department looks forward 10 working with your department on this project to address the rising robbery and aggravated assault rales in Chula Vista. Specifically, we will assist in identifying high-risk probationers and filling them with GPS-enable tracking devices for monitoring by the police department. In addition, our probation officer currently assigned to the JUDGE Unit in Chula Vista will continue to act as a conduit for information between our two departments on probation-related investigations We commend Cl1ula Vista Police Department in their efforts to address the rising rates of robbery and aggravated assault in Chula Vista and look fOf\vard to our continued p<lrtnership Sincerely, -, ail '~d~; / ~~, ,P6A v'1fft~j{N (1.D. CHIEF PROB 'ION OFF1CER (Acting) 2-5 Attachment "A" Attachment "B" U.S. Department of Justice United States Attorney Southern District of California KAREN P. HEWITT United States Attorney (619) 557-5690 Fax (619) 557-5782 San Diego County Offrce Federal Office Building 880 Front Street, Room 6293 San Diego, California 9210/-8893 Imperial COUllly Offic.e 321 South Waterman Avenue Room 204 El Centro, California 92243-2215 June 12, 2007 Domingo S. Herraiz Director, Office of Justice Programs United States Department of Justice 810 7th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20531 Re: Chula Vista Police Department, Chula Vista, California Application for Funding - Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program FY 2007 Competitive Grant Announcement Dear Mr. Herraiz: The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California supports the Chula Vista Police Department in their efforts to apply for participation in the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program, FY 2007 Competitive Grant Announcement I am writing this letter of support to be added to Chula Vista Police Department's application for funding. In addition to being a part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force, members of the Chula Vista Police Department participated in the Southern District of California Gun Crime Prosecution Protocol "Train-the- Trainers" workshop, and fIrearms training sessions that focused on federal fIrearms law, fIrearms identifIcation, fIrearms tracing, and hidden compartments. We look forward to continuing to work with the Chula Vist;! Police Department as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force and support their efforts to receive recognition in the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely yours, 1{Auc]?; ~ KAREN P. HEWITT United States Attorney cc: Chula Vista Police Department 2-6 RESOLUTION NO. 2007- RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA ACCEPTING $329,999 FROM THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE FOR THE EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL DISCRETIONARY GRANT AND APPROPRIATING SAID FUNDS TO THE POLICE GRANT FUND. WHEREAS, the Police Department has recently received notice of the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grant award from the Bureau of Justice Assistance for a 12-month project called the "Chula Vista Violent Crime Project"; and WHEREAS, the goal of the Chula Vista Violent Crime Project is to reduce robbery and aggravated assaults; and WHEREAS, the major elements of this project include crime analysis, electronic monitoring of probationers, license plate recognition technology, wireless connectivity to criminal justice databases, remote vehicle tracking, and outreach to the community; and WHEREAS, the grant funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance for the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grant will completely offset the total project costs. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the City Council of the City of Chula Vista does hereby accept $329,999 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance for the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grant and amend the Police Grant Fund budget by appropriating $220,586 for personnel costs, $63,894 for supplies and services and $45,519 for equipment. Presented by: Approved as to form by: ~~~ r I nn Mool~~i ~ City Attorney . Richard P. Emerson Police Chief J:lAttorneylRESOIPOLlCEIEdward Byrne Grant (CLEAN C2.'::7REDLlNEUO-09-07.dOC