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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-10-06 City Council (22)TO: City of Palo Alto 2 FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: POLICE AGENDA DATE: SUBffECT: OCTOBER 6, 1997 CMR:411:97 EVALUATION OF THE DOWNTOWN HEALTH AND SAFETY DETAIL AND REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE FOR PERMANENT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING THREE COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER POSITIONS RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that Council increase the authorized staffing levels in the Police Department to include three Community Service Officer (CSO) positions and approve the attached Budget Amendment Ordinance (BAO) in the amount of $113,000, to provide the funding for the remainder of FY 1997-98. BACKGROUND In April 1996, staff’provided Council with a short-term plan to increase police presence in the downtown area. At that time, Council directed staff to prepare a long-term strategy that would continue to address health and safety issues. The strategy that was developed included dedicating two officers to the downtown area and the use of CSOs, who would be used to free up patrol officers’ time by responding to non-hazardous, non-emergency eal!s for service. As part of the 1996-97 budget process, Council approved funding for three temporary CSOs, officer overtime and related equipment (CMR:285:96). Council requested that staff return after a year with an evaluation of the program and any additional recommendations. This report provides a summary of the results of this past year’s experience and recommends continuing the program. This report also provides an update on other issues associated with the health and safety of the downtown area. The long term plan to address downtown health and safety included the elements of police enforcement, development of new ordinances, code erfforeement/cleanliness, educational efforts, and assistance to chronic substance abusers. CMR:411:97 Page 1 of 8 fr In April 1996, four officers were assigned to the downtown area in response to the number of complaints from the business community and members of the public concerning health and safety issues that were affecting the quality of life. This increased police presence .had an immediate and significant effect on incidents ranging from narcotics violations, alcohol-related crimes, public urination, traffic violations, and other criminal offenses. As a result of the impact and in response to a request by the City Council, staff developed a short-term plan to continue increased police presence in the downtown area. The one-year pilot program that included the assignment of two police officers was initiated in July 1996. The officers’ work schedule during the week provides daytime coverage during the week and flexible hours during weekends to handle evening activity. During this past year, the downtown officers have made more than 1,630 contacts with merchants relative to complaints or problems. They have made contact with almost 2,500 young people for traffic violations, municipal code violations, educational purposes, or to simply handout police "baseball" cards or plastic badges to younger children. The officers have also made more than 141 arrests for offenses ranging from drunk in public to auto burglary and theft. They issued 66 citations for non-traffic related offenses such as open containers and municipal code violations and more than 370 for traffic violations. The designated officers have conducted their downtown activities on foot, bicycle and in vehicles; in uniform and plain clothes. They have been supplemented by other officers and reserve officers as staffing resources have allowed. The high-visibility, public-contact, preventative approach has resulted in significant improvements. As an example, - in 1995, 138 arrests were made for dnmk in public. The number of arrests for that offense increased to 164 during 1996.. As the result of proactive activities such as issuing more citations for possession of open containers and consuming alcohol in public, during the first six months of 1997 only 35 arrests for drunk in public were made. It was common to fred one or two individuals on a daily basis that were unable to care for themselves because of extreme intoxication. Some of these same individuals were responsible for aggressive and assaultive behavior or urinating in public. By dealing with the problem before people reached the point of intoxication, the number of arrests for disturbing the peace, urinating in public, assault, etc. have also decreased. Attachment 1 provides a, numerical comparison of arrests over the last two and a half years. CMR:411:97 Page 2 of 8 In addition to enforcement efforts, merchant interactions, and public contacts, the designated officers also directed their attention to problem-solving activities. Cogswell Park serves as a prime example. The officers identified some safety issues related to poorly illuminated areas of thepark. The officers worked with represe~itatives from the Utilities, Public Works, Community Services, and Planning Departments to provide additional lighting and tr:anming of trees and bushes to help enhance visibility in the park. The work has resulted in a safer environment and fewer complaints and concerns from citizens. As a result of all these efforts, many positive comments have been received from merchants and visitors about the increased officer presence in the downtown area. Communi _ty Service Officer (CSO) Pr~ As part of the short-term plan, three temporary CSOs were funded to assist in freeing up officers time by responding to calls for service that did not require sworn police officers. The CSOs began their work assignments in October 1996. (Between July and October, overtime funds were used to ensure the deployment of two officers to the downtown area. The delay was due to the time needed to identify existing Police Department employees to work as CSOs (three existing Parking Enforcement volunteers were selected in order to reduce the amount of training time required to familiarize them with department and City procedures); the hiring and training of their replacements; the purchase of uniforms and equipment, and the required in- house training and evaluation of the CSOs.) CSOs typically handle non-emergency, non-hazardous cases, including vehicle burglaries, municipal code violations, annoying telephone calls, petty or grand thefts with no suspect information, lost/found property, and minor vandalisms. CSOs also assist with traffic control, subpoena service, basic evidence collection and neighborhood checks for police officers investigating major crimes. Because the majority-of non-emergency, non-hazardous types of cases occur on Mondays through Saturdays and between 8:00 a:m. and 7:00 p.m., the CSOs’ work schedule was developed to provide coverage during these times. During this trial period, the CSOs wrote 552 police reports and issued 1090 parking citations. They also served 173 subpoenas, ~updated 355 alarm cards, responded to 466 parking complaints, handled 154 abandoned vehicles, placed the radar trailer in the field 70 times, and spent numerous hours on traffic control and assisting with the crossing guard program. CMR:411:97 Page 3 of 8 By their handling of these tasks, the CSOs afforded sworn police officers the opportunity to direct more attention to downtown and other issues related to traffic, community policing, and proactive police work. Additional patrol and traffic officers assisted the designated officers by spending over 2,428 hours in the downtown area on foot or working traffic. Police officers were also able to focus an additional 1,427 waffle enforcement hours at major arteries, for truck route violations or at designated problem areas; provided personal safety and theft presentations to local businesses and senior citizens; and conducted "Officer Friendly" presentations to the schools, Boy Scouts and the Children’s Theater. With the time freed up through the use of the CSOs, police officers spent a great deal of time on proactive policing including the operation of several decoy activities involving alcohol and tobacco and surveillance associated with numerous crime trends. One trend involved a number of auto burglaries that were occurring in the downtown area, Stanford Shopping Center and Byxbee Park. Officers conducted over seven days of surveillance in these areas and concluded the operation successfully with the arrest of three suspects. The CSO program also afforded the Police Department the oppommity to assign officers to last year’s "Avoid the 13" campaign and the Holiday Detail. The "Avoid the 13" Program involved two-night coordination efforts with the Santa Clara and San Mateo County Strike Teams that resulted in 24 arrests for drunk driving, a checkpoint on University Avenue and two weeks of intensive patrol efforts to prevent alcohol related accidents. Staff believes that the use of the CSOs has been beneficial to the downtown area and the entire City. Without the CSOs, the consistent police officer presence in the downtown area and the use of police officer resources for other activities would not have been possible. This is especially noteworthy due to the fact that there are currently still seven police officer positions vacant. As a result, staffisrecommending three permanent regular CSO positions be approved at this time. Staff considered the alternative of requesting the regular positions as part of the 1998-99 budget process. However, because of the disruption to the organization created by temporary employees and existing staff working in other job classifications, and for the stability and continuity of the CSO program and the designated downtown officer detail, it is important to hire permanent CSOs as soon as possible. To assist officers in their enforcement efforts, staff has assisted the City Attorney’s Office in. the development of three new city ordinances. Two of the ordinances, which amended Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) sections, were adopted on July 22, 1996, and became effective on August 22, 1996.. The addition of Section 9.04.030 to the PANIC allows officers to cite CMR:411:97 Page ,~ of 8 individuals who leave any retail business aiter purchasing and consuming an alcoholic beverage in the parking lot or adjacent sidewalks of the business. No citations have been issued for this offense. Section 9.44 of the PAMC was amended to address those individuals who solicited for employment, business or contributions in publi~ parking lots. Prior to the approval of this ordinance, the Police Department received complaints from members of the business community and the public.on a daily basis about individuals who were demanding to wash car windows or assist people in parking their vehicles for money in City parking lots. While no arrests have been made since the enactment of this ordinance, officer warnings have decreased the frequency of this behavior significantly. The third ordinance, Section 9.48.025 of the PAMC, prohibits sitting/lying on the public sidewalk on a specific section University Avenue. It enacted on March 24, 1997. On April 24, 1997, when the ordinance became effective, a public demonstration protesting the ordinance occurred. The demonstration was orderly and there were no problems associated with it. Since that time, six individuals have been verbally warned about sitting on the sidewalk and have complied; no citations have been issued to date. f e " Litter and debris from dttmpsters and trash receptacles have been a problem in the downtown area in the past. However, Public Works Department staff has sought business owners’ cooperation in maintaining the cleanliness of the areas around their dumpsters. While some cooperation was received, Public Works staff continues to clean a majority of the debris and trash in-the alleyways. Public Works staff made arrangements for extended trash receptacle service to include weekly Sunday morning pickups. This has helped to eliminate some of the overflow of the trash receptacles that were so unsightly by most Monday mornings downtown. City-funded hot water pressure washing of sidewalks has continued along University Avenue as well. This service was extended one additional month this past year, May through October. Staffis continuing to pursue both a short-term and a longer-term strategy for the placement of restrooms in the downtown. Staff is tentatively planning to come to the Cotmeil in October/November 1997 with a proposal to place automatic public toilets (APT’s, also known as "French toilets") at two sites in the downtown. Staff is working cooperatively with the City of San Jose, and potentially other cities, on a lease arrangement for APT’s. In the long-term, staff is continuing to work on placement of public restrooms in the proposed new parking structures. CMR:411:97 Page 5 of 8 Staff is currently working with the Chamber of Commerce on a proposal for enhanced cleanlkuess of the downtown area. Such a program is anticipated to involve a commitment of resources from the City and downtown property owners. A multi-agency committee was established over a year ago to determine the best course of action in dealing with a small group of habitual offenders who were causing the majority of the problems in the downtown area. This committee consists of representatives from the District Attorney’s Office, the Santa Clara County Department of Corrections, Santa Clara County Mental Health .Services, Santa Clara County Probation Department, the Veteran’s Hospital Mental Health Services,-Los ,Altos and Mountain View Police Departments, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, Stanford University Department of Public Safety, and the Municipal Court. The committee has developed processes and procedures that will help individuals who consistently are arrested for being drunk in public or under the influence of drugs to receive rehabilitation, counseling, and other assistance. A major factor associated with the committee’s work during this past year was the Santa Clara County Department of Corrections’ assumption of responsibility for the Sobering Station. The Sobering Station is a detoxifieation and counseling facility in San Jose. Individuals who are arrested for being drunk in public up to five times are eligible for the Sobering Station as an alternative to being booked into jail. The Sobering Sl~ation’s staff attempts to work with the individuals and provides counseling, job training and other services in efforts to address their substance abuse problems. The committee has worked very closely with the Sobering Station staff to establish guidelines to address the small group of habitual substance abuse offenders. If an individual is arrested a sixth time, he or she is booked into the jail and held until arraignment. The Court reviews the five prior incidents and includes the mandatory provision of residential and correction facility rehabilitation programs to help individuals who receive longer jail sentences. Since the Palo Alto Police Department began using the Sobering Station five months ago, some positive results have already been observed. The City Council authorized expenditures in the amount of $217,500 for the trial program. CSO/Downtown Detail. During 1996-97, staff spent about $159,000. The majority of the balance ($51,000) will be requested as a reappropriation to cover costs for the first four months of FY 1997-98 in the year-end report. CMR:411:97 Page 6 of 8 A budget amendment ordinance in the amount of $113,000 for the salary and benefits of three CSOs, vehicle maintenance and fuel costs for the remainder of this fiscal year is attached for Council approval. ’ During the one-year trial period, the Police Department held onto two vehicles that Were on the replacement schedule. These vehicles are 1993 models and were scheduled for elimination. .~omthe patrol fleet this year in exchange for the five new motorcycles. Staff is requesting that the CSOs continue to use these two older vehicles for the remainder of this fiscal year. During the next budget cycle, staff will include the cost of two new vehicles to replace the 1993 models. Also included in next year’s budget cycle will be the addition of three new hand-held portable radios. Currently, the CSOs are using portable radios assigned to patrol officers, but because of our current staffing shortage, there are available radios. Funds for two new vehicles would be included in the 1998-99 CIP budget request. Attachment Two reflects the estimated total costs for the program for 1998-99. ]?OLICY IMPLICATIONS There are no policy implications associated with this request. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT This does not constitute a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act. Attachment A - Downtown Arrest Comparisons Attachment B - Estimated Costs for CSOs for 1998-99 Budget Amendment Ordinance CMR:285:96 PREPARED BY:Kathleen McKenna, Police Captain Lynne Johnson, Assistant Police Chief DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: CHRIS DURKIN, Police Chief CMR:411:97 Page 7 of 8 CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: City CC:Susan Frank, Chamber of Commerce Kathleen Haney, Downtown Marketing Darryl Ogden, Urban Ministry CMR:411:97 Page 8 of 8 ATTACHMENT A Downtown Arrest Cpmparisons Assault/Battery Assault w/Deadly Weapon Battery Burglary Robbery Disturbing the Peace Drunk in Public Open Container B&P Minor inPossession/Alcohol Firearms and Weapons Narco and Drug Theft Warrant Arrests 7 14 3 4 8 8 6 26 9 5 11 15 138 164 41 38 13 18 2 3 78 57 53 57 231 285 1997 (January-June) 4 0 6 9 5 2 35 35 4 1 31 23 143 Tot~600 694 265 ATTACHMENT B ESTIMATED COSTS FOR 1998-99 Salary/benefits: Vehicles: Purchase/Outfitting: Replacement (yearly): Maint./Fuel (yearly): 3 @ $53,702 $161,106 One (1) Ford Crown Victoria $ 26,000 $ 5,200 $ 3,400 One (1) Pickup Truck Purchase/Outfitting: Replacement (yearly): Maint./Fuel (yearly): Radios:3 @ $1,000 Uniforms: $ 25,000 $ 5,000 $ 3,400 $ 3,000 $ 500 Total Cost 1998-99:$232,606 ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1997-98 TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION FOR DOWNTOWN AREA ENFORCEMENT WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of Section 12 of Article III of the Charter of the City of Palo Alto, the Council on June 23, 1997 did adopt a budget for fiscal year 1997-98; and WHEREAS, during late 1995 and early 1996, the downtown area experienced an increased amount of harmful activity that jeopardized the health and safety of residents, visitors and business; and WHEREAS, the Police Department developed a short-term plan which was presented to City Council on April 8, 1996, which included four Police Officers being assigned to the downtown area; and WHEREAS, at the direction of City Council, the Police Department began a one-year pilot program starting in July 1996, to continue assigning two dedicated Police Officers to the Downtown area and to provide three temporary Community Service Officers (CSO) to assist patrol and traffic officers; WHEREAS, due to the attention provided by the Officers assigned downtown, the area has experienced significant decreases in criminal offenses and activity; and WHEREAS, in order to continue to extend the pilot program to be permanent in the downtown area additional funds must be budgeted to fund the program on a permanent basis; and WHEREAS, City Council authorization is needed to amend the 1997-98 budget as hereinafter set forth. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows: ~uC_T~. The sum of One Hundred Thirteen Thousand Dollars ($113,000) is hereby appropriated in the Request for Services ~Functional Area in the Police Department. This appropriation includes a $105,000 appropriation to salaries, and a $8,000 appropriation to non salaries. The Budget Stabilization Reserve is correspondingly reduced. $_~. This transaction will reduce the Budget Stabilization Reserve from $25,546,446 to $25,433,446. HECTION 3. The attached Table of Organization as amended to reflect changes shown in Exhibit A is hereby approved. S~CTION 4. As specified in Section 2.28.080(b) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code, a majority vote of the City Council is required to adopt this ordinance. SECTION 6. The Council of the City of Palo Alto hereby finds that the enactment of this ordinance is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act and, therefore, no environmental impact assessment is necessary. .SECTION 7. As provided in Section 2.04.350 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code, this ordinance shall become effective upon adoption. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSTENTIONS:~ ABSENT: ATTEST:APPROVED: City Clerk Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM:City Manager Senior Asst. City Attorney Acting Administrative Services Department Director Chief of Police 95-6. Attachment A TABLE OF ORGANIZATION-GENERAL FUND Adopted Budget 1997-98 Changes POLICE DEPARTMENT Administrator, Police Animal Attendant Animal Control Officer Animal Services Specialist Assistant Chief of Police Business Analyst Chief Communications Dispatcher Chief Communications Technician Chief of Police Code Enforcement Officer Communications Dispatcher Communications Dispatcher - Flex Communications Technician Community Service Officer Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, Communications Services Court Liaison Officer Crime Analyst Executive Assistant Executive Secretary Manager, Police Computer Systems Manager, Communications Operations Office Specialist Parking Enforcement Officer Parking Examiner Police Agent Police Captain Police Lieutenant Police Officer - Training Police Officer Police Records Specialist Police Sergeant Program Assistant Property & Evidence Technician Staff Secretary Superintendent, Animal Services Supervisor, Police Services Supervisor, Animal Services Veterinarian Veterinarian Technician Volunteer Coordinator TOTALS 1.00 0.00 3.50 2.00 1.00 1.00 4.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 16.00 0.00 2.00 2.00 1,00 0.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.50 6.00 0.50 19.00 2.00 6.00 6.00 47.00 10.00 13.00 1.00 2.00 5.00 1.00 3.00 1.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 167.50 +3.00 +3.00 Adjusted Budget 1997-98 1.00 0.00 3.50 2.00 1.00 1.00 4.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 16.00 0.00 2.00 5.00 1,00 0.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.50 6.00 0.50 19.00 2.00 6.00 6.00 47.00 10.00 13.00 1.00 2.00 5.00 1.00 3.00 1.00 1 o00 2.00 1.00 170.5 City of Palo Alto Manager’s Report TO: ATI’ENTION: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: POLICE AGENDA DATE: May 30, 1996 CMR:285:96 SUBJECT:Downtown Health and Safety Enhancement Program REQUEST ° During the last two months, the Police Department has increased its presence in the downtown area to address the increased problems that jeopardize the health and safety of citizens, visitors and businesses. The purpose of this short-term approach was to provide staff with time to comply with the direction received from Council onApril 8. At that time, staff was instructed to return with a proposal for a longer term solution to address the situation. As a result, staff has developed a multi-faceted approach. This report provides details of that approach and requests approval for the addition of $217,500 to the Police Department’s proposed 1996-97 budget to cover the associated costs. RECOMMENDATIONS " Staff recommends that Council approve the addition of $217,500 to be included in the 1996-97 Police Department budget to cover the costs associated with the downtown health and safety enhancement program. POLICY IMPUCATIONS Other than potential ordinance additions, there are no policy implications associated with this request. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY During about the last six months, various activities in the downtown area have increased to the point of jeopardizing the health and safety of residents, visitors and businesses. These activities have included assaultive and other criminal behavior, skateboarding, traffic violations and lack of cleanliness. As a result, at the City Manager:s direction, the Police Department presented a short-term plan to increase police presence in the downtown area at the Council meeting Of April 8. Council consequently directed staff to return with a long-term strategy to continue to address the health and safety issues downtown. This report provides a summaly ofthe work CMR:285:96 Page 1 of 9 that has been accomplished during the last two months and details of a strategy that staffhas developed for the next year. Summary of Recent Police Efforts Beginning on April 13, 1996, four full time police officers were assigned to the downtown area. The officers, supplemented by reserve officers, members of the Traffic Team and other patrol officers, have provided bicycle and foot patrol seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. During this time, the officers have contacted over 390 merchants to discuss complaints and concerns. They have contacted over 350 young people, educating, warning, and citing them for traffic and Municipal Code violations. They have .also distributed police "baseball" cards, stickers and plastic badges to children as part of the education/public relations outreach. To date,- 74 people have been arrested for crimes ranging from narcotics violations, assault with a deadly weapon, warrants, thefts, consuming alcthol, drunk in public, public urination, sales of alcohol to minors, etc. Depending upon the criminal behavior, bfficers have usually issued warnings prior to making arrests. The officers have also met with the Downtown Marketing Association,. members of the Homeless Task Force, representatives of the Another Way Campaign, and the Urban Ministry. Based upon information obtained from those meetings, staff is currently in the process of designing two different brochures, one for the general public and one for merchants, with information and tips on such topics as theft prevention and traffic safety. A special voice mail box number has also been installed for people who have questions and complaints about downtown issues. The messages, are checked several times a day and as a result, the officers assigned to the Downtown Detail receive the information firsthand and responses are provided in a more timely manner. People calling with emergencies are of course requested to call "911." Based upon observations during the last several months, together with information provided by a wide variety of sources including businesses, visitors, residents, and the Urban Ministry, it has become readily apparent that the key to a health and safety enhancement strategy for downtown can not solely rely on police enforcement. Therefore, an internal task force, .consisting of representatives from the Public Works, Planning and Police Departments, and the City Attorney’s Office, was formed to address the issues from several different aspects. They include police enforcement, code enforcement/cleanliness, education, and mechanisms to assist street people with mental health and/or chronic substance abuse problems. The task force has met several times and has not only developed the multi-faceted strategy, but has also begun work in several of the areas. CMR:285:96 Page 2 of 9 I.Police Enforcement As evidenced by the activity summarized above and the many responses from members of the community, increased police presence has made a significant difference in the downtown area. Staff considered various options for an ongoing, designated police presence downtown. Several factors were instrumental in the proposed police enforcement portion of the plan. These factors included the recent experience and current situation; the need to be flexible enough to deal with different levels and types of activity; and the current and anticipated staffing vacancy issues within the Police Department. The following provides some additional detail on each of these factors: Recent Experience/Current Situation: While the frequency of criminal and disruptive behavior has decreased significantly during the last six weeks or so, staff believes there is a need for continued designated police presence to ensure that the level and types of criminal and disruptive behavior do not increase again. Staff feels that this presence should be in the form of police ottieers who have the training and enforcement authority to deal with any and all types of situations. Flexibili _ty: Recent experience has also demonstrated the need for flexibility in hours of the day and evening during which the designated police presence occurs. For example, on some evenings, due to overall increases in the numbers of people who frequent downtown, there is a greater need for officers’ presence compared to other days of the week during morning hours. Staff has also determined that it is important to occasionally change the hours of designated police presence, in order to prevent predictability that leads to incidents of criminal behavior occurring when oftieers are not always present. Current/Anticipated Staffing Vacancies - Currently, the Police Department has six vacant police officer positions. Due.to upcoming retirements and other attrition factors, up to six additional vacancies are anticipated within the next two to three months. Although the hiring process has been streamlined as much as possible and while staff is continually implementing different ways to conduct the process more frequently, the average length of time required to hire and train new officers so that they are able to work in a solo capacity is 14 months. That factor, together with the decrease in the number of candidates in the qualified applicant pool, will make it difficult to completely ftll those vacancies, or any unpredictable additional vacancies, within the next year. For these reasons, together with the significant higher costs associated with the addition of CMR:285:96 Page 3 of 9 police officer positions, staff is not requesting authorization for funding for any additional police officer positions at this time. With these factors in mind, staff proposes to provide continued designated police presence in the downtown area in the following manner: Dedicate two officers to the downtown area using existing police officer positions. These officers would provide seven day a week coverage with flexible hours (a minimum of ten hours a day) depending upon types and levels of activity. These officers would be supplemented by reserve officers .and other patrol officers as time and calls for service allowed. While this dedicated coverage is a decrease from the current level, staff believes that other patrol and traffic officers .will be able to provide sufficient coverage during the hours the designated officers are not present, so that the safety and well-being of citizens will not be compromised. In order to provide the necessary time for the two designated officers and other patrol staff without decreasing police services in other parts of the City, staff proposes to hire three community service officers (CSOs): These CSOs would respond to calls for service and complete police reports for non-hazardous, non-emergency incidents such as vandalism, accidents, thefts, Municipal Code violations. The CSOs would provide coverage six days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Based upon a review of the calls for service (CFS) per day of the week and the time of day, staff believes this would provide sufficient coverage for two officers to concentrate on the downtown area. Staff anticipates that it will take about four months to hire and train CSOs to serve in this capacity. In the interim, overtime funds for two officers normally assigned to shifts will be used to provide the downtown coverage and report-. taking. While the concept of using CSOs in this fashion has been successfully been implemented by other agencies, it is the first time it would be tried in Palo Alto. Due to this reason, in addition to the need to determine the effectiveness of this plan over a period of time, staff is only requesting funds for temporary CSOs for only one year. At the end of the year, staff will return with evaluations and recommendations for a .permanent program. Overtime funds to back fill for officers and to provide training instructors for the CSOs is included in the request for funds. Staff estimates that overtime will be needed at least through the end of October to ensure the availability of two officers for the downtown detail. Staff anticipates that officers currently in the Police Academy will have completed the Field Training program and will be working in solo capacities by the end of October. They would then be available to assist in maintaining minimum staffing levels on the three shifts. It should be noted CMR:285:96 Page 4 of 9 that the overtime costs are based on current staffing levels and if any additional vacancies occur during this time, overtime costs would increase. Program Elements , ¯ The two designated police officers would continue their foot and bicycle patrols downtown and¯would continue to: a) b) c) d) take appropriate action when they encounter and observe criminal and disruptive behavior,~ enforce traffic and Municipal Code violations involving motorists, pedestrians, and skateboarders, smokers, etc.; serve as resources .and liaisons with downtown businesses; educate members of the public on safety issues (see additional details on educational efforts below) New Ordinances To assist officers in their enforcement efforts, the City Attorney’s office has prepared drafts of three proposed ordinances that are being presented to Council under a separate cover. Each of the three ordinances deals withspecific problems that police officers encounter on a daily basis. They would provide additional tools that officers would fred very useful. One ordinance will allow officers to cite individuals who leave any retail business after purchasing an alcoholic beverage and then open that beverage in the parking lot or adjacent sidewalks. Currently, it is only illegal to consume alcohol in public. Possession of an open alcoholic beverage is only prohibited in certain parks. Another ordinance will prohibit individuals from sitting or lying on the sidewalks on University Avenue, where they obstruct pedestrian traffic and access to store entrances or newspaper racks. The third ordinance will provide police officers with the ability to cite those individuals who solicit for employment, business or contributions in public parking lots. 2. ’ Code Enforcement!Cleanliness As depicted in the slides shown by Council Member Schneider and as observed during walkabouts in the downtown area, the general lack of cleanliness is an issue that adds to the real and perceived sense of health and safety considerations. As a result of the task force meetings, the Public Works and Planning Departments have begun taking action to correct the situation and will continue with additional efforts. These efforts include the following: ClVIR:285:96 Page 5 of 9 Sidewalk Encroachment Permits - A recent survey of street furniture and signs that require encroachment permits was compared to the list 6f existing permits. The comparison revealed that there are a number of businesses that do not have encroachment permits. The encroachments range from unauthorized or unpermitted tables and chairs to planters and sandwich board signs that decrease the available sidewalk space. Follow up with each of these businesses to ensure compliance has begun and will continue. It is interesting to note that in a 1987 report to the City Council on the cleaning of downtown, there were 44 take-out food establishments, and 5 authorized public sidewalk eating areas. Currently, while the exact number of establishments that provide take-out food is not known, there are well over double the number thatoexisted ten years ago. There are now 20 sidewalk eating areas (not all are currently permitted). The standard conditions, for site maintenance associated with commercial sidewalk encroachment permits, usually require permittees to keep the area(with a 12-foot radius) free of-litter, refuse, and stains associated with the encroachment and to be responsible for the removal and disposal of related garbage without using City streets, gutters or trash receptacles. Public Works Department staff is working with the Chamber or Comme.rce Downtown Marketing Committee who will include an article in their upcoming newsletter providing information on how to obtain encroachment permits.. Public Works will also notify those businesses who are not in compliance. In similar efforts, the Planning Department’s Building Inspection staff will begin requiring the installation of hosebibs at the front of downtown businesses, during the building penuit and inspection process. Stafffeels that a readily accessible means of hosing off the sidewalk areas in front of these businesses will increase the likelihood that they will be maintained in a clean and attractive condition. Also, it is anticipated that having available a simple, easy means of cleaning these areas will enhance the Code Enforcement staffs ability to enforce the sidewalk cleaning provisions specified in the Municipal Code. Alleyway Litter: Litter and debris from dumpsters and trash receptacles is also being addressed. The Public Works Department is contacting some business owners and requesting them to clean the areas around the dumpsters. It is not uncommon to see overfilled dumpsters, and the problem is exacerbated when people scavenge through them and spread garbage even further. PASCO provides an autolock for a one time fee of $129 to business owners, which would- prevent scavenging in the dumpster. Staff has provided this information to downtown merchants (see Attachment B). CMR:285:96 Page 6 of 9 While some cities have ordinances requiring businesses to lock their dumpsters, staffhopes that voluntary cooperation on the part of merchants in the spirit of maintaining the cleanliness of the downtown will preclude the need for such an ordinance in Palo Alto. Steamcleaning: Public Works has contracted for steamcleaning on University Avenue once a month from May through September. 3.Education Another facet of the downtown health and safety enforcement plan deals with ongoing educational efforts. As mentioned previously, work in this area has already begun. Staff believes this must be a continual process. Additionally, joint cooperative efforts with the Downtown Merchants Association, the Another Way Campaign, the Chamber of Commerce and the Urban Ministry will serve to assist in making the plan successful. Public Works staff has begun providing information to downtown mercharits on cleanliness issues (see attached). The brochures mentioned earlier will be distributed during the in’st part of July. 4. Assistance to Chronic Substance Abusers and People with Mental Health Problems As part of the plan’s development process, Police Department staff met .with representatives from the District Attorney’s Office, the County Department of Corrections, and the current presiding judge in efforts to determine the best course of action in dealing with a small core group of habitual offenders of substance abuse and those people who create the majority of problems. A conclusion was quickly re, ached that arrest and incarceration does little, if anything, to resolve the problem. Also, when the costs associated with the arrest, medical clearance (often people require attention from the City’s paramedic staff in addition to clearances by hospital emergency room staff), incarceration, and court process for one person are multiplied by the hundreds of times some people are arrested, the dollars are staggering. Therefore, with assistance from the District Attorney’s Office personnel, Police Department. staffhas formed a eornmittee with representatives from the Court, Department of Corrections, Probation Department, the Veteran’s Hospital Mental Health Services, Stanford Hospital, Los Altos and Mountain View Police Departments, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, and CMR:285:96 Page 7 of 9 Stanford University Department of Public Safety. The purpose of the committee is to attempt, to develop mechanisms that will result in long-term resolutions for street people who are habimally intoxicated, under the influence of drugs, and/or suffer from mental illnesses. Since the Committee has met only once to date, it is too early to report on any progress. Due to the complexity of the issues, the development of any mechanisms most probably will take a considerable amount of time, Staff will keep the Council informed as the Committee continues its work. FISCAL IMPACT Attachment A details the costs ($217,500)associated with the proposed continued police enforcement efforts. These costs include estimated funds for three temporary CSOs, uniforms, equipment, vehicles and overtime costs. No funds are needed for Public Works and the Planning Department. In order to minimize costs, pending Council approval, staff proposes to retain two police vehicles that would normally be rotated out of the fleet for use by the CSOs. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT This does not constitute a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A - Cost Detail Attachment B - Draft Letter to Merchants PREPARED BY:LYNNE JOHNSON, Assistant Police KATHY MCKENNA, Pol DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: CMR:285:96 Page 8 of 9 CC Barbara Gross, Downtown Markefin~ Susan Frank, Chamber of Commerce Urban Ministry CMR:285:96 Page 9 of 9 ATTACHMENT A Cost Detail 3 CSOs (temporary) Overtime Instructors for Training Officer Backfill Vehides Maintenance/Fuel 2 ~ $2,200 Computer/Radio Equipment 2 @ $12,000 Equipment/Uniforms 3 @ $500 TOTAL $123,910 $ 6,200 $ 57,490 $ 4,400 $ 24,000 $ 1,500 $ 217,500 ATTACHMENT B Draft Letter to merchants Commercial Sidewalk Encroachments The City of Palo Alto Engineering Division of Public Works is responsible for issuing all Commercial Sidewalk Encroachments (CSE). The encroachments are required for the placement of anything in the public right-of-way. The most Common CSE in the University .Avenue area is for tables and chairs or signs in the right-of-way. There is a fee associated with the application for an encroachment permit and minimum conditions placed on businesses requesting encroachments (other special conditions may be added by the City): A minimum of 8’ of sidewalk clearance is maintained at all times. The encroachment must be identified by marking the comers with marks 112" wide and 1 1/2 inches long. The marks must be maintained b~ the property occupant. The area must be kept free of litter and refuse associated with the encroachment, including adjacent gutters: The sidewalk must be kept free of stains resulting from the encroachment activity, City streets, gutters or trash receptacles shall not be used for disposal of encroachment related refuse or garbage. City staff’recently completed an inspection of the University Avenue area businesses and will be notifying businesses of any deficiencies noted, .including notification of those businesses which are encroaching and do not have encroachment permits. For information on how to apply for an encroachment permit, or to get an additional copy of your current permit, contact the City Public Works Department at 329-2151. CleanSweep Program Last summer, the City worked with the DMC to promote the downtown CleanSweep program. The City provided businesses with pushbrooms and hats (to the first 100 requestors) tothose business who would pledge to sweep in front of their business at least two times per day, pick up litter in-front of their business as needed, encourage other businesses to participate, and attempt to "wear out" the provided broom. Well, it’s timeto revive the program by putting on those hats and pushing the brooms. CleanSweep is one of several steps the City has undertaken to encourage shopkeepers to continue with their active role in the downtown. Litter and Trash in Public Alleys One problem many downtown business owners experience is "dumpster divers," those folks who go through garbage bins and recycling containers looking for discarded items or recydables. Th.e result is often a mess around and underneath a dumpster (or bin). The prope~y occupants who use or share the bin are responsible for keeping the area around their bin clean. PASCO, the City refuse collection contractor has "antolocks" available for bins (up to five yard size) for a one time fee of $129.75 (may go up July I). The autolock allows a business to prevent unauthorized use of its bin, and keeps persons from going through the bind and discarding litter on the ground. The City Municipal Code requires a business to have a minimum of one time per week collection of refuse, and requires each business to have a container or containers of sufficient size to contain all refuse generated in a one week period. Bags and boxes Of excess trash placed on top or alongside of your garbage bin or can will not be collected by PASCO without advance authorization and at an additional fee. If’you routinely have excess refuse, you may want to call PASCO at 493-4894 and have either (or both) the frequency of collection increased or the size of the bin increased. If you sort out your cardboard, glass, cans, bottles and white paper for recycling you may fred that you don’t need as large a bin. Contact the Palo Alto recycling program at 496-5910 if you want additional information on recycling programs available downtown.