HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-12-08 City Council (13)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: POLICE
AGENDA DATE:DECEMBER 8, 1997 CMR:494:97
SUBJECT:BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE ACCEPTING CITIZENS
OPTIONS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY (COPS) PROGRAM AB 1584 FUNDS
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends Council adop(the attached Budget Amendment Ordinance (BAO) in the
amount of $137,770 that amends the FY 1997-98 budget to reflect an additional appropriation
provided to the Police Department by Assembly Bill 1584.
BACKGROUND
On August 18, 1997, Assembly Bill 1584 was enacted, allocating $100 million to counties and
cities for the Citizens Option for Public Safety Program (COPS). Similar funding was provided
last year under the auspices of Assembly Bill 3229.. This bill was enacted to continue filling
the need for additional resources at the local levels to ensure public safety.
Under the provisions of AB 1584, 75 percent of the funds are allocated to counties and cities
based upon population for front-line law enforcement services, including community crime
prevention and anti-gang activities. Funds must supplement existing services and cannot be
used to supplant any existing funds. Each county is required to continue the operation of a
Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) to receive the State funds and each
agency’s proposal for use of the funds must be approved by the County’s Supplemental Law
Enforcement Oversight Committee (SLEOC). Prior to sending the proposal to the SLEOC, the
bill requires that each city conduct a public hearing for the purposes of reviewing and approving
the Police Department’s request for expenditure of funds.
¯In addition to reviewing all of the proposals to determine whether the expenditure of the funds
is in compliance with the legislation, the SLEOC is responsible for producing an annual report
to the public.
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Each city is also required to deposit the funds into the separate SLESF that was established last
year so that these monies are not intermingled with General Fund dollars. The City’s fmancial
officer must also provide monthly investment reports and the City must submit an annual audit
report.
An important component of AB 1584 is the declaration of legislative intent that the program
exist for the next three years.
DISCUSSION
Staffproposes to spend the AB 1584 funds in the following manner: $108,570 for continuation
of the Positive Alternatives for Youth (PAY) program; $2,000 for the continuation of the Gang
Resistance and Education and Training (GREAT) program; $6,200 for surveillance equipment; .
and $21,000 for Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) for Community Policing vehicles.
Positive A]ternatives for Youth Proffam
Last year, the PAY program was implemented with the use of COPS funds and with a United
States Bureau of Justice Assistance for a Local.Law Enforcement Block Grant. Significant
work has been done in accomplishing the first year goals. Because the Program Coordinator
did not join staff until May, some of the numbers of youth that were originally projected in the
objectives have not been met yet, but staff anticipates that, based upon the work accomplished
in the seven months, the program has been fully operational, the objectives should be completed
at the end of a 12-month period. Attachment A details the PAY program’s accomplishments.
Due to the success in the first year of the program, staffbelieves that continuation of PAY using
the majority of this year’s allocation of COPS funds will only add to the efforts to provide
opportunities for "at-risk" young people and their families to turn their lives in more positive
directions. While maintaining the same goals for the second year, the following are the
proposed component objectives for the second year:
Life Skills / Counselinp
Goal: To provide counseling services to families, parents and young people; and to
provide life skills training to young people to assist them in their preparation for
employment opportunities.
O~ectives:
¯To conduct intake assessments for families and young people and to screen for
major problem areas.
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To provide, with assistance from Palo Alto Unified School District, bilingual
individual and family counseling sessions for targeted families and youth.
Lead job coaching for 15 teens in job placement component.
Middle and high school students in PAUSD; parents of middle and high school students
in PAUSD, including those who are Spanish speaking.
Job Placement
Goal: To obtain part-time work for high-risk young people that will provide
constructive activities, teach them responsibility, enhance their self-esteem,
provide for adult role models, and expose them to the working environment.
Objective:
Identify and place 15 high-risk high school students in jobs and have them
successfully complete a minimum of 60 days of employment at the same place
of employment.
Students - 15 high-risk young people (referred by counselors, teachers and probation
officers).
Goal:To provide the youth of our community with positive role models and avenues
to help achieve successful life goals.
Ob_iectives:
¯ Identify and screen adult volunteers who are willing to mentor 15 at-risk youth
for a minimum of two hours a week.
¯Provide orientation and training to each volunteer, as well as ongoing training and
support through weekly contact and quarterly mentor group meetings.
¯Develop regular group activities to promote trust building and support for the
mentor/mentee matches.
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Fifteen high-risk young people.
Recreation
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