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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-05-30 City Council (10)C ty City of Palo Alto Manager’s Report TO: ATTENTION: 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 Depamnent 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 fi’om Council on April 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 IMPLICATIONS 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 summary of the work CMR:285:96 Page 1 of 9 that has been accomplished during the last two months and details of a strategy that staff has developed for the next year. Summary_ of Recent Police Efforts Beginning on April 13, 1996, four fifll 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 alcohol, drank in public, public urination, sales of alcohol to minors, etc. Depending upon the criminal behavior, officers 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 info~anation obtained from those meetings, staff is cunently in the process of designing two different brochures, one for the general public and one for merchants, with information and tips on sucti 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 Down~own 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 Depamnents, 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 developedthe multi-faceted strategy, but has also begun work in several of the areas. CMR:285:96 Page 2 of 9 1.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 officers 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 officers are not always present. Current/Anticipated Staffing Vacancies - Currently, the Police Department has six vacant police officer positions. Due to upcoming reth’ements 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 fill 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 fimds 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 fimds 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 CM~: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 with specific problems that police officers encounter on a daily basis. They would provide additional tools that officers would fmd 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 obslruct 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: CMR: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. Cma-ently, while the exact number of establishments that provide take-out food is not known, there are well over double the number that existed 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 Commerce 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 permit and inspection process. Staff feels that a readily accessible’ means ofhosing 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 requhing businesses to lock their dumpsters, staff hopes 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 merchants on cleanliness issues (see attached). The brochures mentioned earlier will be distributed during the first 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 ColTections, 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 reached that an’est and incarceration does little, if anything, to resolve the problem. Also, when the costs associated with the arrest, medical clearance (often people require attention fi’om 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 committee with representatives from the Court, Department of Corrections, Probation Depa~nnent, 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 habitually intoxicated, under the irffluence 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. Staffwill keep the Council infon-ned as the Committee continues its work. FISCAL IMPACT Attachment A details the costs ($217,500) associated with the p’roposed 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, DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: ~lice Chief ~t~ FLI~M~qG’~ager CMR:285:96 Page 8 of 9 CC Barbara Gross, Downtown Marketing 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 Vehicles Maintenance/Fuel 2 @ $2,200 Computer/Radio Equipment 2 @ $12,000 Equipment]Uniforms 3 @ $500 $123,910 $ 6,200 $ 57,49O 4,400 24,000 1,500 TOTAL $ 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 1/2" wide and 1 1/2 inches long. The marks must be maintained by 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 cturent permit, contact the City Public Works Department at 329-2151. CleanSweep Pro~am 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) to those business who would pledge to sweep in front of theh" 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 time to 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 recyclables. The result is often a mess around and undemeath a dumpster (or bin). The property occupants who use or share the bin are responsible for keeping the area around their bin clean. PASCO, the City refuse collection contractor has "autolocks" available for bins (up to five yard size) for a one time fee of $129.75 (may go up July 1). 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 find 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.