HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-08-08 City Council (10)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: POLICE
DATE:
SUBJECT:
August 8, 1996 CMR: 373:96
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT BLOCK GRANT
APPLICATION
REQUEST
This is an informational report and no Council action is requested at this time. The Police
Department has submitted an application to the United States Bureau of Justice Assistance for
a Local Law Enforcement Block Grant. This report provides information on the application.
Staff will remm to Council for approval prior to actual receipt of any funds.
RECOMMENDATIONS
This is an informationa! report and no Council action is required at this time..
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
There are no impacts on current policies.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Federal Omnibus Appropriations Act for FY 1996 authorized the Director of the Bureau
of Justice Assistance (BJA) to make funds available to local agencies, under the Local Law
Enforcement Block Grants Program for the purposes of reducing crime and improving public
safety. Included among the purposes grant funds may be used for are crime prevention
programs involving cooperation between the community and law enforcement personnel.
As staff reviewed the grant application information, a determination was made that an
opportunity may exist to assist in funding the recommendations that the Positive Alternatives
for Youth (PAY) Committee is in the process of f’malizing. This Committee was formed at the
direction of Council to develop long-range strategies to deal with youth violence and gang
CMR:373:96 Page 1 of 3
activity. After gathering information from youth questionnaires and examining other successful
programs, the Committee began to construct a Palo Alto response to the diverse needs of young
people in the community. While the Committee still has additional work to complete in the
finalization of the. recommendations, the general concept of PAY will be to establish a
multifaceted program built on some existing programs such as the City’s Outlet Program, the
Teen Center, and the gang prevention program, Gang Resistance Education and Training
(G.R.E.A.T.), to provide enhancements to some of those programs, and to implement a job-
placement program for at-risk youth. Staff believes that this program truly embraces the
definition of crime prevention in that it will provide young people and their families with
alternative activities, assistance, counseling and the opportunity to choose more positive life
directions.
City staff and members of the Committee believe that the key to the success of the PAY
program will hinge on the availability of a coordinator, to oversee all the various components
of the program and to ensure that at-risk youth and their families are provided the assistance
and guidance they need, and for a job placement director, who will work with the business
community in providing job opportunities for these young people. As a result, staff would
propose, pending approval of the grant funding, to use these monies to hire a part-time
temporary program coordinator and a part-time job placement director who would be
instrumental in implementing the other components of the program.
While staff would have preferred to present the Council with the specific PAY program
recommendations prior to completing the grant application, staff did not want to miss the
chance for a potential grant award. Therefore due to the short application period, staff has
submitted an application to BJA. Before actual expenditure of any funds that may be received,
staff will return to Council with the PAY program recommendations in detail. If grant funds
are received, under the provisions of established by BJA, the City would have two years during
which to expend the funds.
FISCAL IMPACT
Distribution of grant funds will be determined based upon crime rate data and population of
each local agency. According to information received from BJA, Palo Alto’s award would be
in the amount of $29,500. Cities receiving grant funds are required to provide a one-ninth
match. Based upon the amount of Palo Alto’s potential award, the City’s match would be
approximately $3,279.
CMR:373:96 Page 2 of 3
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
This is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act and is not subject
to CEQA requirements.
PREPARED BY: Lynne Johnson, Assistant Police Chief
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
CHRIS DURKIN, P/olice Chief
CITY MANAGER REVIEW:
FLEMING,
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