HomeMy WebLinkAbout0144.095TO:
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City Gf Palo Alto
City Manager's Report
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HONORABlE Cl1Y COL'NCIL 4
CITY MANAGER DEPAll'IMENT: Police
ACElII'DA VA TE: February 17. 199$ eMIl: 144:95
SUBJECT: Recommendation to WIthdraw Initial Application or COPS AHEAD
Grant .4.ppIkation
BEOUlST
The V10Ieat Crimes Coa!rol and lAw Enforcement Act or 1994 provides grant f.nding
qJpOrfullities for local law enfor<:emenl agencies to enhance staffing levels (or !be purpose
of fw1IIerll1J commUllity policing efforts. The Police Department submitted an ir.itiBl
applic:atioo and Iw received approYal for funcfll1g lWO officer positions pending ccmple60n
or Ihe compIcle opplicaOOn information. This was a necessary slep in order to review Ihe
grant requitements. Some succeuful elements of community policing have been ill pla<:e
jn Ihc Police Depu1ment for some time with the use of exi,ring ,taff. While addilional
staffing for Ihese .ffOl1a could be useful, there are some specific grant requirements and
substanIiIl associaIed financiol obligations the City would face if grant !i""flOg WliS 0<:<:q>Ied.
Staff, Ihmfm. finds iI difficWt to support If>e grant appI:'C8Iioo and is requesting thai
CouDcil approve Staff'. recommendatlon to wilhdraw the initial appIkation.
RF£OM!\m\.'DATION
Staff re,:c)mlT".ends thallf>e City withdraw the original application for gran! funding for the
COPS AHEAD program. This recommendation is based up"" the Po!ke Department's
lbility to succe .. ruUy utilize the COI::'IIlwUty policing philosophy with exisli ng resources, Ihe
restrictioos . the grant program wooId place on the lise of the officers. and the oogoing
sub$IaDIial finoncial commitmelll the City would undertal:J: to participate. Staff does 00(
believe tI>e costIbenefit onalysU justifies proceeding with !be grant application process.
PQUCX IMPI.ICATIQNS
Itt order to apply for !be COPS AHEAD grant" If>e City would be required to meet the
following stipulations thai have usocialed policy implications attac!led to them:
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The Police DepartmcnI would be required I!> hire officers the! would increase the
cumonI IUthoriud staffing level;
The Federal share of officers' SIlary and benefits would have 10 be matched based
upon • de=asing formula aver the three-year period of W grant; and
The City wooId be obligated 10 maiDlain !he increased st&ffing allocation following
c:ompIcIioo of Ibe funding period.
The pooitions fundal by the gnnt .... ould be restricled fore,er 10 community poIici.g
cfforu and rould not be "sed for oIhcr efforts such as traffic enforcemcnl oc
lradilional crime prevention prognm •.
Definition of Community PoIicin,
The Iccm "Commonity Policing" has beeR used in law enforcemerot circles for abo.!lthe Iss!
. me yean. Its definition often varies from agency 10 agency depending upoD the particular
jurisdictioo'. eri"", kvels and 1reDds. Other names StK:b as "Problcm-Oricnted Policing,"
"ProbIem-SoIviog Policing," are o&a used ioterchangeably_ Generally, however,
community policing refen 10 • philosopb)' !hal sire...,. the importance of poIicclcilize.
pattncrWps is dealing with erime and quality of life. It cbaoges the lradilional model of
pcli<:e officen "fixiog" crime problems themselves and instead requires memben of the
community 10 become acti ... participants in defining \he problems 10 be addressed, the
w:6cs 10 be used and the mcasu.remellls of sucoes.. The philos<Jph)' call. for greater citizen
rcspoosibility and provides the cpportunity foe citizens 10 cootribut.c indhiduall)' and
cclIeclivcly \OW1InIs pub/i<: safety eflQrrs. k a1so serves 10 enhance police professionalism
by givir.g offi<:ers IIlOle problem-solving capabilities 10 assislthem in creative and i!lll(Wllive
itralegies 10 address different problems.
COPS AHEAD GW!!
Ia SepIembu 1994. the ViOlent Crime Control and Low Enforcement Act of 1994 became
law. Tbi5 legislation authorized 1hc United StaleS Department of luslice 10 provide grant
funding 10 IocaIla", enf«cement agencies foe the purpose of de",elopiog new and innovative
approaclJes to solve communiI)' erime problem.. A. I result, troC Attorney General
established the Office of CommuniI)' Oriented Policing Service. (COPS) to implement
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several .,..,. program5 f« fundin, for officen specifically for communiI)' policing elrorts.
The COPS AHEAD .,..,. progra.'11 ;., f« juris<f1Clions with populations 0( 50,000 and oyer.
AI the end of October 1994. !he Dcpartmenl 0( luslice distributed ooIioes 10 asencleo
~'" IeUen 0( inf<:1lt 0( participOlIion from Il>osc wI>.) thougbt !hey might Il&ve 11\
inIen:Jt in~ grant fuDcb. tntenllctlcn lIad lobe submined by Ncycmber21, 1994.
AlIhalIime, !he opeci6c pili ~ and oblisations were not made available 10 !he
asencleo. However, based upoo the limited informa600 IV8l1able, Staff believed iI prudenl
10 submit a Icuu of inf<:1II (milia1 oppIic&tion) 10 partkipale and If"' so on November 9,
1994.
0.. December 20. 1994, !he City was ooIified Ibat !he Department of Justice had authorized
Ihe City of Palo AI:o 10 comple!e the application package tI',at would result in the hiring 0(
two additional officers. The completed applic&tion must be sul>mltted by MarcIt 1, 1995.
Upoa receipt 0( the oppIkation package, Staff began the data coIlectio11lbat was needed 10
complete the oppIicalioa requirements; The laoguage in the application instructional manual
,.... raIher ambipous reguding the Cit)"s obligations. and as I result. I consldcnbIe
amount 0(1i .... was needed 10 receive clarification GO these obligations. Ia pa.'1icuIar.the
issue of wbeIlIe< <lI' not !be City would be required 10 iocrease the current authorized slaffing
level of \he Police Depai_ .. as one of Staff'. primary questions. Staff has just....:eived
\he clarificaIions "'prdiog \he graIII ""Iuiremeots within tlIe last twe> weeks. "'bile \he
oonnaI process would have beea 10 refer this issue 10 \he Council's Finance Committee for
consider. due 10 the sbort tun>-arouod time prior 10 the &ppIica!ioo submittal deadline. Staff
is presenting \he recommcoda6oo directly 10 the full Council.
Based upon the clarifications that Staff has recently received. !he specifics of \he grant are
II follows:
Uader \he J1'&DI prouam. \he FedenI government provides for 75 percent of the officers'
salaries and benefits over the m...e·year period of !he grant with a maximum subsidy of
S7S,ooo per officer. This funding is coosidere4 °seed' mor.ey for tgencies 10 either begin
<lI' enhance their communiI)' policing efforts. Because the inlent of the program iJ for
individual agerx:ies 10 eventually assu .... full costs or'" responsibility f<lI' these efforts. \he
amounI 0( the federalmalcll doIIan would dec,.,... eacl! year so Ibat tile amount per officer
would be spread Ihroogbout \he grant period so 1ll.1 al the end 0( three years, the City
would be bearing 100 percent of the COSIs. A.> an example, during Ill. first year. \he grant
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fundi may equal $35,000; Ihe ser<>Od year, $30,000; and Ihe third year, SI 0,000 per officer.
It it SIa1f'. wxIentaodiD8 dlallhe f<>rmula would be decid<d upon at Ihe beginnin.!: oflhe
8RIII period and !he City "'ouId be beld 10 thor agreemcnl for Ihe !hrce-ycar period.
As part of !be opplicalioa process, IIIhe end of the snnt period, app\kanl ageocies must oaree 10 maio the two officer positions and maintain the equiyalent staffing levels there&l'let.
WlUle d!ere ia DO specified amoun! of time that is indicated in the grant pidelinet,
lIC<:Ol'diDa to Ihc infcrmoIion .taff Iw received from the Office of Community Orlenled
PoIicin& Scrvi<:es in Washinglon D.C., the expectation of the fedenl monitors who oversee
!be program. i. that the City would maintain !be staffing \eYe! in perpetuity unl ... laud
wid! • significant finan.:ial han!shlp.
Grant requin:menlS prohibillhe supp/AnliD8 oflocal fund •. To prevent supplanu,,&, ageocica
an:rcquinod 10 inause !he staffing levels above the JlUJtlber of funded (filled and vaeanl)
JIIIlDber as of 0cI0bet 1994. The City of Palo Ailo'. FY 1994-95 budget lutborizes .52
pOOce officer positions_ Undet the grant requirements, the City would have to increase thio
aumiler 10 .54.
WhlIe the PorlCC Department is in the 1""""&$ of f<>rmalizing lis long-term community
policing pIaa as DOled earlier, elements of the philosoplly bave bee. successfully used with
existing staff foe. period of time. A few ~xamples include the IOIIowing:
Youth II Risk: Foe the past ODe and ooe-half years, members of the Police
Department have wOl'!red with representAtives from !he Polo Alto Unified School
District, City's Recreation and F .... Departments. Boy Scoots. Peninsula Kiwanis
Club. YMCA, and several neigbborbood associations ill! • task force aimed II
addressing tile ~ of youth at risk, especially in tile Ventura neighborhood. The
task force bas coIlaborative!y pooled resources for tile purpose of sponsoring sports
an.:! recreatlonal aclivi6e,. Additiooally, programs for tile parents of !hese young
people have also bee. clevoloped and implemented.
Ac!gpt-A-ScbooI ~m: la Sepl<.mbcr of this year. !he Police Departmen\ initiated
on Adopt-A-Sc.hool program. Undet this program. 13 patrol officers bave chosen ooe
middle oe elementAry school and Plake weekly visits. YISits involve Wamal one-<>n
one discussions will! studenlS, as weI! as classroom presentations .
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J!jqc!e/Foot Patrol.: For Ci;e last several years, the Police Departmeol has fielded
bicycle and foot pa1roIs in various perU olthe City including Ihe down!oWll and
Califumi& Avenue buSir.ess dislricts, areas "'~ lhere have been unusual crime
ereDlk (Palo Alto Aitport, TOWII and Country SOOppiDg Cenra) and variolls
noighbodwods (V.nlmS, Addison, Buroo Park, St. Francis, Palo AIIo AvenuelC_k
area. eIc.). The infen( ollhe~ l"'lrols u for increastd interaction between offior.rs,
citizeas. and merchants. The lISe of Iheso IypU ol pc!rol .. ~ave aDoII/ed offioen and
ciUzensfmcn:bants 10 know eacll other on & first name basis, wblcll has result<:d in
increased InisI, problem soIvinR, and undentandi og.
La Cumbee: Two years IgO, !he Ventura and Barron Pork NeighbodJood
Asoocialioos 'Oo'Orked with !he Police Deparlnlent in efforu 10 amelion!e problems
associaIcd wiIb the Ll Cumm Night Club. Problems included increased criminal
activity. noise, Iraffic, Ck. The problems were finally eliminated when Ll Cumbee
lost its use permil and eventually closed for business.
Nuj •• !IC!l I ,,£.tjons: During the last couple of years. th= bve been several
residenus in the City Wal me come 10 the aIlentioc ol!he PoIic<. Deportment !hal
have !lad problems associaled willi <lNg dealing, vandalism, and O<ber associated
criminal activities. By ",omn, with the neighbors who live adjacent 10 Iheso
Ioca!ions, poIi<:e officen wen: able 10 obtain scareh warrants, make amsts. and
finally eliminate Ihe problems II !hose locaIioos.
These an: buI • few ol the Iype ol community policing activities thai the Police Department
baa lllldertaken with existing resources.
Use of Officm if Gran! fpndinK j. Received
Because community policing efforts are weD underway .. evidence by !he eumples DOled
above, if the COPS }.HEAD gran! funding was received. the Police Department would
recommend using the two offioen 10 enhance !he C\l<tent efforts. Specifically, the. offioen
would iniIialI,. be used 10 expand the bicycle and foot patrols and other sil1ll1ar activities.
Lons Ierm plana would include the pG1ential of staffing a police subsla60n in Ihe sootlo end
of IoI1Ill and conducting associated activities.
M referenced earlier, these officers could DOt be used for traffic enforcement or for
!nditionaI <:rime prevention activities.
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One otbcr fIdo< thai has lead 10 Staff', recommendallon deals willi the administnti.e
workload thai would be ~ u pill! of the gran! monitoring. U!>dcr the tenns of the
gran! gnideti ..... , Staff would need 10 prepare frequeol and e~nsive progreiO reports and
...... peri.xfic:aIIy with f"ec!enl gran! lDO<'.iton 10 ensure compliance with the IermS of the
JI8IlI. Based upon previous grants the Police Departr.!e:!l has received in years past, staff
e.limalco thai ~gbIlO one qull1tU of an administnlo<',lime would be needed for these
mooiroring 1ICIivitie5. Staff believes thai thi. lime could be better <pen! in coordinating
adUaI COIJUIIunily policing efforts.
JilSCA!, IMPACT
Ac<:<lrdiDg 10 the grant guidelines, a maximllm 0( S15,OOO per officer oyer the Ihree-yeu
gran! period would be =ived. The!olal cost. u detailed in Attachmenl A. 10 recruit,
lim, train, equip and provide sabry and benefits for 0IIe officer jn Palo alto, equals
approximaldy $78,200, or $156,400 for two officers. That means the City would noced
the CD~ funding allotmenl by $3,200 per officer ja the first y...... Attachmenl B provides
ID eight.year projection (Ihree year gran! funding period, and • five year post funding
period) for net costs 10 the City. As lIOIcd earlier. the expectation would be that the two
positions would be rewned as pari of the department', permanent staffinlllevcl; the five
year post-fw>ding pcriod projecIioo is only an eumplc. (1k salary and benefit increments
.... based upon •• ypoIbe!kal 2.S pcn:e'" annllal increase.) These fig'JreS would
clccrcasefmcreuc depending upon the negotiltcd Memorandum', of Understanding ,.1th
PAPOA during those years. Based upon thi. eight·year projection, the net cost 10 the City
afteI" receiving the maximum $150,000 would be approximately $1,100,770.
Based upon the uncertain financial situation 0( the stale and tbe City over the next several
yean, Staff does DO! believe thal1he net costs 10 the City can be justified.
EN\'IRONMF..'lITAI. ASSJ§SMF.NT
This request i. exempt from the Calif<X"llia EnvironmenW Qualit}' Act and does not require
an environmo:ntal ..".,;smem.
AITACHMElIo'TS
Attachmenl A: Cost Dew1
Attachmenl B: Example 0( Porenrial FederaJiCity Funding Formula
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AtTACHMENT A
FIRST YEAR COST DETAIL
Year Costs (2 office ... )
Salary ODd Beocfils
UIIif«m ODd Equipmenl
1t=uitment/Hiring Prooess
AcademyToioo..
ToCIl FII'JI Year Costs
Nee Cast 10 City Genenl Fund
S 14.s,OOO
$ 3,200
$ 6,000
S 2.200
S 156,400
$ 70,000
$ 86.400
"Based II]XH1 curreot two-year MOO with Palo Aha Peace OfficerS' ASBOciaoo...
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crrv $ 56,4001' $145,000 2
PBOBRAI. 5 '10,000 $ 60.000
GRANT
PUNl)5
NET COST S 16,400 515.000
To em
I. Includes first year ,tart-up c"sll.
AtTACHMENT B
EIGmWEAR. roNDaNG PkOJECnON
YI!AIt 3 'l'BA11.4 YIlAI\ 5 YIlAI\ 6
$141,62.1 3 1152,)003 $'''',141 3 $IMollSl)'
S 20,000 00-00-00-
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$12 •• 62~ $152,340 $156,141 $16(),0$1
2. Salary and bot ...... hued QIl cutrCat CityIPAf'OA MOl),
3. Salary and Bonefi .. using 2.5% pet year inc ....... flclot.
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YBAIl7 YI!AIt , 1'OI'N. I
'164,0523 $161,1533 $I,~.7119J J
00-00-S 1~000
$164.ClS2 1161,1):;' $1,100,$ ,