TO: TARA SCHULTZ, CITY MANAGER
FROM: SHELLY VANDER VEEN, POLICE CHIEF
DATE: FEBRUARY 25, 2020
Reviewed by:
City Manager: TS
Finance Director: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
UPDATE TO THE CRIME FREE MULTI-HOUSING PROGRAM
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SUMMARY
In April 2009, the City Council approved a program to promote safe and healthy living environments at apartment communities throughout Claremont. The Crime Free Multi-Housing model, which has been used successfully in several communities, was modified and adapted to the Claremont community. A recommendation in the 2009 report was to provide crime statistics to the City Council every six months. This report includes the crime statistics for 2019.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council receive and file the update to the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program.
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Reject staff recommendations.
B. Delay staff recommendation and request additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The costs to research this issue, prepare documentation and complete this report are estimated at $796. These costs are in staff time allocated to the project and are included in the operating budget of the Police Department.
ANALYSIS
In 2006, the Committee for Safe and Healthy Housing was established by a group of Claremont residents. The goal of this volunteer group was to work with organizations in Claremont to promote quality of life improvements and reduce criminal activity in multi-family complexes.
In April 2009, the City Council was presented with an agenda report outlining a program to promote safe and healthy living environments at apartment communities throughout Claremont. The Crime Free Multi-Housing model, which has been used successfully in several communities, was modified and adapted to the Claremont community and approved by the City Council.
The Committee for Safe and Healthy Housing has spent a great deal of time working on the implementation of the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. The group has attended training, held regular meetings, met with apartment managers/property owners, and developed the training workbook for apartment managers/property owners.
To date, five complexes have completed all of the necessary steps to be certified in the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. The complexes are as follows: Claremont Villas (100 S. Indian Hill Boulevard), Courier Place (111 S. College Avenue), Plum Tree (284 N. Carnegie Avenue), Access Village (1730 N. Towne Avenue), and Claremont Village Green (630 W. Bonita Avenue).
The Police Department, as part of its partnership with the Committee, provides the following operational activities in support of the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program:
Track Crime Statistics
The Police Department tracks apartment crime data and calls for service and provides reports every six months. These reports are provided to apartment managers, the Police Commission, and the City Council. Crime data for 2019 is included as Attachment A.
An analysis of these reports by Police Department staff is conducted to provide a foundation to determine if additional resources need to be directed or re-directed to a specific complex or area. A goal used in the crime analysis is a threshold of 0.25 crimes/unit/year.
During 2019, there were no complexes that met, or exceeded the 0.25 crimes/unit threshold.
Jim Keith, the chairperson of the Committee for Safe and Healthy Housing, has been using the crime data provided in these reports to create charts, which include data back to 2009. Mr. Keith’s work has been incorporated into this report as Attachment B.
Police Department Liaison
A Police Department supervisor has been designated as the liaison to this program. This liaison provides the crime data and analysis, attends semi-annual meetings with apartment owners and managers, and participates in the annual training for owners/managers. The Committee continues to provide many of the resources for this program through their volunteerism and the designation of a volunteer coordinator.
Volunteer Coordinator
In November 2009, the Committee for Safe and Healthy Housing organized and presented the first Crime Free Multi-Housing training program for apartment managers/owners in Claremont. Since then, the Committee, in partnership with the Police Department, has presented twenty-two half-day training presentations. The Committee also has a volunteer (Bob Kern) to help coordinate the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program.
Mr. Kern maintains office space at City Hall, where he facilitates the operation of the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds the following:
Council Priorities - This item does relates to the Council Priority: Ensure the Safety of Our Community.
Sustainability Plan - This item addresses the following goal and objective of the Sustainability Plan:
Reduce crime in multiple-family housing (6.2.4 Provide Staffing to create a Crime Free program for apartment housing developments.)
Economic Sustainability Plan - This item does not apply to the recommendations outlined in the Economic Sustainability Plan.
General Plan - This item addresses the following goals and objectives of the General Plan:
6-1: Work to promote a safe community in which residents can live, work, and play.
6-9: Provide effective and comprehensive policing services and enforce laws in an equitable way.
6-9.2: Continue to encourage design concepts that inhibit criminal behaviors.
6-9.8: Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
2019-20 Budget - This item addresses the following goals and objectives of the Police Department’s Work Plan:
PS-1: Effectively manage department operations.
PS-3: Maintain a safe community, in which citizens can reside, work, and visit.
PS-6: Strengthen and increase community contacts and outreach programs to ensure partnerships with the community as part of Community Oriented Policing philosophy.
PS-10: Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
PS-14: Provide cost effective public safety services through the utilization of volunteers to supplement existing staff.
Youth and Family Master Plan - This item addresses the following goals and objectives of the Youth and Family Master Plan:
Objective 8. Provide a Safe, Secure, and Sustainable Environment.
CEQA REVIEW
Receiving and filing the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program report is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (Pub. Resources Code, Sec. 21000 et seq.) (“CEQA”) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activities will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment), and 15060(c)(3) (the activities are not a project as defined in section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3. CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) excludes continued administrative activities and organization activities that will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment from the definition of “project.”
Moreover, even if the report were a project, it would be subject to the CEQA exemptions contained in CEQA Guideline section 15306 because the report merely consists of information collection, and section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. The receiving and filing of the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program report by the City Council will not have a significant effect on the environment because the action will not result in or lead to a physical change in Claremont. Therefore, no additional environmental review is needed at this time.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
This item has been noticed through the regular agenda notification process. Copies are available at the City Hall public counter, the Youth Activity Center, the Alexander Hughes Community Center, and the City website.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Shelly Vander Veen Aaron Fate
Police Chief Police Captain
Attachments:
A - Crime Data for 2019
B - Crime Data Charts Created by Jim Keith