TO: TARA SCHULTZ, CITY MANAGER
FROM: SHELLY VANDER VEEN, POLICE CHIEF
DATE: JUNE 25, 2019
Reviewed by:
City Manager: TS
Finance Director: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) GRANT
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SUMMARY
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) solicits grant proposals from city, county and state law enforcement organizations to fund alcohol-related education and enforcement programs that include underage drinking, directed alcohol sales enforcement operations, and training of employees at alcohol point-of-sale locations.
ABC grant funds are awarded on a competitive basis. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation by ABC staff is part of their Request for Proposal for grant applications. Evaluation criteria include prior grants awarded to an agency, the need for specific enforcement relating to alcohol sales and consumption, the number of alcohol-related incidents near point-of-sale establishments, and alcohol arrests stemming from problem retail outlets.
The Police Department submitted a proposal in March 2019 to fund an Alcoholic Beverage Control enforcement grant. Following the competitive review by ABC staff, the Police Department's grant was selected for funding.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING PARTICIPATION IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ALCOHOL BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) GRANT PROGRAM required for the participation in the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control grant program, and authorize the City Manager to sign any subsequent agreement with the ABC as part of the Police Department's participation in this grant program.
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
1. Request additional information.
2. Decline to participate in the State of California Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Grant Program.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The ABC grant fully funds the personnel, training and travel expenses associated with the grant operations.
Personnel (Straight Time, Overtime, and Benefits)
$ 32,478
Travel Expenses (ABC Conference - Travel, Lodging, per diem x 2)
$ 2,500
Total
$ 34,978
The costs to research this issue, prepare documentation and complete the grant application and this report are estimated to be $982, and are included in the operating budget of the Police Department.
ANALYSIS
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control solicits grant proposals from city, county and state law enforcement organizations to fund alcohol-related education and enforcement programs that include underage drinking, directed alcohol sales enforcement operations, and training of employees at alcohol point-of-sale locations.
ABC grant funds are awarded on a competitive basis. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation by ABC staff is part of their Request for Proposal for grant applications. Evaluation criteria include prior grants awarded to an agency, the need for specific enforcement relating to alcohol sales and consumption, the number of alcohol-related incidents near point-of-sale establishments, and alcohol arrests stemming from problem retail outlets.
The Police Department submitted a grant proposal in March 2019 to fund an Alcoholic Beverage Control enforcement grant to meet the following goals and objectives:
* Complete six press releases to facilitate media coverage to increase public awareness of the ABC grant and our proactive efforts.
* Provide training regarding alcohol related laws and ABC sponsored programs to all patrol officers.
* Conduct one underage drinking/DUI education program at Claremont High School.
* Coordinate one Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (L.E.A.D) training class for local businesses.
The LEAD Program is a free, voluntary prevention and education program for retail licensees, their employees and applicants. Licensees or license applicants and their employees are offered a free training class that includes instruction on checking various forms of identification, detecting and preventing illegal activity, reducing liability and much more.
Each training class lasts four hours. At the conclusion of the class, there is an exam on the material that was covered. Each person that fulfills all of the training requirements will receive a certificate, via email, certifying that they successfully completed a LEAD training course.
* Conduct impact operations with all (100%) ABC licensed locations in the City of Claremont.
Impact operations team an ABC Agent and Claremont Officers together to conduct inspections of ABC licensed establishments to ensure that the owners and operators of these establishments are following state law regarding the sale of alcohol.
* Conduct two undercover operations with officers placed inside on-sale ABC licensed businesses to increase awareness of conduct.
Undercover officers are utilized to enter ABC licensed establishments to observe whether there are any violations taking place involving underage consumption of alcohol.
* Conduct at least four minor decoy programs.
Minor Decoy operations involve the use of a person under the age of 21 years who, under the observation of a Police Officer, attempts to purchase alcoholic beverages to apprehend licensees, or employees or agents of licensees who sell alcoholic beverages to minors (persons under the age of 21) and to reduce sales of alcoholic beverages in a fashion that promotes fairness. The goal of enforcement operations will be to reduce the availability and subsequent use of alcohol by minors by using the "Minor Decoy" program to identify and cite irresponsible ABC on-sale licensed establishments.
* Conduct four shoulder tap operations.
The Decoy Shoulder Tap Program is an enforcement program that ABC and local law enforcement agencies use to detect and deter shoulder tap activity. During the program, a minor decoy, under the direct supervision of law enforcement officers, solicits adults outside ABC licensed stores to buy the minor decoy alcohol. Any person seen furnishing alcohol to the minor decoy is arrested (either cited or booked) for furnishing alcohol to a minor.
* Conduct one warrant sweep for persons with outstanding arrest warrants related to ABC or alcohol related offenses.
As part of a directed arrest warrant sweep, officers check all of the local arrest warrants related to alcohol and then attempt to serve the arrest warrants.
*
Conduct one TRAP DOOR operation.
Trap Door Operations are utilized to reduce the availability to, and subsequent use of, illegal identifications by minors at ABC on-sale licensed establishments. The Police Department will conduct directed patrols in areas that produce higher calls for service involving alcohol, utilizing both undercover and uniformed patrols.
* Conduct at least four directed enforcement operations targeting problematic ABC licensed locations and problem areas within the City.
Directed enforcement operations involve identifying ABC licensed locations where calls for service and/or arrests related to alcohol are higher than other ABC licensed establishments, as well as locations where the Department receives complaints of underage alcohol consumption or purchases.
Following the competitive review by ABC staff, the Police Department's grant proposal was selected for $34,978 in funding.
Staff believes that the funding this grant provides in overtime will enhance our overall alcohol enforcement operations and reduce the number of alcohol-related incidents involving minors and reduce alcohol-related crimes.
The grant also provides the opportunity for training for Police Department staff and ABC licensed business owners and their employees. This training will help to build positive working relationships with the Police staff and the owners/employees at all point-of-sale establishments located within the City.
The ABC grant funding will enhance the overall effectiveness in addressing alcohol-related calls for service. Additionally, the development of close working relationships with ABC employees will help facilitate ongoing relationships and coordinated training of Police Department staff and employees at point-of-sale establishments located in the City.
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 relates to the following City Council Priority to deploy resources to impact crime
Sustainability Plan - This item does not apply to the goals of Sustainability Plan.
Economic Sustainability Plan - This item does not apply to the recommendations outlined in the Economic Sustainability Plan.
General Plan - This item relates to 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.
6-9.8 - Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
2018-19 Budget - This item relates to 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-10: Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
Youth and Family Master Plan - This item relates to the following goal and objective of the Youth and Family Master Plan.
Objective 8. Provide a Safe, Secure and Sustainable Environment.
CEQA REVIEW
This item (submitting an application for grant funding) is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and section 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a "project" as defined in Section 15378). CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(2), (4), and (5) excludes "[c]ontinuing administrative ... activities," "... government fiscal activities which do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment," and " administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment" from its definition of "project."
Even if this item were a "project," it would be exempt from environmental review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)'s "general rule" that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Here, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this item, in and of itself, will have a significant effect on the environment. On its own, this action will not result in any physical changes to the environment.
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:
Shelly Vander Veen
Police Chief
Attachment:
ABC Grant Resolution