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
2018-19 COPS/SLESF GRANT SPENDING PLAN
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SUMMARY
In 1996-97, the Citizens’ Option for Public Safety/Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Funds (COPS/SLESF) program was established through the passage of Assembly Bill 3229. The COPS program was designed to provide State funds to local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of addressing and providing front-line law enforcement needs, as designated by the Chief of Police.
In the past, the Police Department has treated COPS grant funding as one-time funds, since they are based on the annual State budget. Staff continues to recommend that these funds be treated as one-time funds since the funding could be eliminated in future State budgets.
Historically, these grant funds have been used for equipment purchases, including patrol rifles, night vision devices, mobile and portable radios, in-car mobile data computers, in-car video cameras, as well as overtime for special enforcement or directed enforcement operations, and the trauma intervention specialist stipend.
The Police Department has received $100,500 for 2018-19 as its share of COPS/SLESF funding and is recommending the expenditures detailed in this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
A. Approve the COPS funding expenditure recommendations for 2018-19, in the amount of $100,500; and
B. Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement in the amount of $31,161.80 for the purchase of evidence lockers identified in this report from McMurray Stern.
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Reject staff recommendations.
B. Delay staff recommendation and request additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
A separate fund has been established for the receipt and expenditure of this funding, as required by the grant. In order to comply with State requirements, City Council approval of the spending plan is required.
Staff recommends to the City Council the use of the City’s Alternative Purchasing Procedures process for the procurement of evidence lockers from McMurray Stern. The pricing is based on California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) Contract: 4-14-71-0021F.
This purchase meets the City’s Alternative Purchasing Procedures under Municipal Code section 3.15.090, which allows City departments to “piggy-back” on purchases when competitive bidding has already been conducted by another public agency:
3.15.090 Using alternative purchasing procedures.
For non-Public Projects and other situations provided in this section, an alternative purchasing procedure which results in a negotiated contract, force account, purchase order or any other procedure determined by the authorized contracting party to be in the best interests of the City and in compliance with the City’s policies and procedures may be used.
D. Competitive Bidding Already Completed: When the authorized contracting party determines that a competitive bid procedure has been conducted by another public agency (e.g. through CMAS or GSA) and the price to the City is equal to or better than the price to that public agency.
The staff cost to prepare this report and administer this program is estimated at $2,500 and is included in the operating budget of the Police Department.
ANALYSIS
In 1996, legislation was passed which provides funds to agencies that establish a Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) and meet other general criteria. Funds are allocated to agencies based on population and must be used to supplement front-line police services. One of the requirements is that the Chief of Police provides the City Council with recommendations for allocation of these funds.
In the past, the Police Department has treated COPS funding as one-time funds, since they are based on the annual State budget. Staff believes that this funding source should continue to be treated as one-time funds given the fluctuating economic conditions that exist at the State level.
Historically, these grant funds have been used for equipment purchases, including patrol rifles, night vision devices, mobile and portable radios, in-car mobile data computers, in-car video cameras, as well as overtime for special enforcement or directed enforcement operations, and the trauma intervention specialist stipend.
Staff recommends that the 2018-19 allocation of $100,500 be used for the following expenditures:
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ALPR Mobile Parking License Plate Reader System $ 28,352 |
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Evidence Storage Lockers $ 31,162 |
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EvidenceOnQ Mobile Device $ 6,145 |
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EvidenceOnQ Annual Maintenance & Support $ 3,717 |
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Phillips HeartStart Defibrillator AEDs (5 total) $ 4,655 |
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Annual Trauma Stipend $ 4,800 |
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Overtime $ 13,458 |
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Wireless Communications for MDCs $ 8,211 |
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$100,500 |
Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Mobile Parking License Plate Reader System
The Parking Enforcement Officer assigned to parking enforcement within the Village uses the marking of tires with chalk to track how long a car has been parked at a certain location. Vigilant Solutions, the vendor from which the City purchases automated license plate reader cameras, offers a license plate enabled parking enforcement system. The technology compares the detection of a vehicle against a prior detection of that same vehicle to see if it has overstayed a posted time limit.
The system also allows parking operations to locate scofflaws, primarily those vehicles with five or more unpaid citations, using license plate recognition. The system will also notify the Police Department’s Dispatch Center if the ALPR enabled parking enforcement vehicle detects a reported stolen vehicle. Vigilant integrates with pay station and access control parking vendors should the City add any such system in the future. The $28,352 cost of the system includes a four-camera mobile license plate reader system, related software and training, computer and docking system, and installation.
The Police Department’s complete ALPR Use and Privacy Policy can be found on the Police Department’s webpage at www.claremontpd.com <http://www.claremontpd.com>.
Evidence Storage Lockers
Police officers collect and process evidence any time of the day or night. Collected evidence is secured in temporary storage lockers until the Property & Evidence Clerk retrieves the evidence and secures it in the evidence storage rooms. The current temporary evidence lockers at the Police Department were installed during the original build of the station in the early 1970s and are built of particle board and do not include a refrigerated locker to secure biological evidence. New evidence storage lockers would be purchased, with a total purchase price of $31,162.
The evidence lockers, to be purchased from McMurray Stern, are a storage solution that can guarantee the security and integrity of evidence. The lockers are built of heavy gauge steel with a multipoint dead bolt locking system, double-walled welded doors and anti-pry tabs. The cost includes two refrigerated lockers to temporarily store biological evidence such as sexual assault kits.
EvidenceOnQ Mobile Device & Annual Maintenance and Service
A portion of last year’s COPS funds (2017-18) were allocated towards the purchase of EvidenceOnQ, which is a management solution for property and evidence. This system has been implemented and has already streamlined daily evidence management duties increasing the overall efficiency and time savings of booking evidence, maintaining a chain of custody, and completing audits.
Currently, our evidence is housed within three different locations on the Police Department property. The purchase of an EvidenceOnQ Mobile Device, at a cost of $6,145, will enhance the system. The handheld device will allow for the transfer or release of evidence from any one of the three locations on the Police Department property without having to return to the main computer station to complete the data entry. There is also an annual cost for maintenance and support for the EvidenceOnQ system of $3,717. COPS/SLESF funds would be used to cover this cost.
Phillips HeartStart Defibrillator AED (5 total)
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) analyze cardiac rhythm and through user interaction, deliver a shock after electronically detecting and assessing ventricular fibrillation or rapid ventricular tachycardia. The Police Department currently has five AEDs, which are deployed daily in the hands of our patrol officers and have been successfully used to save many lives. Our current AEDs have reached the end of their useful lives, with replacement parts including batteries, no longer available. The manufacturer, Phillips, is offering a rebate for the swap out and upgrade of these AEDs, which will result in a savings of $2,600. The total cost to replace our current AEDs, with the rebate, is $4,655 and would be funded through the COPS/SLESF program.
Annual Trauma Intervention Stipend
The Police Department has operated a Trauma Intervention Service for more than a decade under the guidance and supervision of a licensed Clinical Social Worker/Therapist. This volunteer has provided countless hours of assistance to the Police Department on death notifications, grief counseling, critical incident counseling as well as debriefing of staff following a significant incident. Five years ago, the City Council encouraged the payment of a stipend for this position and since then, the stipend of $4,800 per year has been funded through the SLESF grant.
Overtime
These funds would be used to pay for directed enforcement or special enforcement operations. This could include directed traffic enforcement in and around schools, directed enforcement to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, community outreach, and/or increased staffing directed at impacting specific crime trends. Staff recommends the allocation of $13,458 in COPS/SLESF funding for overtime.
Annual Wireless Communications for Mobile Data Computers
The Police Department has Mobile Data Computers (MDC) in fourteen patrol cars and the School Resource Officer’s vehicle. These funds, in the amount $8,211, would be used to cover the annual cost to maintain the MDC’s wireless communications currently through Verizon.
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 applies to the following City Council Priority Goals:
• Ensure the safety of our community through community-based policing and emergency preparedness
• The City Council is dedicated to programs that strengthen public safety.
• The City employs technology and techniques that increase efficiency and improve effectiveness.
Sustainability Plan - This item does not apply to the Sustainability Plan.
Economic Sustainability Plan - This item does not apply to the recommendations outlined in the Economic Sustainability Plan.
General Plan - This item applies to the following goals/objectives in the General Plan.
Goal 6.1: Work to promote a safe community in which residents can live, work and play.
Goal 6.9.8: Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
Goal 6.9.9: Provide effective and comprehensive policing services and enforce laws in an equitable way.
2018-19 Budget - This item meets the following Police Department Work Plan Goals.
PS-1: Effectively manage department operations.
PS-3: Maintain a safe community, in which citizens can reside, work and visit.
PS-7: Strive for the safe and efficient movement of traffic throughout the community.
PS-10: Initiate proactive crime suppression and prevention strategies throughout the community.
PS-15: Process and manage evidence/property related to arrests and investigations.
PS-33: Effectively utilize technology and deploy resources to impact crime and traffic safety in the community.
Youth and Family Master Plan - This item applies to the following goals/objectives of the Youth and Family Master Plan.
Objective 8. Provide a Safe, Secure and Sustainable Environment
CEQA REVIEW
This item 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 spending plan were a project, it would be subject to CEQA’s “common sense” exemption contained in CEQA Guideline Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the plan will have a significant effect on the environment. The spending plan 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:
Shelly Vander Veen
Police Chief