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Title:
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PUBLIC HEARING –Approval of the Use of Monies for Front Line Police Services as a Result of the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund Grant Under the Citizen’s Option for Public Safety (COPS) Program, Including Continued Funding of a Property Technician Position (Non-Sworn) in the Property and Forensic Unit and Continuation of an Overtime-Funded Officer Task Force to Address Community Crime Prevention.
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City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council (1) hold a public hearing on the use of Fiscal
Year 2010/2011 Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) money
available from the State of California, Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS)
funding and (2) approve the use of the SLESF grant to continue funding a Property
Technician position (non-sworn) in the Forensic and Evidence Unit and authorize the
use of the remaining funds, plus accumulated interest, to establish an overtime-
funded task force to address community crime prevention.
PROCEDURE:
1. Mayor seeks a motion from the City Council to receive and file the affidavits of
publication and posting of notices, and correspondence received in response to
the public hearing notices; and,
2. Mayor calls for a staff report and the City Council Members may pose questions
to staff as desired; and,
3. Mayor seeks a motion to open the public hearing; and,
4. Mayor seeks motion to close the public hearing after all public testimony has
been presented; and,
5. City Council discusses the item and arrives at its decision
Meeting Date: September 26, 2011 Item Number: PH-1
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: PUBLIC HEARING –Approval of the Use of
Monies for Front Line Police Services as a Result of the Supplemental Law
Enforcement Services Fund Grant Under the Citizen’s Option for Public Safety
(COPS) Program, Including Continued Funding of a Property Technician Position
(Non-Sworn) in the Property and Forensic Unit and Continuation of an Overtime-
Funded Officer Task Force to Address Community Crime Prevention.
Contact Person/Dept.: Carmen Zarate Phone Number: (310) 253-6133
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [X] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:_______________
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas – City Council (09/21/11);
Publication in the Culver City News .
Department Approval:
Donald Pedersen (09/06/11)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (09/19/11)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (09/20/11)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (09/20/11) City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
BACKGROUND:
Since Fiscal Year 1996/1997, the California State budget has been funding the
“Supplemental Law Enforcement Funding” program. The City of Culver City has
been receiving various annual amounts of COPS funds toward the end of the
respective calendar years. This funding is a “pass through” grant from the State of
California with the money received from the County of Los Angeles.
The City is eligible once again to receive $100,000 in SLESF monies for the
exclusive purpose of funding “front line municipal police services” and in fact all of
the funds were received in 2010-2011. Grant funding amounts are determined
based on population estimates developed by the California Department of Finance.
Cities with populations less than 50,000 receive the minimum appropriation amount
of $100,000. The funds are to be appropriated pursuant to a written request from
the Chief of Police and the funding process is subject to a public hearing to consider
these requests.
This is the fifteenth (15
th
) year of funding for this grant. The grant requires that the
funds be spent on front-line police services. At this time, the intended project for this
grant is to continue the funding of one Property Technician position as has been
done for the previous seven (7) fiscal years. The Property Technician position has
proven effective at reducing the work backlog in the forensics unit and eliminated the
need to fund officers on an overtime basis to work in that section. This year, as in
the last seven (7) years, the Chief of Police is requesting that any remaining grant
funds (and accrued interest) above the costs of the Property Technician position be
used for the establishment of an overtime funded task force to address quality of life
crimes.
Changing the planned expenditure for the funds is allowed at the discretion of the
Police Chief. SLESF funds cannot be used to supplant an existing budget and must
be used for frontline police services. There are no requirements for matching funds.
Retaining the grant funded Property Technician results in an additional police officer
on the street performing front line municipal police services. The grant funded
overtime positions will place more officers in the field performing community crime
prevention.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The City has received $100,000.00 for Fiscal Year 2010/2011 in grant funds and the
Property Technician position, as proposed, will continue to be entirely funded by the
grant. Any remaining monies will be used to fund the officer task force costs. The City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
grant has already been included in the City Council Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year
2010/2011 budget in Business Unit 41441700.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Inter-Departmental Correspondence from the Chief of Police to the Mayor and
City Council stating the preference for the SLESF Program funds.
MOTION:
That the City Council:
Approve the continued use of SLESF program grant monies to fund one Property
Technician position and with any remaining grant monies, an overtime-funded
task force to address community crime prevention.
editeACITY
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
September 6, 2011
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
DON PEDERSEN, CHIEF OF POLICE
SUPPLEMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES FUND
CC: JOHN NACHBAR, CITY MANAGER
GRANT INFORMATION
Government Code Sections 30061 et seq. provides for local law enforcement
funding for the Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) program. The City
received $100,000 last year for the program which funded one Property
Technician position (non-sworn) and provided overtime funding to establish an
overtime funded officer task force to address community crime prevention.
The Police Department has received $100,000.00 for fiscal year 2010-11 in grant
funds. It is unknown at this time whether the Police Department will receive
$100,000.00 in fiscal year 2011-12 as a participant in the County's Supplemental
Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF). SLESF funds cannot be used to
supplant an existing budget and must be used for front line police services. A
public hearing is required to discuss the proposed use of these funds and will be
scheduled for the September 26, 2011 Council meeting.
I request that we use the SLESF grant to continue funding a Property Technician
in the Forensic and Evidence Unit. Any remaining funds will be used to establish
an overtime funded officer task force to perform front line Municipal police
services.
Should you have any questions regarding this matter please contact Carmen
Zarate, Senior Management Analyst at (310) 253-6133.
DON PEDERSEN
Chief of Police
SB:cz
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
9170 CULVER BOULEVARD, CULVER CITY, CA 90232-0507