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CC - Approval of an Application for $200,000.00 in Grant Funds through the US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, FY 2021 Community Policing Development Program.
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Meeting Date: July 12, 2021
Contact Person/Dept: Lieutenant Brandon VanScoy/ Police
Phone Number: (310) 253-6109
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (07/07/2021);
Department Approval: Police Chief Manny Cid (06/30/2021)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve an application of grant funds in the amount of $200,000.00 through the US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, FY 2021 Community Policing Development Program.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Office, is providing grants to local law enforcement agencies to support their ability to build and maintain their officers’ de-escalation proficiency. Funding may be used to support attendance at nationally certified de-escalation train-the-trainer programs and build agencies’ internal capacity to provide de-escalation training to their officers. Grant funding may also be used to support internal training costs, including overtime and investments in Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality (VR/AR) technology. Funding may also support the development of resources (roll-call videos, toolkits, etc.) to support agencies’ de-escalation training efforts and to promote continual learning and maintenance of skills. There is a $200,000.00 cap per award for local law enforcement
De-Escalation Training grants.
The Culver City Police Department (CCPD) is requesting grant funds in the amount of $200,000.00 to implement the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) Program and to procure Virtual Reality Training technology.
Founded in 1976, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) has provided law enforcement organizations with services through the exercise of strong national leadership; public debate of police and criminal justice issues; and research and policy development. PERF has developed a program entitled Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) to address the issues faced by police officers during high stress situations. As a nationally recognized curriculum for de-escalation, ICAT has the following training goals that are in line with CCPD’s project goals:
• Reinforce with patrol officers the core ideal of sanctity of human life-the need to protect themselves, members of the public and, whenever possible, criminal suspects and subjects in crisis from danger and harm.
• Promote public safety and officer safety by learning and integrating skills and strategies related to decision-making, crisis recognition, tactical communications, and safety tactics.
• Provide patrol officers with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to assess and manage threats, influence behavioral change, and gain voluntary compliance whenever possible in dynamic and dangerous situations.
• Provide patrol officers with a decision-making model that is intuitive, practical, and effective for safely resolving non-firearms critical incidents and for documenting and explaining actions after the fact.
• Provide patrol officers with basic skills needed to recognize individuals in crisis and to approach and attempt to engage them in a safe and effective manner.
• Provide patrol officers with key communications skills needed to safely engage with, de-escalate, and gain compliance from subjects who are in crisis and/or non-compliant.
• Reinforce with patrol officers’ effective tactical approaches and teamwork skills needed to safely resolve incidents.
• Provide patrol officers with realistic and challenging scenario-based training which focuses on recognition of persons in crisis, tactical communication, and safe tactics as part of an overall, integrated de-escalation strategy.
Police Executive Research Forum’s ICAT curriculum is presented in the train-the-trainer format and has been utilized by numerous agencies across the nation. “Reducing the need to use deadly force, upholding the sanctity of life, building community trust, and protecting officers from physical, emotional and legal harm are the cornerstones of the ICAT.”
Along with the ICAT program, Axon (the manufacturer of tasers) has created a Virtual Reality (VR) training program that has recently been released to law enforcement agencies. This program allows the officer to experience different scenarios in a controlled environment that require de-escalation and use of less lethal options. The program consists of three current modules (scenarios) that include schizophrenia, autism, and suicidal ideation. Future models include hard of hearing and Alzheimer’s/dementia. Additional modules will be released for use each month. With the purchase of this equipment and software, the Culver City Police Arrest and Control Team would be able to incorporate the use of VR in their de-escalation training. Being that Axon’s VR equipment and software require the use of Axon’s current Conducted Energy Weapon, Taser 7, our older X26P Tasers would also need to be updated to the most current technology.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The funding amount being requested is the maximum grant cap amount in the amount of $200,000.00 to implement the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) Program and to procure Virtual Reality Training technology. There are no matching funds required.
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Approve an application for grant funds in the amount of $200,000.00 through the FY 2021 US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, FY 2021 Community Policing Development Program.
2. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and,
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.