REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 03/15/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Police Department
SUBJECT:
Title
ACCEPTANCE OF A INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE 2022 LOCAL EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The United States Department of Justice provides funding to local governments and federally recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions through local awards of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. The grant’s mission is to assist state, local, and tribal efforts to prevent or reduce crime and violence and augment officer safety. Funds received are to be used for technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice that will improve or enhance law enforcement programs.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Approve the Interlocal Agreement concerning the distribution of the 2022 Justice Assistance Grant Award.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute any required grant documents that are in compliance with the City Council’s actions hereunder.
c. Accept the U.S. Department of Justice 2022 Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $20,295, with ten percent (10%) of the award, or $2,030, to be allocated to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department as the grant’s Fiscal Agent.
d. Appropriate $18,265 from the U.S. Department of Justice Grant Fund 411 and increase the estimated revenue by the same amount to be received from the U.S. Department of Justice.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
In June 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice notified the City of Corona of its eligibility for a $20,295 award from the 2022 Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. The local government formula grant award allocations are based on a jurisdiction’s population and proportion of the state’s 3-year violent crime average.
The United States Department of Justice combined the eligible agencies in Riverside County into a single interlocal agreement for funding. The interlocal agreement is between the cities of: Banning, Beaumont, Cathedral City, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Hemet, Indio, Jurupa Valley, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Palm Springs, Perris, Riverside, Temecula, and the County of Riverside. The agreement defines the award distribution and designates one agency as the fiscal agent, which is the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The City of Corona would receive reimbursement funding from the 2022 Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG).
ANALYSIS:
Based on the Interlocal Agreement and funding formula, the City would receive $20,295 of the $498,388 awarded to the 16 participating agencies. Ten percent (10%) of the award, or $2,030, is designated to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department as the grant’s Fiscal Agent for administration of the award.
$13,610 will be designated for the purchase a new dual-purpose narcotics detection and apprehension canine. The Police Department’s current sole-purpose narcotics detection canine was purchased in 2015 and will be retiring soon. The new dual-purpose canine will be assigned to a specialized unit within the police department. The canine will assist with narcotics-related investigations, deter violent crime, and apprehend violent criminal offenders while interacting with the community through public demonstrations. The canine will enhance public and officer safety, and assist officers in locating illegal narcotics such as fentanyl. Having a canine trained for this type of detection will help rid dangerous drugs from the community and reduce the potential for fentanyl exposures.
$4,655 of the funding will be utilized by Records staff. Police Records Technicians work overtime for the sealing and expunging criminal history information of juvenile and adults, in accordance with state laws and policies. The Corona Police Department anticipates receiving approximately 75 of these requests per calendar year. The sealing requirement typically requires 1-2 hours to complete, depending upon the complexity of the case. This grant funding is anticipated to reimburse approximately 88 hours of overtime of the anticipated 113 hours of work required for this task. Sealings and expungements require timely completion as mandated by law when court orders are received.
The 2022 Local Edward Byrne Memorial JAG project period will be from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2025.
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved as to form the proposed Grant Agreement and Certified Standard Assurances.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation and revenue estimate increase of $18,265 in the U.S. Department of Justice Grant Fund 411. There is no local match requirement for this award. The 2022 Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant will reimburse the City for the following items:
Drug Detection Canine $13,610
Police Records Technician Overtime 4,655
Total $18,265
Any unused budget will carry forward into Fiscal Year 2024.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CQEA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in questions may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action of a canine purchase and Records Technician overtime is minimal, and there is no possibility this will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: MICHELLE ADAMS, MANAGEMENT ANALYST II
REVIEWED BY: ROBERT NEWMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Interlocal Agreement Concerning Distribution of the 2022 Justice Assistance Grant Award
2. Exhibit 2 - Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Certified Standard Assurances