#04 Apply for policy recovery act grants
POLICE DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
March 30, 2009
TO: City Council
FROM: David Moore, Deputy Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Authorization for the City Manager to apply for grants through the
COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) and the Edward Byrne
Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG)
Executive Summary
The police department is eligible to apply for two Recovery Act grants. The first
grant is the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) and the second is the
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG).
Staff Recommendation
The Interim Police Chief recommends applying for the COPS grant for two
additional sworn officers and applying for the JAG grant for the below listed
equipment. Both grants will reduce future financial burden to the City’s tax levy.
Proposed Motion
Move to authorize the City Manager to apply for grants through the COPS Hiring
Recovery Program (CHRP) and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance
Grant (JAG)
City Manager Recommendation
I recommend applying for both the CHRP and JAG grants. The CHRP will offset
add two officers not currently funded in the budget. My anticipation is that if as a
City we expect to add two additional officers in the next 4 years, this approach is
the best fiscal approach. The JAG grant will offset funding that would have come
in the next Note issue request. This will upgrade equipment for the police
department without the necessity of utilizing borrowed funds.
Background
COPS Hiring Recovery Program
The COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) is a competitive grant program that
provides funding directly to law enforcement agencies for the hiring and rehiring
of additional law enforcement officers. The grant will provide 100 percent funding
for approved entry level salaries and benefits for 3 years (36 months) for newly-
hired, full-time sworn officer positions (including filling existing unfunded
vacancies) or for rehired officers who have been laid off, or are scheduled to be
laid off on a future date, as a result of local budget cuts. There is no local match
for the CHRP, however, the three year funding is based on an initial entry level
officer salary and benefits. At the conclusion of the three year grant the
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additional positions must be maintained for at least 12 months. Funds must be
used to supplement (not replace) City funds that would have been dedicated
toward law enforcement if the funding was not awarded. The City can not reduce
funding that would have been dedicated toward sworn officer positions as a
result of receiving the COPS funding.
The deadline to apply for the COPS grant is April 14, 2009.
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) is a formula grant
based upon population and crime statistics. The department is able to use grant
funds to purchase law enforcement equipment. The department must apply for
the JAG grant jointly with the Rock County Sheriff’s Department and the Beloit
Police Department. The Sheriff’s Department will be the administering agency
who will apply for the grant and will submit all required reports. The three
agencies need to agree on the individual allocations. The total grant available for
the three agencies is $296,049. Janesville’s agreed upon allocation is $110,599.
The deadline to apply for the JAG grant is May 18, 2009.
Analysis
COPS Hiring Recovery Program
The police department would like to add two additional sworn officer positions
through the COPS grant. This would bring the number of sworn officers from 104
to 106. Over the course of the three year grant the City cost for the two
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additional officers will be $0. The City’s cost for the required 4 year to maintain
the two officers without funding will be $192,696.
The following chart details the grant amount and City share if awarded two officer
positions under the COPS grant. These figures take into account a 3% salary
increase each year, step increases at 18 months and 24 months, and 10%
increases each year for family health insurance.
COPS GRANT PROJECTION
Two Additional Officers
(Start Date 7/1/09)
Grant
Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4
Total
7/09 - 6/107/10 - 6/117/11 - 6/127/12 - 6/13
$ 458,324
Total Salary/Benefits$ 126,960 $ 147,298 $ 184,066 $ 192,696
$ 458,324
Grant Amount$ 126,960 $ 147,298 $ 184,066 $ -
$ -
City Share$ -$ -$ -$ 192,696
Increasing the authorized sworn personnel from 104 to 106 will provide for two
additional officers assigned to the uniform patrol division. This increased staffing
level will allow the agency to more effectively engage in the following activities:
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1. Directed Patrols: Officers or citizens frequently identify problem locations
which require the allocation of personnel. With additional staffing at the shift
level, officers can more frequently be assigned to address those problem
areas.
2. Traffic Enforcement: The police department regularly receives comments
from citizens regarding our level of traffic enforcement. We recognize those
concerns; however the levels of calls for service and other higher priority
issues often impact our ability to dedicate officers to proactive traffic
enforcement. The additional personnel provided by this grant should allow for
additional traffic enforcement efforts.
3. Community Policing/Problem-Solving Efforts: The police department
embraces the concept of community policing, with an emphasis on problem-
solving. Calls for service can be reduced when the root causes of those calls
can be identified and addressed. Increased staffing allows for more time and
more personnel to engage in community problem-solving efforts.
4. Address Increasing Calls for Service: The city has experienced three
successive years of increased police activities. In the past those increases
have been attributed largely to community growth. While growth is now likely
to stabilize, the economic pressures facing the community may lead to
increased police activity.
5. Special Shifts: In 2008, the police department experimented with a power
shift, which provided additional officers during peak times on higher-activity
days of the week. Additional officers may offer the opportunity to expand on
this program, and possibly explore the formation of a traffic unit to focus on
traffic law enforcement and crash investigation.
6. Impact on Overtime: Two additional patrol officers may marginally reduce the
annual overtime costs. Some overtime is created by maintaining certain
staffing levels, so an additional two officers on patrol shifts should reduce that
category of overtime.
For the last several years the department has needed to leave two officer
positions vacant to assure that the overall department budget was not exceeded.
The department will continue to use two vacant officer positions to fund
necessary overtime and other department needs.
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant
The police department has received JAG grant funding in previous years. The
current requirements are the same as in previous years. The grants have been
used to purchase police bicycles, less lethal weapons, SWAT rifles, squad
equipment, digital recorders, and interview room recording equipment. The
department received $20,000 in 2005, $12,000 in 2006, and $24,000 in 2007.
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The department was not eligible for funds in 2008. There is no cash match for
the JAG grant program.
The department has identified the following objectives for equipment to purchase
with the 2009 JAG grant funds:
1. Improve officer safety and response to calls for service by purchasing new
handguns for all officers, new rifles for patrol squad cars and new rifles for
SWAT Team members.
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The current inventory of duty handguns is aging and in need of
replacement. 81% of the department’s handguns are more than 15 years
old. The condition of the department’s firearms inventory is such that it is
an officer safety concern as many handguns are failing to fire during
training sessions. The department will purchase 120 handguns along with
116 holsters. An additional 19 handgun lights and 38 holsters will also be
purchased for the SWAT team members.
?
The department is in the process of switching our long gun inventory from
police shotgun to patrol rifle. Patrol rifles are more effective than shotguns
at greater distance and are more accurate than shotguns. Patrol rifles will
offer greater public safety. An additional 16 patrol rifles are needed to
properly equip all patrol squad cars.
?
The department will purchase eight (8) SWAT rifles. SWAT rifles will allow
SWAT officers to deploy rapidly. The SWAT rifles will allow for accuracy
at greater distances allowing for increased officer and community safety.
2. Improve police patrol vehicles by purchasing new center consoles and
emergency light bars.
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The department needs to purchase eight (8) new center consoles to fit the
new 2009 patrol squad vehicles. The 2009 Chevrolet Impala has a body
style change from the 2007 Impala, thus necessitating the new consoles.
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The lightbars currently on the fleet are no longer in production, and parts
obsolescence is becoming an issue. The department will purchase ten
(10) new lightbars that are the newest generation of LED lights and afford
increased visibility, increasing officer safety as well as citizen safety.
3. Improve the quality and accuracy of forensic evidence storage and tracking
by purchasing a computer bar-coding management system to replace the
current paper management system.
The police department’s current paper system of managing property and
evidence is extremely inefficient, and relies on hand written documentation to
track and manage property. A bar-coding system will be much more efficient.
The Wisconsin State Crime Lab uses the same bar-coding system which will
also increase efficiencies and further provide for a paperless system. It is
anticipated that identification unit personnel will save approximately 40 hours
a month with the new system.
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4. Improve officer training and public presentations by purchasing two meeting
room projectors and laptop computers.
The department will purchase two meeting room projectors along with two
laptop computers to be installed in the police department briefing room and
police department conference room. Better training for the officers will
improve officer safety. Community training and programming will mean a
better informed public and a safer community.
The following is a detail list of the equipment to be purchased with the Recovery
Act 2009 JAG Grant:
ItemCost
Duty Handuns & Holsters (120)$ 39,058.00
Patrol Rifles (16)$ 16,940.00
SWAT Rifles (8)$ 9,920.00
Evidence Bar Coding System (1)$ 18,440.00
Police Squad Light Bars (10)$ 13,950.00
Police Squad Consoles (8)$ 4,593.00
Meeting Room Projectors/Laptops (2)$ 10,930.00
$ 113,831.00
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager
Jacob J. Winzenz, Director of Administrative Services
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