ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: October 8, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Consent - Agreements TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Christian Clegg, City Manager
DATE: September 16, 2025
SUBJECT: Agreement with the Trustees of the University of Pensylvania (not to exceed $400,000) to continue providing technical assistance and assist the City in preparing the CalVIP Cohort 5 grant application
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the agreement.
BACKGROUND:
In September 2020, the City of Bakersfield was awarded a $1.5 million California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Cohort 3 grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) to implement a focused deterrence strategy to reduce gun violence. Since that time, the City has partnered with the California Partnership for Safe Communities (CPSC) to provide technical assistance, training, problem analysis, and evaluation. This partnership has contributed to measurable reductions in homicides, the seizure of illegal firearms, and improved community-police relations.
In February 2025, the City established the Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention (OVIP) to formalize and sustain CalVIP efforts. CPSC merged with the Crime and Justice Policy Lab (CJP) and is now known as CJP West, which is under the direction of The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. CJP West supported the City in preparing the CalVIP Cohort 5 grant application, which was submitted on August 15, 2025. To continue building on this progress and to prepare for Cohort 5 implementation, the City seeks to enter into a new agreement with CJP West.
Due to the University of Pennsylvania’s extensive internal review process, finalization of this agreement was delayed. To avoid disruption in services and ensure timely support with the City’s Cohort 5 application, CJP West began providing technical assistance as of July 1, 2025, with the understanding that invoices would not be processed until execution of this agreement.
Under the proposed agreement, CJP West will continue providing technical support to strengthen OVIP’s management cycle, assist with the implementation of the Bakersfield Partnership Council, advise on best practices and staffing needs, and provide evaluation services, including an independent impact study of Bakersfield’s gun violence reduction strategy.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding for this agreement has been budgeted in the City Manager’s Office annual budget.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Safety and Resilience
ATTACHMENTS:
Agreement