13-A
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
ATTENTION: Jeffrey L. Stewart, City Manager
FROM: Joel Hockman, Director of Public Safety
SUBJECT: Consideration and possible action to authorize increasing Southwest Patrol Inc., deployment, deputy overtime budget, and the purchase of a mobile surveillance camera system.
DATE: November 14, 2022
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In response to various anecdotal feedback from Bellflower community members, the Director of Public Safety is considering options for increasing public safety patrol services in the day-time and night-time hours that are visible and helpful to address concerns regarding crime, illegal camping, suspicious persons, trespassing, etc. Given the Sheriff’s current inability to increase deputy deployment within contract cities, four alternatives for increasing service are being proposed: Increased use of Southwest Patrol guards, using overtime to create a “no-call” Sheriff’s patrol, coordinating with our existing Special Assignment Deputies to periodically adjust their schedules for p.m. support, and purchasing a mobile surveillance camera system to assist in deterring night-time crime.
RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL
1) Direct staff to initiate one or more of the considered options and authorize City Manager to amend the FY 2022-23 budget incorporating appropriate funding; or
2) Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item.
FISCAL IMPACT
The costs of Southwest Patrol services are dependent on the type and number of hours deployed. The costs for additional Sheriff’s services are fixed by the County Auditor Controller each year. A breakdown of these various costs are as follows:
GUARD HRS COST/HR DAYS/WK COST/MO COST/YR
UNARMED 8 $45 7 $10,800 $129,600
UNARMED 8 $45 5 $7,200 $86,400
ARMED 8 $55 7 $13,200 $158,400
ARMED 8 $55 5 $8,800 $105,600
Staff Report – Options for Increasing Public Safety Services November 14, 2022
FISCAL IMPACT – Continued
The total hours worked, shift times, and specific days worked, are at the direction of the City. Above are merely sample scenarios for reference.
OVERTIME
DEPUTY HRS COST/HR DAYS/WK COST/MO COST/YR
8 $95.50 1 $3,056 $36,672
8 $95.50 3 $9,168 $110,016
The LASD overtime rate does not carry all of the various County overhead costs found in the regular rate, which makes it less expensive per hour for limited applications – like this one.
CAMERA
SYSTEM
EST.
COST
DIESEL $45,000
+ FUEL AND
MAINTENANCE
SOLAR $35,000
DISCUSSION
SOUTHWEST PATROL: The City has made fairly extensive use of Southwest Patrol’s services in recent years, to provide better support to its parks, parking structure, and other public buildings – both day and night-time shifts. These units also are suitable for a greater emphasis on commercial and residential thoroughfares. Such patrol units are visible, and have the ability to be additional eyes and ears in the community, along with engaging observed suspicious and/or criminal persons to a limited degree (e.g., illegal camping).
OVERTIME NO-CALL DEPUTY PATROLS: Utilizing a patrol deputy(s) on PM shift whose duties have been modified to primarily address the City’s illegal camping, loitering, suspicious persons, trespassing, and other similar concerns, would coincide with the existing enforcement duties conducted by members of the Special Assignment Deputy team – much of which takes place during the daytime. Obviously, this deputy would have a broader range of engagement than a security guard, and would have the ability to arrest and transport if/when necessary.
SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT DEPUTIES (SAOs) WORKING A MODIFIED SCHEDULE:
While our SAOs already work a variety of schedules depending on the particular mission/need at the time, as part of this larger effort to bolster p.m. enforcement, team members can select a night or two each week to assist. This can be achieved either through a flexed schedule, or an overtime shift. Any overtime used for this deployment is already covered within the City’s Public Safety Budget.
Staff Report – Options for Increasing Public Safety Services November 14, 2022
DISCUSSION – Continued
PORTABLE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA SYSTEM: The use of surveillance camera systems can sometimes deter crime from occurring at particular locations and sometimes provide essential evidence in the plight of law enforcement to apprehend those who do commit crimes. The City is considering the purchase of a mobile camera system that can be independently set up at pre-determined locations where criminal activity has become a pattern or is suspected. This system could remain in place for a period of days if deemed prudent. Undoubtedly, Bellflower’s business and residential community would benefit from such a system and appreciate the City’s effort to find yet another way to fight against crime.
The models, features, power sources, and camera capabilities of these systems vary widely. If conceptually approved by Council, staff would conduct additional research to find the most suitable unit for the variety of anticipated uses.