1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: November 1, 2022
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Michael Albanese, Chief of Police
BY: Adam Cornils, Police Captain – Patrol Division
Courtney Padgett, Police Administrator
SUBJECT: Evaluation of the Use of Community Service Officers
RECOMMENDATION
1. Note and File.
2. Provide further direction to staff as necessary.
BACKGROUND
In response to M ayor Talamantes’ request for a first step report on utilizing Community Service Officers (CSO) in the City of Burbank, the Burbank Police Department has begun an evaluation of establishment of such a position, and this report provides information for Council’s review and discussion.
As the scope of services performed by law enforcement continues to expand and the profession evolves, agencies are conducting on-going operational reviews to ensure the delivery of services in the most effective and efficient manner. To maximize resources and reduce costs, some agencies have implemented the use of non-sworn employees to perform work traditionally conducted by sworn personnel . Non -sworn employees are utilized to perform a variety of non-emergency duties to include the completion of crime reports when there is no suspect at the scene, completion of traffic collision reports, and response to nuisance complaints.
DISCUSSION
Current Use of Non-Sworn Personnel
The Police Department currently utilizes non-sworn Police Technicians and Police Cadets to perform some of the duties listed above, in addition to other assigned duties in support of various operational areas. These employees interact with members of the community POLICE
DEPARTMENT
2 at the police station and complete basic reports , such as lost and/or found property, property stored for safekeeping, petty theft, and identification theft. These employees do not perform duties in the field. The Department has seven full-time Police Technician positions that provide support to operations within the Records Bureau, Investigation Division, and Traffic Bureau. The Department also has seven part-time Police Cadet positions that provide public service at the front counter, assist with community events, and conduct research, data entry, and property inventory1.
Use of Community Service Officers by Other Agencies
The Department conducted a survey of 13 regional law enforcement agencies2. Of these agencies, five (Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and South Pasadena) responded with information on their use of non-sworn personnel to conduct a variety of duties tha t are traditional ly completed by sworn personnel 3. Most of these agencies utilize non- sworn personnel to perform duties in the field and at the station related to non-emergency calls for service, such as crimes without a known suspect and traffic collisions. Most agencies (except for Santa Monica) operate with eight or fewer non-sworn positions in this capacity ; all wear city issued uniforms, drive marked city assigned vehicles, and are authorized to issue parking citations. Some of the positions are authorized to carry oleoresin capsicum (OC spray), utilize body-worn cameras, and are assigned a variety of other equipment. Staff training requirements vary widely across the agencies surveyed.
A summary of the five responding agency non-sworn programs is listed below. The detailed survey response for each agency is included as Attachment 1.
• Anaheim:
o Seven Police Services Representative positions
o Respond to non- emergency calls for service including traffic collisions and crimes with no leads
• Huntington Beach:
o Eight Community Service Officer positions
o Assigned to various areas throughout the department ( investigations, traffic, and the public service front counter)
o Respond to and complete reports for traffic collisions and some crimes, conduct investigations on reports with no suspects, and complete some crime scene investigation functions (photographs, fingerprints, and DNA)
1 Police Cadets are students enrolled in college who are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement (https://www.burbankpd.org/programs/cadets/).
2Alhambra, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Glendale, Huntington Beach, Inglewood, Long Beach, Pasadena, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Monica, South Pasadena, and Torrance. 3 Four agencies (Beverly Hills, Glendale, Long Beach, Torrance) do not utilize non-sworn personnel in this capacity and no response was received from four agencies after multiple communication efforts (Alhambra, Inglewood, Riverside, San Bernardino).
3 • Pasadena:
o Eight Community Service Officer positions
o Respond to non -violent crime reports without a known suspect and traffic collisions
o Perform traffic control duties, work in the department’s records section, coordinate community events, and schedule training for department staff • Santa Monica:
o 32 personnel working in two non- sworn job classifications (Public Service Officer and Community Service Officer)
o Respond to approximately half of all dispatched calls for service to the police department
o Public Service Officers respond to and complete reports for non- emergency calls for service (lost property, suspicious packages, noise complaints, etc.) o Community Service Officers respond to and complete reports for a variety of calls for service, to include thefts, burglaries, and traffic collisions (including collisions involving fatalities).
• South Pasadena:
o Five part-time Police Cadet positions
o Work at the public service front counter, are assigned to court and crime lab details, conduct parking enforcement, assist with traffic control, perform vehicle cleaning and equipment inventory, assist detectives, and provide support for special events
Benefits and Limitations of Non-Sworn Personnel Programs The primary benefit of the non-sworn personnel programs (hereafter referred to as CSOs or CSO programs) noted by the responding surveyed agencies is a reduction in the workload for sworn personnel. Santa Monica, which has the highest number of non- sworn personnel (32) and the most tenured program, estimates that use of these personnel has reduced the workload of sworn officers by approximately one-half. The reduction in workload allows for sworn personnel to focus time on crime prevention and response and increase proactive patrol and community outreach, duties which are essential to maintaining order, preventing crime, and building and maintaining trust within the community. All of the agencies with CSO programs reported that the use of the non- sworn positions in this capacity resulted in some level of workload reduction for sworn personnel.
If implemented in the City, a CSO program may also reduce response times for all calls for service, reduce overtime for sworn personnel, and provide flexibility of function. CSOs could be utilized to respond to non-emergency calls for service, such as traffic collisions, parking problems, vehicle impounds, certain types of crime reports, reports of lost and/or found property, and neighbor disputes , resulting in a reduced need for sworn personnel to perform these functions. In 2022, the Department has received an average of 3,469 4 calls for service per month. Utilization of CSOs would provide the ability to prioritize sworn personnel to respond to emergency situations, complet e critical crime reports , and engage in proactive duties pertaining to crime prevention and community outreach.
The Department has established the goal of responding to all emergency calls for service in under 4:00 minutes and responding to all calls for service in under 18:00 minutes.
Although the Department consistently posts aver age response times under these goals, implementation of a CSO program would likely result in improved response times in both areas. Response to calls for service are prioritized based on the type of incident and can be impacted by the availability of patrol units to respond. The use of CSOs would provide a resource for immediate dispatch to lower priority calls (in lieu of waiting for a patrol unit to complete a higher priority call to respond). It is anticipated that this additional resource and response option will have a positive impact on both emergency and non-emergency response times.
Another benefit is the reduction in overtime use for sworn personnel. Due to the current lack of an alternate workforce option, sworn personnel are required to respond to all types of calls for service, to include non-emergency situations. The result is that a large amount of sworn personnel time is spent completing reports , often requiring their time to be carried over beyond their regular assigned shift. During Fiscal Year 2021-22, nine percent of total sworn overtime hours (3,542 hours) were expended due to the necessity to continue over the assigned shift. The use of CSOs to provide response to non-emergency calls would allow time for sworn personnel to complete more crucial reports during their regular assigned shift and offset the need to utilize overtime in some situations.
A CSO program would also provide flexibility of personnel function. All surveyed agencies use CSOs to issue parking citations. A CSO program, if staffed sufficiently, could either supplement or replace the current Parking Control Officer (PCO) program to provide parking enforcement and traffic control duties as needed. A CSO program w ould also provide advancement opportunities for non-sworn personnel, and CSOs can participate in community outreach and engagement events to educate the community on Department programs and services. Implementation of a CSO program would also establish an additional resource to provide public safety services for film productions within the City.
There are legal limitations to the use of a CSO program as non-sworn personnel are not legally authorized to enforce moving violations or criminal code violations. Another area for consideration is the wide- ranging differences in safety preparation across the surveyed programs. Responding agencies varied in training requirements and equipment issuance for CSOs (ranging from no specialized training or safety equipment to self - defense training and issuance of OC spray, body worn cameras, and/or ballistic vests).
It is noted that the safety preparation is agency sp ecific and that program training, 5 engagement protocols, and expectations are developed to fit the specific needs of each department.
Parking Enforcement Pilot Program
The Department is currently exploring a pilot program working in partnership with a third- party parking enforcement service provider. It is anticipated that this pilot program and service delivery model will enhance the Department’s ability to remain agile and adaptable in responding to the evolving parking enforcement needs within the City. In conjunction with this pilot program, the timing is optimal to also evaluate the potential utilization of a CSO program. It is likely that a hybrid model using non-sworn Department personnel (CSOs, PCO s, or both) and third -party services w ould maximize resources while ensuring the efficient delivery of services. As the Department considers its future utilization of the PCO program, there may be opportunity for reclassification of ex isting vacant PCO positions to CSOs, reducing some of the fiscal impact related to a CSO program implementation.
There are limitations to the use of a third- party provider to conduct some parking enforcement functions that can be minimized using CSOs . A s employees of a service provider are not qualified employees of a municipal police department, they do not have the authority to conduct vehicle impounds and storage. CSOs would serve as another classification of Department personnel who can complete this essential function.
Establishment of CSO Job Classification
The City does not currently have a job classification for a CSO or like position. The Department has consulted with the City’s Management Services Department regarding a draft job classification for this type of position. Upon direction of Council, the City can proceed with the development and establishment of this job classification through the civil service process.
Recommended Staffing Model
Should the City consider implementation of a CSO program, t he Department ’s initial recommendation is to establish five CSO positions. The Patrol Division operates four patrol groups, with assigned shifts to ensure continuous 24- hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week services to the City. The Department also operates one Traffic Bureau with an operational focus on traffic and parking enforcement. Establishing five CSO positions would allow for assignment of one CSO to each Patrol Group and one CSO to the Traffic Bureau, enhancing the Department’s overall service delivery model. This staffing model would also be comparable to the sworn officer to CSO ratio established by existing programs in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, and Pasadena.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
6 CONCLUSION
The Police Department continues to evaluate methods to improve the delivery of public safety services, to include opportunities for the civilianization of duties that have historically been performed by sworn personnel. As demonstrated by other law enforcement agencies, the implementation of a CSO program could provide multiple benefits to the Department and its ability to allocate resources in the most effective and efficient manner. Upon further direction from Council, staff can provide a second- step report with greater detail on the recommended staffing model, duties, training, equipment, and budgetary impact for implementation of a CSO program. Staff recommends Council note and file this report and provide further direction as necessary.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1: Survey of Other Agency Use of Community Service Officers