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April 12, 2022
ITEM TITLE
Grant Award: Accept grant from U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance for Smart Policing Initiative
Report Number: 22-0100
Location: No specific geographic location
Department: Police
Environmental Notice: The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
Recommended Action
Adopt a resolution accepting $40,000 in grant funds and appropriating $20,000 to the Police Grants Section of the Federal Grants Fund for the 2021 Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Smart Policing Initiative. (4/5 Vote Required)
SUMMARY
The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $496,166 to San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) for the BJA FY 21 Smart Policing Initiative, and the Police Department is a sub-recipient of these grant funds.
These funds will focus on using data and technology to strengthen community trust and relations.
Specifically, the Police Department will partner with SANDAG to effectively and efficiently track required Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) data, utilize the data to inform areas of improvement, and document if desired outcomes are achieved.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Director of Development Services has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines because it will not result in a physical change in the environment; P a g e | 2
therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
Thus, no environmental review is required.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
Not applicable.
DISCUSSION
In 2015, California passed Assembly Bill (AB) 953, the Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) that required each law enforcement agency that employs peace officers to annually report data on all stops to the Attorney General, with the goal of preventing racial profiling and disparity. Effective January 1, 2022, Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) will be required to compile and report this information. While California was not the first state to pass this type of legislation, AB 953 is one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation to date, and at this time, at least 21 states have some legal mandate requiring the collection of these data and it appears that this number will only continue to grow over time.
With rising violent crime rates and an increased call for greater police transparency, CVPD is eager to partner with researchers at San D iego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to effectively and efficiently track required RIPA data, utilize the data to inform areas for improvement, and document if desired outcomes are achieved. Acknowledging this, the overarching goal is to increase the CVPD's accountability and strengthen the community's trust in the CVPD through the use of data and technology and the objectives include: (1) Utilizing new data sources and technology as part of a SARA (Scan, Analyze, Response, Assess) model to understand who the CVPD stops and interacts with; (2) Identifying possible disparities and regularly share this information with the community; (3) Addressing risk factors that could contribute to disparity through targeted interventions; and (4) Documenting the effe ctiveness of interventions and create a practitioner toolkit for other jurisdictions.
A grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) will fund this particular project. In July 2021, CVPD coordinated w ith SANDAG to submit a grant application to the United States Department of Justice for the 2021 Smart Policing Initiative. On December 16, 2021 the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded $496,166 to SANDAG, and the Police Department is a sub-recipient with $40,000 grant funding. The grant covers a 36-month term of October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2024.
Specifically for the Police Department, grants funds from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance will be used to train police personnel to effectively and efficiently track required Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) data. Funding has been included in the budget across the three -year grant period for technical assistance and training as part of the Res ponse phase of the SARA model. Because the data has not been collected yet, it is premature to specify what type of training or technical assistance may be needed, but the goal is to ensure if inequities are identified, resources are available to identify best practices nationally and that strategies are used to address them. These could include examining current CVPD policies and training on implicit bias and equity, tactical communication, de -escalation, use of force, recruitment and retention strategies, procedural justice, and/or accountability standards and strategies.
The project funded by BJA is consistent with the objectives of the grant solicitation, including the focus on building trust between law enforcement and the community, supporting police agencies in the use of data P a g e | 3
and technology, improving police accountability, engaging with the community, and leveraging other sources of data. Deliverables will include regular analyses presented in dashboards and infographics, data sets that include RIPA data collected for the State, community and officer surveys, a final report, presentations, and a toolkit that has utility for departments nationwide. CVPD is committed to this project and the researchers, SANDAG, have a long history of conducting actio n research, partnering with law enforcement, conducting process and impact evaluations, and translating data into actionable information.
DECISION-MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is not site-specific and consequently, the 500-foot rule found in California Code of Regulations Title 2, section 18702.2(a)(11), is not applicable to this decision for purposes of determining a disqualifying real property-related financial conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act (Cal. Gov't Code § 87100, et seq.).
Staff is not independently aware, and has not been informed by any City Council member, of any other fact that may constitute a basis for a decision maker conflict of interest in this matter.
CURRENT-YEAR FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of this resolution will result in the appropriation of $20,000 to the supplies and services category of the Police Grants section of the Federal Grants Fund. The grant funds from BJA will completely offset these training costs, resulting in no net fiscal impact to the General Fund.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
Since the grant period crosses between three fiscal years, $10,000 will be included in the fiscal year 2022/2023 proposed budget and $10,000 will be included in the proposed fiscal year 2023/2024 budget, as outlined in the table below.
FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 3-YEAR TOTAL
Training Costs $20,000 $10,000 $10,000 $40,000
ATTACHMENTS
None.
Staff Contact: Jonathan Alegre, Police Department