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February 4, 2025
ITEM TITLE
Grant Award, Appropriation, and Agreement: Accept and Appropriate Grant Funds From Cal OES for the Law Enforcement Specialized Units Program, and Waive the Competitive Bidding Process and Approve an Agreement with SBCS for Domestic Violence Services
Report Number: 25-0032
Location: No specific geographic location
Department: Police
G.C. § 84308 Regulations Apply: Yes
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 $ 203,130 grant funds from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, waiving the competitive bidding process and approving an agreement with SBCS Corporation for domestic violence response and advocacy services , and appropriating funds to the Police Grants Section of the Federal Grants Fund for the Law Enforcement Specialized Units Program. (4/5 Vote Required)
SUMMARY
The Police Department has been awarded $203,130 for the Domestic Violence Response Team. This funding is available through the Law Enforcement Specialized Units – LE24 of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
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; 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.
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BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
Not applicable.
DISCUSSION
The Police Department submitted a grant proposal in November 2024 to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) for its Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT). On December 24, 2024, the Department was notified of approved funding from the Cal OES Law Enforcement Specialized Units Program in the amount of $203,130 for the grant period of January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.
The Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) and SBCS Corporation have partnered for nearly 30 years to reduce domestic violence, beginning with the establishment of th e Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) in 1997. This team provides a continuous 24/7 response to 911 domestic violence calls, supported by SBCS’ bilingual advocates, who respond on -site within 20 minutes and follow up within 48 hours, as needed. During immediate responses, advocates meet police officers or investigators at the incident location to provide crisis intervention, conduct a risk and safety assessment, and coordinate immediate safety measures for the family. The following day, a day team advocate connects with the victims to conduct a more comprehensive Family Well Being Assessment and intake process, identifying needs and coordinating resources such as shelter, counseling, and additional services through SBCS or partners. In cases involving children, cross-reporting occurs to Child and Family Wellbeing (formerly Child Welfare Services).
In addition to DVRT, CVPD collaborates with SBCS on initiatives such as Domestic Abuse Forensic Exams, multidisciplinary team case meetings, and the South Region DV Coalition. This partnership extends to coordinated responses and resource sharing, enhancing capacity to address the complexities of domestic violence cases.
Additionally, the City of Chula Vista contributes to funding SBCS shelters, which supports ongoing assistance for families in need. Through these collaborative efforts, CVPD ensures that victims and their families gain access to a wide range of services offered by SBCS. Further, CVPD and SBCS work closely with the San Diego County District Attorney ’s Victim Witness Assistance Program for legal advocacy, Center for Community Solutions for rape crisis services, the County of San Diego Child and Family Wellbeing as well as other local social service agencies in order to provide victims with a continuum of services to meet their needs.
CVPD, together with SBCS, was also previously a participant in the Law Enforcement Specialized Units Program, reflecting a longstanding commitment to supporting domestic violence victims in the Chula Vista community. With SBCS as a key partner, CVPD provides families in Chula Vista with streamlined, multi - layered support that goes beyond immediate intervention and extends to long-term assistance.
In accordance with Municipal Code Section 2.56.070(B)(3) , the City Council h as the ability to waive the competitive bidding requirements when such requirements are impractical or when the City’s interest would be materially better served by applying a different purchasing procedure. Because of SBCS’s unique ability to provide domestic violence services in conjunction with CVPD , staff is requesting t hat the City Council waive the competitive bidding requirements and approve a contract with SBCS to provide domestic violence response and advocacy services. SBCS has tailored their programs to meet the needs of the City and their experience, qualifications and community presence make them a unique service provider.
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With 14,135 calls for service (CFS), Domestic Violence (DV) is the 2nd most common type of call for service in Chula Vista. 2024 aggravated assault cases are up 13% compared to the prior 3 -year average.
Approximately 38% of all aggravated assault cases in Chula Vista are DV related. 66% of the DV CFS in Chula Vista are dispatched to western Chula Vista sectors, a predominately low-income area. A substantial portion of DV CFS involve repeat offenders & victims, and recurrent addresses. Between 2021 and October 2024, 55% of DV related cases resulted in an obvious injury.
In fiscal year 2023 -24, 10 DVRT advocates responded to 1,160 calls involving Chula Vista residents. These calls involved a total of 1,041 unduplicated individuals directly impacted by domestic violence. Of these individuals, 896 (86.07%) accepted DVRT intervention services, and 825 (79.25%) completed an adult safety plan. Additional data on the populations served includes: 44 individuals (4.23%) reported being disabled, and 97 (9.32%) were homeless. In five instances, individuals were placed in a hotel due to safety needs, one of whom was accompanied by four children. Across these calls, 797 dependents were indirectly affected by domestic violence.
To further support victims, 829 individuals (79.63%) received crisis counseling, 867 (83.29%) were provided with social service advocacy and criminal justice support, and 778 (74.74%) were referred for legal assistance or support with custody orders and temporary restraining orders (TROs).
Since the inception of the DVRT, the City of Chula Vista has experienced a downward trend in rates of domestic violence, yet DV is still an issue within the community. The current program could benefit from the following:
Expanded training for officers/investigators on the specialized needs of victims and their families; More effectively coordinated response to DV calls in order to prevent the escalation/lethality of incidents;
Revised protocols to ensure a consistent response to violations of protective orders; Increased advocacy for victims, through an enhanced partnership with the District Attorney’s Victim Witness Program and SBCS;
Expansion of the number of DVRT advocates to increase available response and reduce follow -up response time;
Concentration of resources, services and supports (through an expansion of collaborative efforts with service providers), in western Chula Vista, where DV rates remain high; and Continuation of the tracking and analysis of repeat incidents, in an effort to reduce their occurrence.
With the grant funding from the Cal OES Law Enforcement Specialized Units Program and continued partnership with SBCS Corporation, CVPD will strengthen efforts and provide more comprehensive support to domestic violence victims in the Chula Vista community.
The Cal OES Law Enforcement Specialized Units Program is a 3-year grant cycle, in which funds are awarded on an ann ual basis. When the City receives award notice of calendar year 2026 funding, the Police Department will seek Council acceptance of the additional funding.
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 P a g e | 4
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 o ther 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 acceptance of $203,130 in grant revenues from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, along with appropriations of $98,180 to Supplies and Services and $3,386 to the Other Expenses category of the Police Grants section of the Federal Grants Fund for fiscal year 2024-25. Funding from Cal OES will completely offset these cost s, resulting in no net fiscal impact to the General Fund.
A detective assigned to the Family Protection Unit (FPU) will fulfill the 25% match requirement of the grant.
The personnel costs of the FPU detective are already included in the General Fund base line budget. No additional appropriations are needed for the 25% match.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will fully fund the program for a 12-month period of January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. Expenditures for this project are summarized in the table below.
Ongoing funding for this project as well as annual appropriations will be incorporated as part of the annual budget development process in future fiscal years.
DESCRIPTION FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 TOTAL
Subcontract with SBCS Corporation $98,180 $98,179 $196,359 CVPD Indirect Cost $3,386 $3,385 $6,771
TOTAL GRANT COSTS $101,566 $101,564 $203,130
Continuing services for the DVRT Program beyond December 31, 202 5 is contingent upon additional grant funding from Cal OES to support the program.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agreement with SBCS Corporation for Domestic Violence Response and Advocacy Services Staff Contact: Chief Roxana Kennedy, Police Department Administrative Services Manager Jonathan Alegre, Police Department