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July 22, 2025
ITEM TITLE
Grant Acceptance and Appropriation: Accept a Grant from the California Highway Patrol for a Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program and Appropriate Funds to the Police Grants Section of the State Grants Fund Report Number: 25-0187
Location: No specific geographic location
Department: Police
G.C. § 84308 Regulations Apply: No
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 grant funds in the amount of $487,624.82 from the California Highway Patrol to be used for the Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program and appropriating the funds to the Police Grants Section of the State Grants Fund. (4/5 Vote Required)
SUMMARY
The Chula Vista Police Department has been awarded $ 487,624.82 in grant funding from the California Highway Patrol for the Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program (“Program”). The intent of this Program is to educate the public regarding the dangers of impaired driving; enforce impaired driving laws on the roadway; and improve the Police Department’s effectiveness through training and development of new strategies.
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.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
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Not applicable.
DISCUSSION
The Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program (“Program”) is administered by the California Highway Patrol (“CHP”) and provides state funding to allied agencies for the education, prevention, and enforcement of laws related to driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, including cannabis. The Chula Vista Police Department (“CVPD”) has been awarded $487,624.82 (“Funding”) for the Fiscal Year 2025 -26 Program covering a grant period from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 . The Funding will also be used to enhance training for CVPD officers.
Following the 2016 passage of Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, CVPD has seen a continual increase in DUI and drug -related arrests and collisions. As of January 1, 2018, Proposition 64 legalized the recreational use and possession of marijuana for adults aged 21 and older. This change, along with the rising prevalence of other impairing substances in the community, underscores the need to expand officer training in impaired driving enforcement.
To address this, the CVPD is seeking to increase the number of officers certified in Standa rdized Field Sobriety Testing ( “SFST”), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement ( “ARIDE”), and the Drug Recognition Expert program (“DRE”). Expanding these skill sets will enhance CVPD’s ability to detect and respond to impaired driving, while also supporting community education and awareness efforts.
The SFST is a set of standardized tests used by officers to determine whether a driver is impaired by alcohol or other substances. These tests assess specific physical and cognitive responses , or refl exes, that may be diminished by intoxication.
ARIDE bridges the gap between SFST and the Drug Evaluation and Classification programs (“DEC/DRE”). The ARIDE course trains officers to observe, identify, and articulate signs of impairment due to drugs, alcohol, or both. By enhancing the officers’ recognition of impaired driving, ARIDE helps reduce impaired driving incidents and serious crashes.
A DRE is a specially trained law enforcement officer who can identify drivers impaired by substances other than, or in addition to, alcohol. DREs complete all phases of training under the DEC Program, as established by the International Association of Chiefs of Police ( “IACP”) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”). CVPD is currently the only DRE certification site in San Diego County. Two CVPD officers are certified DRE instructors, and three CVPD officers are certified SFST instructors.
CVPD will host the following training courses , which will be taught or attended by CVPD personnel on an overtime basis. These classes will be open to law enforcement agencies throughout San Diego County and the State of California:
2 SFST’S courses (Instructors- 1 Sergeant, 1 Agent, 1 Officer) Goal: 30 officers from CVPD trained over the two courses
2 ARIDE courses (Instructors - 1 Sergeant, 1 Agent, 1 Officer) Goal: 10 CVPD officers trained over the two courses
1 DRE course (Instructors - 1 Sergeant, 1 Agent) Goal: 2 CVPD officers trained 16 DRE Field Certification - to correlate with the DRE school in San Diego during 3rd quarter of grant P a g e | 3
DRE recertification course - Goal: 2 CVPD officers recertified Grant funds will also be used to support DUI checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols. Saturation patrols involve deploying officers to targeted roadways during designated times to identify and apprehend impaired drivers. Unlike checkpoints, saturation patrols do not involve stopping every vehicle and do not use roadblocks.
Additionally, grant funds will allow DRE -certified officers to attend the IACP Impai red Driving and Traffic Safety (“IDTS”) Conference in Chicago August 4 –6, 2025, and the California Narcotic Officers’ Association (“CNOA”) Conference in November 2025. The IDTS Conference offers a platform for sharing proven strategies to improve road safety, the latest science in impaired driving enforcement, and best practices for community engagement. The CNOA Conference will focus on evolving drug trends, legal updates, and tactical operations.
CVPD will utilize the Funding as outlined in the table below.
DESCRIPTION AMOUNT
Overtime: SFST Training - Instructor $18,522.00
Overtime: SFST Training - Attendee $40,320.00
Overtime: ARIDE Training - Instructor $12,348.00
Overtime: ARIDE Training - Attendee $17,920.00
Overtime: DRE Training - Instructor $6,426.00
Overtime: DRE Training- Attendee $14,336.00
Overtime: DRE Field Certification - Instructor $158,592.00 Overtime: DRE Recertification - Attendee $1,848.00
Overtime: DUI Checkpoint $30,384.00
Overtime: DUI Saturation Patrol $151,920.00
subtotal Personnel Costs $452,616.00
PAS Devices $4,434.82
CNOA Training - Registration & Travel $11,550.00
IACP IDTS Conference - Registration & Travel $19,024.00 subtotal Supplies & Services Costs $35,008.82
TOTAL CTFGP FUNDING $487,624.82
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. (Gov. Code, §87100, et seq.) Staff is not independently aware, and has not b een 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
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Approval of this resolution accepts $487,624.82 in grant funds from the California Highway Patrol and amends the Fiscal Year 2025 -26 budget by appropriating $452,616 .00 to the personnel category and $35,009.82 to the supplies and services category of the Police Grant Section of the State Grants Fund. Funding from the California Highway Pa trol will completely offset the total costs of this Cannabis Tax Fund Gran t Program, resulting in no net fiscal impact to the General Fund.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
There is no ongoing fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
Staff Contact: Chief Roxana Kennedy, Police Department Administrative Services Manager Jonathan Alegre, Police Department