City Council
November 1, 2022
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Edward D. Reiskin FROM: LeRonne L. Armstrong
City Administrator Chief of Police
SUBJECT: 2022 USDOJ/COPS Grant
Acceptance
DATE: October 27, 2022
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Approve A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To: (1) Accept And Appropriate Grant Funds In An Amount Not To Exceed One Million Eight Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($1,875,000) From The U.S.
Department Of Justice, Office Of Community Oriented Policing Services (USDOJ/COPS) To Fund The Entry-Level Salary And Fringe Benefits Costs Of Fifteen (15) Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Police Officers And Appropriate The Funds To The Oakland Police Department (OPD); (2) Authorize An Appropriation Of Thirteen Million Thirty Three Thousand Four Hundred and Nineteen Dollars ($13,033,419) To Cover The Local Match Requirement; And (3) Authorize The General Purpose Fund To Subsidize The Central Services Overhead Costs Of Nine Hundred Ninety-Two Thousand Seven Hundred Dollars ($992,700) For A Total City Of Oakland Contribution Of Fourteen Million Twenty Six Thousand One Hundred and Nineteen Dollars ($14,026,119) And A Total Program Cost Not To Exceed Fifteen Million Nine Hundred and One Thousand One Hundred and Nineteen Dollars $15,901,119.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff recommends that the Council approve of a resolution authorizing acceptance of a $1,875,000 grant from the USDOJ/COPS Office to partially fund 15 additional sworn personnel over three years, from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2025. The City of Oakland can accept these funds by matching the grant subsidy with an additional $14,026,119 in funding.
The $1,875,000 along with the $14,026,119 city cost will fully fund 15 additional police officers over the five years of the total grant cycle. Oakland Police Department (OPD) is requesting to split the City match requirement appropriation and immediately appropriate funds to cover year one and appropriate funds for years two, three, and four in the FY23-25 biennial budget. This report outlines how OPD would utilize the additional officers to expand the walking-beat patrol program to more areas of the City with high-population densities and high crime rates.
Oct 28, 2022
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: 2022 USDOJ/COPS Grant Acceptance
Date: October 27, 2022 Page 2
City Council
November 1, 2022
REASON FOR URGENCY
The need to take immediate action came to the attention of OPD after the 10-day agenda was posted. OPD received a letter for USDOJ/COPS 2022 grant on October 13, 2022. OPD must accept the award within 45 days within receipt of the award notification. The award funding and its appropriation needs to be approved by City Council before OPD can accept the award funding. The November 1, 2022, Council meeting is the only meeting that falls within that time frame. If OPD does not have Council’s to accept and appropriate the funds, OPD would have to forfeit the funding. This item was scheduled to the November 1, 2022, Council meeting at the October 27, 2022 Rules Committee meeting.
BACKGROUND AND LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The USDOJ/COPS grant funds are awarded through the COPS Hiring Program, a competitive grant program that provides funding directly to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to 1) create new officer positions (including filling existing officer vacancies that are no longer funded in an agency’s budget); 2) rehire officers who have been laid off as a result of budget cuts unrelated to the receipt of grant funding; or 3) rehire officers who are scheduled to be laid off on a specific future date as a result of budget cuts unrelated to the receipt of grant funding.
Funding decisions are based on the agency’s commitment to community policing, crime rates, changes in law enforcement budgets, and other local fiscal data, such as poverty, unemployment, and foreclosure rates. This 2022 COPS Hiring Grant is the seventh of its kind awarded to the City of Oakland. Including this grant, the USDOJ has awarded Oakland enough funding to leverage the hiring of 136 police officers since 2009. The City Council has approved identical grants in the past (Resolution No. 85308 C.M.S. on December 9, 2014; Resolution No. 85930 C.M.S. on December 8, 2015; Resolution No. 86546 C.M.S. on December 13, 2016).
Table 1 below outlines the total history of the City’s acceptance of U.S. DOJ COPS Hiring Grant awards.
Table 1: City of Oakland’s U.S. DOJ COPS Hiring Grants
Grant Name Grant Period Award Amount Officers Allocated CHRP 2009
(COPS Hiring Recovery
Program)
07/01/09 to 12/31/13 $19,747,117 41
COPS 2011 09/01/11 to 02/29/16 $10,739,575 25
COPS 2013 09/01/13 to 02/28/18 $4,515,730 10
COPS 2014 09/01/14 to 08/31/17 $1,875,000 15
COPS 2015 09/01/15 to 08/31/18 $1,875,000 15
COPS 2016 09/01/16 to 08/31/19 $1,875,000 15
COPS 2022 10/01/22 to 09/30/25 $1,875,000 15
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: 2022 USDOJ/COPS Grant Acceptance
Date: October 27, 2022 Page 3
City Council
November 1, 2022
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The City of Oakland will be able to greatly increase the number of foot patrol officers by accepting this $1,875,000 matching grant. In addition to accepting the grant, an appropriation of $14,026,119 from the General Purpose Fund must be added to OPD’s budget. This General Purpose Fund amount is required to cover the local cash match requirement and central services overhead cost (see Table 2 below and Fiscal Impact Section).
Due to ongoing staffing constraints, OPD is challenged in placing officers in long-term assignments that would allow those officers to establish relationships in the neighborhoods that they serve. OPD faces an exceptionally high volume of calls for service (813,428 calls in 2022).
All patrol officers face a high demand to respond to as many calls as possible; as officers must respond to calls for service, the agency as a whole is challenged in keeping officers in regular neighborhood assignments. OPD would use the 15 officers funded through this latest grant to deploy additional foot-patrol officers to all five areas, focusing on business corridors with high- crime and high population density. OPD would have a greater capacity to keep these officers on their walking patrol beats by increasing OPD’s overall sworn staffing. The Two Sergeants required to supervise this unit will be transferred from other funded positions in OPD.
Acceptance of this grant will require OPD to maintain 15 walking officers (and two associated supervising sergeants) for the duration of the grant and retention period regardless of other pressures and constraints on OPD staffing. This may result in vacancies in other OPD units in order to meet the requirements of the grant.
Table 2 Required City Matching Funds and Grant Funds over Three Years of Grant
Total City Match/General Purpose Fund Contribution $14,026,118 88% Total COPS Grant Funding $1,875,000 12%
Total Cost 15,901,119 100.0%
Adoption of this resolution would authorize the City Administrator to accept and appropriate the COPS Hiring Program (COPS) grant funding. The matching grant will be used to hire new officers to help build OPD’s crime-reducing capabilities and enhance community policing priorities. If the City chooses to accept the grant, OPD’s authorized sworn staffing will grow from the current 726 sworn personnel to 741 sworn personnel.
The is grant fulfills the citywide goal of responsive, trustworthy government. Grant funds and other resources contributed by partnering agencies will enhance public safety which benefits all Oaklanders. Neighborhoods that have been subject to high rates of violent crime and may have developed mistrust of OPD will greatly benefit from this program, providing greater social equity.
The City of Oakland has seen great benefits from the sworn personnel hired under the USDOJ/COPS programs over the last several years. Enhanced community policing efforts, an increased emphasis on human trafficking operations, a focus on violent crime suppression, and traffic safety enforcement around Oakland schools have all resulted from accepting previous USDOJ/COPS grants and providing General Purpose Fund dollars as required by the grants.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: 2022 USDOJ/COPS Grant Acceptance
Date: October 27, 2022 Page 4
City Council
November 1, 2022
As with previous USDOJ/COPS grants, the current effort is expected to increase the quality of life for Oakland residents and other stakeholders. Specifically, increased community satisfaction and decreased crime is expected in areas where new OPD foot patrols are implemented. Increased trust in OPD and Oakland City Government are expected.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of this resolution will authorize OPD to accept and appropriate grant funds in an amount not to exceed $1,875,000 from the USDOJ/COPS Office, to fund the entry-level salary and fringe benefit costs of 15 sworn personnel for a 36-month period from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2025. OPD will work directly with the USDOJ/COPS office to ensure the City can maximize the full amount of the grant award.
Based on the grant requirements, the City will be responsible for covering the cost of salaries and benefits greater than those associated with entry level officers as well as the recruitment, training, and operations and maintenance costs for such officers. The City’s estimated contribution associated with the acceptance of the grant is $ 2,708,007 for the first grant year; $ 3,303,048 for the second grant year; and $3,549,563 for the third grant year that funding will be received from the COPS Hiring grant. The City is also responsible for $ 4,465,501 for the fourth (retention) year.
Funds to provide the City match requirement in FY 2022-23 will be drawn from savings within the existing OPD Budget. This may require reductions to other OPD services to prevent the Department from exceeding its budget. The funding for Fiscal Years beyond FY 2022-23 will be built into OPD’s budget baseline and addressed in the FY23-25 biennial budget process. These estimated costs to the City are included in the tables below.
Table 3: Annual Funding Summary and City and Grant Allocation Summary
Category
Year 1
10/01/22-
9/30/23
Year2
10/01/23-
9/30/24
Year3
10/01/24-
9/30/25
Year4
10/01/25-
9/30/26
Grand
Total
Salary &
Benefits
2,753,585
3,320,882
3,563,548
3,800,697
13,438,712
CSO
203,122
245,327
263,321
280,930
992,700
O&M
351,300
361,839
372,694
383,874
1,469,707
Total
Annual
Cost
3,308,007
3,928,048
4,199,563
4,465,501
15,901,119
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: 2022 USDOJ/COPS Grant Acceptance
Date: October 27, 2022 Page 5
City Council
November 1, 2022
Grant
Portion
600,000
625,000
650,000
-
1,875,000
City Match
GPF
Contribution
2,708,007
3,303,048
3,549,563
4,465,501
14,026,119
Table 4: Fiscal Impact for City of Oakland in Each Fiscal Year of the USDOJ COPS Grant
City Appropriation City Match
Central Services
Overhead Grand Total
FY 2022-23
2,310,750
151,020
2,461,770
FY 2023-24 to FY
2026-27
12,597,669
841,680
13,439,349
Total
14,908,419
992,700
15,901,119
Table 5: Fiscal Impact for City of Oakland in Each Fiscal Year of the USDOJ COPS Grant City Fiscal
Year
FY 22-23 FY 23-24 FY 24-25 FY 25-26 FY 26-27*
Grant Period 10/01/22-
6/30/23
7/01/23-
06/30/24
07/01/24-
06/30/25
07/01/25-
06/30/26
07/01/26-
09/30/26
Months within
City Fiscal Year
9 12 12 12 3
City Share by
Fiscal Year
2,099,595
3,152,957
3,488,952
4,237,654
1,046,960
Grant Amount
450,000
618,750
643,750
162,500
-
Total Cost by
Fiscal Year
2,549,595
3,771,707
4,132,702
4,400,154
1,046,960
* Mandatory retention period beyond expiration of grant
Funding will be appropriated in the relevant Grant fund to be determined, District Command Administration Org (108010) and Patrol Area Orgs, in a Grant Project to be determined.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: 2022 USDOJ/COPS Grant Acceptance
Date: October 27, 2022 Page 6
City Council
November 1, 2022
Table 6: Funding Sources
Fund Source Organization Account Project Program Amount 2113 108010 TBD TBD PS11 $1,875,000
1010 108010 TBD TBD PS11
12,257,482
Total Expenditure
14,132,482
Table 7: Total City Match Contribution and Total Grant Portion (by percentage)
Total City Match/General Purpose Fund Contribution $14,026,118 88% Total COPS Grant Funding $1,875,000 12%
Total Cost 15,901,119 100.0%
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Chief Armstrong held a public press conference in which he announced OPD would be applying for 2022 USDOJ/COPS grant. He acknowledged OPD had applied for and been denied this grant in recent years. Receipt of the 2022 grant funds along with City matching funds will be used to expand foot patrol where OPD sworn officers constantly interact with the public to build strong community-police relationships. Stronger community-police relationships enhance the long-term public safety of high-crime and high-population density neighborhoods. Expanding this program is of great interest to all Oaklanders as public safety impacts all Oaklanders.
COORDINATION
This report and legislation have been reviewed by the Office of the City Attorney and the Controller’s Bureau.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: Hiring additional law enforcement officers will generate additional jobs for the local economy. Additional community policing officers will enhance crime prevention and support economic growth. Increased economic activity will raise business tax and sales tax revenues to the City.
Environmental: There are no environmental issues associated with this report.
Race & Equity: Grant funds and other resources contributed by partnering agencies will enhance public safety which benefits all Oaklanders. Neighborhoods that have been subject to high rates of violent crime will benefit from the increase in foot patrol.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: 2022 USDOJ/COPS Grant Acceptance
Date: October 27, 2022 Page 7
City Council
November 1, 2022
ACTION REQUESTED OF CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Approve A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To: (1) Accept And Appropriate Grant Funds In An Amount Not To Exceed One Million Eight Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($1,875,000) From The U.S.
Department Of Justice, Office Of Community Oriented Policing Services (USDOJ/COPS) To Fund The Entry-Level Salary And Fringe Benefits Costs Of Fifteen (15) Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Police Officers And Appropriate The Funds To The Oakland Police Department (OPD); (2) Authorize An Appropriation Of Thirteen Million Thirty Three Thousand Four Hundred and Nineteen Dollars ($13,033,419) To Cover The Local Match Requirement; And (3) Authorize The General Purpose Fund To Subsidize The Central Services Overhead Costs Of Nine Hundred Ninety-Two Thousand Seven Hundred Dollars ($992,700) For A Total City Of Oakland Contribution Of Fourteen Million Twenty Six Thousand One Hundred and Nineteen Dollars ($14,026,119) And A Total Program Cost Not To Exceed Fifteen Million Nine Hundred and One Thousand One Hundred and Nineteen Dollars $15,901,119.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Amber Fuller, Grants Coordinator, at (510) 238-3733.
Reviewed by:
Kiona Suttle, Deputy Director
OPD, Bureau of Services
Tracey Jones, Police Services Manager
OPD, Research and Planning Unit
Prepared by:
LaRaija Marshall, Fiscal Manager
OPD, Fiscal Division
Amber Fuller, Grants Coordinator
OPD, Fiscal Division