February 7, 2023
Police Department
DATE: February 7, 2023
TO: Eduardo Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Bisa French, Chief of Police
Subject:
Proposed service agreement with Contra Costa County
District Attorney's Office to continue the community-based prosecution program.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Funding for this contract will come from the Police Departments approved Fiscal Year 2022-2023 adopted
budget, not to exceed $100,000 – account string
01191021-400201.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
n/a
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Contra Costa County District Attorney is vested with primary authority to prosecute criminal violations of state law in Contra Costa County. The proposed sole-source
agreement with the Contra Costa County District
Attorney's Office will continue the successful Community Based Prosecutor Program. The program is designed to
ensure the successful prosecution of criminal cases
investigated by sworn officers at the Richmond Police
Department, reduce violent crime, and address local
quality of life concerns.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a sole-source agreement with the Contra
Costa County District Attorney's Office for the continued and dedicated services of a deputy district attorney who would be specifically assigned as Richmond's
Community Based Prosecutor, in an amount not to
exceed $100,000, from July 1, 2022, through June 30,
2023 - Police Department (Chief Bisa French 621-1802).
AGENDA
REPORT
February 7, 2023
DISCUSSION:
The Richmond Police Department has utilized the services of a Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney (DDA) since January 2008 to provide training and enforcement assistance. Housed within the Police Department, Community Based Prosecutors have been instrumental in improving the quality of criminal cases prepared by sworn officers, increased the prosecution rate of Richmond cases, and have played an invaluable role in reducing violent crime. The job duties of the DDA include:
Preparing monthly training bulletins that are disseminated to all sworn personnel; Conducting on-going trainings that outline topics such as employing successful strategies for reducing gun violence, crime prevention methods through community engagement, and an overview of recent case law and appellate decisions;
Reviewing all misdemeanor cases and many violent crime investigations; Assisting with a variety of legal and criminal justice procedural issues; Assisting the City Attorney and Code Enforcement staff on neighborhood nuisance issues;
Regularly attending Crime Accountability meetings and providing input on quality of life issues and community concerns; and
Continuing to serve as a liaison with fellow prosecutors, judges, and other criminal justice experts, while ensuring that appropriate state and federal laws are understood and applied by sworn personnel.
With the approval of this agreement, the Richmond Police Department will have the essential services provided by the Community Based Prosecutor through June 2023.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Original Contract
Attachment 2 – Sole Source Form