May 5, 2026
Police Department
DATE: May 5, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Timothy Simmons, Chief of Police
Subject:
Agreement with Contra Costa County District Attorney's
Office to Continue the Community-based Prosecution
Program
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed annual expenditure of $100,000, not to exceed a total of $300,000 over the three-year term, will be included within the Police Department’s proposed
fiscal year 2026-2027 operating budget and will be
budgeted accordingly in subsequent fiscal years
(Account String: 01194021-400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
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 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 five-year agreement with the Contra Costa
County District Attorney's Office for the dedicated
services of a deputy district attorney who would be
specifically assigned as Richmond's Community-based
Prosecutor, in an amount not to exceed $300,000, for the term commencing July 1, 2026, and ending June 30,
AGENDA
REPORT
May 5, 2026
2029 - Police Department (Chief Timothy Simmons 510-
621-1802).
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 ongoing 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.
The current three-year agreement between the City of Richmond and the County’s DA’s Office will end June 30, 2026. Given the success of the partnership, department staff propose extending the agreement for another three years with an annual rate of $100,000 for a total amount not to exceed $300,000. For reference, the cost to the County for a Community-based Prosecutor housed in the Richmond Police Department is $284,366 annually and will likely increase over the three-year agreement period. With the approval of this agreement, the Richmond Police Department will continue to receive essential services provided by the Community-based Prosecutor through June 30, 2029, without any budgetary fluctuations.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – DA and Richmond PD Community Prosecution 3-year Contract