DATE: OCTOBER 10, 2023
DEPARTMENT: SALINAS POLICE DEPARTMENT
FROM: ROBERTO FILICE, CHIEF OF POLICE
BY: TONYA ERICKSON, POLICE SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR
TITLE: ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT GRANT
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to accept the Organized Retail Theft Grant award and execute all necessary grant acceptance documents with the Board of State and Community Corrections, and to authorize the establishment of the Organized Retail Theft Grant appropriation of up to $3,573,307 and corresponding revenue budget to support grant activities.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the Organized Retail Theft Grant award and authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary grant acceptance documents. Staff further recommends the establishment of the Organized Retail Theft Grant appropriation of up to $3,573,307 and corresponding revenue budget to support grant activities.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Salinas Police Department has been selected to receive an Organized Retail Theft Grant award of $3,573,307 from the Board of State and Community Corrections. Grant funds shall be used to assist the department in preventing and responding to organized retail theft and motor vehicle theft. The Department is asking that City Council accept the grant award, authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary grant acceptance documents, and authorize the creation of a grant appropriation and associated revenue budget.
BACKGROUND:
The California Budget Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 154) established the Organized Retail Theft (ORT) Prevention Grant Program. Grant funds are to be used by local law enforcement agencies in preventing and responding to organized retail theft, motor vehicle or motor vehicle accessory theft, or cargo theft. At the September 14, 2023, Board of State and Community Corrections Board Meeting, 31 City Police Departments and 7 Sheriff’s Departments were awarded a total of $242,250,000 in ORT Prevention Funding. The Salinas Police Department was one of the awardees, receiving an award of $3,573,307 for the period October 1, 2023 through June 1, 2027.
The Salinas Police Department’s grant submission focused on the need to respond to the growing threat of organized retail crime and continuing high rate of motor vehicle theft. The project’s goal is to deter organized retail theft, identify and apprehend suspects, and recover stolen property to improve the safety of Salinas businesses, increase economic activity, improve quality of life, and enhance public safety in the City. The grant will fund the development of an Organized Retail Crime and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Program which will be technologically supported using merchandise tracking systems, license plate reader cameras, and computer forensic tools and equipment.
The grant will fund limited officer overtime and funds two (2) new civilian Investigative Specialist positions. The Police Department has encountered challenges in our efforts to recruit and hire sworn police officers and are committed to expanding the use of civilians to do law enforcement activities wherever safe and practical. To this end, the grant supports the creation and funding of two new civilian Investigative Specialist positions. The responsibilities of the Investigative Specialists will include, but are not limited to, providing support to the detective and officers by assisting in the investigation of organized retail crime and motor vehicle thefts, securing and collecting evidence and property, examining the volumes of video and digital evidence, assisting in the Computer Forensics Lab as appropriate, locating and interviewing victims and witnesses, and documenting findings in reports. Though the civilian positions are a key component of this grant, the experience and powers of sworn officers and investigators remains critical, thus the grant will fund a limited number of overtime hours for sworn police officers and detectives. The grant also funds an external evaluation, as well as a financial audit. Now that funds have been awarded, the department is working to identify the individual or agency that will complete these components.
The Police Department will work with the Human Resources Department on the creation of the new civilian Investigative Specialist positions. Though the City of Salinas does not currently have this civilian classification, we have collected equivalent job descriptions from nine other law enforcement agencies within California and will utilize those samples as the foundation for the development of the position description for Salinas. These new positions will be designated as Limited Term not to exceed the three-year grant funding period. During the grant period we will be evaluating the effectiveness of these new civilian positions and at the end of the grant cycle, the Department will have to address any continuation of these positions as part of the budget process.
The Salinas Police Department is asking the City Council to accept this grant award and the Resolution authorizes the City Manager to execute all necessary grant approval documents, as well as the establishment of the Organized Retail Theft Grant appropriation and related revenue budget to support grant activities.
POLICE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The department provided a presentation on the Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant to the Police Community Advisory Committee on September 27, 2023. The Committee was supportive of this grant award and asked several questions related to the scope and direction of the grant, as well as recruitment of staff for this grant.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
Not a Project. The City of Salinas has determined that the proposed action is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378).
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
Approving the proposed Resolution will support the City Council’s Strategic Plan Goal of Public Safety.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
The Police Department will coordinate with the Legal and Finance Department during acceptance and implementation of this grant and is working with the Human Resources Department on the creation and hiring of the civilian Investigative Specialist positions.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
No matching funds are required to accept this grant which covers the period October 1, 2023 through June 1, 2027. Proposed funding from the Organized Retail Theft Grant will be utilized to fund limited officer overtime, the hiring of two full-time civilian Investigative Specialist positions, as well as technology-related leases and/or purchases.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution – Organized Retail Theft Grant
23-27 ORTP Grant Agreement
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