CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: December 6, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Charles Montoya, City Manager
Darren Goodman, Chief of Police
Department: Police
Subject: Accept the 2023 COPS CHP Grant (All Wards)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2023-184 authorizing:
1. The City Manager to Accept the 2023 Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services Grant.
2. The Director of Finance and Management Services to amend the FY 2023/24 Adopted Budget with an appropriation of $500,000 in both revenues and expenditures in grant funds and $303,743.36 in General Fund expenditures in grant match requirements.
3. The Police Department to increase sworn staffing from 307 to 311.
Executive Summary
The Department was awarded $500,000 from the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program (CHP) 2023 Grant. The first-year match funding requirement is $128,743. The grant will be used to hire four officers and partially pay their salaries for the first three years. Staff requests that the City Manager be authorized to accept and administer the grant and that the Department be permitted to increase staffing by four officers.
Background
The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program (CHP) grant is intended to reduce crime and promote public safety through community policing by supporting law enforcement agencies nationwide. The grant supports hiring law enforcement officers to increase an agency's community policing and crime prevention capabilities.
On March 8, 2023, the Department of Justice released the FY 2023 COPS CHP solicitation. In May 2023, the Police Department submitted a CHP application requesting funding to hire four new police officers. The grant would partially fund those four positions for three years, with the City being obligated to maintain them for an additional two years beyond the three-year CHP-funded period. The CHP grant application process was highly competitive; San Bernardino was one of 654 law enforcement agencies that applied for funding. On November 2, 2023, the City received notification that the 2023 grant application was approved, awarding $500,000 for hiring four police officers.
Discussion
The Department of Justice COPS grant award provides funding for up to 75 percent of the approved entry-level salary and fringe benefits of each newly hired or rehired full- time sworn career law enforcement officer over three years of the award period. Unless otherwise waived, there is a minimum 25 percent local cash match requirement and a maximum federal share of $125,000 per officer position. The Department has received match waivers in the past; however, a waiver was not provided for this grant. Funding from this program may be used to:
•Hire New Officers
•Rehire Officers (laid off as a result of budget reductions) •Rehire Officers (at the time of application, currently scheduled to be laid off as a result of budget reductions)
Over the last four years, the Department has applied for and received more than $28,000,000 in grant funding to purchase equipment and resources and pay personnel salaries. Through grants and agreements with external funding sources, the Department has successfully funded 47 police officer positions, 15 professional staff positions, and thousands of overtime hours. These resources have allowed the Department to improve community engagement, reduce crime, improve call response times, and provide better- quality public safety services.
When Chief Goodman assumed command of the Department, he identified the following five critical goals to improve the department and its ability to deliver effective, high- quality public safety services.
•Improve Quality of Life
•Improve Organizational Effectiveness
•Improve Employee Development
•Improve Public Engagement
•Improve Recruitment and Retention
Renewed focus on these goals has improved effectiveness and morale within the Department. Recruitment and retention have resulted in greater staffing than the Department has seen in 13 years. Service has improved as call response times have decreased by 51%; officer productivity has increased by 35%; narcotics recoveries have increased by 4,472lbs, reflecting a 54% increase from the previous year; and firearms recoveries have increased by 14% with the Department recovering over 1,057 firearms to date, more than any prior year. These efforts have contributed to a 55% decrease in homicides compared to last year. Accepting the COPS CHP Grant will provide four more officers dedicated to the Department’s mission of setting the standard of excellence in policing and improving the environment for the community to live and raise their families.
CHP grant funds cannot supplant local funds by paying for officer positions currently funded through the adopted budget. Consequently, the Department will increase the number of authorized police officers from 307 to 311. The award of the CHP grant creates an opportunity to increase officer staffing levels within the Police Department while covering most of the cost for the first year of employment. The total grant performance period is 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2028. During the second and third years of the performance period, the City would provide a progressively greater share of the cost for each officer. Accepting the grant would effectively delay the total cost of the additional officers until year three. Beginning 10/1/2026 and lasting through 9/30/2028, the City would be responsible for covering the entire cost of each position. Based on current hiring plans, staff anticipates hiring for positions funding through this grant program as early as December 14, 2023. Staff requests authorization to expend CHP grant funds as early as December 14, 2023.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
The request to authorize the receipt, obligation, and expenditure of the 2023 Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program Grant aligns with Key Target 1b: Improved Operational & Financial Capacity – Implement, maintain, and update a fiscal accountability plan, and Target 3c: Improved Quality of Life - Constantly evaluate public safety service delivery models to enhance the quality of service.
Fiscal Impact
FISCAL YEAR COST GRANT SHARE GENERAL FUND
SHARE
Current Fiscal Year $528,743,36 $350,000 $178,743.36
Next Fiscal Year $579,185.03 $100,000 $479,185.03
3rd Fiscal Year $617,651.28 $100,000 $567,651.97
4th Fiscal Year $671,529.97 $0 $671,529.97
5th Fiscal Year $727,928.55 $0 $727,928.55
Budget Adjustment:
Yes
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
FY 2023 CHP grant funds supply
$500,000 of the total cost the remainder will
be covered with General Funds.
For Fiscal Year: 23/24
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2023-184 authorizing:
1. The City Manager to Accept the 2023 Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services Grant.
2. The Director of Finance and Management Services to amend the FY 2023/24 Adopted Budget with an appropriation of $500,000 in both revenues and expenditures in grant funds and $303,743.36 in General Fund expenditures in grant match requirements.
3. The Police Department to increase sworn staffing from 307 to 311.
Attachments
1. Attachment – Resolution No. 2023 –184
2. Attachment – Grant Documents
Ward:
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
November 16, 2022 Approved Resolution 2022-241 to accept the FY 2023 CHP Grant Funds
December 1, 2021 Approved Resolution 2021-284 To accept the FY2021 CHP Grant Funds
July 15, 2021 Approved Resolution 2020-167 to accept and administer the FY2020 CHP Grant funds
February 20, 2019 Approved Resolution 2019-29 adopting the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving
Philosophy