CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: November 20, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Rochelle Clayton, Acting City Manager;
Darren Goodman, Chief of Police
Department: Police
Subject: Acceptance of 2024 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. 2024-224 authorizing:
1. The City Manager to Accept the 2024 Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services Grant.
2. The Director of Finance and Management Services to amend the FY 2024/25 Adopted Budget with an appropriation of $625,000.00 in both revenues and expenditures in grant funds and $432,439.30 in General Fund expenditures in grant match requirements.
3. The Police Department to increase sworn staffing from 311 to 316.
Executive Summary
The Department was recently awarded $625,000 from the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program (CHP) 2024 Grant. The first-year match funding requirement is $432,439.30. The grant will be used to hire five officers and partially pay their salaries for the first three years. The City is responsible for retaining the positions for two years after the grant funds are exhausted. Staff requests that the City Manager be authorized to accept and administer the grant and that the Department be permitted to increase staffing by five officers.
Background
The Department of Justice COPS 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 May 1, 2024, the Mayor and City Council approved staff’s recommendation to authorize the Police Department to apply for funding for five police officer positions through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program. The Police Department subsequently submitted a CHP application requesting funding to hire five new police officers. The grant would partially fund those five positions for three years, with the City being obligated to maintain them for an additional two years beyond the three-year CHP-funded period. On September 30, 2024, the City received notification that the 2024 grant application was approved, awarding $625,000 for hiring five 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, resources, and pay personnel salaries. These resources have allowed the Department to improve community engagement, reduce crime, improve call response times, and provide better-quality public safety services.
Accepting the COPS CHP Grant will provide five 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 sworn staff from 311 to 316. The award of the CHP grant creates an opportunity to increase officer staffing levels within the Police Department while covering a substantial portion of the cost for the first year of employment. The total grant performance period is 10/1/2024 through 9/30/2029. 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 10/1/2027 and lasting through 9/30/2029, 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 12, 2024. Staff requests authorization to expend CHP grant funds as early as December 12, 2024.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
The request to authorize the receipt, obligation, and expenditure of the 2024 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
FISCAL YEAR COST FOR FIVE
OFFICERS
GRANT SHARE GENERAL FUND
SHARE
FY24/25 $744,939.30 $312,500
(50% of grant funds)
$432,439.30
FY25/26 $817,709.30* $156,250
(25% of grant funds)
$661,459.30
FY26/27 $894,264.91* $156,250
(25% of grant funds)
$738,014.91
FY27/28 $974,584.63* $0 $974,584.63
FY28/29 $1,058,919.54* $0 $1,058,919.54
Budget Adjustment:
Yes
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
FY 2024 CHP grant funds supply
$625,000 of the total cost. For Fiscal Year: 24/25
*Includes step increases, and estimated 3% year over year COLA Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2024-224 authorizing:
1. The City Manager to Accept the 2024 Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services Grant.
2. The Director of Finance and Management Services to amend the FY 2024/25 Adopted Budget with an appropriation of $625,000 in both revenues and expenditures in grant funds and $432,439.30 in General Fund expenditures in grant match requirements.
3. The Police Department to increase sworn staffing from 311 to 316.
Attachments
Attachment 1 Resolution No. 2024-224
Attachment 2 2024 COPS Grant Award Package
Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
May 1, 2024 Mayor and City Council authorized the Police Department to apply for funding of five officers through the FY2024 COPS grant program.
December 6, 2023 Approved Resolution 2023-184 to accept the FY 2023 CHP Grant Funds
November 16, 2022 Approved Resolution 2022-241 to accept the FY 2022 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 the FY2020 CHP Grant funds
February 20, 2019 Approved Resolution 2019-29 adopting the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Philosophy