City Council – October 8, 2024
Study Session: Enhancing Public Safety and Addressing Homelessness Item 7-B
October 8, 2024
Item 7-B
October 8, 2024
• Public Safety Landscape
• Financial Considerations
• Current Efforts
• Department Constraints & Funding Needs
• Funding Scenarios
• Council Direction
Study Session Agenda
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The Road to this Study Session
3 May 28th
Budget Study Session & Council Direction – Add 4 Police Officers June 25th
FY 2024-25 Budget Adoption & Council Direction – Return with holistic analysis on improving public safety July 5th
Council Direction – PFT Advisory Measure and overview of current efforts & additional resource needs July 23rd
Council Adoption – Resolution to put Measures K and PSK on November Ballot October 8th
Study Session – Enhancing Public Safety & Addressing Homelessness March 2023
Council Priority Setting including Clean & Safe and Addressing Homelessness June 2023
FY 2023-25 Budget Adoption & allocation of Measure CS funding to priorities Item 7-B
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• Clean and Safe: committed to maintaining and
enhancing an atmosphere marked by clean and safe
public spaces and neighborhoods, including parks for
recreation and leisure activities.
• Addressing Homelessness: prevent housed Santa
Monicans from becoming homeless and increase the
supply of affordable housing, address the behavioral
health needs of vulnerable individuals and advocate for regional capacity to address homelessness.
Council Priorities
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Safety: A Priority Citywide
5 Community Development
HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES
Recreation and Arts
Public Works
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE Library
FIRE
Finance
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE Information Services
Records and Election Services
POLICE
Human Resources Transportation
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Enhancing Public Safety & Addressing Homelessness
A Multi-Disciplinary Approach
Engagement
& Prevention
Security &
Emergency
Response
Prosecution
& Diversion
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Funding Scenarios
7 Visibility
Rightsizing
Systemwide
Increasing Public Facing Services and Programs
Adding Capacity Systemwide
Rightsizing Operations (including Restorations)
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Financial Considerations
Liabilities • Uller / Condon Settlement Claims
• CVRA Legal Costs
• LA28 Olympics
• Lifeguard Services
Restoring
Services
• Library & Youth Services
• Community Programming
• Deferred Infrastructure Maintenance
• Capital Improvement Program
Financial
Stewardship
• Rebuild Reserves
• Repay Enterprise Funds
• Labor Negotiations in Competitive Labor
Market
Future
Considerations
• Unfunded CIP Projects
• Equity and Reparations
• Homelessness, Police & Fire Strategic Plans
• Behavioral Health Study
• Renters’ Right to Counsel
• Ambulance Operator Program
• Airport Conversion Project
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Current Efforts: Public Safety
The City has expanded its efforts to address public safety:
A Few of the Recent Public Safety Initiatives
New/Increased Deployments, including:
• 11 new Police Officers
• Crime Impact Team, DART & HoST
Teams
• Officers at Public Parks
• Pier & Downtown Parking security
services
• BBB Transit Safety Officer (TSO)
Security Program
• Shelter, Treatment and Empowerment
Program (STEP) Court
New/Enhanced Technologies and
improvements, including:
• SMART crime center
• CCTV & License plate reader cameras
• Security monitoring – Library & parks
• CAD and Records Management
Systems
• Bike/pedestrian safety enhancements
and Vision Zero implementation
• Strategic plans for the Fire and Police
Departments
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Current Efforts: Addressing Homelessness
The City has expanded its efforts and collaborates with partners to address homelessness
A Few of the Recent Homelessness Initiatives
• New Housing & Human Services
Department
Outreach Teams & Partnerships
• Salvation Army (HLP Team) & LA
County (TTT) partnerships
• Additional C3 Team
• Homeless Support Team (HoST)
• Metro – end of line safety & Tap to Exit
program
• Declaration of Emergency on
Homelessness
Housing & Shelter Programs
• SAMOSHEL shelter (24/7 intakes)
• Pathway Home in Santa Monica
• The Laurel - 57 supporting housing
units
• Two affordable housing sites
• Homeless Strategic Plan and Behavioral
Healthy Strategy
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• Criminal Prosecution Unit (CPU) has two fewer positions since pre-COVID
• Number of cases referred from Police has risen by 70% • New unfunded State mandate requiring all cases to be
reviewed twice
• A full-time attorney is being used to manage diversion programs and administer the approximately $8.9 M in grant funding for:
• STEP Court (~$1.0 M from multiple sources)
• SaMo Bridge (~$7.9 M from Prop 47)
11 Department Constraints - City Attorney
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Visibility
Rightsizing
Systemwide
• Add 1.0 FTE Senior Legal Analyst - to administer
grants, allowing the attorney to resume
caseload responsibilities
12 Department Proposals - City Attorney
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13 Department Constraints - Office of Emergency Mgmt.
• 911 Public Safety Dispatch lost one position during the 2020 restructure
• Staffing challenges and leadership turnover has created challenges around consistent staff oversight or coaching and development, which impact the effectiveness of dispatch operations and service delivery.
• High turnover due to job demands and competitive labor market
• Moss Adams study recommends additional staffing to
maintain best practices and response times
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14 Department Proposals - Office of Emergency Mgmt.
Rightsizing
Systemwide
• Add 1.0 FTE Lead Dispatcher - as an incremental
first step to support the City’s emergency
response
Visibility
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15 Department Constraints - Fire
• City’s first responder to all health emergencies, which often involve the unhoused and vulnerable populations
• Discontinued the Community Response Unit (CRU), created in 2020, to make way for the creation of the Emergency Medical Services Division
• None of the teams operate 24/7, so the Fire department must respond to overnight and weekend calls without specialized resources
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16 Department Proposals - Fire
Visibility
Rightsizing
Systemwide
• Implement Advanced Provider Unit - two teams
(one nurse-practioner & one firefighter-paramedic each) to ensure specialized services are available 7 days/week in
coordination with the Therapeutic Transport
Team
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17 • Third C3 Outreach Team
• Therapeutic Transport Team
• SAMOSHEL expansion (24/7)
• Pathway Home
• The Laurel
• Expansion POD program
Department Constraints – Housing & Human Services
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18 Department Proposals – Housing & Human Services
Visibility
Rightsizing
Systemwide
• Downtown Outreach Team (pairing Code
Enforcement Officers with additional Outreach
Workers) to respond to trespassing and enforce
the City’s no sit/no lie doorway ordinance
• Ongoing funding for the Therapeutic Transport
Team
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19 Department Constraints – Police
• More funded police officer positions than any time in the City’s history, however, recruitment challenges persist
• Reallocated positions to emerging issues, such as street patrol and open-flame vending
• Non-sworn positions have not been restored (traffic service officers, crossing guards)
• New and increased cost of technology
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20 Department Proposals – Police
Visibility
Rightsizing
Systemwide
• Special Investigations Unit to focus on drug
crimes & time intensive investigations
• Expand Drone Program to 7 days per week
• Ongoing funding for proactive security
monitoring
• Close funding gap and upgrade public safety
Technology
• Enhance Police Training
• Ongoing funding for proactive security
monitoring
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21 Funding Scenarios
Proposals framed by Council Priorities
• City Attorney’s Office, Office of Emergency Management, Fire, Housing & Human Services, Police
Clean and Safe Addressing
Homelessness
Focused on: Quick deployment, immediate impact and
benefit to the community
• Needs exceed anticipated resources from Advisory Measure • New investments contingent on passage of Measures K and PSK Item 7-B
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Funding Scenario: Visibility
Year 1 - $3.53 million
Year 2 - $3.26 million
FTE Year 1 Year 2
Special Investigations Unit 2.0 $0.82M $0.62M
Drone Program Expansion 2.0 $0.51M $0.49M
Security Monitoring at Library & Parks - $0.10M $0.11M
Advanced Provider Unit 4.0 $1.43M $1.35M
Downtown Outreach Team 2.0 $0.67M $0.69M
Total 10.0 FTE $3.53M $3.26M
Pros:
• Adds public facing
services
• Drone program to 7 days a
week
• Restores SIU
• Increases engagement
with vulnerable population
Cons:
• Funding gaps (tools,
technologies and TTT)
• Criminal Prosecution Unit
at capacity
• 911 Dispatch complexities
• PD need to redeploy from
other units
Increasing Public Facing Services and Programs
Amounts represent one full year of estimated costs. Year 1 includes one-time costs. 22 Item 7-B
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Funding Scenario: Systemwide Enhancements
Year 1 - $3.49 million
Year 2 - $3.33 million
FTE Year 1 Year 2
Special Investigations Unit (Sgt.) 1.0 $0.45M $0.35M
Drone Program Expansion 2.0 $0.51M $0.49M
Security Monitoring at Library & Parks - $0.10M $0.11M
Advanced Provider Unit 4.0 $1.43M $1.35M
Downtown Outreach Team 2.0 $0.67M $0.69M
Criminal Prosecution Unit 1.0 $0.19M $0.20M
911 Lead Dispatcher 1.0 $0.14M $0.14M
Total 11.0 FTE $3.49M $3.33M
Pros:
• Adds public facing
services
• Drone program to 7 days a
week
• Restores SIU
• Increases engagement
with vulnerable population
• Adds capacity to Criminal
Prosecution Unit and 911
Dispatch Team
Cons:
• Funding gaps (tools,
technologies and TTT)
• PD need to redeploy from
other units
Adding Capacity Systemwide
Amounts represent one full year of estimated costs. Year 1 includes one-time costs. 23 Item 7-B
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Funding Scenario: Rightsizing Operations
Year 1 - $3.27 million
Year 2 - $3.27 million
FTE Year 1 Year 2
Police Technology - $0.74M $0.77M
Police Training - $0.20M $0.21M
Security Monitoring at Library & Parks - $0.10M $0.11M
Advanced Provider Unit 4.0 $1.43M $1.35M
Therapeutic Transport Team - $0.47M $0.49M
Criminal Prosecution Unit 1.0 $0.19M $0.20M
911 Lead Dispatcher 1.0 $0.14M $0.14M
Total 6.0 FTE $3.27M $3.27M
Pros:
• Funds PD technology and
training
• Increases engagement
with vulnerable population
• Funds TTT
• Adds capacity to Criminal
Prosecution Unit and 911
Dispatch Team
Cons:
• Least public services
• Except for APU, adds no
new services
Closing Funding Gaps
Amounts represent one full year of estimated costs. Year 1 includes one-time costs. 24 Item 7-B
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Provide direction on funding scenarios
• Visibility
• Systemwide Enhancements
• Rightsizing Operations
What’s ahead:
• November 5th – Election Day
• Spring 2025 - Council Workshop (Priority Setting,
Organizational Update)
• June 2025 – Biennial Budget
25 Council Direction & Next Steps
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26 Service Capability APU CRU
Assess & Treat Patients
Provide Advanced Life Support
Transport patients to local hospitals
Transport patients to Exodus psychiatric facility
Engage in fire suppression
Engage in US&R responses
Engage in Haz Mat Response
Assess, treat, and medically clear patients in the field Medically clear detainees for booking on behalf of SMPD (at no cost to SMPD) Transport patients to any mental health facility in Los Angeles County Write mental health holds just as the DMH Van does
Transport patients to any hospital in Los Angeles County Transport patients to an Urgent Care instead of an Emergency Room Provide point of care testing for conditions such as flu, strep and blood abnormalities Prescribe antibiotics
Prescribe medications to address heart, lung, or other medical issues Prescribe and administer suboxone (a medication that prevents overdoses for 7 days) Make house calls to Santa Monica residents and provide post discharge care Function as a mobile Urgent Care for the homeless
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