Item Number: 20
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: June 16, 2026
Submitted By:
Tony Camargo, Deputy City Manager
Subject:
Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund
Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council adopt Resolution No. 26-060 amending the annual budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026; approving an increase in revenue and expenditures related to the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund.
Fiscal Impact:
Adopting Resolution No. 26-060 will increase the City’s Fiscal Year 2025-2026 revenue and expenditure appropriations as follows:
Account Account Type Amount
2702107-43110-20261 Revenue $509,388.91
2702107-52300-20261 Expense $256,282.75
The proposed revenues include $432,999.46 received this Fiscal Year, as well as an additional $76,389.45 received in prior Fiscal Years that had not been budgeted. This is in addition to $52,932.84 of revenue already budgeted. The expenditures in this grant had a prior available balance of $306,039.00 budgeted. In order to reconcile the budget, staff is proposing to increase the budgeted expenditures by $256,282.75 to match the revenues received.
Strategic Plan Goal:
This item aligns with Strategic Plan Goal B, Public Safety. Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) monies can be utilized to fund front-line municipal police services, thus allowing City staff to implement public safety strategies that support a thriving and growing community, as well as Strategy 7, by investing in technology that will assist efficient and effective police operations.
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Background:
The SLESF was created in California through Assembly Bill 3229 (AB3229) as part of the state’s broader Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) funding program in 1996. The legislation established a dedicated funding mechanism to provide supplemental state money to counties and cities for local public safety operations. The legislature’s intent was to:
Increase visible law enforcement presence and crime prevention efforts. Ensure state funding enhanced, rather than replaced, local law enforcement budgets.
Create accountability and oversight for the use of the funding. Direct money toward operational policing and prosecution functions rather than unrelated governmental expenses.
A central feature of AB3229 is the requirement that SLESF funds be used exclusively for front-line law enforcement services.
Discussion:
Since the establishment of AB3229, the City of Victorville has received annual state allocations intended exclusively to support front-line law enforcement services. Over the years, the City has strategically utilized SLESF funding to invest in public safety initiatives and emerging technologies designed to improve response times, enhance situational awareness, strengthen investigative capabilities, and support proactive policing efforts throughout the community. Since these funds are distributed to the City at various times throughout the year, staff often face challenges determining the exact allocation amount, which requires a budget amendment. To address this, staff are presenting this item to acknowledge the revenue received to date and to authorize increased expenditures that support front-line law enforcement services.
Most recently, the City Council approved the use of SLESF funding to implement a Drones as First Responder (DFR) program for the Victorville Police Department. The program includes deployment of drones integrated with existing systems utilized by the Police Department. The DFR program is intended to improve officer safety, provide rapid aerial situational awareness during critical incidents, and reduce response times by allowing officers to assess scenes before personnel arrives on location.
The City has also utilized SLESF funding to deploy ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology in targeted neighborhoods experiencing elevated levels of gun-related calls for service. Victorville became the first city in San Bernardino County to implement the technology, which uses acoustic sensors to detect, locate, and alert law enforcement to gunfire incidents within seconds.
In conjunction with the ShotSpotter technology deployment, the City has expanded its public safety infrastructure through the installation of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras throughout the community. These systems assist law enforcement personnel with locating stolen vehicles, identifying suspect vehicles associated with 4 7
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criminal activity, and supporting ongoing criminal investigations. The ALPR network integrates with the City’s developing Real Time Information Center (RTIC) to improve operational effectiveness and investigative efficiency.
SLESF funding has been leveraged for purchases including radios, a mobile command unit, and metal detectors for City Hall. Collectively, these investments enhance the City’s ability to manage incidents, public safety emergencies, special events, and coordinated law enforcement operations and reflect the City’s ongoing commitment to utilizing SLESF funding to invest in front-line law enforcement services, crime prevention strategies, officer safety, and advancing technologies.
Therefore, staff recommends that the Honorable City Council adopt Resolution No. 26- 060 amending the annual budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, approving an increase in revenue and expenditures for the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund.
Staff remains available for any questions or comments you may have.
Prepared By:
Darcy Mahoney-Henson, Administrative Analyst
Attachments: A. Resolution No. 26-060