01-04-2000 - The Cops School-Based Partnership '99 GrantCity of West Covina
Memorandum
A GENDA ,,
ITEM NO. B-8-0
DATE JANUARY.4, 2000
TO: City Manager and City Council ®PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
FROM: Frank J. Wills, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: THE COPS SCHOOL -BASED PARTNERSHIP '99 GRANT
SUMMARY: The Police Department has been awarded $133,683 in grant funds under
the School -Based Partnerships '99 Grant, administered by the Office of
Community Oriented' Policing Services (COPS), within the U.S.
Department of Justice. This is our second grant of this type, and will be
used to collaboratively research and address school graffiti at four West
Covina Unified School District schools. As done previously, the City
Council must now appropriate the entirety of the grant, even though the
funds will be reimbursed by the Federal government periodically.
BACKGROUND:
In the spring of 1999, Administrative Analyst. Alex B. Houston and Edgewood Middle
School Teacher Barbara Davids applied for the COPS School -Based Partnership '99
grant, administered by the Federal Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
(COPS). The, Police Department received and the City Council approved an.earlier
School -Based Partnership '98 grant, which is currently funding a collaborative, effort to
address property. crimes at two local middle schools (see Item G-1 on 2-16-1999). The
program proposed in the new grant application is a partnership between the West Covina
'Police Department and the West Covina Unified School District to research and address
graffiti at four school campuses. The Police Department was recently notified that its
application was one of the few among the nationwide competition that was approved for
funding.
In brief, this grant will fund a collaborative effort to examine the details of school graffiti
at West Covina High School, Coronado Continuation School, Edgewood Middle School,
and Hollencrest Middle • School. This grant is designed to help us discover and
understand the who, what, where, and why of school graffiti before we respond.
Supported activities include:
• Overtime for police officers to assess the security needs and analyze school graffiti;
• . Paying for 7 project staff (teachers or other school officials) to research and analyze,
in detail, school graffiti;
• Convening a student group (using stipends) to collaborate with us on ways of
addressing graffiti;
• Surveying and interviewing teachers and students, and documenting the details of
school graffiti to generate a database for analysis, using computer hardware;
• Working with the Boys & Girl's Club of the San Gabriel Valley, who run a'graffiti
response hotline;
• Utilizing the Federally -approved Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
(CPTED) trainer Bruce Ramm to train Police Officers to evaluate the landscaping and
design features that could contribute to school crime;
• Utilizing Cal State Los Angeles' Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs for
professional evaluation, which is a requirement of the. grant;
• Attending the mandatory COPS grantee conference in the year2000.
The Police. Department and the. School District are hoping that our experience on this
project will yield crime prevention information that will result in increased security at all
West Covina Unified School District schools, and will have a broad range of positive
benefits. .
DISCUSSION;
In order conduct the activities outlined above, the City Council must appropriate the grant
funds. The grant funds, however, are dispersed from the Federal government on a
periodic advance/reimbursable basis. The City's appropriations must reflect the total
grant award ($133,683), which will then be reimbursed by the Federal government over
the life of this 1-year grant. The City Council did this with our previous COPS School
Based Partnership grant (and others).
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The City of West Covina will receive $133,683 in Federal grant funds over the life of the.
grant. There is no local match requirement for these funds. The City of West Covina
will receive $133,683 in public safety services at no cost to city taxpayers.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Officially accept and approve the grant and the, grant -funded activities;
2. Approve the use of West Covina Unified School District personnel as limited -service
project staff.(only for the life of the grant), and the use of student stipends;
3. Authorize the appropriation of the grant award ($133,683 total) as follows:
• $54,353 into 196-304-2110-5113 (WCPD Overtime, committed to project)
• $48,750 into 196-304-2110-5112 (Teachers' time committed to,project)
• $2,571 into 134-304-2110-6050 (Travel/expenses to mandatory conference).
• $9,250 into 196-304-2110-6120 (CPTED Training, and Project Evaluation)
• $14,859 into 1,34-304-2110-7160 (Supplies, including computers)
• $3,900 into 134-304-2110-6270 (Student. Stipends and team -building)
Reviewed and Approved by:
Margie F. Tucker, Finance Director Carol A. F x, Personnel Director