02-01-2000 - Recommendations from the Advisory Board Concerning the 1998/2000 BJA Local Law Enforcement Block GrantCity of Vest Covina
� Alemorandum
AGENDA
TO: City Manager and City Council
ITEM No. G-1
FROM: Frank J. Wills, Chief of Police DATE February 1, 2000
® PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD
CONCERNING THE 1998-2000 BJA LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
BLOCK GRANT
SUMMARY: The Advisory Board recommends using the FY 1999-2000 BJA Local Law
Enforcement Block Grant to fund two additional Police Motorcycle Officers.
This grant does not require that we make an up=front commitment to retain these
positions after the grant period, but instead will allow us to determine if they pay
for themselves. If the City Council approves using this grant in this manner, then
the grant and the required local cash match must be appropriated.
BACKGROUND:
The Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) administers the Local Law. Enforcement Block
Grant program. The purpose -of the Block Grant Program is to provide local government with
funds to underwrite projects to reduce crime and increase public safety. The funds must be used
to supplement the existing budget.
The Police Department has already been approved for this grant. This is the third BJA grant
received by the Department. The first BJA grant was used to fund after -school programs at five
local middle schools. The second grant was used to .fund Police overtime for vehicle abatement,
school traffic enforcement, enhanced police -community communication, video equipment, and
the purehase of portable radios.
The Police Department convened an Advisory Board to make a non -binding recommendation for
the use of this third BJA grant to the City Council. The formation of this Advisory Board is
required under BJA rules. The Advisory Board- consisted of West Covina Schools
Superintendent Dr. Steve Fish, representatives from the Los Angeles County District'Attorney's
Office, Citrus Municipal Court, and a local non-profit organization. This board composition
meets the specific requirements set down by the BJA.
DISCUSSION:
In formulating its spending recommendations for this grant, the Advisory Board's priorities
included the following:
Increasing safety around schools;
Increasing overall police presence, especially traffic safety;
• Funding a public safety strategy that had strong potential to be funded after the grant money
was spent;
• Was consistent with the needs of residents.
With these priorities in mind, the Advisory Board recommends funding two new Police
Motorcycle Officers. These Motorcycle Officers will be assigned to enforce school traffic at
peak hours. Traffic safety problems adjacent to our public schools are a concern to the Police
Department and residents. This proposal will enable us to increase safety and provide better
service to residents and school officials requesting assistance with school -related traffic
problems.
The Police Department receives a large number of citizen. requests for increased traffic
enforcement in various neighborhoods.. The addition of two traffic officers will enable the
Department to become more responsive in addressing these concerns.
Motorcycle Officers are assigned primarily to traffic enforcement. However, they also are
available to respond to emergency calls. Of the ten cities in Los Angeles County with
populations between 100,000 and 450,000, West. Covina has the fewest number of officers per
capita. . The addition of two traffic officers will enhance our ability to respond to emergencies"'
and help maintain our fast response times.
Increased traffic enforcement also helps reduce crime rates. While criminology research has
long shown a correlation between assertive traffic enforcement and crime reduction, recent
research conducted by Northwestern University clearly points to a causal relationship. In some
of the most scientifically .rigorous studies in this field, it has been shown that traffic law
enforcement reduces crime and is especially effective in preventing gun crimes, auto theft, and
burglary. During calendar year 1999, nearly 5% of West Covina traffic stops for Vehicle Code
violations resulted in a criminal arrest. Using BJA grant funds for traffic enforcement results in
both improved traffic safety and more effective crime control.
Providing permanent funding for these Motorcycle Officer positions was important to the
Advisory Board as well. There is a good possibility that the revenue generated by traffic
citations will offset the costs.
As part of the FY 1999-2000 City budget, the City Council approved the creation of an
additional Police Motorcycle Officer. This approval was, in part, predicated on the fact that this
position would probably pay for itself in increased Traffic Safety Fund revenue. To date, the
position has paid for itself.
Attachment 1 shows that Traffic Safety Fund Revenue for the six months following the hiring of
an additional' Motorcycle Officer has increased by $83,232 over the same six-month period in
1998. The salary and benefits for a Police Officer for six months at top step (including the
maximum allowable educational incentives) is $40,652.
A more accurate methodology to measure cost effectiveness is to look at the average revenue
generated by a traffic citation. Attachment 1 shows that the average revenue per traffic citation
in 1999 was $61.38. The additional officer assigned to motorcycle duty since July of 1999 has
written 1,034 traffic citations, thus:
1,034 [citations] x $61.38 [average revenue] _ $63,466.92
The officer has more than paid his salary, benefits, and equipment costs. The revenue
generated by this added position is actually underreported because it does not include the modest
revenue obtained through parking citations and equipment citations [this revenue is difficult to
track on a per officer basis].
It is important to point out that revenue in the Traffic Safety Fund is not used to fund any Police
Department personnel, equipment, or program. The Police Department would be strongly
opposed to any change in this practice. More importantly, and contrary to the. perception of
many citizens, it is a crime in the State of California to set traffic citation quotas. While traffic
citation revenue can often exceed enforcement expenses, it is considered highly unethical to use
traffic enforcement primarily as a tool to generate revenue. Traffic enforcement strategy,
especially deciding what. types of violations to enforce, cannot be based on revenue
considerations.
The Police Department is simply pointing out that traffic enforcement personnel engaged .in the
routine duties -of the assignment, without any consideration for citation revenue, will frequently
generate revenue sufficient to offset the costs of the position.
There is no 9JA Grant requirement that we retain the positions permanently after the grant
period. No up -front commitment by the City. of West Covina is necessary. The feasibility of
retaining these positions can be examined at a later date.. The Chief of Police will present the
City Manager with information concerning the income generated by the two traffic enforcement
positions when the grant funding period ends in September, 2000.
CONCLUSION:
Each BJA grant -funded program is legislatively required to show an impact on the incidence of
crime in its geographic area. Spending block grant funds to increase Police. Department staffing
clearly meets BJA requirements.
4
ATTACHMENT 1
TRAFFIC SAFETY FUND REVENUE:
COMPARISON OF TRAFFIC SAFETY FUND REVENUE
(includes revenue from parking and other non -hazardous citations)
1998 1999 (+) OR (-)
before adding officer with additional traffic officer Traffic Fund Revenue
July $ 49,542 $ 66,665 - + $17,123
August 58,108 74,532 + 16,424
September 56,951 '. 95,480. + 38,529
October 63,904 77,682 + 13,778
November - 93,267 101,797 + 8,530
December, 94,402 83,250 - 11,152..
TOTALS: $416,174 $499,406 + $83,232
AVERAGE REVENUE PER CITATION WRITTEN:
(Note: Average Revenue per citation issued changes from month to month. A key reason is that the fines
for various moving violations differs greatly. For example, turning or lane change violations carry a
typical fine of $103, while red light or speed violations carry a fine of $270. The Department will focus
on different types of violations depending on citizen complaints or traffic collision data — we never,
consider potential revenue when determining what types of violations to enforce. Other factors
influencing average revenue: (])some citations go to warrant and are never paid— the averages vary
from month to month, (2) officers might focus on equipment or license and registration violations for a
period of time — these violations carry very small fines, and (3) officers might lose traffic cases in court to
varying degrees, especially if a judge identifies traffic engineering problems which results in a large
number of citations being dismissed.
MONTH AVE. REVENUE PER CITATION
January-99 $ 46.76 "Revenue data based on assumption that
Feburary-99 58.95 most revenue is not received for a month
March-99 89.00 after the citation is issued. For example,
April-99 68.37 January 1999 revenue is based on the
May-99 61.69 number of citations written in Dec. 1999.
June-99 67.93
July-99 57.29
August-99 58.06
September-99 62.74
October-99 48.19
November-99 70.33
December-99 . 4 7.21
-AVERAGE $ 61.38
Using this grant to fund two new Police Motorcycle Officers and their motorcycles will:
• Increase public safety by increasing police presence and traffic enforcement;
• Improve police response times to emergency calls;
• Increase traffic -safety, especially around West Covina schools;
•. . Be cost neutral during the life of the grant. We will have the opportunity at the conclusion of
the grant to examine the financial evidence and decide then about future retention.
The total annual cost of two Police Motorcycle Officers (including salaries, benefits, and
uniform costs) and two motorcycles comes to about $185,000. This BJA grant totals $182,868,
including the required 9/10 local match ($164,581 in federal grant funds, plus $18,287 in local
match funds).
We expect. that there will be a surplus of funds because the grant period will last only 8 months
instead of a full year. We will use this surplus to pay for overtime to be used for traffic
enforcement or to purchase traffic enforcement equipment.
FISCAL IMPACT:
To expend the $164,581 in federal funds, the Council must approve a. transfer from the General
Fund (110-322) of $18,287 into the BJA Grant Fund (136-312) as the mandatory cash match.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the City Council take' the following actions:
1. Authorize an increase of full-time Police Officers by two, starting February 2000 through
September 30, 2000.
2. Authorize and approve the transfer of $18,287 from the General Fund (110-322) as the
required local match for the FY 1997-99 BJA LLEBG Grant into the BJA Grant Fund (136-
312).
3. Appropriate expenditures under the FY 1998-99 BJA LLEBG Grant (a total of $182,868,
including the $18,287 local match) as follows:
• $111,350 into 136-304-2110-5XXX (Salary, overtime and benefits for the remainder
of 1999-2000 fiscal year)
• $21,518 into 136-304-2110-7160 (2 Motorcycles and new radio equipment)
4. Direct Staff to place the remainder of the grant ($50,000) funding in the proposed 2000-2001
budget.
5. Authorize the purchase of two Kawasaki Police motorcycles from Pomona Valley Kawasaki
for $8,250 each, based on the City Council's previous finding that the City of Alhambra's
Bid #N99-24 satisfies West Covina's formal bid requirements (as authorized in Council
Agenda Item B-6-f of October 19, 1999).
6. Authorize the future appropriation of the Federal portion of interest earned under this grant
in Fund 136, which, according to the grant rules, must be spent by September 30, 2000, or be
returned to the federal government.
Frank T. Wills, C ief of Police
Reviewed and approved by:
Margie F.. Tu er, Finance Director
Attachment 1: Traffic Safety Fund Revenue/Average Revenue Per Citation Written