01-15-2019 - AGENDA ITEM 09 AGREEMENT WITH WEST COVINA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AND CROSSING GUARD SERVICESAGENDA ITEM NO.9
AGENDA STAFF REPORT
City of West Covina I Office of the City Manager
DATE: January 15, 2019
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Chris Freeland
City Manager
SUBJECT: AGREEMENT WITH WEST COVINA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICERS AND CROSSING GUARD SERVICES
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council approve the cost sharing three-year agreement with West Covina
Unified School District for School Resource Officers and Crossing Guard services.
DISCUSSION:
During the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-19 budget process, City staff explored many cost saving and cost sharing
opportunities. These included efforts to share the costs of School Resource Officers (SROs) and Crossing
Guard services with local school districts. Staff recently finalized a new three-year agreement with West
Covina Unified School District (WCUSD) to share costs for these items —see Attachment No. 1. Under this
agreement, WCUSD will continue to pay up to $200,000 for the two SROs assigned to West Covina High
School and Edgewood High School ($180,000 for salaries/benefits, and up to $20,000 per school year for any
necessary overtime), and will also now pay for half of the costs of providing Crossing Guard services at
WCUSD schools.
The City's crossing guard services vendor, All City Management Services, provides crossing guards at 20
locations citywide, 11 of which are at WCUSD schools. The FY 2018-19 cost for these crossing guard services
totals $204,356.25—WCUSD's portion of that is $112,395.94. WCUSD will pay the City half of that amount
$56,197.97 this school year.
Prepared by: Alex Houston, Police Admin. Services Manager
Additional Approval: Marc Taylor, Chief of Police
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Year: 2019
Budgeted Y/N: Y
FISCAL IMPACT:
Specific revenues for these items are included in the current City budget (Account No. 110.31.4575 for School
Resource Officers, and Account No. 110.31.4571 for crossing guards), and will continue to be incorporated
into future budgets. Crossing guard costs will increase in future years, due to upcoming minimum wage
increases mandated by the State of California. During the term of this agreement, WCUSD will continue to
pay for half of the costs of providing crossing guards at WCUSD schools, each school year.
Attachments
MOU WCUSD SRO Crossing Guards
CITY COUNCIL GOALS & OBJECTIVES:
ATTACHMENT NO. 1
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA AND
WEST COVINA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR A
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER AT WEST COVINA
AND EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOLS
This Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") entered into by the City of West Covina
("City") and West Covina Unified School District ("District") is for the purpose of providing two
(2) School Resource Officers ("SRO"); one assigned to West Covina High School ("WCHS") and
one assigned Edgewood High School ("EHS"), for a term of August 16, 2018 through June 30,
2021.
The City will provide two (2) sworn law enforcement officers (West Covina Police
Officers) to act as SROs. The officers will be selected by the Chief of Police and approved by the
District Superintendent or his designee. The SROs will remain employees of the City (West
Covina Police Department). During the school year, the District will fund $90,000.00 toward each
SRO's salary and benefits ($180,000.00 total), and an additional $10,000.00 each for any overtime
needed ($20,000.00 total). The City will fund the remaining salary, benefits, overtime costs, and
all equipment costs. The District will be billed quarterly for the two SROs for an amount not to
exceed $200,000.00 for each school year. During periods when schools are on break, the SROs
will be deployed back into police patrol operations for the City, and will be eligible to use leave
time. As sworn employees of the City, West Covina Police Department, the SROs are eligible to
take leave time throughout the year, pursuant to the City's leave policy. If one SRO is on leave,
the other SRO will be available to cover their counterpart's campus if necessary; these positions
will not be backfilled by other West Covina Police Officers.
The SROs will work on the two school campuses on a daily basis in order to reduce and
prevent criminal activity, counsel and advise school staff on important safety issues, help teach
students about safety, and provide students' counseling and mediation specific to issues involving
the law. The SROs will work four (4) days a week, ten (10) hours a day. One SRO will work
Monday through Thursday and the other will work Tuesday through Friday; on weekly off days
(Mondays for one and Fridays for the other), the working SRO will be on call to cover their
counterpart's campus if necessary. The SROs will coordinate activities with the Principals and
concerned staff members, and will seek permission, guidance, and advice prior to enacting any
program within the schools. The SROs will seek District and school input before any activity other
than individualized police action is enabled, such as the usage of police dogs and the
implementation of facility/property searches.
Provided one SRO is placed at each WCHS and EHS, WCUSD shall pay to the City fifty
percent (50%) ofthe City's costs for providing crossing guard services at WCUSD schools.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVE
• The goals of the School Resource Officer Program are to assist the District at WCHS and
EHS in providing a safe learning environment and to improve relationships between law
enforcement officers and today's students. The program should also attempt to promote a
better understanding of the law enforcement officer's role in society while educating
students, parents, and school personnel which will build a better community while also
providing a role model in the educational system.
• The first objective of the SROs is the protection of students and staff from negative
influences and to assist in the maintenance of safety in the school.
• The second objective is to act as an advisor to the school staff in safety matters, violence
reduction strategies, and legal aspects of the activity of students.
• The third objective is to facilitate learning in citizenship and related law education.
Specialized lecture will be prepared and presented on topics discussed by school staff.
Students will be provided with information about their rights and responsibilities in the
school and community.
• The fourth objective is to assist students through counseling and mediation in law related
problems and to assist them by mediating disputes. Attempts will be made to proactively
identify problems with students and guidance will be provided to them in addressing their
problems in a non-violent manner.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SRO
1. Act as an effective liaison between school and District personnel, the City (West
Covina Police Department), and elements of the juvenile justice system.
2. Maintain a highly visible presence in order to deter crime and allow easy availability
for students who wish to make contact.
3. Act as counselor and advisor to students in need of guidance.
4. Teach short courses for students in areas such as explanation of the law, police
procedures, drug abuse, and family violence.
5. Conduct workshops for teachers in areas such as gang awareness, drug usage, and
juvenile law.
6. Address school assemblies and be involved in programs of an educational nature.
7. Take action to apprehend persons responsible for any criminal activity on campus.
8. Assist in and attend meetings of the School Attendance Review Board (SARB).
9. Provide innovative programs to enhance support and cooperation with the school in a
mutual effort to create a better school environment.
10. The SROs will develop expertise in presenting various subjects such as understanding
laws, police officers, and the mission of the police.
11. The SROs will encourage individual and small group discussions about law
enforcement related matters with students, faculty and parents.
12. The SROs will, whenever possible, attend meetings of the school, parent and faculty
groups to solicit their support and understanding of the SRO program, and promote
awareness of law enforcement functions.
13. The SROs will, whenever possible, be available for conference with students, parents
and faculty members to assist them with problems of a law enforcement or crime
prevention nature.
14. The SROs will be familiar with the community agencies which offer assistance to
students and their families, such as mental health clinics, drug treatment centers, etc.
15. The SROs may act as an instructor for specialized short-term programs when invited
to do so by the superintendent or a person designated by him.
16. The SROs shall coordinate all his/her activities with the administrative staff and will
seek permission, advice, and guidance prior to enacting any program within the school.
17. The SROs will assist the superintendent/principal in developing plans and strategies to
prevent and/or minimize dangerous situations which may result from student unrest.
18. Should it become necessary to conduct formal police interviews with the students, the
SROs shall adhere to school board policy and legal requirements with regard to such
interviews.
19. The SROs shall take law enforcement action as required. As soon as practical, and
when legally permissible, the SRO shall make the superintendent/principal of the
school aware of such action. At the superintendent's/principal's request, the SROs may
take appropriate law enforcement action against intruders and unwanted visitors who
may appear at school related functions, to the extent the SROs may do so under the
authority of the law.
20. The SROs shall give assistance to other police officers in matters regarding his/her
school assignment whenever necessary.
21. The SROs shall maintain a detailed and accurate record of the operation of the School
Resource Officer Program.
22. The SROs will be expected to participate in school functions such as athletic events,
dances, PTA programs, and other school sponsored events when the staff and the SROs
agree their attendance is advantageous.
PROGRAM EVALUATION
The District and City shall annually and collaboratively evaluate the performance, success,
and effectiveness of the program. This evaluation may be utilized to determine further
continuation of the program.
If the City enters into a MOU or similar agreement during the term of this MOU with
another school district located within the City that contains provisions for payment to the City for
a greater or lesser net amount for the same or similar SRO services, the City and the District agree
to meet and confer in good faith to determine whether or not to amend this MOU to adjust
payment hereunder. Either the City or the District may initiate this meet and confer process and
shall do so by delivering written notification of such request to the other party's representative.
CONTINUATION
The DISTRICT and CITY may continue and renew this program by mutual written
agreement.
TERMINATION
The DISTRICT or CITY may terminate this AGREEMENT without cause anytime after
the Effective Date, by giving a forty-five (45) day written notice to the other party. In the event
of termination, DISTRICT shall compensate CITY for services performed to the date of
termination. CITY shall continue to provide services after notice to terminate and during the forty-
five (45) day notice period unless DISTRICT, in the notice, requests CITY not perform services.
The notice shall be deemed given when personally delivered to the DISTRICT or CITY
representative.
District's Obligations:
DISTRICT agrees to defend, indemnify and hold CITY, its elected and appointed officials,
officers, and employees harmless against and from any and all losses, claims, actions, damages,
expenses or liabilities, including reasonable attorney's fees, arising out of or in any way connected
with the District's negligent performance of this Agreement. DISTRICT assumes Workers'
Compensation liability for injury or death of its officers, agents, employees and volunteers, and
assumes no Workers' Compensation responsibility for the elected and appointed officials, officers,
and employees ofthe CITY.
City's Obligations:
CITY agrees to defend, indemnify and hold DISTRICT, its officers, agents, employees and
volunteers harmless against and from any and all losses, claims, actions, damages, expenses or
liabilities, including reasonable attorney's fees, arising out of or in any way connected with City's
negligent performance of this Agreement. CITY assumes Workers' Compensation liability for
injury or death of its elected and appointed officials, officers, and employees, and assumes no
Workers' Compensation responsibility for the officers, agents, employees and volunteers of the
DISTRICT.
ASSIGNMENT
This AGREEMENT may not be assigned or transferred by either Party without the express
written consent of the other Party.
NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY
This AGREEMENT, including, but not limited to the indemnification provisions, is for the
benefit of the Parties only and does not create, nor is it intended to create, any benefit or liability
to third parties.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, the Parties have caused this Memorandum of Understanding to
be executed:
City of West Covina:
0-01 z e -
Christopher Freeland, City Manager
�-7 //-10
Date
West Cjwina Unif ed School District:
C
Char es D. Hinman,M.D., Superintendent
Date
Marc Taylor, Chief of Policlic
Date