HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 080-15RESOLUTION NO. _ , 0 — 1. 5
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE BAKERSFIELD
POLICE DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR GRANT
FUNDING FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE
GRANT PROGRAM.
WHEREAS, the United States Congress has authorized the Edward Byrne Memorial
Justice Assistance Grant per statute: "Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of
1968, as amended, Title I; 42 U.S.C. 3751 (a); Crime Control Act of 1990, Public Law 101-
647"; and
WHEREAS, the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice
administers the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to provide
funds to units of local government to underwrite projects to reduce crime and improve
public safety; and
WHEREAS, the City of Bakersfield is eligible to receive $139,253 from the 2015
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program; and
WHEREAS, the Bakersfield Police Department will apply to the Department of
Justice for the use of grant funds to supplement its budget to improve public safety and
reduce gang influence by expanding the City's existing public safety camera system to
include an area with a long history of gang and gun violence (near the 600 block of
MLK Boulevard); purchasing a vehicle -based license plate reader for use in those areas;
and, increasing the presence of police officers through overtime deployment, as
described in Exhibit "A" attached herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Council of the City of Bakersfield as follows:
The above recitals are true and correct and incorporated herein by reference.
2. The Council of the City of Bakersfield authorizes the City Manager, or his /her
designee, to apply for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant.
3. The Police Department is hereby authorized and empowered to execute in the
name of the City of Bakersfield, all necessary, contracts, payment requests, agreements
and amendments thereto for the purpose of securing grant funds, implementing and
carrying out the purposes specified in the grant application, and drawing down grant
funds as necessary.
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HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by the
Council of the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held on II IN 2 4 2015
by the following vote:
COUNCILMEMBER: RIVERA, MAXWELL, WEIR, SMITH, SULLIVAN, PARLIER
NOES: COUNCILMEMBER: Nbi\
ABS COUNCILMEMBER: n�DM
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By
HARVEY L. HALL
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
VIRGINIA GENNARO, City Attorney
By � �'Z� —
Richard Iger
Associate City Attorney
CITY CLERK and Ex io Clerk of the
Council of the City o akersfield
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Exhibit "A"
2015 JAG /BYRNE GRANT PROPOSAL
The BPD requests $139,253 in JAG -Byrne grant funds to improve public safety and
reduce gang influence by expanding the City's existing public safety camera system to
include an area with a long history of gang and gun violence (near the 600 block of
MLK Boulevard); purchasing a vehicle -based license plate reader for use in those areas;
and, increasing the presence of police officers through overtime deployment.
The expected outcomes of this proposal are a reduction of violent crime in places
where it is highly concentrated, improved police- community relations through
community policing, and a reduction in criminal street gang presence and activity.
This proposal supports the ongoing community policing efforts consistent with the
Cease -Fire model utilized with the Bakersfield Safe Streets Partnership and the
recommendations received from the International Association of Chief's of Police
(IACP).
Background
The City of Bakersfield is over 143 square miles, but the city's gun violence is highly
concentrated. The area from H Street east to Washington Street and California Avenue
south to Brundage Lane is only 3.7 square miles, or 2.6% of the city's land area. In the
last three years, 24% of the city's shootings occurred in this area. Criminal street gangs
are clearly part of the problem; over one -third (37 %) of the city's gang- related
shootings occur here.
The 600 block of MLK Boulevard is an open air drug market for local offenders,
especially neighborhood street gangs. Gang members sell drugs and commit violence,
and rival gangs go to the area to shoot at the dominant gang.
Ongoing Efforts
The City's existing public safety camera system consists of pole- mounted cameras in the
downtown area and on Union Avenue.
The BPD is working to address the long- standing culture of gang violence through
participation in the Bakersfield Safe Streets Partnership, a community -based effort to
reduce gang violence. The BPD has also deployed its Special Enforcement Unit (SEU)
officers with heavy coverage in areas known for criminal gangs. With an emphasis on
community connection and service rather than arrests and suppression, SEU officers
have seen a dramatic reduction in gang presence and received highly positive
feedback from the community. This effort is productive, but it is manpower- intensive.
The officers' efforts can be enhanced by the use of grant funds to help address the
entrenched gang culture, street violence, and open air drug sales.
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Recommended Use of Grant Funds
1. Expand the city's public safety camera system, $75,000: The current system does
not cover the area around the 600 block of MLK Boulevard, and expanding
coverage to this area will require additions to the network. Public safety
cameras will reduce gun violence and gang presence, increase prosecution for
the violent acts that do occur, and improve police- community relations as the
cameras act as a neutral witness to police interactions.
The system expansion, to run additional cameras in the target location, is
estimated to cost $60,000 and the cameras are estimated at $15,000. If, the
procurement process results in reduced costs for these items, then the remaining
funds will be used to install additional cameras at locations selected based on
repeat violent offenses and the use of these intersections as paths of travel to or
escape from the crime.
2. Purchase of a vehicle- mounted license plate reader (LPR), $18,000: A vehicle -
mounted license plate reader is a camera /scanner that automatically checks
and stores the license plates of vehicles as the patrol car passes. This will greatly
improve the efficiency of the officers' patrol efforts by immediately and
automatically running the license plates of thousands of cars daily, as officers
patrol the target area.
3. Overtime funding, $46,253: Police officers who engage in community policing
often hear the same thing from community and gang members alike: "You
won't be here long." Building trust in the community and changing the culture of
entire neighborhoods requires long -term commitment and presence. This funding
will be used to support community outreach efforts and ensure the long -term
presence of officers to fulfill their promise to the areas of our community most in
need.
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