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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/18/2021 Staff: Committee Members: Christian Clegg, City Manager Councilmember, Eric Arias - Chair Councilmember, Andrae Gonzales Councilmember, Chris Parlier SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE of the City Council - City of Bakersfield Thursday, November 18, 2021 12:00 p.m. City Hall North – Conference Room A 1600 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield, CA 93301 A G E N D A 1. ROLL CALL 2. PUBLIC STATEMENTS 3. ADOPTION OF AUGUST 24, 2021 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Public Safety Update B. CalVIP Update– Clegg/Chief Terry C. Differential Response Update – Clegg/Chief Terry 5. COMMITTEE COMMENTS 6. ADJOURNMENT Committee Members Staff: Christian Clegg Councilmember, Eric Arias Chair City Manager Councilmember, Andrae Gonzales Councilmember, Chris Parlier SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE Tuesday, August 24, 2021 12:00 p.m. City Hall North – Conference Room A 1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT The meeting was convened at 12:03 p.m. 1. ROLL CALL Committee members: Councilmember, Eric Arias, Chair Councilmember, Andrae Gonzales Councilmember, Chris Parlier, participated via telephone City staff: Christian Clegg, City Manager Chris Huot, Assistant City Manager Kevin Truelson, Anthony Valdez, and Brianna Carrier, Assistants to the City Manager Joe Conroy, Public Information Officer Nathan Gutierrez and Michelle Cruz, Management Assistants Ashley Zambrano, Deputy City Attorney Brent Stratton, Assistant Police Chief Bobby Woolard, Damon Youngblood, and Theodore King Police Lieutenants Paul Bender, Police Sergeant Additional Attendees: Members of the Public and Media 2. PUBLIC STATEMENTS There were no public comments. 3. ADOPTION OF APRIL 14, 2021 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT The Report was adopted as submitted. /S/ Christian Clegg DRAFT S:\Council Committees\2021\Safe Neighborhoods\08_August\August 24 ASR.docx Page 2 cc:mc 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Public Safety Update – Terry City Manager Clegg stated Chief of Police Terry was participating in a Community Policing in Southern California Roundtable; therefore, Assistant Chief of Police Stratton provided a summary of crime statistics for the first seven months of 2021 including ongoing efforts to address crimes by way of PowerPoint presentation. Key points are:  Year-to-date, crimes have increased in 2021 compared to 2020. Overall, property crimes were lower in 2021 than in 2020.  Year-to-date, auto thefts, homicides and aggravated assaults increased in 2021, as did larceny theft.  The City launched the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Program. CalVIP aims to reduce gang and gun violence while minimizing incarceration and promoting opportunities for young people at the highest risk of violence while strengthening community-police relations. Ongoing community engagement with community-based organizations and coordinated efforts Committee member Gonzales inquired about the current surge in crimes and what is being done to prevent violent crimes in the highest propensity areas in the city including community building efforts, redevelopment and revitalization efforts, economic development, etc. Assistant Chief Stratton responded that the recent surge was due to gang related violence. City Manager Clegg stated a combination of direct intervention with high propensity individuals, prevention to reduce violent crimes, and community transformation are all components to improve and reduce the crimes within the city. Ongoing efforts to synergize the collective contribution and efforts of local partners to improve neighborhoods continues. Committee member Parlier thanked the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) for all their hard work and efforts as they continue to be impacted by several state initiatives. He also complimented Committee member Gonzales on his creativity to find alternative solutions and programs to improve and aide communities in higher need. Committee Chair Arias inquired about how BPD is responding to the increase in crime and what impact, if any, it is having on public safety. Assistant Police Chief Stratton stated that the increase in crime corresponds with the growth of the City. The hiring of additional officers has contributed to reducing crimes while increasing their response to calls for service (patrol, homicide, gang violence, etc.) and work on preventive measures. BPD continues to collaborate with local partners and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to increase prevention and intervention measures. Committee Chair Arias inquired about the status of CalVIP program. City Manager Clegg responded that CalVIP had launched earlier in the year. BPD has improved their data informed approach to enforcement, training of CBOs, site visits of other organizations who have implemented a CalVIP program, and ongoing coordination meetings with the CBOs to strategize intervention and deterrence strategies to reduce violence. Assistant Police Chief Stratton added that several units of BPD continue to collaborate and work in unison. This allows for targeted strategic approaches to prevent and reduce crime. The coordination meetings with the CBOs have contributed to these efforts as well. Committee Chair Arias commended BPD for their contributions and dedication to the community. DRAFT S:\Council Committees\2021\Safe Neighborhoods\08_August\August 24 ASR.docx Page 3 cc:mc B. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program – Terry Assistant Chief of Police Stratton introduced Police Lieutenant Youngblood and Sergeant Bender who provided a summary of the UAS program by way of PowerPoint presentation. Key points are:  A 14-member Team comprised of 10 sworn officers, a dispatcher, two sergeants and one lieutenant, was formed in 2019.  Development and implementation based on consultations with numerous other law enforcements agencies including Ventura and Tulare County Sheriff’s Offices, Sacramento, Atlanta (GA), Costa Mesa, Chula Vista Police Departments, and the Bakersfield Fire Department.  Airspace restrictions vary by jurisdictions which impacts UAS missions. Department granted a blanket certificate of authorization by the Federal Aviation Administration.  Requires formal and ongoing flight and safety training for pilots.  Current uses include vehicle accident investigations, missing persons investigations SWAT/BOB Squad incidents, fires, and search and rescue operations.  Four current aircrafts in use: DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise, DJI Phantom 4, Autel EVO, and DJI Mavic Mini 2  Privacy concerns and considerations incorporated into UAS policy and manual. Random surveillance activities are not conducted. Committee Parlier stated UAS technology has improved in recent years and would like to see how BPD can use it as a force multiplier. He requested staff review possible funding opportunities to fund implementation of a program that would include the most advance equipment available as well as designated staffing assigned to operate UAS. 5. COMMITTEE COMMENTS Committee Chair Arias suggested staff communicate details of the transformative programs and initiatives discussed during the meeting that are being implemented with the community, so they remain informed of the efforts and response to the increase of crimes and violence. 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 12:50 p.m. DRAFT BAKERSFIELD POLICE MEMORANDUM TO: Safe Neighborhoods Committee Councilmember Chris Parlier Councilmember Andrae Gonzales Councilmember Eric Arias FROM: Greg Terry, Chief of Police DATE: November 18, 2021 SUBJECT: CalVIP and Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Partnership Update This report will provide details on Part 1 crime statistics through October 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020. Information will also be provided on efforts the Police Department is making to address violent crime through the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) program as well as an update on our Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services partnerships. 2021 Part 1 Crime Statistics – Year to Date OFFENSE 2021 YTD 2020 YTD HOMICIDE 54 38 RAPE 113 86 ROBBERY 511 505 AGG. ASSAULT 1,050 1,021 BURGLARY 2,125 2,627 LARCENY / THEFT 7,736 7,104 AUTO THEFT 3,965 3,038 PART 1 TOTALS 15,554 14,419 California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) program Gun violence is a serious, long-term problem in Bakersfield. The high rate of gun violence continues to have a negative impact on our community’s health and wellbeing. In September 2020, the City of Bakersfield was awarded a multi-year $1,500,000 California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) grant. The programs purpose is to reduce gun and gang violence across our city, minimize incarceration, promote opportunities for youth and strengthen community-police relations. Our efforts have focused on building on the existing initiatives supported by the Bakersfield Safe Streets Partnership (BSSP). Key elements of this program include a weekly analysis of recent gun violence to identify trends and individuals at highest risk of violence. Through the community partners, a plan is developed to communicate an anti-violence message quickly, directly, and respectfully to those individuals to disrupt cycles of violence. Community partners work to establish supportive relationships that can lead to safety and opportunity for those individuals. These priorities enable enforcement efforts to narrowly focus on those individuals who choose, and are persistent in their choices, to engage in violence. After a period of orientation and training, the coordinated Police Department and Community Based Organization partners are now actively working to implement the strategy. A more detailed overview of these efforts will be provided during a presentation at the meeting on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Partnership Communications Center Pilot Project The Bakersfield Police Department and Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (Kern BHRS) have partnered to pilot the efficacy of placing a behavioral health clinician within our Communications Center alongside dispatchers to triage behavioral health calls. The purpose of placing a clinician alongside dispatchers is for dispatchers to have the option of transferring behavioral health related calls not requiring an emergency response, to the clinician for triage. In turn, this will decrease the amount of time dispatchers spend on the phone with non- emergency calls that are related to behavioral health. Additionally, it will decrease law enforcement contact with subjects in crisis who are better served by behavioral health staff intervention, thus reducing response times to other priority calls. Examples of calls that qualify for transfer include, but are not limited to: • Suicidal ideations with no means and no plan (suicidal subjects who are armed, or have a mean, or have a plan will be handled by the dispatcher/call taker) • High utilizers (repeat callers) in an obvious non-emergent mental crisis • Requests for transportation to Mary Kay Shell • Reporting party’s requesting a welfare check on someone they believe is in a non-emergent mental crisis. Since the start of the project in August 2021, the clinician has either handled or referred more than 50% of the behavioral health related calls received per month to resources other than police officers. A more detailed overview of the project will be provided during a presentation at the meeting on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Homeless Co-Response Team Pilot Project We are seeking to mutually collaborate with Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (KBHRS) to reduce the number of individuals experiencing homelessness on city streets and who cause nuisance or unsafe behaviors for the community by providing a multidisciplinary/multi-agency approach that safely and appropriately responds to the mental and behavioral health needs of those individuals. We plan to launch a short-term pilot program whereby assigned KBHRS staff and officers will jointly respond to calls for service involving homeless individuals in need of mental and/or behavioral health treatment and resources, and collaboratively track data and outcomes, develop policies and procedures as needed, and engage with community agencies working to address various needs related to homeless individuals. We are in the development phase of this pilot project and anticipate that it will be implemented in January 2022.