HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2b - Fund for Front Line Police Services
DATE: July 18, 2017
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Robert Guthrie, Chief of Police
By: Jennifer Brutus, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7174 AUTHORIZING THE ARCADIA POLICE
DEPARTMENT TO USE FUNDS ALLOCATED FROM THE CITIZENS’
OPTION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY-SUPPLEMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
SERVICES FUND (“COPS-SLESF”) FOR THE PURPOSE OF FRONT
LINE POLICE SERVICES
Recommendation: Adopt
SUMMARY
The Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (“COPS”) program provides funds to purchase
equipment and/or for services otherwise unavailable to local police agencies. Resolution
No. 7174 authorizes the expenditure of these funds for specific law enforcement
purposes.
BACKGROUND
Each year the State Legislature considers supplemental funding for local police
departments under the COPS program. The annual decision to fund the COPS program
is based upon budget priorities and available funds. The program has been funded for
the past 20 years and the City is still receiving funding on a year-to-year basis. The
intent of the COPS program is to enable local police agencies to enhance public safety
by purchasing equipment and/or services otherwise unavailable to them through their
respective budgets.
The COPS program distributes State funds to local cities on a per capita basis.
Recipient cities are required to deposit the State funds in a local Supplemental Law
Enforcement Services Fund (“SLESF”) to be expended only for equipment and services
requested by the Chief of Police and approved by the City Council.
Resolution No. 7141 regarding COPS-SLESF Funds
July 18, 2017
Page 2 of 3
Every year, the City Council reviews and approves the COPS-SLESF expenditures
based on recommendations submitted by the Chief of Police. The State has placed the
following limitations on the funds:
1. They must be used for front line police services in accordance with
a plan submitted by the Chief of Police;
2. Their use must not supplant what has been or should be general
fund expenditures, and;
3. The spending plan must be submitted to the State for audit
purposes.
DISCUSSION
With City Council approval in 1997, the Police Department created a Crime Analysis
Unit (“CAU”) with COPS-SLESF funds. Since that time, the Crime Analyst –
Investigative Support Specialist position has proven itself to be highly effective in
evaluating crime patterns and trends, as well as tracking criminal activities of known
offenders and recidivists.
The minimum allocation for each city is $100,000, and the Police Department proposes
to continue funding the Crime Analyst – Investigate Support Specialist position’s salary
and other CAU services from the COPS-SLESF fund.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed COPS-SLESF expenditures have been included in the adopted FY 2017-
18 Budget, under the COPS-SLESF account. A total of $100,000 of these expenditures
will be offset by COPS-SLESF revenue deposits. There is no action required by the City
to receive the funds as they are received in conjunction with the City’s annual property
tax payments via electronic transfer from the State.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7174 authorizing the
Arcadia Police Department to use funds allocated from the Citizens’ Option for Public
Safety-Supplemental Law Enforcement Fund (“COPS-SLESF”) for the purpose of front
line police services.
Resolution No. 7141 regarding COPS-SLESF Funds
July 18, 2017
Page 3 of 3
Attachment: Resolution No. 7174