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C.40

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Warren Rupf, Sheriff-Coroner
Date:	April 21, 2009

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Apply for and Accept Grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services' (COPS) Hiring Recovery Program

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 04/21/2009

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Susan A. Bonilla, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Eileen Devlin, (925) 335-1557

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: April 21, 2009
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Sheriff-Coroner, or designee, to apply for and accept a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) for an amount not to exceed $21,770,355 reflecting the potential hiring of 56 Deputy Sheriff positions, including those scheduled for layoff, and 2 Deputy Sheriff positions as requested by the City of Oakley police services contract for the period of October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2012.

FISCAL IMPACT:

During the three year grant period $4,106,424 would be required as an informal "match" as the grant does not fully reimburse the County for retirement benefits. If fully funded the grant will allocate $21,770,355 over the three year performance period. The County will be responsible for maintaining grant positions for a one year period at the conclusion of the grant period. Such costs will be borne by the Sheriff's operational budget (CFDA 16.710)

BACKGROUND:

The COPS Office was established as a result of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to assist law enforcement agencies in enhancing public safety through the implementation of community policing strategies in jurisdictions of all sizes across the country. Community policing focuses on protective collaborative efforts to prevent and respond to crime, social disorder, and fear of crime. The Office of the Sheriff successfully utilized COPS grant money in the late 1990's to hire deputy sheriffs to support our community policing mission. In 2007 and 2008, the Office of the Sheriff was awarded two COPS grants totaling 2.8m for enhancement of technical databases and public safety communication systems.

The COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) is a competitive grant program designed to address the full-time sworn officer needs of law enforcement agencies. CHRP provides funding directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new and/or rehire career law enforcement officers in an effort to create and preserve jobs, and to increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts. Up to $1 billion in grant funding was appropriated for this initiative through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

If awarded, CHRP grants will provide 100 percent funding for Contra Costa County entry-level salaries and limited fringe benefits of full-time officers for 36 months of grant funding. There is no local match requirement for CHRP; however, the County would be responsible for additional costs for higher than entry-level salaries and any fringe benefits that exceeded grant limitations. At the conclusion of federal funding, the County must retain all sworn officer positions awarded under the CHRP grant for a minimum of 12 months following the 36-month grant period. The County Administrator has informed the Sheriff-Coroner that any match associated with this grant must come from the Office of the Sheriff operational budget.

The Office of the Sheriff intends to request funding for 58 deputies under the CHRP grant. This amount reflects 56 for the Office of the Sheriff to hire deputies lost due to lack of funding, including those scheduled for lay-off in April and May 2009, and to hire two (2) new deputies for the City of Oakley. The two (2) deputy positions for the City of Oakley will be 100% off-set by revenue from the City of Oakley and the COPS grant.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Negative action on this request will result in significant reduction in the number of law enforcement officers able to patrol the unincorporated areas of the county resulting in longer response times and reduction in public safety service; inability to investigate certain categories of crimes.