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Report regarding a resolution accepting $90,000 from the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety for the “Selective Traffic Enforcement Program” to be used for personnel overtime, training and equipment expenses and amend the Police Department’s Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20 by approving Budget Amendment 20.015. (Jeff Azzopardi, Police Chief)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution accepting $90,000 from the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for the “Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP)” to be used for personnel overtime, training and equipment expenses and amend the Police Department’s operating budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
In January 2019, the Police Department submitted a grant application to the State of California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for funding of personnel overtime, equipment, and training expenses for the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP). The grant is administered by OTS with funding provided by the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA). This program will supplement normal police staffing for traffic safety and enforcement efforts.
The goal of the grant is to reduce the number of persons killed / injured in traffic collisions through the use of the specific overtime-funded traffic enforcement directed at the following unsafe driving behaviors: driving under the influence (DUI), speeding, red light running, traffic violations in and around high-collision-rate intersections, traffic violations related to motorcycle safety, seat belt violations, child-seat restraint violations, distracted driving, and repeat DUI offenders with suspended licenses.
The grant application was reviewed and approved by OTS in August 2019 and the Police Department was awarded a grant for $90,000. The operating period on the grant is from October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020. This is the Police Department’s twelfth year partnering with OTS to address traffic safety issues via grant funding. During this eleven-year period, the Police Department has received over $1.43 million in grant funding through OTS.
For this year’s OTS grant, $69,200 of the grant is to pay for overtime salaries for Police Officers to conduct specialized traffic safety enforcement throughout the City for the following operations:
• $36,000 for 10 DUI saturation patrols
• $11,000 for 1 DUI and driver’s license checkpoint
• $11,600 for 4 Traffic safety enforcement operations (speeding, red lights, etc.)
• $5,400 for 2 Distracted driver saturation patrol
• $5,200 for 2 Bicycle / pedestrian safety enforcement operation
For this year’s OTS grant, $ 20,800 of the grant is to pay for the following equipment:
• $17,800 for 1 Changeable message sign trailer with radar
• $2,500 for DUI checkpoint supplies
• $500 for educational materials to be used at DUI checkpoints
FISCAL IMPACT
Budget Amendment 20.015 accepts $90,000 in grant funding for the purpose of personnel overtime, training and equipment expenses. The funding source is the State of California Office of Traffic Safety.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
Acceptance of this grant meets Strategic Goals #2 and #3 by rendering skilled police, fire, and emergency services management and providing a high quality of life for residents.
CONCLUSION
Adoption of this resolution will allow the City to accept $90,000 from the State of California Office of Traffic Safety “Selective Traffic Enforcement Program” and amend the Police Department’s operating budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20 by approving the Budget Amendment 20.015.