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Home My WebLink About4/1/2009 - STAFF REPORTS - 2.D. �pP LM 3p o Rey u+ c9` �`PR CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT DATE: APRIL 01, 2009 CONSENT CALENDAR SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO SUBMIT A GRANT APPLICATION UNDER THE 2009 COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING HIRING RECOVERY PROGRAM FROM: David H. Ready, City Manager BY: Palm Springs Police Department SUMMARY In March 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice began accepting grant applications for the Community Oriented Policing (COPS) Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP). Grant funds under this program will fund 100 percent of approved salaries and benefits for entry-level officers, for a period of 36 months. This funding offer is through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) of 2009, and is a one-time solicitation under the Recovery Act. RECOMMENDATION: 1. Authorize the Palm Springs Police Department to submit a 2009 CHRP grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice. 2. Authorize the City Manager to sign and execute any necessary documents. STAFF ANALYSIS: On Tuesday, February 17, 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Policing Services, announced the availability of funding under this COPS—CHRP Program. The recently approved American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated approximately $1 billion in grant funding to address the personnel needs for state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. As stated in the initial grant announcement, CHRP grants will fund up to 100 percent of entry-level salaries and benefits for a three year (36 months) period for newly hired, full-time, sworn officer positions. Law Enforcement agencies will have a maximum of three years to fill the awarded positions. An extension of time may be given on a case-by-case basis. COPS CHRP funds may be used in three different ways: ITEM NO. z City Council Staff Report April1, 2009--Page 2 (2009 COPS Grant Application) • To hire entry-level full-time sworn officers • To re-hire sworn officers who have already been laid off, and/or • To re-hire sworn officers who have already been scheduled to be laid off on a future date The grant requires a commitment from the City to keep the positions in place for an additional twelve months passed the initial three year period. Currently, the Palm Springs Police Department has 93 authorized sworn budgeted positions. Hiring five (5) additional grant funded entry-level full-time sworn officers will increase the Department's community oriented policing ability to continue our proactive crime-prevention and community outreach efforts, especially during the current economic circumstances. FISCAL IMPACT: CHIRP grant funds will pay 100% of the salary and benefits for the first grant year, no impact to the Fiscal Year 2009-10 budget. CHIRP grant funds will continue for two additional years. Subsequent years funding remain at the grant funded entry-level salary. The City will be responsible for additional funding for any approved and/or City Council authorized salary increases. Additionally, under the terms of the grant, the City must retain the full-time sworn officers for a minimum of one year after the grant period, the City will be responsible for 100% of the sworn officers' full-time salary and benefits for the fourth year. Authorization by City Council to submit this grant application does not mandate that the City actually accept funding for all of the funded positions should they be awarded. DAVID DOMINGUEZ, P LICE IEF DAVID H. READY, CIT�dAid�A ER Attachments: 1. CHPS letter from the Acting COPS Director � G el � I4. — U.5_Aepartinent of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services(COPS) Ofre oflke Direelor 1700 i/ennonl Avenue,N tilt Wo.ekunglon,DC 20536 February 17, 2009 Dear Colleague, The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is pleased to announce the availability of funding under the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP). The COPS Office will receive the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to address the personnel needs of state, local, and tribal law enforcement. Application materials are scheduled to be available before the end of March. CHRP is a competitive grant program that provides funding directly to law enforcement agencies having primary law enforcement authority to create and preserve jobs and to increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts. Up to S 1 billion in grant funding will be available for the hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers. There is no local match requirement for CHRP,but grant funding will be based on ciurent entry-level salary and benefits packages and therefore any additional costs for higher salaries or benefits for particular individuals hired will be the responsibility of the grantee agency. CHRP grants will provide 100 percent finding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for 3 years (36 months) for newly-hired, full-time sworn officer positions (including filling existing unfunded vacancies) or for rehired officers who have been laid off, or are scheduled to be laid off on a future date, as a result of local budget cuts. In addition, there is no cap on the number of positions an agency may request, but awards will be limited to available funding. Please be mindful of the initial 3-year grant period and your agency's ability to fill the officer positions awarded, while following your agency's established hiring policies and procedures. At the conclusion of federal funding, grantees must retain all sworn officer positions awarded under the CHRP grant. The retained CHRP-funded position(s) should be added to the grantee's law enforcement budget with state and/or local funds, over and above the number of locally-funded positions that would have existed in the absence of the grant. Applications for CHRP grants will be accepted only online through the COPS Office web site: www.cops.usdoj-uov. The online application materials are scheduled to be available before the end of March, but in the interim,the COPS Office wants to ensure that your agency has sufficient time to complete the following required steps before the solicitation opens: • Visit the"Account Access"portion of the COPS web site at www,cops.usdoj.-,ov to determine if your agency cuirently has an active online account and/or how to create one. f) • Once logged into "Account Access," your agency will able to add additional user accounts and also update your agency contact and address information. • Take this time to ensure that your agency's Law Enforcement and Government Executive information is emrcnt, and also make sure that contact information is current for individuals submitting the CHRP grant application. • If you do not remember your password or user name and need assistance with creating an account and/or system access, call 1.800.421.6770 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Easters Time, or e-mail egov.issuesausdoj,£ov. • A Data Universal Numbering System(DUNS) number is required to submit applications for COPS funding. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of entities receiving federal funds. Visit wwwAnb.com/us to obtain or verify your number. • Additionally, all applicants are required to maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration(CCR) database. The CCR database is the repository for standard information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, and sub-recipients. For more information about how to register with the CCR, visit www.ccr.gov. Please note that applicants must update or renew their CCR at least once per year to maintain an active status. The COPS Office looks forward to working with the law enforcement agencies that apply under this program and will provide technical assistance to applicants during the solicitation process, as requested. For more information, call the COPS Office Response Center at 1.800.421.6770. Smeerely, r / Timothy .I. Quinn Acting Director � 5`