Loading...
CC SR 20160119 03 - Draft Public Safety Strategic PlanCITY OF MEMORANDUM RANCHO PALOS VERDES TO: HONORABLE MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM: DOUG WILLMORE, CITY MANAGER DATE: JANUARY 19, 2016 SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF DRAFT PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGIC PLAN Project Manager: Gabriella Yap, Deputy City Manager Captain Blaine Bolin, Los Angeles Coun heriff's Department RECOMMENDATION Staff and the Sheriff's Department recommend Council approve this draft Public Safety Strategic Plan and direct Staff to reevaluate as more information regarding the effectiveness of these different tactics becomes available. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Staff has done extensive research and engaged in many conversations with Captain Blaine Bolin of the Lomita Sheriff's Station to create this draft Public Safety Strategic Plan. While there is no "magic bullet" for solving crime, it is our hope that if we use technology and data to focus Sheriff's resources, combined with massive education and outreach to the residents, there will be a reduction in burglaries. Staff is recommending using the $173,000 that was previously approved for additional Sheriff's services, plus an additional $12,900 in the manner described below. FISCAL IMPACT Budgeted Amount: $ 5,046,200 $127,900 $183,900 Additional Appropriation- $ (33,000)* $ 45,900 $ 60,000 New Amount Balance: $ 5,013,200 $173,800 $243,900 Account Number(s): 101-1021-421-32-00 101-1024-421-32-00 101-1024-421-61-00 *Transfer $33,000 and add an additional $12,900 to Public Safety Special Programs (Acct. 101-1024-421-32-00) for Community Awareness and Education items. BACKGROUND The City has seen a spike in Part I crimes, specifically residential burglaries, which have escalated in terms of frequency and force. In 2015, the City saw 184 burglaries, compared to 118 in 2010, an increase of 56%. In response to rising crime rates over these past few years, the Council added two more patrol cars designated to patrol the City; authorized an additional mobile Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) unit; and added $173,000 for additional Sheriff's services. At the December 15, 2015 meeting, the Council authorized Staff to move forward with the first phase of implementing ALPR cameras. Staff was also directed to continue working with the other Peninsula cities on the second phase of fixed ALPR cameras in Rolling Hills Estates (RHE) and Palos Verdes Estates (PVE). DISCUSSION The following discussion provides the details of the draft Public Safety Strategic Plan, focusing on technology and data, Sheriff's Department resources, community awareness and education, and City Council policy. These are recommendations that have been jointly developed by Staff and the Sheriffs Department. TECHNOLOGY AND DATA /_1Ia4►TA1561MIM9R. Tt 1X/1iIiZ11 15, .1 1011 Funding for an ALPR mobile trailer is recommended in addition to the first phase of fixed ALPR cameras approved at the December 15, 2015, meeting for Palos Verdes Drive South (PVDS)/25th Street Transition, Palos Verdes Drive West (PVDW) at Marguerite Drive, and future phases in RHE and PVE. This suggestion came about in a joint ALPR meeting with the other Peninsula cities concluding that the eastern portion of the City off Western Avenue was not a good candidate for fixed ALPR cameras due to the numerous entry points into the City and necessary Caltrans approval. The Sheriffs Department suggested that mobile ALPR trailers, which can also function as speed and message boards, would be a good option and could be moved to various areas throughout the City as needed. The Palos Verdes Estates Police Department (PVEPD), along with the Sheriff's Department, will have access to the ALPR trailer "hits" to aid in response and apprehension. Pilot Crime Analvsis. GIS and Predictive Policin Staff plans to utilize graduate students from USC's School of Public Policy to assist in analyzing burglary data from the Sheriff's Department as part of the students' capstone project. The pilot project would consist of the Sheriff's Department sharing burglary data with the City and having the graduate students analyze it to determine if there are trends that could aid residents in protecting their homes, the Sheriffs Department in predictive policing efforts, and the City in developing policies and programs that would be helpful to residents. For example, if the analysis finds that most homes that were victimized did not have an alarm system, the City could make the process for obtaining alarm permits easier and possibly create an incentive program for those who install new alarms in their homes. Attachment A, a map of all 2015 burglaries by day of week and time of day, is another example of how data could be used to show burglary patterns. From the maps, we can see what neighborhoods may be more vulnerable on specific days of the week and that Sundays had the least activity. In response, patrol hours could be more concentrated on Thursdays and Fridays and less on Sundays. Typically there are four students assigned to a capstone project in January, and they will submit a report of recommendations to the City in late April/early May. 2 In conjunction with the graduate students' work, we plan to utilize existing City GIS Staff to produce more crime mapping that incorporates neighborhood boundaries and major topographical elements that separate and define residential areas to help enhance and identify burglary patterns. For instance, GIS Staff could overlay the various homeowners' association (HOA) boundaries to identify if certain HOAs are being targeted more than others, and if there is a correlation between how actively involved an HOA is in Neighborhood Watch and the burglary rate. If the results from the pilot project appeared useful, Staff would potentially bring forward a recommendation to the Council to consider investing in predictive policing software and a crime analyst to do in-depth analytics of where to deploy resources. Trackers ($4,400) It is recommended that four (4) trackers and service be funded for use by the SAT Team in Lomita Station. These trackers are surveillance devices placed on vehicles that are suspected of being used in multiple crimes, and can only be used with approval of the court. A "geo-fence" would be placed around the Peninsula to give advanced warning to the Sheriff's Department if the tracker crossed the fence. The SAT Team has had success with the trackers in the past, but has a limited number shared by the entire Department and availability is not guaranteed. In addition, these trackers could help by alerting the Sheriff's Department to vehicles that would not be considered a "hit" by the ALPR system. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RESOURCES Surveillance and Apprehension Team (SAT) Detectives ($125,000) Staff and the Sheriff's Department recommend continuing with the plan to fund a portion of a SAT Detective, who is a seasoned investigator responsible for solving numerous serial and high-profile crimes. These officers engage in many strategic operations, such as tracking and surveillance, to solve serious crimes and reduce recidivism. The current SAT Team has been successful in apprehending and prosecuting many career criminals and is responsible for most of the search warrants written by the Lomita Station Detective Bureau. In addition, it is anticipated that the ALPRs to be installed throughout the Peninsula will produce more information that could help the Sheriff's Department solve some crimes and increase arrest rates. While we have not been able to correlate an increase in arrest rate with a reduction in burglaries in a community, there is significant data from around the US that seems to demonstrate that increasing the arrest rate is one of the single biggest factors in reducing the crime rate as a whole. For this reason, Staff believes that adding an additional SAT detective is a significant resource that can assist the Sheriff's Department in increasing the arrest rate. The cost would be $125,000 initially for the City's share of the "growth rate" and would eventually be $182,000. Rolling Hills has already approved funding their share of the SAT Detective, and preliminary feedback from RHE Staff has been positive. 3 Safety audits ($15,000) The Sheriff's Department's CORE Team will introduce themselves to residents if they see crime risk factors (e.g., open garage door, poor lighting around the house, etc.) and make them aware of their vulnerabilities. Additionally, they will aggressively seek to meet with every HOA and offer safety audits to every resident who wants one, not just the ones who have risk factors that can be easily observed. Sheriff Substation at Civic Center Staff is pursuing conversations with the Sheriff's Department to locate a substation in the City. Initial conversations have suggested that the ideal site from the Sheriff's perspective would be at the Civic Center site since access to Hawthorne Blvd. is an important factor for accessibility reasons. Having a substation in the City would improve response times, greatly increase visibility, and should positively impact safety in the City and on the Peninsula as a whole. City Staff is and will continually be working on steps to accomplish this goal. COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND EDUCATION Public Information Existing staff will be utilized to ensure that awareness and education articles are included in the City's Quarterly Newsletter, in the EDCO invoices, distributed to various community groups, and posted on the City's website and social media outlets (Facebook, Nextdoor and Twitter). Staff will also provide support to Volunteers on Patrol, the Sheriff's Mounted Posse, and Neighborhood Watch by disseminating information to assist in recruitment and outreach, outfitting VOPs with uniforms, and other administrative support as needed. Neighborhood Watch and other groups will be provided additional resources such as the videos produced by RPVty and translated materials to reach more residents. In addition, the City has produced the attached Home Security Assessment Checklist (Attachment B) and will provide it to HOAs and Neighborhood Watch, and make it available online for residents to assess their own properties. RPVty/PVPty Cable Series ($31,000) Staff would like to begin filming a series of outreach and education pieces related to crime prevention, with tips from the Sheriff's Department. This would consist of: Three (3) 30 -second public service announcements (PSAs) ($6,000) Three (3) 2 -minute "shorts" ($5,000) A 30 -minute News Program with segments that would cover topics such as "How do you avoid becoming a victim?" and "What makes homes attractive to criminals?" ($20,000) This series would be aired on the Peninsula's local cable channels, posted on RPVtv's YouTube channel, posted on the City's website, and also be available to forward to 11 groups like Neighborhood Watch, HOAs, Peninsula Seniors, and the PTA in an effort to reach larger segments of the Peninsula's population. Translation and Distribution of Key Outreach Materials ($7,500) Staff recommends the translation of key outreach materials into the most prevalent foreign languages (Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Hindi) spoken by residents in the City. This would target non-English speakers who may not be aware of the burglary incidents and ways to prevent them. In addition, the Sheriff's Department has found that many Asian households in the City have been targeted for the large amounts of cash kept on hand. Materials would be distributed through the Quarterly City Newsletter and also through local groups such as churches, clubs, and associations. The local Clergy Roster will be updated and additional copies of these outreach materials will be given for distribution to congregants. The Sheriff's Department also has an International Liaison Group which may have some existing materials and translators available to assist with some of the languages, which would reduce costs. Bi -Annual Public Safety Meetings with the Sheriff ($3,000) It is recommended that the City host large, town -hall Public Safety Meetings at Hesse Park for City residents that would include speakers from the Sheriffs Department to discuss crime rates, intervention tactics, and steps for crime prevention ($1,600). These meetings could also be filmed ($1,400) so that they could be replayed on various media, including the City's two cable channels, and be posted online. If residents desire, the City could also hold a public safety expo and invite vendors and experts to present products and information to residents, similar to last year's "Prepared Peninsula" emergency preparedness expo. Examples of newer products coming out would be anti -theft dots that allow a resident to forensically mark property like jewelry and other small items. CITY COUNCIL POLICY "Do Not Disturb" Decals The City should continue to provide "Do Not Disturb" decals to resident to discourage door-to-door solicitations, which supports Municipal Code Chapter 5.20. Unfortunately, many times when criminals are "casing" homes to burglarize, they pose as door-to-door solicitors and will see if homes are left unlocked, what types of security measures are in place, and other cues that may lead them to determine whether a home is a good target. Liqhting Staff has received inquiries from some HOAs regarding installing lighting, and the Sheriff's Department agrees it would help in their crime fighting efforts. Staff recommends educating the various HOAs regarding lighting options in their neighborhoods, including options such as lighted pilasters. 5 Grant Matching and Regional Collaboration The City Council should authorize Staff to work with PVEPD to secure more regional grant funding. PVEPD has a much better chance of obtaining grants than the Sheriff's Department due to their small size and the high increase in the percentage of burglaries experienced in PVE. CONCLUSION It is recommended that the Council approve this draft Public Safety Strategic Plan as a first step to tackling the issue of residential burglaries, and direct Staff to reevaluate the Plan as more information regarding the effectiveness of these different tactics becomes available. ALTERNATIVES The Council has the option of authorizing and funding all, some, or none of the items listed above. Attachments • Attachment A — Maps of 2015 Residential Burglaries by Day of Week (Page 7) • Attachment B - Home Security Assessment Checklist (Page 15) 101 LOMITA STATION—RPV RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES 1/1/15-12/31/15 PaIo�, 11,E -ides Estates + ` ,PACIFIC COAST HWY I r� - _ R<,Iliac HH1Ys IOalVer es T x SUNDAY - RPV RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES 1/1/15-12/31/15 MONDAY - RPV RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES 1/1/15-12/31/15 BURGLARY — RESIDENTIAL 28 C. =PA CiFI COAST HWY-�� -- f, Palcts Verdes Estates R01111ingl4ills.Estabes '1 t Rolling Hill, s Map*Aco PaIo VieF @_Kdf .Iry i � � r. y v e", r F 9 TUESDAY - RPV RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES 1/1/15-12/31/15 WEDNESDAY - RPV RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES 1/1/15-12/31/15 THURSDAY - RPV RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES 1/1/15-12/31/15 FRIDAY - RPV RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES 1/1/15-12/31/15 SATURDAY - RPV RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES 1/1/15-12/31/15 Palos- Verdes Estate!s Rollin -9 Hills, Estates 4rc, �fSIDRN Rolling Hills 4W - l1 �• -tri• q� � �W,Fi� - �T � _ i '�! r{ a ", jo/, Fn •� { �/{ VP CL 14 City of Rancho Palos Verdes LOMITA SHERIFF'S STATION (310) 539-1661 HOME SECURITY ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST FOR RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY PREVENTION This checklist is intended to help you make a security survey of your own home. The first purpose of a home security inspection is to identify features in your home, or daily routines of your family, which might make your home an easy target for a burglar. The security inspection should begin at your front door, include an inspection of all your doors and windows, locks, lights and landscaping, and include some thoughts about your habits. Each question on the checklist which you answer with an N" or a check mark in the second column indicates a security weakness or hazard which requires your attention. HOUSE NUMBERS SECURITY CAMERAS UPSTAIRS ENTRY POINT JOIN Are your address numbers Use security cameras and alarms. Make sure burglars can't gain NEIGHBORHOOD clearly visible from street for emergency responders? roof access or enter a second WATCH TODAY g Y P EXTERIOR LIGHTING floor window. (www.rpvca.org) Yard lighting may deter Know your neighbors. criminals seeking darkness. Report suspicious persons 1 Use LEDs to save energy. and cars to the Sheriff. y (310) 539-1661 GATES _ , 4_-._.g� .. GATES c{� y - Kee p P KedeP '-- �Q-.•,4�� ly,' ai side- si r yard yard = ■��1■ —� a^ r gates gates locked. - —�t�A i�nvYIr � g y��S ; locked. jogOEM � N Mon mom�s ■r 7 I $ ILII ! ilM .`-•'r 2. - v •'. - - ._ .. ... +7LL,1 R I I�is WINDOWS SHRUBS AND TREES Not all burglars break glass, so Burglars love hiding behind shrubs DOORS make sure window locks arewhile they pry open windows without Keep doors locked even when home. Be aware of glass near strong and properly used. being seen. Keep shrubs trimmed. door and protect against breaking & entering. Do not enter vour home if you think you have been buralarized — call oolice to check interior before you enter! EXTERIOR DOORS YES NO All doors are locked at night and every time you and/or your family leave the house — even for a few minutes? ❑ ❑ Exterior door are made of solid hardwood, solid core, or metal -clad? ❑ ❑ Doors feature wide-angle viewers or "peepholes" at heights everyone can use? (Be cautious. Look before opening door) ❑ ❑ If there are glass panels in or near doors, are they reinforced in some way or made to be shatter resistant? ❑ ❑ If glass is near door (within 40 inches) are there double -cylinder deadbolts in entry door to prevent a reach -in unlock? ❑ ❑ Do all exterior entry doors have deadbolt locks? ❑ ❑ Doorjambs reinforced with large metal jamb plate attached to wall studs with at least 3" screws? (Standard door locks have strike plates screwed to jamb only, not 2x4" wall stud wood). ❑ ❑ Spare keys are kept with a trusted neighbor, not under door mat, under a pot or rock, mailbox, or above door casing? ❑ ❑ Can all your house keys be accounted for? (If not you should consult a locksmith and change the keys) ❑ ❑ Sliding glass doors have locking pins in track, key locks or other mechanism to prevent forced entry? ❑ ❑ Do you have a motion sensor chime at front porch, front entry gate, or doorway to announce unseen visitors? ❑ ❑ 15 15 GARAGE SECURITY AND ACCESS YES NO The door leading from the attached garage to the house is a solid -core or metal -clad, and protected with deadbolts? ❑ ❑ Side door, if any, leading to backyard is solid -core or metal -clad, and protected with deadbolts? ❑ ❑ The overhead garage door has a lock which overrides the garage door opener to prevent unauthorized opening? ❑ ❑ WINDOWS SECURITY YES NO Every window in the house has working lock or securing ins? ❑ ❑ Window air conditioner, if equipped, secured to prevent burglar from removing for entry? ❑ ❑ Any windows left open a few inches for ventilation are pinned to prevent further opening or removal? ❑ ❑ Curtains and/or blinds drawn to conceal valuables? ❑ ❑ OUTDOOR SECURITY — LIGHTING & LANDSCAPING YES NO Side yard gates locked withpadlocks? ❑ ❑ Trash side yard secured to prevent access or entry to rear yard or home? ❑ ❑ Dark areas of property feature motion sensor lights to prevent a burglar from prowling in the dark? ❑ ❑ Doorways, driveways and porch areas have lights to turn on to see visitors or investigate noises? ❑ ❑ Outdoor lighting on a photocell or motion sensor to provide scare lighting whether home or not? ❑ ❑ Address numbers clearly displayed on house so police and/or fire dept. can find the house quickly? ❑ ❑ Is mailbox locked to prevent mail theft/identity theft? ❑ ❑ Bushes & shrubs trimmed below window height to prevent a burglary from using them for concealment? ❑ ❑ Does your electrical service panel have a padlock over circuit breaker cover to prevent someone from turning off your ower? (This may disable an alarm unless equipped with a batter back-up) ❑ ❑ Second story roof inaccessible via trees, trellis, fence/wall, or unsecured ladder? ❑ ❑ Upstairs windows and balcony doors always kept locked? (Some burglars enter via upstairs doors or windows) ❑ ❑ SECURITY WHEN AWAY FROM HOME YES NO At least two lights on timers inside house to go on & off in logical sequence? ❑ ❑ Home alarms stem installed? All family members familiar with setting & disabling alarm functions? ❑ ❑ Alarm signs or window stickers in plain view to dissuade a burglar from entering? ❑ ❑ A video surveillances stem is installed and used regularly? ❑ ❑ Security camera coverage is adequate? (Porch, all doors & windows, street area, side yards, etc.) ❑ ❑ Mail and newspaper stopped during planned vacations? (If you trust those employees to knowyou're one) ❑ ❑ Mail and newspaper collected by a trusted neighbor or relative (preferred over stopping at USPS?) ❑ ❑ Does a trusted neighbor clean-upjunk mailers from door step and entry way while away? ❑ ❑ Do you complete a "Vacation Check" request form at Police Department when away on vacation? ❑ ❑ When away for an extended period of time, does your neighbor or someone else take care of your lawns? ❑ ❑ Do you notify neighbors and police when someone house sits foryou? ❑ ❑ HOMEOWNER/OCCUPANT HABITS AND ROUTINES YES NO Do you regularly set your alarm when leaving our home? ❑ ❑ Do you always lock doors & windows while at home or away? (Keep them locked while home too) ❑ ❑ Do you refrain from announcing our location on Facebook & social media when away from home? ❑ ❑ Do you always put away bicycles & toys left out on yard or driveway or lock them up? (Could invite theft) ❑ ❑ Do you leave your garage door open during the day while not in the garage or immediate area? ❑ ❑ Firearms stored in gun safe or proper storage containers? (Serial & model numbers recorded somewhere?) ❑ ❑ Have you video recorded your home's interior and contents? ❑ ❑ Have you inventoried your valuables and recorded serial numbers, makes, models, values? ❑ ❑ Do you have copies of security documents and other important papers at a secondary location? ❑ ❑ Do you have police & fire dept business number posted at your telephone or saved in cell phone favorites? ❑ ❑ Do you always lock your car while on your driveway or parked on the street? ❑ ❑ Have you hidden your garage door opener/remote control inside your car? (Most people clip their garage remote to their car's sun visor not realizing that burglars expect to find it there). ❑ ❑ Do you always remove valuables from plain sight in your car whether at home, shopping or elsewhere? ❑ ❑ Do you personally receive deliveries at home versus left on the porch by Amazon.com, USPS, FedEx, etc.? ❑ ❑ Are you involved in Neighborhood Watch and call the police to report suspicious persons and cars? ❑ ❑ Do you use Anti -Theft Dots to mark and identify our property in case it's stolen? ❑ ❑ RPV. 01/16 16 16