CC SR 20181218 H - LASD Domestic Violence Response ProgramRANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 12/18/2018
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to fund a pilot domestic violence response program for
the City of Rancho Palos Verdes
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
1) Authorize the City Manager or Finance Director to reallocate existing public safety
funding for the pilot program.
FISCAL IMPACT: $18,132.39
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): 101-400-6120-5101
101-400-6120-4310
ORIGINATED BY: Jacqueline Ruiz, Administrative Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Gabriella Yap, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Doug Willmore, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Lomita Station Staff Report – Domestic Violence Response Pilot Program
(page A-1)
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
At its meeting on August 16, 2018, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Regional Law Enforcement
Committee, which is comprised of two Councilmembers from each of the cities of Rancho
Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates, requested information about a pilot
domestic violence response program based out of the Lomita Sheriff’s Station. Committee
Member Bea Dieringer, from the City of Rolling Hills, initiated the request due to her
familiarity with the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD’s) Domestic Abuse Response
Team (DART) program. The DART model is a law enforcement-based multidisciplinary
crisis response team which pairs state certified domestic violence advocates with specially
trained full-time LAPD DART officers. The end goal is to provide support services to the
victims and their families to increase safety, victim participation in the investigative and
prosecutorial processes, and reduce the likelihood of future domestic violence incidents.
LAPD Harbor Division has two full time DART officers who work with advocates from the
1736 Crisis Center, a local community based organization. The two officers work 10-hour
shifts on Thursday through Monday evenings.
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Committee Member Dieringer indicated that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD)
had expressed interest in a similar program. Captain Beringer indicated that he would
prepare a staff report in order for the Committee to consider the feasibility of such a
program. Captain Beringer’s report was presented to the Committee at its November 8,
2018, meeting (Attachment A).
LASD does not currently have a domestic violence response program in place. During 1997-
2002, LASD implemented the “Safety Through Our Perseverance” (STOP) program at
seven stations, which was a model similar to LAPD’s DART program. LASD discontinued
STOP due to budgetary and personnel shortages.
Currently, in the event of a domestic violence incident, patrol deputies respond without
delay and follow a protocol as outlined in Captain Beringer’s report. The handling deputies
are responsible for securing the scene, obtaining statements from the victim, witnesses, the
suspect, and family members present to determine the primary aggressor. The deputies will
arrest the suspect if he/she is present. The deputies will also obtain an emergency
protective order for the victim, if applicable. Prior to leaving the scene, the deputies provide
the victim with a Family Abuse Intervention Resource/Domestic Violence (FAIR) brochure.
The guide provides the victim with information on their rights, protective orders, and a list of
local resources. The victim is interviewed by a detective at a later time, but in many cases,
victims recant their stories and/or refuse to cooperate in the prosecution of the suspect.
The feasibility of a DART type program for Lomita Sheriff’s Station was explored. As
described in Attachment A, a hybrid version of the DART program would be feasible on an
ad-hoc basis. A pilot domestic violence response program would involve seeking voluntary
participation by existing Lomita Station personnel, preferably detectives, on an on-call
overtime basis. Under this pilot program, participating Lomita Sheriff’s Station personnel
would receive more specialized domestic violence training. Ideally, a deputy or detective
would respond with a certified domestic violence advocate to the stabilized crime scene, the
station, or medical care facility. The detective’s role would be to obtain recorded statements
from the victim, witnesses, and family members, and facilitate the issuance of an emergency
protective order. The certified domestic violence advocate would assist in providing the
aforementioned services to the victim.
At this time it is not possible for the Lomita Sheriff’s Station to staff this pilot program for
various reasons including: the large number of current deputy vacancies (18); LASD’s
moratorium on adding new patrol shifts and/or programs; and the relatively low numbers of
domestic violence incidents handled. The average number of annual domestic violence
incidents1 in the Peninsula cities over the past five years is as follows:
1 For a complete breakdown of all domestic violence incidents for the period of 2013-2017 and the
number of family disturbance calls for 2016-2017 for each area in the Lomita Sheriff’s Station jurisdiction, see
page 11 of Attachment A.
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City Average Number of Domestic Violence Incidents/Year
Rancho Palos Verdes 25
Rolling Hills Estates 5
Rolling Hills 1
Staffing the Pilot Program
Detective participation will be voluntary and it is recommended that at least four detectives
be selected as part of an on-call list for after-hours availability. Participation in the program
will add to the overtime worked as all deputy personnel including detectives are required to
work a minimum number of patrol shifts on an overtime basis to meet staffing needs due to
existing vacancies. Provided that overtime is currently required, it is recommended that no
forced overtime be used to respond to call-outs.
As such, there may be occasions when a detective is not available and the incident would
be handled by the first responding deputies. The deputies would begin the advocate referral
process.
Costs
LASD Personnel
The FY18-19 LASD hourly rate for a detective is $87.36. The Sheriff’s Department
estimates that each rollout would range between four and eight hours of supplemental
overtime based upon the complexity of the incident.
The projected annual personnel cost would be between is $10,832.65 and $21,665.29
which accounts for the abovementioned average of domestic violence incidents for the three
Peninsula cities combined. The estimated cost per city under the current regional law
enforcement contract breakdown would be:
City Percentage Cost Range
Rancho Palos Verdes 68% $7,366.20 to $14,732.39
Rolling Hills Estates 28% $3,033.14 to $6,066.28
Rolling Hills 4% $433.31 to $866.62
It is important to note the hourly rate with liability surcharge is expected to increase for
FY19-20. At this time, the amount of the expected increase is unknown.
Specialized Training
It is recommended that the participating detectives receive additional specialized domestic
violence training. It is anticipated that the training could be provided by a participating
advocacy organization to both participating detectives and all patrol personnel. In the event
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that a participating advocacy organization is unable to provide training, the total cost for
training is estimated at up to $5,000. The breakdown per city would be follows:
City Percentage Cost
Rancho Palos Verdes 68% $3,400.00
Rolling Hills Estates 28% $1,400.00
Rolling Hills 4% $200.00
Certified Domestic Violence Advocates
Several local domestic violence advocacy organizations have been contacted regarding
participation in a pilot program. Three local organizations have been identified and
contacted as potential service providers: 1736 Family Crisis Center, Rainbow Services, and
New Star Family Justice Center. Each organization has provided an estimated annual cost
with a range of various services.
Potential Service Provider Proposed Annual Estimate Proposed Services
1736 Family Crisis Center $65,000.00 • Training for Lomita
Sheriff’s Station
personnel
• Advocate(s) would
respond to the scene
and provide advocacy
services
• 24-hour hotline access
Rainbow Services $19,815.00 • Training for Lomita
Sheriff’s Station
personnel
• Advocates would not
respond to the domestic
violence disturbance
scene
• Would establish
immediate contact with
the victim via a 24-hour
hotline and provide
advocacy services
New Star Family Justice
Center
No cost to Peninsula cities
pending approval of
budget proposal
• Training for Lomita
Sheriff’s Station
personnel
• Advocate(s) would
respond to the scene
and provide advocacy
services
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Funding sources for the potential service providers has not been finalized. LASD has
contacted the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn regarding the use of
discretionary funding for the advocacy component. Preliminarily, Supervisor Hahn’s Staff
have expressed an interest in assisting with funding. At the time of the completion of this
report, however, funding has not been committed.
ALTERNATIVE
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative action is available for the
City Council’s consideration:
1. Do not authorize the City’s participation in the proposed domestic violence
response pilot program.
2. Take other action as deemed appropriate by the City Council.
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