Loading...
CC SR 20230502 05 - Community and Safety Services Division CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 05/02/2023 AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business AGENDA TITLE: Consideration and possible action to create a Community and Safety Services Division in the Administration Department (City Manager’s Office). RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION: 1. Receive a report on converting the Public Safety Department to a Community and Safety Services Division within the Administration Department (City Manager’s Office) to implement a two-year pilot program that would supplement the services provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department through enhanced public safety services and programs provided by in-house Staff; and, 2. Provide Staff direction on whether to proceed with a Community and Safety Services Division, and, if desired, to direct staff to include $279,600 of the unallocated funds in the preliminary Fiscal Year 2023-24. FISCAL IMPACT: Implementation of this pilot program will add an additional $279,600 to the General Fund annual operating expenditures in FY 2023-24 and a projected additional increase of $485,200 in FY 2024-25. Amount Budgeted: N/A Additional Appropriation: N/A Account Number(s): N/A ORIGINATED BY: Karina Bañales, Deputy City Manager REVIEWED BY: Same as above APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: A. Memorandum regarding public safety recommendations from USC MPA students (page A-1) BACKGROUND: The City has contracted with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) for law enforcement services since its incorporation in 1973. The purpose of the general law enforcement contract with LASD is to provide Rancho Palos Verdes with law enforcement, crime prevention, and a variety of specialized services. The Lomita Sheriff’s Station provides law enforcement for the cities of Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, 1 Rolling Hills Estates, and Lomita. The three Peninsula cities share a contract with LASD and the services include regular patrol units, traffic enforcement officers, and a Surveillance and Apprehension Team (SAT) detective’s unit. The Community Resource (CORE) team deputies, primarily focused on juvenile crime and drug abuse prevention, are partially funded through a grant program provided by the Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) program. The performance of the Lomita Sheriff’s Station is reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Regional Contract Law Committee (RCLC). Municipal Law Enforcement Services Agreement The LASD contract has two components: the five -year Municipal Law Enforcement Services Agreement (MLESA) and an annual service level authorization (SH -AD 575, known as the 575). The MLESA provides the framework for the relationship between the City and LASD, and the 575 makes an annual adjustment in the level of service and stipulates the contracted minutes the City receives. In addition, the City is part of a regional contract with the cities of Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates – units are portioned based on population, and each city contracts for its portion of units. The MLESA details the scope of services, administration of personnel, deployment of personnel, the performance of the agreement, terms of the agreement, billing rates (adjusted annually through the 575), and payment procedures. 575 The 575 details minutes, cost, and contracted units. Contracted units reflect service minutes provided, not the actual number of deputies in each classification . The following section details the types of units the City contracts: 56-Hour Unit Deputy Sheriffs: 56-Hour Unit Deputy Sheriff positions comprised of three eight-hour shifts, known as EM (graveyard10:00pm- 6:00am), AM (6:00am-2:00pm), and PM (2:00pm-10:00pm), seven days a week. There are always deputies fully staffing th ese positions, regardless of an individual deputy’s availability, allowing for service coverage and compliance with the necessary minutes that the contract demands. These units perform general law enforcement services, including responding to service calls, conducting general investigations, providing patrol services, and various crime prevention services. Non-Relief Units: Excluding the 56-Hour Unit Deputy Sheriffs described above, the remaining contracted positions are non-relief, meaning a specific deputy is assigned to the position. If the deputy is off duty or not reporting to work due to illness or a vacation, the position is not filled. The contracted minutes would still be provided over the course of the month. If the position is not able to be filled for a longer term, such as if a deputy retires or accepts a different position, and the contracted minutes are unable to be filled, the City would not be billed for the service. For the City’s contract, non-relief deputies consist of the following: 2 o Non-Relief Deputy Sheriffs: The Non-Relief Deputy Sheriffs work 40-hour weeks, five days a week. If a Non-Relief Deputy Sheriff is off duty, the position is not filled. These units are dedicated to traffic enforcement. o Non-Relief Bonus I Deputy Sheriffs: Bonus I Deputy Sheriffs, known as the Surveillance and Apprehension Team (SAT), are detectives specifically assigned to burglaries and burglary investigations. “Bonus” is a classification-level indicator of increased skill sets and training. o Non-Relief Grant Special Assignment Deputy: The Non-Relief Grant Special Assignment Deputy position is partially funded by Citizen’s Option for Public Safety (COPS) grant funds, which are annually allocated from the state for front-line law enforcement programs. These deputies are known as the Community Response (CORE) Team and are shared by the Peninsula contract cities. The CORE Team, consisting of two deputies, attends community events, addresses community concerns, and participates in Neighborhood Watch meetings. o Non-Relief Motor Deputy: The Non-Relief Motor Deputy patrols on a motorcycle for traffic enforcement. The Motor Deputy is shared across the three cities. Overtime In addition to contracted minutes, the City requests and purchases supplemental overtime provided by deputies for targeted traffic enforcement and crime suppression patrols. This is provided at a time-and-a-half rate, and in contrast to contracted minutes, the station is not contractually obligated to provide overtime services. The City frequently requests more overtime patrols that are seldomly received at the requested hours due to staff shortages within the LASD in recent years. On the following page is a graph summarizing monthly overtime hours from Fiscal Year 2021-22 and FY 2022-23 (through March). For FY 2021-22, the City spent $72,977 in overtime, and FY 2022-23 has spent $20,732 in overtime. 3 Over the course of these past three years, staffing for deputies has been difficult for most of the non-relief deputies. For the City, speeding and crime suppression have been identified as critical along with the delivery of the 575. The community has long supported its law enforcement and takes pride in being within the top 10 safest cities in the State of California, according to the SafeWise Safest Cities in California Report. With that said, it is important to always remain vigilant by taking a more proactive approach to community policing. To ensure a more proactive approach to community policing, Staff is proposing for the City Council’s consideration to convert the existing Public Safety Department to a Community and Safety Services Division within the Administration Department (City Manager’s Office) as a two-year pilot program. The pilot program envisions supplementing the services provided by the LASD through enhanced public safety services and programs provided by in-house Staff. DISCUSSION: Reimagining Public Safety in the City In January 2023, University of Southern California Master of Public Administration students conducted a study on public safety services provided by the LASD. Based on their study, the students ultimately recommended the City retain its law enforcement contract with LASD while expanding its internal public safety capacity in three areas: 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 HoursMonthly Overtime Hours Traffic Enforcement Other 4 community and volunteer policing, county and nonprofit public safety resources, and new technologies (Attachment A). Their study contained a multi-pronged recommendation that will allow the City to manage the problem of rising law enforcement costs while maintaining its strong public safety culture. The study supports Staff’s recommendations to create a Community and Safety Services Division, as discussed in this staff report. Although not a full-service City department such as Public Works or Recreation and Parks, the City has a Public Safety Department as programmed in its budget book. This is primarily for funding allocation purposes. A department is defined as an organizational unit of the City government that holds funding sources that are allocated for certain activities, expenditures, or programs paid for by the City. Although there are no plans nor intentions to terminate the contract with the LASD, the City is seeking innovative ways to enhance public safety services provided to its community. This may be accomplished within the budget by moving the Public Safety Department to the Administration Department and establishing it as a division. Furthermore, renaming the public safety division as the Community and Safety Services Division would be appropriate for the level of programming expected to be provided to the community. The request for a Community and Safety Services Division would require highlighting the division in the existing Administration Department organizational chart, expanding it to include additional classifications, and increasing the existing budget line items to reflect the programmed changes. The Community and Safety Services Division The proposed Community and Safety Services Division is intended to underscore public safety and strengthen the quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors . The Community and Safety Services Division will foster a community policing approach and work with LASD, a variety of organizations, agencies, and partners to provide targeted community programs to support reducing crime and increasing neighborhood quality of life. Community policing is developing community partnerships, engaging in problem - solving, and implementing community policing programs. The USC study provided a Comparison of Options for Addressing Rising Public Safety Costs in RPV. Of the suite of recommendations, alternative two, shown on the next page, closely aligns with Staff’s perspective on community policing. 5 Cost Effectiveness Impact on Public Safety Political Viability Alternative 2: Explore changes to the LASD contract, which may include contracting an external agency to conduct a study or joining forces with other contract cities to lobby for changes to the contract terms. It could take a significant amount of time and resources, which could negatively affect overall cost- effectiveness. While the goal is to save money on the contract, there is no guarantee that lobbying efforts or research findings would achieve this aim. Could positively contribute to public safety by improving communication between law enforcement and contract cities. Given budget projections, the urgency of addressing LASD contract rates could make it easier to convince both government officials and members of the public of the need to re-examine the LASD contract. Recommendation: Expand volunteer and community- based law enforcement capacity, implement new programs, and explore new public safety technologies. The recommendation can stunt the city’s public safety expenditure growth rate by alleviating the need for non- relief units and supplementing the city’s revenues with grants The recommendation can alleviate the time sworn police officers spend on non-essential police functions and thus, positively impact public safety in the city The recommendation is politically feasible, as public safety levels will be enhanced given the increased time for officers to focus on essential functions. While LASD service units could decrease, this would likely be counteracted by an increased community policing presence. The Community and Safety Services Division will work in collaboration with the Lomita Station and the Neighborhood Watch Program. Furthermore, the Community and Safety Services Division will focus on civilian policing activity to allow LASD Deputies to increase visibility in patrolling the City by reducing time spent on non-essential police (emergent) matters. It is important to note that Staff studied 15 agencies currently under contract with the LASD. Specifically, the proposed Rancho Palos Verdes model is similar to the cities of Lancaster, Lakewood, Commerce, West Hollywood, and Malibu. As a two -year pilot program, the Community and Safety Services Division may include parking enforcement, 6 neighborhood patrols, community services programs, LASD contract overview, budget analysis, and management of public safety volunteers. Community and Safety Services Division Positions The proposed positions that would support the Community and Safety Services Division for the two-year pilot program is illustrated in the organizational chart below: The positions are considered “civilian” positions, which means they do not perform the duties of a sworn officer or deputy. They are unarmed and work with the LASD to take certain non-essential reports, such as burglaries, thefts from vehicles, other prope rty crimes, and traffic accidents, allowing deputies to spend more time responding to higher priority calls for service. In addition, this will assist with reducing response times on calls for service generated out of the Lomita Sheriff's Station. Community and Safety Service Coordinator This position is a new classification and will serve as a supervisor and oversee the LASD contract, as well as the community safety liaisons and the analyst. The coordinator will also oversee programs with the analyst, such as the security camera rebate program, vacation Ring Camera loaner program, public safety grants, crime analytics, weekly crime reports, homelessness task force, public safety campaign (crime and traffic), and serve as the Regional Law Committee and Neighborhood Watch Liaison, to name a few duties. Staff is proposing, as a pilot program, creating two temporary part-time positions working up to 30 hours each. 7 Administrative Analyst This classification exists in the Public Safety Department. This classification will understand the public safety annual budget and create a forecast of funds needed for programs, staffing equipment, materials and supplies, coordination of public safety programs such as public safety connection meetings with Neighborhood Watch, coffee with the Lomita Station Captain, Community and Safety Division service programs (i.e., bike patrol, crime prevention, neighborhood watch, etc.), write and present staff reports for the Regional Law Committee and City Council, assist with homelessness outreach coordination, and crime prevention programs to name few duties. This position would report to the Community and Safety Service Coordinator(s). Community Services Liaison The proposed Community Services Liaison (CSL) will provide public safety support services to the LASD and the City somewhat similar to the duties performed by the Volunteers on Patrol, among other things, as described later in the report . CSLs will respond to and document reported complaints, both by telephone and in person, both in the office and in the field. They will also interview witnesses as required, interact with residents, businesses, City employees, Sheriff’s Department personnel, personnel of other government agencies, and assist with homelessness outreach. The CSL will take reports of criminal and other incidents and provide support services to deputies. In the field, the CSL will support Sheriff’s Department operations by taking reports on crimes without investigative leads, minor traffic accidents and conduct latent print and DNA investigations. Provide information to the public regarding City and department programs and services. Answer public inquiries regarding requests for City or Sheriff’s Department services, including the status of prior requests. This position will also provide parking enforcement, traffic control, and City-sponsored or community events. In addition, this position will conduct late-evening patrols of City streets. This proposed temporary part- time position consists of four employees with an option to increase it by two more employees in FY 2024-25 for the overall two-year pilot period. Each employee will be allocated up to 30 hours during this pilot program period. Community and Safety Services Division Pilot Program Costs Personnel Cost The proposed pilot program will have a fiscal impact as it pertains to personnel, including the creation of two new classifications, which means calculating the fully burdened rate inclusive of workers’ compensation, salary, and CalPERS pension with no medical insurance for the part-time position. As this is a pilot program, the proposed positions would be considered temporary part-time, allowing work up to 30 hours per week. Budget Allocation If the City Council desires to move forward with the proposed Community and Safety Services Division as a two-year pilot program, the preliminary FY 2023-24 budget will 8 have to be updated to reflect the fiscal impacts. The salary and benefits (currently enrolled in CalPERS) depict filling four part-time community services liaisons in FY 2024 and transferring the funds of four part-time park rangers in FY 2024 from Recreation and Parks. In addition, it shows filling two part-time Community and Safety Coordinators by January 2024, followed by filling two part-time community services liaisons in FY 2025, if needed. The part-time Community and Safety Services Coordinators will work up to 30 hours per week and will be enrolled in CalPERS. This is to ensure that the appropriate coverage is provided during the two-year pilot program. Staff will determine if either of these classifications will require them to transition to full-time employment or otherwise. Should the Council proceed with this recommendation, staff will need to meet and confer with the Rancho Palos Verdes Employees Association and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, District Council 36 due to creating the new classifications, duties assigned, and reporting changes including reapplying for these new positions. Staff used the following fully burdened salary rate schedule for the recommended classifications. Similar classification New Classification Salary low-end Salary high-end Senior Administrative Analyst Community and Safety Service Coordinator $91,469 $118,817 Part-time Code Enforcement Officer Part-Time Community Services Liaison* $34.20/hr $34.52/hr * Staff requests moving the budget allocation from the Recreation and Parks budget for part- time parking enforcement to the Administration Department. It will require additional funding due to the higher rate of pay. At the April 6 General Fund Budget workshop, staff presented a proposed budget of $495,300 for the existing Public Safety Department that includes current salary and benefits for one administrative analyst, supplies, training, dues and memberships, professional service agreements and LASD supplemental overtime, etc. This does not include the LASD contract based on the 575 form. Based on the proposed positions for the pilot program, staff estimates it will require additional funding in FY 2023-24 by $279,600 for a combined total of $774,900 (inclusive of the $495,300) and an additional $205,600 in FY 2024 -25 at a combined total of $980,500 (inclusive of the $495,300 and $279,600). Overall, the additional funding for the two years pilot program is about $485,200, as illustrated in the table on the next page. 9 Table 1. Community and Safety Services Division Increase Factoring the estimated personnel costs for the Community and Safety Services Division noted on the previous page, the table below represents an updated total cost for public safety program inclusive of the current LASD contract and the additional pilot program requests for FY 2023-24 Budget. Table 2. FY 2023-24 Community and Safety Services Division Budget Request The table on the next page charts the proposed budget request inclusive of the LASD contract described above. The blue color represents the current public safety budget allocation for the LASD contract ($7,872,000), and the orange is the additional cost for the Community and Safety Services Division. 10 Table 3. Community and Safety Services Division inclusive of the LASD Contract FY 2023-24 Los Angeles Sheriff Department Contract Estimated Cost To compare the costs between the proposed program and the LASD contract, the following discusses the current FY2023-24 LASD estimated contract cost as well as a historic trend over approximately a 22-year period commencing in 2001. On March 2, 2023, Staff was informed that the LASD contract is projected to increase by 7.63% for FY 2023-24. Staff performed a preliminary analysis and determined that the liability would increase to 12%. The new LASD contract is almost $7.9 million, which is an increase of over $623,000 or 8.6% from FY 2022-23. Below is Staff’s analysis of the 575 projected contract cost. 11 575 Contract Amount Comparison Between FY 2001 and FY 2024 There are three main components determining the total contract cost: unit costs, number of units, and liability surcharge. The graph below depicts the historic increases from FY 2001 to FY 2024. Graph 1. Contract Since 2001 Since FY 2001, the unit cost of a 56-hour Deputy has doubled, with an average year-to- year increase of 3%. However, in FY 2022-23, the unit cost increased by 1.43%, then increased by 7.63% in FY 2023-24. In terms of the total number units portioned to the City between 2001 and 2023, the number of units increased by 3, from 19.9 to 22.9, with a maximum of 24.9 from FY 2017-2020. The unit cost went down as a result of transitioning ranger services from LASD to the City. Although the contract has significantly increased, the amount of units has generally remained constant at 22.9. To compare the level of service versus crime, the following are crime statistics between 2001 to 2022. Crime Statistics Part I Crimes are designated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as 10 serious crimes that occur on a regular basis and are generally referred to as the “Crime Index.” $2,739,077 $3,258,118 $4,152,033 $5,689,037 $6,692,829 $7,289,524 $7,248,597 $0 $1,000,000 $2,000,000 $3,000,000 $4,000,000 $5,000,000 $6,000,000 $7,000,000 $8,000,000 $9,000,000 Contract AmountTotal Contract $7,871,949 12 These 10 crimes were chosen by the FBI because of their uniformity of definition, total volumes, and the likelihood of being reported. Part I Crimes have two categories: violent crimes and property crimes, including burglaries and thefts. Based on the graph, the trend in Part I crime stats between 2001 to 2022 in the City has decreased and then generally stabilized between 2020 and 2022. Meanwhile, costs continue to increase, and the number of units continues to remain constant. Despite this, the public’s perception is that crime is generally increasing in the City. To this point, one of the City Council’s goals is to maintain a high level of public safety with public engagement. To achieve this, in the Draft FY 2023-24 City Council Goals, staff recommended, and the Council accepted, two projects: 1) Enhance public safety through crime reduction and traffic safety engagement strategies; and 2) Allocate resources to establish certain public safety services in-house. Increasing the presence of public safety on City streets may result in decreased crime and may address public perception concerns. The City Council may choose to increase the number of units for all three and/or one particular shift by approximately $500,000 for a 56-hour unit or consider and/or add a non-relief deputy by approximately $325,000 per unit. Alternatively, the Community and Safety Services Division proposes up to eight 572 432 578 428 610 444 342 484 460 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Total Part I Crimes in Rancho Palos Verdes 13 civilians to perform non-sworn officer or deputy duties at an additional cost of $485,200 for a period of approximately two years that would essentially increase the public safety presence in the community. Implementation of Community and Safety Services Division If the City Council is inclined to move forward with the implementation of a Community and Safety Services Division, staff recommends the following. Two-Year Pilot Program The following timeline and tasks are proposed for the two-year pilot program: Phase I – May2023 through December 2023 • Create, meet and confer and adopt the Community and Safety Service Coordinator and Community Services Liaison classifications. • Transition part-time park ranger budget allocation from Recreation and Parks Department to Administration Department, and change the title to a Community Services Liaison. Existing rangers may either apply for this new position, or be retained to provide part-time services in the Recreation and Parks Division. • Seek Clean Air Act Funds to purchase one hybrid vehicle. • Designate office space for new division. • Coordinate meetings with LASD leadership and community interest groups (neighborhood watch, businesses, HOA’s, etc.) regarding new division. • Establish a public outreach campaign for the new division. • Hire Community and Safety Services Coordinator(s). Phase II – January 2024 through June 2024 • Recruit and hire four (4) Community Service Liaisons. • Acquire clean air act vehicles and install siren bar, city logo and any necessary equipment (i.e., radios). • Provide a status update to City Council on pilot program. Phase III – July 2024 -June 2025 • Evaluate cost-effectiveness of these new services provided in-house. • Consider the need to recruit and hire two (2) additional Community Service Liaisons (CSLs). • Return to City Council with an update on the pilot-program to determine the effectiveness and costs. Metrics to Assess Effectiveness As in any pilot program, it is imperative to assess its effectiveness to determine its viability. This can be achieved through a series of metrics that would be reported to the City Council periodically during the two-year pilot program. Such metrics may include, but not limited, to the following: 14 • monitoring crime stats • assessing public safety presence consisting of LASD deputy’s and CSL’s visibility • measuring public perception • conducting a community survey • reducing or leveling of LASD contract expense Staff will work closely with the Lomita Station’s Crime Analyst to monitor crime statistics during the pilot period to determine if crime rates adjust (upward, downward or constant) with the creation of the new division. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Lomita Sheriff’s Station Staff spoke with a Lomita Station Lieutenant and ensured that City employees would be trained according to LASD standards. For example, LASD will provide Community Service Liaisons with training on conducting latent print and DNA investigations, responding to nonsuspect-related calls for service, and writing certain reports on traffic collisions, burglary, vehicle break-ins, and other property crimes. Furthermore, LASD will assist the City with acquiring the necessary technology that will allow the Community Service Liaisons to serve the community with dispatch when out in the field , such as radios. In addition, the Lomita Station will continue to provide Volunteers on Patrol (VOP) for the City. VOPs are the “eyes and ears” of the station and assist in identifying suspicious activities, crimes in progress, or other dangerous circumstances and notifying the authorities of proper handling. In addition, VOPs assist LASD and the City with vacation and business checks and residential patrols and may be as signed to City-sponsored or community events. VOPs can also assist with educating businesses and the community about crime prevention tools and resources. VOPs complete a background check and receive training conducted by LASD. Currently, the Lomita Statio n has four volunteers, and the City is promoting this program through its social media outlets, website, and weekly administrative report. The Lomita Station appreciates the City’s intent in creating a Community and Safety Services Division, as this will supplement and enhance the public safety services provided by LASD. Public Safety Technology According to the USC study, it suggests considering new public safety technologies such as speed cameras, traffic light technology, speed bumps, and an integrated dispatch team. The recommendations could potentially reduce areas of the LASD contract or focus the deputies on emergency calls or crime prevention programs. Staff will consider these recommendations and will return to the City Council with information on acquiring the new technology, as warranted. 15 Mobile Digital Communicator (MDC) Staff has been working towards acquire MDC system equipment to monitor contracted patrol services, deployment schedules, review staffing levels per patrol unit, and analyze contract billing. This information will be used to produce internal reports for the Public Safety Subcommittee, which includes Councilmember Eric Alegria and Councilmember Dave Bradley to ensure that a sufficient amount of patrol units are serving the City effectively and efficiently in responding to calls for service, preventing crime, and serving residents daily. Currently, there is one RPV employee that has met the required security clearances, completed the necessary training, and attended the MDCS Patrol School. The City will ensure the newly hired administrative analyst completes this process, as well as the employees envisions for the proposed Community and Safety Service Division. Meyers-Millais-Brown Act Pursuant to the Meyers-Millais-Brown Act (MMBA) (Government Code sections 3500- 3511) and the City’s Employer-Employee Relations Resolution No. 2018-23, the City and its two labor units, Rancho Palos Verdes Employees Association and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, District Council 36 shall meet and confer to discuss the new classifications. CONCLUSION: Staff recommends the City Council receive and file the report on converting the Public Safety Department to a Community and Safety Services Division within the Administration Department (City Manager’s Office) and implementing a two-year pilot program that would supplement the services provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department through enhanced public safety services and programs provided by in-house staff; and to direct Staff on whether to proceed with a Public Safety Division, by programming $279,600 in unallocated funds in the preliminary FY 2023-24 budget for the division. ALTERNATIVES: In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative actions are available for the City Council’s consideration: 1. Do not convert the Public Safety Department to a Community and Safety Services Division, thus rejecting allocating $279,600 in unallocated funds to FY 2023-24 budget. 2. Direct Staff to return with a different program option or additional information. 3. Take other action, as deemed appropriate. 16 1 MEMORANDUM TO: Eric Alegria, Rancho Palos Verdes City Councilmember; Ara Mihranian, Rancho Palos Verdes City Manager; and Karina Bañales, Rancho Palos Verdes Deputy City Manager FROM: University of Southern California Master of Public Administration Students Jessica Depies, Laura Hurtado, Heather Miau, and Kaelynn Olmos DATE: Sunday, April 16, 2023 SUBJECT: We recommend that the City of Rancho Palos Verdes (RPV) retain its law enforcement contract with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) while expanding its internal public safety capacity in three areas: community and volunteer policing, county and nonprofit public safety resources, and new technologies. This report contains a multi-pronged recommendation that will allow RPV to manage the problem of rising law enforcement costs while maintaining its strong public safety culture. SUMMARY: The suite of recommendations contained in this report is designed to address the problem of RPV’s increasingly expensive law enforcement contract with LASD. The options are evaluated on the basis of cost-effectiveness, impact on public safety, and political viability, thereby accounting for RPV’s key challenge of controlling public safety costs in a way that is both responsive to constituents and administratively feasible. This report finds that 1) directly engaging RPV residents in relevant public safety duties, 2) developing new programs internally and externally to address public safety concerns, and 3) expanding technologies like traffic cameras will bring down LASD contract costs by transferring the many administrative and non- emergency law enforcement tasks away from sworn LASD officers and toward community- based volunteers, public organizations, and technologies. Key implementation needs will center A-1 2 on community outreach, engagement, and public education, alongside additional research to identify cost-effective and administratively feasible technologies. PROBLEM: The City of Rancho Palos Verdes is facing a challenge shared by many contract cities: determining whether the benefits outweigh the costs of maintaining a law enforcement contract with an external agency, and identifying opportunities to bring some or all law enforcement capacities in-house. In the case of RPV, the central problem is that the city dedicates an outsized proportion of its budget to public safety – 27 percent of expenditures in Fiscal Year 2021 – while the city’s ten-year financial forecast projects that expenditures will outpace revenues at the current rate of spending (City of Rancho Palos Verdes, 2022; Rancho Palos Verdes, 2022). Across the United States, this report finds a similar trend of states and cities directing a significant proportion of their budgets to police services. Between 1977 and 2020, for example, state and municipal government police expenditures grew by 189 percent (from $45 billion to $129 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars) (Urban Institute, 2023). Specifically, in California, Martin and Grumbs discovered that, in 2020, cities directed their largest category of city spending on police services (2021). Furthermore, Martin and Grumbs found that the average amount spent on police service in California cities is $290 per resident, which is higher than the amounts spent on fire safety ($155), parks and recreation ($64), and municipal streets and roadways $60 (2021). These statistics not only demonstrate the rising cost of police services but the trend of cities directing significant funding towards policing, a trend that can affect municipal long-term financial health. The core problem of rising costs is amplified by a shifting landscape that indicates a growing role for community-based policing models and other innovative approaches to public A-2 3 safety. For example, a recent New York Times study found that, on average, police officers across three U.S. cities spent only four percent of their time responding to violent crimes (Asher and Horwitz, 2021). This indicates an opportunity to explore public safety options that are responsive to community needs while cutting what – in at least some scenarios – may be unnecessary costs of sending a sworn officer to address non-violent or non-emergency issues. Examples of opportunities to redirect law enforcement response may include tasks like traffic enforcement and social services around mental illness and addiction. CONTEXT: The problem of rising law enforcement costs is one that contract and full-service cities alike have grappled with. Both contexts offer potential learnings for RPV: this report has selected key research and analysis that provides a deeper historical and technical understanding of how other municipalities have framed this challenge. Within the context of contract cities, a body of literature examining the costs and benefits of law enforcement contracts has emerged. In California, where contract cities originated, the most consistent finding across research examining the costs and benefits of contract policing is that contracting is less expensive per capita, on average, than a municipality paying for its own police department. A study conducted by the San Mateo County Court (2013), for example, found significant monetary savings for the cities that had entered into law enforcement contracts with the County Sheriff’s Department, paired with public satisfaction and no measurable reduction in services. Similarly, a study conducted on behalf of 13 cities contracting with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department found an average policing cost per capita of $215 per person, in comparison to the $395 per person average per capita cost for non-contracting cities in the county (Matrix Consulting Group, 2019). While both studies found that base contract rates grew each year, in neither case were these rate increases higher than those for non-contract cities. A-3 4 Broader cost-benefit analyses of contract policing affirm these findings. Nelligan and Bourns (2011), for example, validated this county-specific research when they analyzed the costs and effectiveness of municipal law enforcement contracting across the state of California. Notably, the researchers found that “those cities that contract with their county sheriff, on average, spend far less per capita on police services than those cities that operate their own police departments” (p. 88). They found California’s largest cost differential in Los Angeles County, where contract cities paid 47% as much as similarly sized non-contract cities. Nelligan and Bourns’s larger study validates the county-specific research in California while offering potential rationales for these results. In particular, they suggested that economies of scale could be an important contributor to the cost-effectiveness of contract policing. In considering the ways in which economies of scale may help to manage the costs of municipal policing, White’s (2022) proposal to consolidate seven cities’ police departments on California’s Monterey Peninsula suggests that consolidation controls costs by reducing redundant positions and pension liabilities and increasing policing effectiveness by standardizing procedures and training and widening the recruitment pool for police officers across the region. Beyond the context of contract cities, research on the risks and opportunities surrounding solutions for municipalities grappling with rising law enforcement costs abound. For example, Gascon and Fogleson (2010) took the concept of economies of scale one step further, arguing that law enforcement would be the most cost-effective and responsive to communities by entering into closer dialogue with other public and nonprofit agencies that have a shared goal of supporting public safety. The authors offered examples ranging from introducing public hotlines that divert non-emergency needs away from law enforcement and to relevant city agencies to telephonic rather than in-person police responses to issues like low-level traffic collisions and A-4 5 burglaries. These approaches, they noted, would “start eliminating redundancies in the criminal justice system [...] in ways that might give birth to new and more broad-based problem-solving models in public safety” (13). Gascon and Fogleson’s proposal dialogues with the localized approaches to cost management, offering ways in which a broader swath of public agencies and citizens may work toward a shared goal of public safety. Collaboration can take many forms, and coming together to work on something can have many benefits that can lead to greater efficiencies. In the United Kingdom, the country's police force was mandated to produce 20% cost savings, which were achieved via collaboration in support functions (HMIC, 2012). About one-third of collaboration projects were with the public and private sectors and involved non-frontline functions, office functions, and support services (HMIC, 2012). In the United States, there are also collaborations in the realm of social services. In a Social Justice Brief published by the National Association of Social Workers, Wilson and Wilson make the case that police functions revolving around social issues, such as drug abuse, homelessness, and mental illness, should be provided by professionals in these fields (2003). They present an array of police reforms, such as expanding “pre-arrest diversion programs, crisis intervention responses, behavioral health interventions,” and diverting 911 calls to hotlines that do not employ police, which can produce cost savings while ensuring people get the help they need (Wilson and Wilson, 2003, p. 9). For example, the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) program in Eugene, Oregon, has, over the past 30 years, diverted five to eight percent of 911 calls to a crisis line, saving approximately $1.23 million in costs (Waters, 2021). Collaborations with the private sector have also played an important role in technological improvements. For example, some police departments have cut costs by using technologies such A-5 6 as cameras that can replace the need for a police officer (Gascon, 2010). At the same time, multiple state-specific and national studies indicate the effectiveness of automated speed cameras in reducing speed and speed-related crashes, boding well for the public safety impacts of technological advancements like speed cameras (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). ALTERNATIVES: Based on the broader context of public safety risks and opportunities defined above, this report provides the likely outcomes of key options available to RPV. Rather than separate each individual option into its own category, this report recommends a suite of actions that will holistically address the problem at hand. As such, we have offered alternatives in a similar format. Given this format, there are myriad alternative scenarios not listed here, given the possibility of choosing one or more individual options from each menu. Table: Comparison of Options for Addressing Rising Public Safety Costs in RPV Cost Effectiveness Impact on Public Safety Political Viability Maintain status quo: Maintain the LASD contract as-is, without exploring changes to the contract, consolidating services with other cities, or expanding community-based law enforcement capacity. Unlikely to alter the current cost- effectiveness of the LASD contract, but may negatively impact RPV’s long- term financial health. It would not address concerns and gaps surrounding the LASD contract in terms of rising police costs and how police spend their time in RPV. Unlikely to experience significant pushback given the lack of change from the status quo. There is a risk of the existing contract becoming unpopular if costs continue to rise. Alternative 1: Explore bringing law enforcement in-house or consolidating/ regionalizing law Research indicates that in-house police departments are more expensive than contract policing. Could positively impact public safety by shortening response times, decreasing the Although RPV’s latest budget projections indicate that expenditures are outpacing revenue, A-6 7 enforcement with other peninsula cities. While consolidation or regionalization is generally more cost- effective than in- house law enforcement, this option is closer to in- house policing than contracting alone and is thus likely less cost-effective than the status quo, at least over the short term. number of vacant positions (such as traffic police), and increasing the efficiency of the force. There is, however, a risk of no impact or a negative impact given the lack of research on cities transitioning from contracts to consolidation. the political viability of overhauling the current LASD contract in favor of bringing police enforcement back in- house is likely to be low. This is also likely to be the most administratively complex alternative, which could present additional political and cost implications. Alternative 2: Explore changes to the LASD contract, which may include contracting an external agency to conduct a study or joining forces with other contract cities to lobby for changes to the contract terms. It could take a significant amount of time and resources, which could negatively affect overall cost- effectiveness. While the goal is to save money on the contract, there is no guarantee that lobbying efforts or research findings would achieve this aim. Could positively contribute to public safety by improving communication between law enforcement and contract cities. Given budget projections, the urgency of addressing LASD contract rates could make it easier to convince both government officials and members of the public of the need to re-examine the LASD contract. Recommendation: Expand volunteer and community-based law enforcement capacity, implement new programs, and explore new public safety technologies. The recommendation can stunt the city’s public safety expenditure growth rate by alleviating the need for non-relief units and supplementing the city’s revenues with grants The recommendation can alleviate the time sworn police officers spend on non- essential police functions and thus, positively impact public safety in the city The recommendation is politically feasible, as public safety levels will be enhanced given the increased time for officers to focus on essential functions. While LASD service units could decrease, this would likely be counteracted by an increased community policing presence. A-7 8 1. Maintain status quo: Maintain the LASD contract as-is, without exploring changes to the contract, consolidating services with other cities, or expanding community-based law enforcement capacity. Advantages: ● Cost-Effectiveness: The literature shows that it is a more cost-efficient option to contract police services in comparison to funding an independent police department (Nelligan and Bourns, 2011). ● Political Viability: RPV's current system is unlikely to face resistance from decision- makers and the public because of its long-standing operation, high public safety rates, and the local control provided by the City Manager and the Peninsula Public Safety Committee. Disadvantages: ● Cost-Effectiveness: In the long term, the status quo could harm RPV's finances as police costs increase. In 2021, 27% of RPV's budget was allocated to public safety, and the city's 2023 10-year Financial Forecast projects that RPV's expenses will surpass its revenues (City of Rancho Palos Verdes, 2022; Rancho Palos Verdes, 2022). ● Failing to explore other options may limit the city's capacity to find cost-effective alternatives that can ensure RPV's financial stability. ● Impact on Public Safety: Maintaining the status quo ignores inconsistent police presence and how officers spend their time. Police officers spend only 4% of their time responding to violent crimes and 35% on non-violent crimes, leaving most of their time for administrative tasks that could be performed by individuals without the same level of A-8 9 public safety training (Asher and Horwitz, 2020). This prioritization of non-violent crime over violent crime calls negatively affects public safety. The current LASD contract contains gaps that may impact public safety. For example, the Non-Relief Units are composed of a specific deputy assigned to a position. However, if the deputy is off-duty or not reporting to work due to illness or a vacation, the position is not filled. Those vital positions are at risk of not being consistently filled and can impact service quality and public safety (Bañales, 2023). 2. Alternative 1: Explore bringing law enforcement entirely in-house or consolidating/ regionalizing law enforcement with other peninsula cities. Advantages: ● Impact on Public Safety: While there have been studies that indicate contract cities tend to experience what seems to be positive aspects of contracting, many researchers note that because of inconsistencies with data, the effects and reasons behind such trends within contract cities are an understudied phenomenon (Nelligan and Bourns, 2011). Such research has also been noted not to have examined equity implications or effectiveness of law enforcement contracts beyond crime and clearance rates. Given that the effects of contract cities are an understudied phenomenon, exploring an in-house police force or a consolidated and regionalized police force could make a positive impact on public safety by shortening response times, decreasing the number of vacant positions (such as traffic police), and increasing the efficiency of the overall force. However, it should be noted that just as there could be a positive impact, there is also the risk that there would be no impact or a negative impact. Disadvantages: A-9 10 ● Cost-Effectiveness: Based on previous studies and research, it is likely that bringing law enforcement entirely in-house or consolidating law enforcement with other peninsula cities will not lead to lower costs or crime rates. Previous studies within California have concluded that contracting out law enforcement services led to lower expenditures and improvements in crime clearance rates (Nelligan and Bourns, 2011; Corsaro et al., 2017). In a study that analyzed city and municipality data from 2001 to 2005 in both Northern and Southern California, the researchers found that the contract cities they surveyed, on average, had a higher clearance rate for violent crimes than in department cities (Nelligan and Bourns, 2011). Overall, studies have found that contracting is less expensive per capita, on average, than a municipality paying for its own police department. ● Political Viability: Although RPV’s latest budget projections indicated that the city’s expenditures are outpacing its revenue, the political viability of overhauling the current LASD contract in favor of bringing police enforcement back in-house is predicted to be low. There is no major indication that the public is dissatisfied with the current system. This could make it more difficult for local government officials to not only implement potential changes but even bring such a potential resolution as an option. Bringing law enforcement in-house or consolidating law enforcement with other peninsula cities would be a major change to RPV, which has been contracting from LASD since its inception in 1973. Given its history with its LASD contract and no prior history with an in-house or consolidated police department, political support would be hard to garner. A-10 11 3. Alternative 2: Explore changes to the LASD contract, which may include contracting a study or joining forces with other contract cities to lobby for changes to the contract terms. Advantages: ● Impact on Public Safety: Although contract cities are very common in California, many researchers have indicated that given the nuance of the different impacts of contracting out, gaining more insight into both the positive and negative effects and the consequences on other parties is needed. Such research is also a primary way that cities can optimize the performance of their police departments. Funding an effort to do so in RPV could Provide a better understanding of the impacts, both positive and negative, of the current system and a potential new system. Contracting a study or joining forces with other contract cities to lobby for changes can amount to an overall increase in communication between law enforcement and the regions and cities they serve and pinpoint both positive and negative strategies. ● Political Viability: Given budget projections, the level of urgency to address budget concerns with regard to the contract could be high, making it easier to convince both government officials and members of the public of the need to conduct a review of the LASD contract. Disadvantages: ● Cost-Effectiveness: The undertaking of a review of RPV’s current LASD contract, as well as the system currently in place, could take a significant amount of time and resources. After the review has been conducted, the analysis will most likely also be time- and resource-intensive, depending on how thorough the review and report are. A-11 12 4. Recommendation: Expand the city’s public safety unit by supplementing its current offerings with volunteer and community-based law enforcement, new programs that can effectively address nonessential police functions, and new public safety technologies to reduce the time police spend on nonessential police functions. The city can expand community policing by formalizing the existing Neighborhood Watch group and Volunteers on Patrol program. This expansion of volunteers could help with nonessential police functions such as burglary and other reports, vacation checks, traffic enforcement, and increased optics, some of which have been seen on a smaller scale in RPV (Bañales, 2023; HMIC, 2012). New programs could be implemented to focus on specific areas, such as a parking citation unit and informational campaigns that divert 911 calls to the appropriate hotlines. The city could also collaborate with professionals, such as social workers who can provide alternatives to nonessential police functions. An internal public safety unit could oversee these programs and apply for grants to subsidize the costs. Finally, the city could explore new technologies like traffic cameras to address issues with speeding. These options have been successfully implemented in other cities, resulting in cost-effective solutions (Gascon, 2010, HMIC, 2012; Wilson and Wilson, 2003). Advantages: ● Cost-Effectiveness: The recommendation can stunt the city’s public safety expenditure growth rate by alleviating the need for non-relief units, such as a paid motorcycle deputy, and by supplementing the city’s revenues with grants available for some of these supplemental options. ● Impact on Public Safety: Recommendations can alleviate the time sworn police officers spend on non-essential police functions and thus positively impact public safety in the A-12 13 city due to the extra time they may have available to address major crimes (Asher and Horwitz, 2021). ● Political Viability: The recommendation is politically feasible as existing police services and public safety levels will not be altered but enhanced due to the increased time sworn police officers will have to focus on essential police functions. Disadvantages: ● Cost-Effectiveness: New technologies may require significant upfront costs. Moreover, volunteer and community-based law enforcement teams may increase the city’s liabilities due to accidents that may occur while these volunteers perform their work. Both of these may result in high costs. ● Impact on Public Safety: Community policing volunteers may be unreliable and impact public safety negatively. Moreover, there is no guarantee that new technologies will maintain RPV’s high public safety rating. RECOMMENDATION: We recommend that the City increase its volunteer and community- based law enforcement capacity, develop new programs internally and externally with other entities in areas such as traffic enforcement and emergency response campaigns, and consider adopting new public safety technologies such as speeding cameras. By doing so, the City may be able to reduce its public safety spending, as seen in the literature, while improving public safety, which could increase its political viability. However, there may be some upfront costs associated with technology implementation and potential liability risks associated with volunteer work. On the other hand, maintaining the status quo could maintain political viability and public safety, but it would not address the issue of increasing public safety spending, which could significantly impact the City's financial health. In addition, exploring changes to the LASD A-13 14 contract could gain significant political support due to the urgency of addressing rising expenditures and the possibility of discovering innovative alternatives to policing. However, this approach would require significant time and resources and may not necessarily result in feasible and cost-effective alternatives. Finally, in-house law enforcement or regionalizing law enforcement would be the least feasible option due to the high cost and unknown impact on public safety, resulting in low political viability. This option would require a significant undertaking by the City. While the recommended alternative shows great potential due to case studies of cities utilizing these alternatives successfully, more research is needed on the likelihood of success in contract cities implementing these proposed solutions. Lastly, it is important to note that cost savings can vary due to many local factors and the specific police function in question. Thus, more information is needed regarding how much the city could save. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN: Step 1: Establish a Commission In the next 2-3 months the City should establish a commission to provide oversight of RPV's police, community-oriented policing policies, and community engagement programs. This should be made up of community members and representatives from RPV officers and LASD. Step 2: Expand RPV’s Community Policing Program The City should establish a pilot community program, within a two-month time span, that examines the expansion of volunteer programs to assist with non-violent crimes, including but not limited to crime prevention, security and patrols, and outreach and education. This will require the hiring of additional staff to facilitate and manage volunteer programs. Step 3 Develop Social Services Strategies A-14 15 Once the specifics of the expansion of the community-policing program are set, the department and city officials should network with local organizations to communicate to the public the availability of service programs that can serve as alternatives for policing for the purpose of better assisting vulnerable populations with programs such as welfare checks, mental health services, addiction help, and crisis intervention. This step will be an ongoing process as the commission continuously networks to learn, grow, and improve its program. Step 4: Improve Technology Usage Within one to two years, the City should develop and implement new technologies to improve public safety. This may include introducing traffic light technology, speed bumps, and an integrated dispatch team. The expansion of technological resources and analytical abilities can help officers engage in more targeted policing strategies with a focus on crime prevention. 5: Engage with The Public The City should engage extensively with the public by updating citizens on plans for improvements in policing, social services initiatives, and new technologies. Publicizing outreach efforts through surveys and town hall meetings will encourage residents to actively participate in expanding community-oriented public safety in RPV. The commission should engage with the public over the course of the project, welcoming stakeholder feedback to improve delivery. Step 6: Finalize Implementation Plan Within five to six months, the implementation plan should be finalized with broad community input. It should include a detailed budget outlining expected expenditures for additional staff and volunteer collateral, equipment, technology investments, and proposed funding sources such as grants, and federal and state funding for social services. A-15 16 ACTION: By retaining the current LASD law contract while simultaneously expanding its internal public safety capacity, RPV law enforcement can improve policing services through the implementation of new technologies and support for social services. Community participation in volunteer efforts and outreach will promote a collaborative approach to crime prevention, while a newly established oversight commission will ensure accountability and the highest level of transparency in policing services. The possible next action step would be to establish a commission to further study and produce targeted recommendations. A-16 17 References Asher, J. and Horwitz, B. (2020). How Do the Police Actually Spend Their Time? New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/upshot/unrest-police-time-violent- crime.html Bañales, K. (2023). City of Rancho Palos Verdes [Slide show]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Automated Speed Camera Enforcement. https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/calculator/factsheet/speed.html (Accessed April 8, 2023.) City of Rancho Palos Verdes. (2022). Adopted Annual Budget For Fiscal Year 2022- 2023. In City of Rancho Palos Verdes. https://www.rpvca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18656/FY-2022-23-Adopted- Budget?bidId= Corsaro, N., and Wilson, J. M. (2017). The effects of police contracting on crime: An examination of Compton, California. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 14(1), 59– 81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-017-9310-6 Gascon, G. and Foglesong, T. (2010, December). Making Policing More Affordable: Managing Costs and Measuring Value in Policing. U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Justice Programs. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/making-police-more- affordable-managing-costs-and-measuring-value HMIC. (2012). Increasing efficiency in the Police Service: The role of collaboration. In His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (No. 978-1- 84987-604–9). His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. A-17 18 https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/media/increasing-efficiency-in-the- police-service.pdf Martin, B. and Gumbs, A. (2021) How much do California cities spend on policing?, Public Policy Institute of California. Public Policy Institute of California. https://www.ppic.org/blog/how-much-do-california-cities-spend-on-policing/ (Accessed: March 19, 2023). Matrix Consulting Group. (2019, March 11). Analysis of Contract Law Enforcement Services Costs and Methodology for Contract Cities: Orange County Contract Cities, California – Final Report. City of San Clemente. https://www.san- clemente.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=51174 Nelligan, P. J., and Bourns, W. (2011). Municipal Contracting With County Sheriffs for Police Services in California: Comparison of Cost and Effectiveness. Police Quarterly, 14(1), 70–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098611110393133 Rancho Palos Verdes. (2022). 2023 Financial Model [PowerPoint slides]. Strapped Cities that Hired the Sheriff… Is It Working? (2013, July). San Mateo Court. Retrieved February 12, 2023 from https://www.sanmateocourt.org/documents/grand_jury/2012/policing_services.pdf. Urban Institute (February 27, 2023). Criminal Justice Expenditures: Police, corrections, and courts. https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-init ative/state-and-local-backgrounders/criminal-justice-police-corrections-courts-expenditu es. Waters, R. (2021). Enlisting Mental Health Workers, Not Cops, In Mobile Crisis Response. A-18 19 Health Affairs, 40(6), 864–869. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00678 White, D.M. (2022, July). Creating Public Value Through Consolidation of Law Enforcement Services: A Comparative Case Study and Proposal for Consolidating the Seven Municipal Police Departments on California’s Monterey Peninsula (Publication No. 29325818.) [Doctoral dissertation, University of La Verne]. Proquest Dissertations. https://www.rpvca.gov/1030/Crime-Reports Wilson, A., and Wilson, M. (2003). Reimagining Policing: Strategies for Community Reinvestment : Pre-Arrest Diversion; and Innovative Approaches to 911 Emergency Responses. National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=GjXJr6rDzss%3D&portalid=0 A-19