REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
August 20, 2015
FROM: JERRY P. DYER, Chief of Police
Police Department
BY: PATRICK FARMER, Deputy Chief
Investigative Services Division
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the First Amendment to Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the County of Fresno and Friends of Calwa for projects identified in the 2014 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grant program agreement with California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve the first amendments for two separate MOUs with the County of Fresno and Friends of Calwa to complete their respective projects identified in the 2014 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grant program agreement. The MOUs were approved by Council on March 5, 2015.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United States Department of Justice, through CalOES, awarded the City of Fresno $450,000 in grant funding for the PSN Task Force to support a civil gang injunction, dedicate jail beds for gang and gun related offenders, create a Gangs & Illegal Guns public service announcement campaign, and implement a youth development program. The Fresno Police Department, in partnership with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, will coordinate enforcement and prosecution for gun/gang offenders. The grant will also include an educational component in the form of a youth development program facilitated by a local community based organization, and a project evaluation by California State University, Fresno. The grant performance period began on January 1, 2015, and concludes on July 31, 2017.
These proposed amendments are necessary to comply with CalOES’s requests that we modify our current agreements to include specific language regarding the dedicated jail beds for gang and gun violators and for the “Nature and Nurture” program through Friends of Calwa. All modifications have been vetted and approved by the funder.
BACKGROUND
The citizens of the City of Fresno and Fresno County continue to be impacted by gang violence and gang-related crimes. Reducing gang and gun violence requires a true multi-discipline collaborative community effort. The Fresno Police Department was recently awarded $450,000 in 2014 PSN grant funding to assist in our efforts to reduce gang violence and gang related shootings. Grant funds will augment MAGEC and the PSN Task Force by adding support for a civil gang injunction in identified gang-impacted neighborhoods, dedicating jail beds for gang/gun offenders, creating a public service announcement campaign, and implementing a youth development program. Grant funds will also purchase direct project supplies for use by the Fresno Ceasefire staff, and fund training and overtime for enforcement operations related to gangs, gang violence, and illegal firearms.
A media campaign through Valley Crimestoppers will be implemented to report gang activity and encourage current active gang members and associates to change their lifestyle. PSN grant requirements mandate a portion of funding be designated for a community based youth organization. Friends of Calwa, will implement “Nature and Nurture,” a positive youth development program for children ages 11 to 15 residing in the targeted area. We have identified California State University, Fresno as our research partner to fulfill the 20% grant mandate to incorporate a research component for the project.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered because the grant agreement is funded by state and federal programs.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for this program will have no net impact on the City of Fresno’s general fund. This is a reimbursement-based grant and all expenditures will be reimbursed on a quarterly basis. No additional personnel will be hired. There are no future obligations once the performance period has expired and all funds expended.
Attachments:
1st Amendment to MOU with County of Fresno
1st Amendment to MOU with Friends of Calwa