REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: PACO BALDERRAMA, Chief of Police
Police Department
BY: MARK SALAZAR, Deputy Police Chief
Investigations Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the 2021 Project Safe Neighborhoods grant program
1. Authorize the Chief of Police to accept $374,046 in grant funding from the Office of Justice Program (OJP) through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and execute the sub award grant agreement between San Diego Association of Governments for the 2021 Project Safe Neighborhoods grant
2. ***RESOLUTION - Adopt the 32nd amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2022-154 to appropriate $124,700 for the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) 21 grant program (Requires 5 Affirmative Votes) (Subject to Mayor’s Veto)
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended the City Council authorize the Chief of Police to accept $374,046 in grant funding from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and execute the sub award grant agreement between San Diego Association of Governments for the 2021 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grant program and adopt the 32nd amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2022-154 appropriating $124,700 into the Police Department’s FY 2023 budget for the PSN grant program. The remaining grant funds will be incorporated into the FY 2024 budget.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), through BJA, awarded the City of Fresno $374,046 in grant funding for the PSN Task Force to support the funding of overtime for detectives and Fresno County District Attorney investigators and to purchase equipment to conduct long-term investigations for coordinated enforcement operations and prosecution via the existing Fresno Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) task force. The grant performance period began on October 1, 2021, and concludes on September 30, 2024.
BACKGROUND
Fresno County has a long and deep-rooted history of gun and gang violence with gangs of various ethnicities, including but not limited to Hispanic and African American. Bulldogs are Hispanic, and TWAMP and MUGG are rival African American gangs. The Bulldogs are recognized as the largest Hispanic gang with 8,000 to 10,000 members. Fresno is the birthplace for several gangs. The criminal activities of these gangs include, murder, assault with a deadly weapon (including guns), armed robbery, extortion, gun trafficking, human trafficking, identity theft/fraud and drug dealing.
Several gangs fall underneath these two groups and are at constant war both internally and with opposing sides. The African American gangs are extremely violent and have over 1,000 members. In addition to the Hispanic and African American gangs, Fresno has other gangs which account for approximately 24,000 gang members in the entire county. This number does not include associates/affiliates who are often more active than the actual members. This equates to roughly 4% of the overall population and 3% of the nation’s overall gang population.
Over the years there has been a sharp increase in shootings and homicides in the City of Fresno; as well as a significant increase in gang related shootings and homicides. In 2020, the City of Fresno experienced a 51.09% increase in shootings (374 in 2019 compared to 732 in 2020) and a significant 60.81% increase in homicides (45 in 2019 compared to 74 in 2020) (Fresno Police Department AXON Records Management System). There was also a significant increase in shootings. 193 of the shootings were gang related in 2019 compared to 313 in 2020, and 31 of the 2019 homicides were gang related compared to 53 in 2020. The gang shootings and homicides continue to be the most difficult cases to investigate due to witnesses being afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation or the suspect(s) being released. The Multi Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) estimates the total number of gang members and associates in Fresno County to be approximately 20,000-23,000, roughly 4% of the overall population of Fresno. The gang population of Fresno County comprises approximately 3% of the nation’s overall estimated gang population.
The year 2021 was a tumultuous time in the City of Fresno with notable shootings and homicides. In 2021 Fresno had a total of 687 shootings with 291 (42.3%) being gang related. We also had a total of 74 murders with (61%) being gang related. These gang related shootings and homicides are significant as they often prompt retaliation gang related shootings which sometimes result in innocent citizens being struck by gunfire. The number of shootings and homicides put a significant strain on detectives who found themselves experiencing high workload and burn out. This also affected the clearance rates of both due to detectives not having enough time to properly work the cases. We did however see a significant reduction and shootings after Operation No Fly Zone which was a 5-month long term investigation. These types of operations have been proven extremely effective as the subjects arrested remain in custody and are prosecuted for extended sentences.
This project will involve MAGEC agencies conducting intensive operations in the City of Fresno where we have seen a significant increase in gang related shootings and homicides. MAGEC will bring the expertise, personnel, equipment, and resources of numerous units/agencies. MAGEC will make maximum use of intelligence, technology, and investigative tools to gain valuable gang intelligence to assist with long-term investigations.
Grant funds will be used to purchase equipment to conduct long-term investigations by MAGEC personnel, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, and other law enforcement agencies who are part of the investigation. Grant funds will also be used to support the funding of overtime for detectives and Fresno County District Attorney investigators.
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 accepting grant funds does not include a bid or award of a construction or service contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for this program will not have a negative 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. The 32nd amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2022-154 is attached; there are no future obligations once the performance period has expired, and all funds expended.
Attachments: Sub Award Agreement
32nd amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2022-154