REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: PACO BALDERRAMA, Chief of Police
Police Department
BY: PHILLIP COOLEY, Deputy Police Chief
Administrative Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the 2021 Community Policing Development (CPD) De-Escalation Training grant program
1. Authorize the Chief of Police to accept $200,000 in grant funding for the 2021 Community Policing Development (CPD) De-Escalation Training grant awarded to the Fresno Police Department from the U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
2. ***RESOLUTION - Adopt the 1st Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2022-154 appropriating $200,000 for the Police Department’s 2021 Community Policing Development (CPD) De-Escalation Training grant (requires five affirmative votes) (subject to Mayor’s veto)
3. RESOLUTION - Adopt Resolution approving an exception to formal bidding procedures and award a sole source purchase agreement for a de-escalation training simulator
4. Approve the award of a sole source purchase agreement with VirTra for the purchase of a de-escalation training simulator in the amount of $148,429.42
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that Council authorize acceptance of $200,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, allowing the Chief of Police or his designee to enter into and execute the agreement and any amendments or modifications, adopt the 1st Amendment to AAR No 2024-154 to appropriate $200,000 funding into the FY 2023 budget, and approve the award of a sole source purchase agreement with VirTra to provide a de-escalation training simulator in the amount of $148,429.42. Funds have been awarded for the 2021 Community Policing Development (CPD) De-Escalation grant to the Fresno Police Department.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Fresno has been awarded grant funds of $200,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The Regional Training Center is responsible for providing training to nearly 800 Fresno Police Officers, as well as other officers in our region. In 2022, the FPD Regional Training Center projects nearly 7,000 students will attend training at the facility, and with the recent law updates, we expect the demand by students to only increase. Use of Force Training which is mandated under Block V of the P.O.S.T. “Perishable Skill Program” training and to align with Senate Bill 230 coupling that with meaningful De-Escalation training is both mandated by law and an expectation of the public.
The in-house training to our sworn officers and civilian personnel as well as other agencies within the Central Valley will include managing stress, burnout, coping, resiliency and crisis intervention and stress management. The grant period is from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2023.
BACKGROUND
Law enforcement use of force has long been a topic of national and local discussion, especially when a high-profile case heightens community awareness. The concept of de-escalation has been a part of law enforcement use of force discussions for decades. De-escalation refers to the range of verbal and nonverbal skills used to slow down the sequence of events, enhance situational awareness, conduct proper threat assessments, and allow for better decision-making to deduce the likelihood that a situation will escalate into a physical confrontation or injury and to ensure the safest possible outcomes. De-escalation includes aspects of communication and physical tactics, but it is also important that it actively address how community engagement, community policing, procedural justice, and efforts to co-produce public safety are critically important to ensuring police-community encounters that are safe for everyone. Finally, it is important that an agency-wide approach to de-escalation effectively enable individual-level de-escalation tactics as well as effective policies and procedures for oversight and management that are informed by the community.
The Officers assigned to the Fresno Police Department Regional Training Center (RTC) will conduct one 4-hour long de-escalation training for the 800 sworn personnel within the agency on an overtime basis. Due to an update of Peace Officers Commissions Standards Training (POST) and Senate Bill 230 all officers are required to attend an updated POST certified de-escalation training. Members of the RTC staff have an approved course outline that will be taught during the de-escalation training. Due to the number of officers who need to complete the updated de- escalation training, there will be a need to conduct most if not all of the trainings on an overtime basis. Adjunct trainers will also be utilized to fulfill this update training. In the event outside agencies within the Central Valley do not have the capacity to meet this update, they will be invited to attend the training the RTC at no charge. All other fringe costs including Medicare will be charged to the general fund.
The RTC would like to purchase a VirTra simulator to replace the InVeris system. In contrast to the InVeris system, VirTra does not utilize VR but instead projects a realistic scenario onto a large screen. The screen area encompasses an operational field of view with life-like role players and reactions, and allows for scene branching which creates multiple possible outcomes depending on the officer’s performance, with de-escalation being the primary objective. Key features of the system are the ability to measure “Implicit Bias” and certain scenarios are based on “Force Science Institute” studies, which will measure threat reaction times while giving feedback on an appropriate response. The firearms and less lethal options are life-like which provides a more realistic training by replicating size, weight, recoil function, low-light/flashlight options, etc. By replicating real-life situations, this allows the trainee access to more than two force options, unlike the InVeris system. This realistic simulation is important when assessing skill acquisition and skill transfer. The system has approximately 1,000 built in scenarios which include de-escalation and dealing with people in crisis, the mentally disturbed and disabled, and people with autism.
The VirTra system has been tested and incorporates a science-based approach. It has been endorsed by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. It is a high-quality content and has clearly defined training objectives and curriculum versus just a list of scenarios. With a library of approximately 1,000 scenarios with multiple branch options, it is possible the trainee will never see the same scenario twice. VirTra has created these scenarios with many of them already approved through International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standard and Training. The scenarios have been reviewed, tested, and proven to be a credible training asset backed by the association. The system is currently used by the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.
Staff recommends the City to suspend the competitive bidding requirement in this instance and to authorize the Purchasing Manager to approve the purchase of one VirTra de-escalation training simulator under the sole source exception.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable because this is a sole source purchase.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be no net impact to the general fund. The grant provides full cost recovery for all operations, training, and equipment for this program during the period of the grant. Expenses will be claimed and reimbursed on a quarterly basis.
Attachments: Grant Agreement
1st Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2022-154
Sole Source Resolution