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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 5.E 01/04/2016Agenda Item #5.E , 44 DATE: January 4, 2016 TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager FROM: Patrick Williams, Chief of Police SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing a Grant Funded Police Officer Position Allocation to Address Illegal Dump Sites RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution Authorizing a Grant Funded Police Officer Position Allocation to Address Illegal Dump Sites. BACKGROUND The Police Department has long tried to address the public health, public safety, residential and business area quality of life issues, and environmental impacts from homeless and transient encampments throughout the City. The current trends indicate that 40% to 50% of the Police Department's daily police calls for service involve the homeless and transient population. The latest census regarding the homeless population in Petaluma showed that Petaluma is statistically higher than other cities in the North Bay and has recorded nearly 21% of the homeless population in Sonoma County. The high number of licensed alcohol establishments, combined with the services available to the homeless, has created a significant increase in the number of homeless and transients that have come to Petaluma. Many of these individuals refuse treatment or help, choose to abuse drugs and alcohol, and engage in criminal acts. With this increase in the homeless and transient population comes a large problem with illegal camping sites that become dump sites for human waste, refuse, debris, furniture, contraband, hazardous materials, narcotics and paraphernalia. Such conditions create or contribute to environmental pollution of land, water sources, and water ways impacting endangered wildlife. Within the 14 square miles of the City limits there are numerous open spaces and rural areas with hills and trees that create and conceal ideal illegal camp and dumping sites. The US 101 freeway interchanges, the Petaluma River, and numerous creeks are host to more than a hundred common locations for these dump sites. Policing this problem and abating the illegal dumping has been an ongoing struggle for the Department for more than 20 years. Traditional policing models utilize on -duty officers with available time to patrol, enforce, and coordinate clean -up. With the increase in calls for service combined with fewer staff, available time has been reduced to less than 15 %, or 9 minutes every hour. In modern policing 15% or less available time is considered to be essentially zero time for problem- oriented community policing efforts. The Police Department uses overtime to deploy officers to address the problem. This strategy is effective for enforcement, but without a clean- up mechanism, offenders who are arrested for creating or maintaining illegal dump sites return to the camps and continue the illegal dumping. These illegal dump sites have been as small as a one person contained tent and as large as several hundred feet along the river or creek. Some have been cleaned by hand with trash bags, and others have required a back hoe tractors, bull dozers, large dumpster and even a dump truck. DISCUSSION Staffing constraints limit effectiveness and the ability to address this increasing community challenge. A rising crime rate, increased calls for service, and the volume of environmental impacts described below require a dedicated response. Central to this response is the addition of one (1) full time grant- funded police officer. Joining this new position will be a police officer made available through the elimination of our dedicated commercial enforcement officer assignment. Working together these officers will bring relief to our patrol staff and effect positive change in our community by focusing on the challenges outlined below. Illegal dump sites and homeless encampments can be detrimental to public health and safety. At these sites staff has found human waste, food waste, garbage and other debris, and property often removed or stolen from homes or businesses. The dump sites created by homeless encampments often host common pests and rodents. Many residents of these encampments do not/are not able to practice safe hygiene, and others suffer from illness and diseases that may be contagious. Additionally, many of these sites are located in creek beds, along the banks of creeks and the river, and near walking paths, parks, and schools. Children have been found playing in these areas, and have walked into or near these sites with hazardous waste, contraband, and illegal drugs. The abatement of these illegal dump sites is necessary to protect public health. In Petaluma illegal dumping and encampment issues are widespread and not centralized in one part of the City, thereby contributing to visual blights, and public and environmental health hazards. The proliferation of encampments, and the inability to consistently respond to such, contribute to the increase in sites, and negatively impact crime prevention efforts. Because the areas are remote and inaccessible, they often attract criminal offenders who hide in these places and prey on the vulnerable shelterless, as well as the broader community. The Police Department's efforts at enforcement and clean -up have led to the discovery of many different offenders who create, maintain, and leave illegal dump sites they once called home. The contacts and arrests have led to the discovery of sexual predators, registered sex /narcotics /arson offenders, violent felons, wanted fugitives, and parole and probation violators. Officers respond into remote areas to investigate a variety of crimes. In doing so, they enter into areas of hazards that range from booby- traps, blackberry bushes, and poison oak, to make -shift structures of stolen materials. 2 Local experience with these hazardous conditions demonstrates the risk to the safety of the Police Department staff and why a sworn officer is needed for enforcement and outreach. Beyond the risk to enforcement and compliance officers is the loss of human life for those living on the streets who are exposed to the elements without proper shelter. There were 21 death investigations involving the homeless between 2010 and 2014. A majority of these investigations found the cause of death to include exposure to the elements and chronic abuse of alcohol and drugs. If this action is approved, beyond clean -up, the additional officer will focus on reducing the number of homeless deaths by eliminating the encampments through clean up and referral of those in camps to the services available to them. In addition to the positive impact on human life, the reduction of crime will also be a benefit. Crime and arrest statistics between 2011 and 2014 demonstrate how serious the increases are and how significant the reductions in crime will be. These statistics do not include the approximate 30% increase in property crimes that we know are committed by those in this population, but in most cases cannot prove. If we encourage those who want help and conduct themselves appropriately and discourage those that do not through enforcement and removal of illegal encampments, the following crime trends will be reduced dramatically and lives will be saved. Calendar year 2014 has seen a dramatic increase in the crimes committed by the homeless population: PLACE /ETC POLLUTANT NEAR STATE WATERS - 5652 FG 0 0 1 9 800.0% 10 DISORDERLY CONDUCT:LOITERING - 647 (E) PC 0 6 13 81 523.1% 100 DISORDERLY CONDUCT:LOITER PRIVATE PROP- 647 (H) PC 5 3 7 16 128.6% 31 VIOLATION OF PROBATION - ALCOHOL - 1203.2 PC 42 67 82 94 14.6% 285 DISORDERLY CONDUCT ALCOHOL RELATED - 647 (G) PC 0 0 19 19 0.0% 38 TRESPASS:000UPY PROPERTY W/O CONSENT - 602 PC* 24 32 60 53 -11.7% 169 PUBLIC INTOXICATION - 647 (F) PC* 201 195 175 143 -18.3% 714 *Both of these violations have been impacted by the increase in calls for service and the decrease in available time for officers to proactively address these cases. Officers are forced to work in a reactive mode to call for service of a higher priority and are forced to drive by violations they would normally want to stop and address or patrol to deter. While public health and safety are serious issues, stewardship of and care for the environment is essential. The attached map shows the large area of impact that illegal encampments have on the environment. The map shows the illegal dump sites and their relation to the Petaluma River Watershed, a protected area for the endangered Steelhead Trout. Illegal dumping and illegal encampments place undue stress on the environment and threatens the City's ability to comply with environmental regulations. These encampments often destroy the pristine areas, even after cleanup efforts with the impromptu roads created to access the 3 areas, the disruption to the surrounding areas, wildlife and habitat, and unfortunately with the impacts of the cleanup efforts themselves. An interactive map has been created to demonstrate the scope of this problem: https : / /xaral- 4.cityofpetaluma.net /homeless tour / #. This officer position will be used to survey, inspect, refer, enforce, remove, and coordinate the cleanup of the currently known and unknown illegal dump sites. It is paramount that these abatement steps be taken swiftly with consistent monitoring to be sure the ground regained, cleaned, and restored does not return to a dump site. This officer position will also be used to leverage existing relationships and resources in the area to find creative solutions for clean -up efforts. Whenever possible the police department will work with community partners and use their resources to clean up the dump sites. FINANCIAL IMPACTS The Police Department previously applied to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) in March 2015 to fund a police officer position for two years, but was unsuccessful at that time. The Police Department applied again in August of 2015, and on November 18, 2015 was awarded a $500,000 grant to be used by June 30, 2018. The grant provides $170,000 annually for 2 years to fund a police officer. The total amount of $340,000 must be expended by June 30, 2018. The total cost of assigning a police officer full - time to address these issues is $174,973.12, annually, which is $4,973.12 more than the grant provides. The difference will be paid by asset seizure funds. The current balance of the Asset Seizure Fund is $222,929.The additional appropriation of $4,973.12 from the Asset Seizures fund will be presented with the mid -year budget adjustments in February. If it is retained, in FY 2018 -19 this allocated position would need to be funded in its entirety through the General Fund, unless an alternate funding source can be identified in the meantime. ATTACHMENTS 1. Resolution 2. Resolution No. 2015 -021 N.C.S 4 ATTACHMENT 1 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A GRANT FUNDED POLICE OFFICER POSITION ALLOCATION TO ADDRESS ILLEGAL DUMP SITES WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma community provides resources for the shelterless and has had as much as 21 % of the homeless population in Sonoma County; and WHEREAS, the quality of life in Petaluma has been significantly impacted by illegal camp and dump sites created by the homeless and transient population that continues to erode public health, public safety, and the environment; and WHEREAS, the Police Department lacks the resources to effectively address this issue; and, WHEREAS, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has awarded the City of Petaluma a $500,000 grant to provide the resources to survey, enforce, and clean -up illegal dumps and camping sites in the City of Petaluma; and, WHEREAS, the Police Department has secured two years of funding for a police officer to address illegal dump sites created by illegal encampments by the homeless and transient population. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Petaluma hereby: 1. Authorizes the allocation of a grant funded Police Officer positon. Resolution No. 2015 -021 N.C.S. of the City of Petaluma, California ATTACHMENT 2 AUTHORIZING THE SUBMITTAL OF APPLICATIONS) TO CALRE CYCLE FOR ALL GRANTS FOR WHICH THE CITY OF PETALUMA IS ELIGIBLE, AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL GRANT RELATED DOCUMENTS FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION WHEREAS, Public Resources Code sections 40000 et seq. authorizes the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), formerly known as the California Integrated Waste Management Board, to administer various Grant Programs (grants) in the furtherance of the State of California's (State) efforts to reduce, recycle and reuse solid waste generated in the State therby preserving landfill capacity and protecting public health and safety and the environment, and WHEREAS, procedures established by CalRecycle require each Applicant's governing body to certify by resolution its approval of the submittal of a grant Application(s) to CalRecycle; and WHEREAS, if awarded, the City of Petaluma will enter into a Grant Agreement with CalRecycle for implementation of said Grant(s). NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Petaluma, as follows: 1. The City of Petaluma authorizes the submittal of application(s) to CalRecycle for all grants for which the City of Petaluma is eligible. 2. The City Manager), or his designee is hereby authorized and empowered to execute in the name of the City of Petaluma all grant documents, including but not limited to, applications, agreements, amendments, policies and requests for payment, necessary to secure grant funds and implement the approved grant project; and Resolution No. 2015 -021 N.C.S. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these authorizations are effective for five (5) years from the date of adoption of this resolution. Under the power and authority conferred upon this Council by the Charter of'said City REFERENCE: f hereby certily the foregoing Resolution was introduced and adopted by the Approved a:fto Council of the City or Petaluma at a Regular meeting on the 23`d day of February, form: 2015, by the rolloNving vote: 1 City Alt ont y AYES: Albertson, Barrett, Mayor Glass, Flealy, Kearney, King, Vice Mayor Miller NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None ATTEST: 0-"Lo—'L� City Clerk T ayor Resolution No. 201 5 -021 N.C.S. a'