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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-183-1129 - US Dept of Justice Grant City of Miami Gardens Agenda Cover Memo Council Meeting Date: October 14, 2009 Item Type: (Enter X in box) Resolution Ordinance Other X Fiscal Impact: (Enter X in box) Yes No Ordinance Reading: (Enter X in box) 1st Reading 2nd Reading X Public Hearing: (Enter X in box) Yes No Yes No Funding Source: N/A Advertising Requirement: (Enter X in box) Yes No Contract/P.O. Required: (Enter X in box) Yes No RFP/RFQ/Bid #: X Sponsor Name Dr. Danny Crew, City Manager Department: Police Department Short Title: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF ONE HUNDRED NINETY FOUR THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY DOLLARS ($194,720.00) FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE ANY AND ALL STEPS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO ACCEPT THE GRANT AWARD; PROVIDING FOR THE ADOPTION OF REPRESENTATIONS; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE Staff Summary: The Miami Gardens Police Department has applied for and been awarded grant funding from the United United States Department of Justice in the amount of $194,720. These funds are to be used in furtherance of enhanced operation initiatives throughout the Department. The funding will be utilized to supplement the overtime budgets of the Investigations, Training, Operations and Community Policing Divisions to carry out additional enforcement operations and training classes. The funds from this grant award will significantly assist the Department in its endeavor to continually impact criminal activity and be progressive in our training activities. Due to the time sensitivity associated with the distribution of these funds from the Federal Government, the City was required to return the grant contract before October 5, 2009, thereby making it necessary for the City Manager to sign and submit the grant document before the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting. As such, staff is requesting that the City Council approve the grant award “nunc pro tunc”. Proposed Action: ITEM J-7) CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTION Accepting a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Justice 1515 NW 167 Street, Building 5 Suite 200 Miami Gardens, Florida 33169 That the City Council approve the attached resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with the United States Department of Justice allowing the Miami Gardens Police Department to utilize the $194,720 allocated by this grant “nunc pro tunc”. Attachment Byrne Grant Contract Byrne Grant Abstract Attachment 4 Abstract The Department is requesting funding from the Byrne Grant to implement the Miami Gardens Police Department Focus on Public Safety for FY 09 /10. The Department will utilize these funds to coordinate a variety of operational initiatives aimed at increasing public safety and crime prevention/reduction strategies. During the past year the Department has undertaken initiatives in the area of violent crime reduction, traffic and pedestrian safety and crime prevention awareness. The operational plans to be implemented have many components but have placed primary emphasis on the goal of providing a community culture of safety. Funding from this allocation will go to the furtherance of public safety which will be a major element of meeting the plan’s goals which are: • Providing a safe environment for holiday shoppers throughout the City by implementing the “Grinch Buster Program” from November 27 thru December 31, 2009. The goal of this program will be to reduce robberies and auto thefts by 10% during this time period as compared to 2008. • The Department will enhance its effectiveness by increasing the numbers of physical apprehensions made and in turn reduce crime by conducting arrest sweeps in the Investigations Division. These monthly sweeps will target those wanted for a variety of crimes including robbery, burglary and domestic violence. By dedicating resources to the apprehension of offenders the Unit will seek to raise arrest clearance rates in these targeted areas by 5% as compared to 2008. • The Operations Division will utilize the funding to proactively address criminal activity with emphasis on juvenile related crime. The Division will implement enforcement initiatives targeting truants and juvenile curfew violations in addition to special details targeting traffic enforcement and high visibility patrol. The goal of this initiative will to increase the number of truants returned and curfew violations by 10%. • Training will be conducted with the Department’s SWAT trained officers to enhance their readiness for potential terrorist or emergency response incidents. The Department currently employs no formal SWAT Team but has a cadre of SWAT trained officers. Funding will be utilized to conduct emergency response training on a monthly basis for these officers to ensure operational readiness for any critical incident. • The Department is currently engaged in minor forms of Community Policing with the intention of enhancing the program though additional funding sources. Funding will be utilized to enhance the operation of the current Community Service Unit through their attendance at Community Forums and events. Officers will target a goal of initiating five new Neighborhood Watch Programs and increasing participation in the Zero Tolerance Program by 100 new businesses. Page 1 of 1