LEGISLATIVE ACTION ITEM
SPONSOR: Grover C. Robinson, IV, Mayor
SUBJECT:
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FY20 EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT (JAG) PROGRAM: STATE
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RECOMMENDATION:
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That City Council approve and authorize the Mayor to execute the acceptance the FY20 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program: State, agreement between the City of Pensacola and the State of Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Office of Criminal Justice Grants, in the amount of $73,132.00. Further, that City Council approve the supplemental budget resolution appropriating the grant funds.
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HEARING REQUIRED: No Hearing Required
SUMMARY:
The Pensacola Police Department (PPD) will be submitting a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Assistance, under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Formula (State) to utilize grant funding to provide overtime for the officers and to purchase speed measuring devices to increase enforcement of traffic laws in high-crash areas.
The PPD has seen an increase in traffic crashes and the severity of injury crashes within the city limits. Although speed is almost always a factor of vehicle crashes, excessive speed always adds to the severity of injuries during the vehicle crashes. Traffic data from 2017 to 2018 shows an overall increase from 2,315, in 2017, to 2,359, in 2018. From January 1, until April 20, 2019, the statistics already show 653 traffic crash incidents. This data includes fatal crashes, vehicle crashes with personal injury and property damage, vehicle crashes involving private property, leaving the scene of a crash, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries and/or death, and pedestrian injuries/fatalities.
With equipment and the additional overtime hours, this will allow for a higher concentration of officers to enforce speed limits in high crash areas, enforcing the legal limits in those areas, in turn, reduce the number of and severity of crashes within the city limits.
Currently, the budget for the City of Pensacola does not provide funding for overtime to officers responsible for traffic enforcement or to purchase speed measuring devices. Grant funding will provide the assistance necessary to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of police services through effective traffic enforcement.
The listed additional equipment will allow more officers to enforce the legal speed limits within the city limits. This equipment is needed to enforce the legal speed limits and allow officers to demonstrate and document that the estimated speeds recorded by offending drivers are accurate and clearly a violation before the vehicle can be stopped.
Providing the officers with the equipment and the additional overtime hours will allow for a higher concentration of officers to enforce speed limits in high crash areas and reduce the number of and severity of crashes within the city limits.
Goals are to:
Increase traffic enforcement to enforce speed and traffic signal violations
Increase traffic enforcement to reduce traffic crashes which cause personal injury and property damage
The motorcycle mounted radar speed measuring devices will provide motor officers the ability to measure speeds from stationary positions and while the officers are moving in traffic. The cost of the speed measuring device packages totals $24,000.
The overtime hours will allow officers to focus on regular traffic flow throughout the city and monitor intersections with high traffic incidents. Salary and benefits funds will consist of $49,132.00. The Traffic Unit employs (5) motorcycle officers and (1) motorcycle sergeant. The motorcycle officers' overtime pay rate will not exceed $37.16 each per hour, and the sergeant’s overtime pay rate will not exceed $53.12 per hour. Total estimated overtime hours to be worked are anticipated not to exceed 1,000 hours.
JAG funds will be used to pay for any applicable shipping or freight costs.
PRIOR ACTION:
None
FUNDING:
Budget: $ 73,132.00
Actual: $49,132.00 - salaries & benefits
24,000.00 - speed measuring devices/equipment
$73,132.00
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The estimate grant award for the FY20 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance (JAG) Program: State, is $73,132.00, based on the 2020 Florida Local JAG Allocations. Projects to be funded from this grant award do not require a local match. Approval of the supplemental budget resolution will appropriate funding for this grant.
The City of Pensacola will procure the equipment following the City’s purchasing guidelines using a sole source vendor.
CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW: Yes
8/7/2020
STAFF CONTACT:
Keith Wilkins, City Administrator
Tommi Lyter, Chief of Police
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Certificate of Sub-Award
2) Supplemental Budget Resolution
3) Supplemental Budget Explanation
4) Application for Funding Budget Narrative
PRESENTATION: No end