TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Prosecutor to execute all necessary documents to receive and expend grant funding from Downtown Long Beach Associates ("DLBA") in the amount of $18,000 for a period ending September 30, 2015; and increase appropriation in the General Grants Fund (SR 120) in the City Prosecutor Department (CP) by $18,000. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The Long Beach City Prosecutor handles all misdemeanor violations of state and local law arising within the City, including Downtown Long Beach. Among the crimes prosecuted by the City Prosecutor are petty theft, vandalism, drug possession, gang injunction violations, code enforcement, chronic truancy, and socalled quality of life crimes, such as drinking in public, camping in parks, trespass, loitering, and disorderly conduct.
From 2000-2009, the City Prosecutor's Office had various "Community Prosecution" programs designed to reduce crime in specific areas of the City that might benefit from special case handling. In general, the concept of Community Prosecution is complementary to Community Policing. Both Community Prosecution and Community Policing have been shown to empower residential groups wishing to reduce crime in their neighborhood, increase community awareness of crime trends, and help coordinate public safety responses to blighted properties. As a result of budget cuts over the past several years, all community prosecution programs in Long Beach were eliminated.
The Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) is a nonprofit organization serving the tenants and commercial and residential property owners located in the
Downtown Long Beach Business Improvement District. The DLBA serves an important role in the City by coordinating security in and cleaning up the Downtown area.
The City Prosecutor and DLBA have been in discussions for the past several months about how to bring a community prosecution program to Downtown Long Beach. Further exchange of ideas between the City Prosecutor's Office and the offices of Vice-Mayor Suja Lowenthal and Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez led to the advancement of the Long Beach Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor concept, with the chief goal to improve public safety and livability for visitors and for families who live and work in the Downtown area.
As a nine-month pilot program, the City Prosecutor and DLBA wish to fund a collaborative partnership where an experienced deputy city prosecutor would serve as Downtown Long Beach's first Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor. The DLBA grant would reimburse the City Prosecutor's Office $18,000, covering some of the costs related to the pilot program. After nine months, the program will be reassessed to determine if the Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor program should be continued.
It is envisioned that the Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor will interact with DLBA staff, law enforcement officers (including LBPD's Quality of Life Team), and others, to address persistent problems in the Downtown Long Beach area. The Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor will attend some meetings of the DLBA to give reports and critical information to residents and business owners about recent crime trends, vertically handle some of the criminal cases that arise in the Downtown Long Beach area, and coordinate with other public safety partners in an effort to reduce crime and blight in the affected area.
Although the Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor will be partly funded by the DLBA, this position will remain solely under the direction and supervision of the City Prosecutor. A written memorandum of understanding will be executed by the parties to ensure all cases will be handled appropriately and not directed by any person other than the City Prosecutor, who retain's prosecutorial discretion over the filing of criminal charges and handling of criminal cases.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
This adjustment to the FY 2015 budget is requested to reflect the acceptance of this grant award. City Council action is requested no later than December 2,2014, so that the Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor Program in Downtown Long Beach can begin as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to receive $18,000 in grant funds that are not currently budgeted. Therefore, an appropriation increase in the City Prosecutor Grants Fund (SR 120) by $18,000 in FY 2015 in the City Prosecutor Department (CP) is requested as part of the recommended action. There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
DOUGLAS P. HAUBERT
CITY PROSECUTOR