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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-01-2003-7bORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 1, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. ~-b CI IRIIC[_T• I nral I aw Fnf~rrement Block Grant DEPARTMENT: Sheriff PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) Yes ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: A. Lindy Pendergrass, ext 2911 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To conduct a public hearing for written and oral comments on the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant. BACKGROUND: Over the last few years, the Chapel Hill Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department have had the opportunity to receive monies from the U. S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) Law Enforcement Block Grant (LLEBG). According to guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Justice, these funds are awarded to local law enforcement agencies using a formula based on Part I Violent Crimes as reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports. Examples of Part I crimes include murder, robbery and aggravated assault. These monies have helped each department offset the cost of reducing crimes and improving public safety services to residents throughout Orange County. For the current fiscal year, the Sheriff's Department recently received notification from the USDOJ that the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro are eligible to receive LLEBG funds for fiscal year 2003-04 while the Orange County Sheriff's Department is not eligible. However, the Sheriff's Department was also notified that there was a certified funding disparity between the County and the Towns. According to the attached memorandum from the North Carolina Department of Justice, the criteria for determining the disparity include: (1) the County bears more than 50 percent of the costs of prosecution or incarceration; and (2) a municipality in the County has an eligible funding amount greater (by 200 or 400 percent) than the funding amount of the County. The costs of providing these services include personnel costs of Jail and Courtroom Security personnel, as well as day to day cost for medical, hygiene and meals for inmates. In addition to those costs, the County covers costs associated with the consolidated 911 Telecommunications Center, which offers communication services to all law enforcement and emergency services agencies located in Orange County. 2 In accordance with the guidelines of the grant funding, each affected jurisdiction within the County can agree to the funding disparity and therefore agree upon whether they will share funds and in what proportion. In light of the fact that the Orange County Sheriff's Department maintains the only jail facility within the County and provides courthouse security during all court sessions, the Sheriff requested that the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro reach a mutual agreement regarding the sharing of some portion of the LLEBG proceeds. The grant award totals $49,759 with the Town of Chapel Hill receiving $35,658 of that amount and the Town of Carrboro receiving $14,101. The Sheriff requested that the Towns share 20 percent of their award with the Orange County Sheriff's Department. This equates to $7,131 for the Town of Chapel Hill and $2,802 for the Town of Carrboro. The Towns recently notified the County that they have agreed to share their grant proceeds. There are two requirements that the County must fulfill prior to receiving the monies from Local Law Enforcement Block grant: • The County must conduct a public hearing regarding the proposed uses of the grant funds. This provides citizens the opportunity to provide written and oral comments regarding our plans to use the funds to offset overtime costs of the department. • The County must designate a previously designated or newly established advisory board to discuss the proposed uses of the grant funds. Membership on the advisory board must include a representative from: a. the local sheriff's office; b. the local prosecutor's office; c. the local court system; d. the local public school system; and e. a local nonprofit, educational, religious or community groups active in crime prevention or drug use prevention or treatment. Members of the Sheriffs Office Community Watch Advisory Board reflect the representation outlined. The Sheriff recommends that the Community Watch Advisory Board be the advisory board for the Local Law Enforcement Block grant also. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Sheriffs Office had applied for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant last spring. The Budget Office included the revenue in the original 2003-04 approved budget. There is no further financial impact for the County related to this grant. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board: 1) conduct the required public hearing; 2) approve the Sheriffs recommendation to designate the Community Watch Advisory Board to advise the Sheriff on the use of the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant funds; and 3) accept the Local Law Enforcement Grant of $9,953.