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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08 - Local Law Enforcement Block Grant - Crime Prevention ProgramCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT October 9, 2001 October 9, 2001 Agenda Item No. 8 TO: Honorable Mayor, Members of the City Council and City Manager FROM: Bob McDonell, Chief of Police SUBJECT: Local Law Enforcement Block Grant — Crime Prevention Program RECOMMENDATION: Receive public comments and accept continued funding of the Crime Prevention Program under the provisions of the United States Department of Justice Local Law Enforcement Block Grant 2000 -LB -VX -0442 and its successor under the federal 2000/2002 budget period (currently in the application process). BACKGROUND: In 1996, the Police Department applied for and received block grant funds administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. The purpose of the grant was to fund the implementation of a Crime Prevention Program and staff the program with a full -time Crime Prevention Specialist. The program under which the funds were initially made available has been renewed each year since its inception, and each renewal has been used to continue the Crime Prevention Program. The award for this budget period is $55,495. The program has successfully met or exceeded the goals set for it at its inception. The scope and activity level of the program has expanded and now includes a part -time Crime Prevention Specialist in addition to the full -time position. The program has been well received by the public and I am satisfied with the progress of the program to date. Administrative requirements of the federal process mandate that the grant be presented for public comment prior to funds being expended. This requirement will be satisfied by inclusion of this recommendation as a City Council meeting agenda item and allowing the opportunity for public input on the planned expenditure. Local Law Enforcement Block Grant — Crime Prevention Program Page 2 Attached for your review is a copy of this year's annual progress report prepared for the Department of Justice by our staff. Respectfully ubmitted, Bob McDonell CHIEF OF POLICE 109 LLEBG Me.A. 9 /28/2001 September 10, 2001 LLEBG Control Desk, Room 304C 663 Indiana Avenue NW Washington, DC 20531 Re: Federal Grant Award Number 96LBVX0529 Bureau of Justice Assistance Local Law Enforcement Block Grant Program Annual Written Assessment of Crime Prevention Program This is the annual assessment of the Newport Beach Police Department's Crime Prevention Program for the reporting period of October 1, 2000 to September 30, 2001. This marks the fourth complete year of the program since its inception in 1997. Crime statistics for 2000/2001 (October 1, 2000 to August 31, 2001) continued to show a decrease ( -2.6 %) over the previous year in part I crime and an increase ( +,06 %) in part II crimes. The Crime Prevention Program was started with LLEBG funds. The goal of the program is to establish a highly visible part of the Police Department that is dedicated to (1) Preventing crime, (2) Disseminating correct and realistic information about criminal activity and crime prevention in our city, and (3) Enhancing the perception of security within the community. The activities of our Crime Prevention Specialist for the past year have included the following Crime Alerts and Community Advisories In 1999 the crime prevention unit began and is currently distributing Residential Crime Bulletins to neighborhoods were a residential burglary has occurred. The bulletins are distributed only in cases where there is no named suspect information. To date our crime prevention unit has distributed over 80 such alerts to residents in neighborhoods throughout Newport Beach. In addition to alerting the residents to the crime, the bulletins also offer the residents a free Home Security Inspection. In addition to the Residential Burglary Bulletins, Crime Alerts on a variety of crime trends are distributed throughout the year to homes and businesses in Newport Beach. These Crime Alerts include information on crimes such as computer thefts, burglaries, thefts from motor vehicles, suspect descriptions and scam artists operating within Newport Beach. The alerts are distributed door -to -door in the area in which the particular crime trend is occurring. In the coming year we will be distributing this information through e -mail and have already begun posting the alerts on our website (www.nbpd.org). Home Security Inspections In the last year a total of 43 Home Security Inspections were completed. The majority of these inspections were at the request of residents who had recently received a Residential Burglary Bulletin. McGruff Last year the department purchased a McGruff costume to be used at community events. McGruff is the National Crime Prevention Counsel's mascot for crime fighting and is often seen on TV. Over the last year McGruff has been invited to participate in approximately 12 community events and has several engagements scheduled for the coming year. McGruff has proven to be a wonderful tool to reach children and educate them on the importance of drug and crime prevention. National Night Out This is a national crime and drug prevention event that occurs annually on the first Tuesday of August. The goal of the event is to: (1) Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; (3) Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police - community partnerships; and (4) Send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and ready to fight crime. This year the Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit hosted its 2nd Annual "Community Get Together" at Mariners Park. An estimated 300 residents attend this event, tripling last year's attendance. Residents were given the opportunity to meet members of the Police Department, pick up crime and drug prevention literature, tour the Department's Mobil Command Post and get a free hot dog and drink. For the children there were games, prizes and the opportunity to get their picture taken atop a police motorcycle and inside a police patrol car. In addition to these activities, attendees were encouraged to sign up for the Citizens' Police Academy and a free Home Security Inspection. In addition to the Department sponsored event, six different Neighborhood Watch Groups hosted get - togethers within their own neighborhoods. The meetings were attended by officers who patrol the local neighborhoods. CPTED Over the last year the Crime Prevention Unit has received several requests for site plan review. The goal of this review process is to spot potential crime problems before they are created and suggest alternatives in such areas as landscaping, access control and lighting. In July 2001 the Crime Prevention Specialist attended refresher course on CPTED -- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. CPTED is used to evaluate all site plans. The CPTED concepts are also used in all commercial and home security inspections as well. A CPTED review provides business and homeowners with techniques proven to deter crime without turning their home or business into a fortress. CPTED encourages the use of landscaping to create boundaries and establish territories rather then using high fencing or window bars to keep unwanted individuals out. Page 2 Health and Safety Fairs Over the last year the crime prevention unit has participated in four Health & Safety Fairs with an average attendance of 200 to 300 employees. Commercial Security Inspections A total of 10 security inspections have been conducted during this reporting period. These inspections included churches, schools, businesses, and a condominium complex. Several of these inspections included written reports and were often followed up with a workplace safety, or retail theft prevention talk to the employees. Neighborhood Watch During this reporting period our Neighborhood Watch Program added approximately 12 new Neighborhood Watch groups bringing the total number to 77. These 77 groups include both small individual neighborhoods along with large community associations. After an initial startup meeting residents are encouraged to host a yearly neighborhood gatherings to educate new residents and remind exiting members of their role in Neighborhood Watch, what is suspicious, when to call the police, and when to use 9 -1 -1. We have recently updated and modified our Neighborhood Watch database. The new database allows us to lookup Neighborhood Watch Groups by address, and/or member name. The new database also allows for a yearly update, by generating a letters to confirm the group's participation in the Neighborhood Watch. Prior to transferring the data to the new system, volunteers cleaned up the existing database and removed 40 names of individuals who had moved. Internet Safety For Your Child In June of 2001 our Crime Prevention Specialist attended a free `train the trainer' course called Internet Safety for your Child. Internet Safety for your Child is a 7 -hour training course for adults on how to keep their child safe while using the Internet. The course provides parents with a basic overview of computers, educates them on crime and predators on the Intemets, and shows them the many tools available to keep their child safe. The course is fully interactive and attendance is restricted to those at least 18 years of age or older. Each adult has a computer connected to the Internet and works with the instructors. While one instructor is teaching the additional instructors work with the students to keeping them informed. The trainers include police officers, crime prevention specialists, and volunteers with expertise in computer and/or the Internet. We are currently working to bring the program to Newport Beach and plan to have our first training sometime in January 2002. Page 3 Speaking Engagements During this reporting period our Crime Prevention Specialist has presented over 62 -crime prevention presentations. Presentation topics include Neighborhood Watch, personal safety, workplace safety, child safety, retail theft prevention, robbery prevention, telemarketing fraud, employee theft, Internet safety, identity theft, and crime trends within Newport Beach. These presentations are given to groups as small as 10 and as large as a hundred plus. Volunteer Program The Department's Crime Prevention Specialist utilizes police volunteers to assist with non - critical tasks such as data entry, Crime Alert distribution, staion tours and community events. This support greatly enhances the Crime Prevention Specialists ability to maintain a police presence at community functions and Neighborhood Watch meetings. Conclusion Our Crime Prevention Program has met or exceeded all of its original goals. Demands on the program continue to grow in the areas of public speaking; home security inspections, business security inspections, workplace safety, and site plan review. An even greater use of Police Department Volunteers is anticipated for the future if the Department is to meet these demands. Page 4