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HomeMy WebLinkAbout18 - Community Conderns in the Ocean Boulevard AreaCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH • CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. 19 February 13, 2007. TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Police Department Bob McDonell, Chief of Police; (949) 644 -3701; bmcdonell @nbpd.org SUBJECT: POLICE DEPARTMENT PLAN TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY CONCERNS IN THE OCEAN BLVD AREA OF CORONA DEL MAR AND PENINSULA POINT 1. Approve funding in the amount of $10,000 for a metal security gate to be installed at the entrance of the City municipal parking lot at Corona.del Mar State Beach. 2. Provide policy direction on the use of remote low -light cameras in public areas • for law enforcement purposes. 3. Should the Council deem it appropriate, approve funding in the amount of $32,376 on a trial basis for overtime for two officers to be assigned exclusively. to the Ocean Blvd and surrounding area on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays between the hours of 9 PM and 3 AM through September 30, 2007. DISCUSSION: At the January 23,2007, City Council Study Session, the topic of preferential parking. was discussed as a means of addressing the residents' concerns for public safety in the area of Ocean Blvd and Peninsula Point. During the public testimony by those attending, a number of individuals expressed their views that the areas were unsafe, and the Police Department was not providing an acceptable quantity of service to address the level of safety. Some of the views expressed were a fear of walking guests to their cars at night,. increa sed crime, increased littering, public drinking and fighting, fear of calling the Police .Department because of retaliation from individuals thought to be gang members, increased graffiti, and slow response or no response from the Police Department after a resident placed a call for service. It should be noted that many of the incidents that were spoken about had not been reported to the Police Department. The majority of the residents that expressed safety concerns were from the Ocean Blvd area with the Peninsula Point residents expressing similar views, but in smaller numbers. Some residents from both areas had opposing views, with a few indicating _ • they felt safe in their communities and others who did not Police Department Action Plan February 13, 2007 Page 2 • A review of reported crime indicates both areas have a low crime rate during the hours which were being considered for a preferential parking permit. While we recognize that a number of residents who spoke at the Study Session suggested that calls for service may not have been made due to a fear of retaliation, we believe that most of the Part I crimes (or the most serious) would in fact have been reported and included in our review. In 2006, during the summer months of June, July, August, and September between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM, there were a total of .17 reported crimes (Part I & II) in the Ocean Blvd area, 8 of which were the result of officer - initiated arrests. Many of the reported crimes were the result of officer - initiated contacts, which ultimately resulted ih arrests. In 2005, for that same time period and location, there were 13 reported crimes (Part I & 11), again many the results of officer - initiated contacts. On the Peninsula Point, there were a total of 21 crimes (Part I & II) between 10 PM and 6 AM for the entire year starting July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2006, 9 of which were the result of officer- initiated arrests. At the beginning of summer 2006, the Police Department increased patrols in the Ocean Blvd area to address the concerns of the residents. Teams of officers were used at various times to close the beach. The documented officer - initiated activity.in this area .between 10 PM and 6 AM for the summer months of June, July, August, and • September went from 128 incidents in 2005 to 168 incidents in 2006. Our calls for service in the same area and time period went from 67 calls in 2005 to 132 calls in 2006, the result of efforts to encourage residents to call when they observed a. problem. During the Study Session and as a result of comments in the days that followed, there were implications that the Police Department was overstating our presence in the Corona del Mar (CdM) beach area during the period surrounding the beach closure times. We reviewed the data from all of our calls for service and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) events during the summer months of 2006 and assigned one of our staff to review each one of those events. It is important to point out that there is no encounter or other minor enforcement contact. As a result, those events are not captured by our CAD entries. With that said, in 2006, there were 122 calendar days in that four -month period from June through September. During that 122 day period, officers verbally notified Dispatch and placed themselves at CdM beach or Ocean Blvd near or during those closure hours on 116 of those days. This does not account for the many other times officers were in noteworthy activity warranting a dispatch (CAD) event. C� • Police Department Action Plan February 13, 2007 Page 3 For the Peninsula Point area, there were a total of 101 calls for service or dispatched events between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM for the one -year period starting July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2006. This included calls from the public as well as officer - initiated activity, such as vehicle or'pedestrian stops. Twenty six of the calls related to parties held by residents. The remaining calls were a combination from residents and' officer - initiated activity. We recognize that the reported crime and level of calls for service in both areas may not accurately reflect how some residents feel about their neighborhoods. Quality of life issues have always been a concern for the residents of Newport Beach, as well as the City government, including the Police Department. However, those issues are substantially affected by the unique characteristics and location of each neighborhood, as well as by the number of residents and visitors who frequent or utilize the amenities in that area. The improvements sought by those affected will take the active participation of the Community as well as the involvement of various City Departments. We intend to re-double our efforts to engage those neighborhoods in assisting us with that effort. Community participation is a key element in addressing, the concems. of .residents. Officers need residents to be alert for suspicious activity. and, report that activity • immediately. Even if an officer is in the area, the officer might not have seen the same activity as viewed by the resident. A call by a resident will have the effect of directing the officer to the suspicious activity and, providing that officer with the additional information necessary to resolve the situation — hopefully to the resident's satisfaction. The Police Department has implemented many.of the short-term objectives in an effort to address the expressed issues by a number of the residents. .Long -term recommendations have been included for review and direction. Short-Term Actions: Improve the exchange of information between residents and the Police Department a. Use the existing Neighborhood Watch Program and Homeowners Association as a conduit for the required information exchange. b. Schedule Community meetings for residents and the Police Department to discuss issues, identify our plans to address them, and jointly develop a course of action for those which may be brought up in that forum. A meeting for the Ocean. Blvd area has been scheduled for March 7, 2007, and a Peninsula Point meeting will be scheduled shortly thereafter. Residents will be noted of the meetings by the Neighborhood Watch Block Captains, Homeowners Associations, and as a result of the door -to- door distribution of Police Department flyers. (Please see attached flyer.) R Police Department Action Plan February 13, 2007 Page 4 • c. Provide residents who call the Police Department with the option of being called or contacted by a dispatcher or officer after a call has been handled. d. Provide residents with information on how to review a call for service on our Webske, www.nbod.om or if not satisfied with the level of service, to contact the Patrol Watch Commander at 644 -3730 (24 -hours a day), Patrol Division Commander at 644 -3720, or the Office of the Chief of Police at 644 -3701. Each situation will be reviewed and the caller contacted. 2. Increased Patrol. a. Assign a specific officer each night to coordinate the closing of the beach at CdM and an additional officer on Peninsula Point, using additional officers as needed. b. Instruct officers to increase time spent patrolling each area. c. Require the field supervisors to oversee the areas and make staffing adjustments as needed. d. Instruct Citywide units, such as those assigned to Transportation and Accident Investigations, to include both areas as part of their routine patrol. • .e. Continue the use of ABLE helicopters to direct patrol officers *to individuals or groups on the beach after hours. f. Temporarily redeploy the night -shift bicycle officers from the Peninsula to Ocean Blvd for periodic patrols, and direct them to park the marked police. unit they use for transportation to various patrol areas on Ocean Blvd for high visibility. g. Ensure calls in these areas are dispatched and assigned as soon as possible, even if it involves assigning an officer from a neighboring area.. This will not always be practical, as calls regarding subjects on the beach . will still be prioritized lower than a call involving violence or the imminent . loss or destruction of property. h. Continue to address the lighting issues at CdM main beach by leaving the lights on until midnight, and set the timers to allow officers to turn on the lights as needed in the course of their duties. 3. Enforcement Documentation. a. Maintain electronic files regarding enforcement actions in the affected areas to facilitate the exchange between the different officers assigned to those areas. b. Select specific Problem Oriented Policing (POP) officers for the overall responsibility of each area. • U Police Department Action Plan February 13, 2007 Page 5 c. Officers will be required. to track all contacts, beach patrols, and time patrolling both areas through the utilization of dispatch records to effectively document enforcement activities. Possible Long -Term Actions: 1. installation of a metal security gate at CdM municipal parking lot. a. Approve supplemental funding in this fiscal year in the amount of $10,000 for the replacement of a metal security gate at the entrance to the municipal, parking lot. Prior to the recent construction, a metal gate was in place to prevent vehicles from entering .the. parking lot after hours. The present gate system is a wooden arm that will not sufficiently prevent access to the parking area. The wooden arm can be broken or moved to allow vehicles to pass.. This item was not part of the original construction project, but according to the Fire /Marine Department, they plan on requesting funding for the security gate in the 07/08 budget. We request that funding be granted now so it can be. in place before the summer season of 2007. • 2. Provide policy direction on the use of remote low -light cameras in public areas for law enforcement proposes. a. The City is in the process of having a :remote camera system installed in several public areas for use by lifeguards. The locations include CdM beach and the Newport Pier.. These cameras were intended to be for water, safety purposes. Presently, there are no City cameras intended for use by the Police Department for law enforcement purposes. Low -light or night - viewing cameras, with the :ability to be remotely monitored and placed at locations such as CdM main beach, Little Corona, Pirates Cove, and the Wedge, would allow the areas to be monitored by our Dispatch personnel and Watch.Commander. The intent would be to gather evidence and direct officers to areas when illegal or disruptive activity is occurring, thereby improving the utilization of our available resources and improving our responsiveness to the concerns. of residents — in some cases prior to their realization that there is a problem. We would hope for the capability. to rotate the cameras to cover as large a portion of the beach as possible with camera placement, while. at the same time preventing visual coverage of any neighboring homes, thereby insuring their privacy. The Police Department has not conducted an in -depth investigation of the use of public area cameras for law enforcement purposes and is seeking direction from the City Council prior • to doing so in order to determine if this is an area that should be explored C Police Department Action Plan February 13, 2007 Page 6 • in detail to determine available options and costs. We. believe it has significant potential to add another dimension to our effort to respond to the expressed concerns. Depending upon our research, we may expand any recommendation to include the proximity of the Wedge, due to its remote location and lack of easy accessibility to officers patrolling that area of Peninsula Point other than on the beach. 3. Approve the trial use of officers on an overtime basis for specific assignment to the Ocean Blvd area between the hours of 9 PM and 3 AM on selected days through the end of September. a. The ability to hire officers on an overtime basis would provide the area with officers that are dedicated to enforcement In this specific area for a six -hour period. The officers would not have any other responsibilities except patrolling and responding to calls for service . in the Ocean Blvd /CdM beach area. Even with assigned officers, the cooperation from the Community in the form of reporting suspicious activity would be critical to the success of this option. The cost of this option would be approximately $1043 for a three -day period covering Thursday, Friday, • and Saturday. To staff this assignment until the end-of September would require an overtime expenditure of $32,376. To staff this assignment for an entire fiscal year would require an overtime expenditure of $54,208. b. A recommendation for the ability to use officers on an overtime basis for deployment to the Peninsula Point is not being made. There are sufficient officers assigned to the Peninsula area to meet the increased patrol time for Peninsula Point by shifting assignments and responsibilities. The Peninsula Point, unlike Ocean Blvd, is part of a larger oceanfront area, and we are confident sufficient Police resources are in place to address the safety concerns for the entire area Including Peninsula Point, based upon the controlled access to that portion of the Community. Respectfu s bmitted by: Bob McDonell CHIEF OF POLICE Attachment T BEACH P 870 Santa Barbara, P.O.. Box 7000, Newport Beach, CA 92658- CRIME PREVENTION UNIT 949- 6443699 COMMUIVIi° Y MEETINC Wednesday, March 7, 2007 Newport Beach Central Library 1000 Avocado Ave The Newport Beach Police Department strongly requests your presence to discuss Neighborhood Watch involvement in the Corona del Mar area. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING FOCUS ❑ Develop a more robust Neighborhood Watch Program in Corona del Mar -and specifically the Ocean Blvd area. ❑ Engage the Ocean Blvd area residents in a dialogue to discuss our specific efforts to deal with their concerns. ❑ Demonstrate how residents can view our response to calls for service in their area as they are handled. ❑ Explain the methods available to address any dissatisfaction. in Police response to those calls for service. The Newport Beach Police Department would like residents to report suspicious activity to the Police Department immediately. EMERGENCY 911 NON - EMERGENCY 644 -3717 For further information regarding this meeting, please contact Crime Prevention Specialist Kathy Lowe at 644 -3692 Z City of Newport Beach BUDGET AMENDMENT 2006 -07 ECT ON BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE: Increase Revenue Estimates X Increase Expenditure Appropriations AND Transfer Budget Appropriations SOURCE: from existing budget appropriations from additional estimated revenues Px from unappropriated fund balance EXPLANATION: NO. BA- 07BA4" AMOUNT: Saz,37s.00 Increase in Budgetary Fund Balance X Decrease in Budgetary Fund Balance No effect on Budgetary Fund Balance This budget amendment is requested to provide for the following: To increase expenditure appropriations from General Fund unappropriated fund balance to install a security gate at CdM State Beach and to provide funding for overtime for two police officers to patrol Ocean Boulevard and the surrounding areas on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through September 30, 2007. ACCOUNTING ENTRY: BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE Fund Account 010 3605 REVENUE ESTIMATES (360 1) Fund /Division Account EXPENDITURE APPROPRIATIONS (3603) Description General Fund - Fund Balance Description Signed: Sied: Amount Debit Credit $42,376.00 $10,000.00 $32,376.00 `. Aatom CFQ System Entry. a - -�,� D to 7 Signed: City Council Approval: City Clerk Date Description Division Number 3140 General Services - Operations Support Account Number 8040 Building Maintenance Repair Division Number 1830 Police - Patrol Account Number 7041 Overtime - Safety Division Number Account Number Division Number Account Number Division Number Account Number Signed: Sied: Amount Debit Credit $42,376.00 $10,000.00 $32,376.00 `. Aatom CFQ System Entry. a - -�,� D to 7 Signed: City Council Approval: City Clerk Date