SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Increase the Police Department Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) by 11.4; authorize purchase of additional Police Ford Explorer vehicles in the current fiscal year, with an amount not to exceed $131,420; authorize the retention of six police vehicles from the current fiscal year vehicle replacement list; authorize purchase of law enforcement related equipment associated with the additional FTEs, with an amount not to exceed $114,690; authorize an increase in the Police Department’s operating budget, for the current year’s increase of salary, benefit and training costs related to the increased personnel, with an amount not to exceed $239,820.
Body
SUMMARY:
In the wake of the shooting incident, which occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018, the Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 7026 (the Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS Public Safety Act). The bill was signed by Governor Scott on March 9, 2018.
The bill contains several pertinent requirements for law enforcement, which will impact the City of Clearwater and the Clearwater Police Department.
Fundamentally, this legislation requires each district school board to partner with law enforcement agencies to “establish or assign one or more safe school officers at each school facility within the district” by implementing a combination of options which best meet the needs of the school district; the definition of school facility includes Charter schools. Those options include mutual aid agreements, implementing a School Marshall Program, or assigning a School Resource Officer (SRO). The Pinellas School District has already determined that the School Marshall Program will not be implemented in Pinellas County and has chosen to expand the use of School Resource Officers throughout Pinellas County.
Additional duties impacting law enforcement which are outlined within the legislation include providing general security, site risk assessments, monthly emergency preparedness drills, and threat assessments relating to the campus.
This legislation also requires that School Resource Officer(s) are present whenever students are present for school. This will require the assignment of relief personnel, or personnel overtime, to provide a law enforcement presence whenever the School Resource Officer is not on campus for either work-related or personal reasons (i.e., required court appearances, making arrests, training, sick leave, etc.).
The Clearwater Police Department currently has 3 permanently assigned School Resource Officers. They are assigned to the following schools:
• Oak Grove Middle School
• Countryside High School
• Clearwater High School.
Supervision of these officers is currently accomplished through 1 sergeant, who is also assigned other duties unrelated to the School Resource Officer Program.
Based upon this legislation and related mandates, the Clearwater Police Department plans to implement the below deployment strategy to comply with the statutory requirements:
1. Belleair Elementary (Part-Time Officer)
2. Eisenhower Elementary (Part-Time Officer)
3. Leila Davis Elementary (Part-Time Officer)
4. Sandy Lane Elementary (Part-Time Officer)
5. Skycrest Elementary (Part-Time Officer)
6. Plumb Elementary (Part-Time Officer)
7. Kings Highway Magnet (Part-Time Officer)
8. Plato Clearwater (Part-Time Officer)
9. Clearwater Fundamental (Full-Time Officer)
10. Countryside High School (additional SRO, based upon student population - Full-Time Officer)
11. Clearwater High School (additional SRO, based upon student population - Full-Time Officer)
A supervisor will also be necessary to manage these additional positions and responsibilities. This brings the total additional needed personnel to comply with the legislation to 11.4 FTEs.
There are two additional schools (Calvin Hunsinger and Clearwater Intermediate) which are within city boundaries. However, the Pinellas County School Board Police Department has agreed to maintain officer(s) at these facilities at the required ratios.
Cost and Budgetary Implications:
The legislation creates requirements of law enforcement state-wide which are largely unfunded. Currently, the Pinellas County School Board provides a portion of funding of the Police Department’s current School Resource Officers, at a rate of $57,944.64 per officer, for a total of $173,833.92 during the existing school year. The Police Department provides funding for the remainder of the employee salary and benefits through Florida Contraband Forfeiture Funds in the amount of $124,939.00.
On April 30, 2018, the Council directed the Police Department to implement a strategy which incorporated a combination of both Full-Time and Part-Time FTEs in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS Public Safety Act. Subsequent to negotiations, the Pinellas County School Board proposes providing funding for ten additional School Resource Officer positions created as a result of this legislation, at a rate of $58,000 per officer. Funding for one additional school (Plato Academy) may be available through a separate contractual agreement. However, supervisory positions are exempt from reimbursement. There is insufficient funding within the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Fund to provide funding for, or maintain funding for, these additional positions. However, the Police Department plans to continue supplemental funding for the three existing School Resource Officers utilizing Florida Contraband Forfeiture Funds.
The cost implications of these additional personnel are outlined below:
The unfunded direct personnel costs associated with this deployment allocation is approximately $226,363. Overtime funding is provided to ensure compliance with the requirement of providing a law enforcement presence whenever the School Resource Officer is not on campus for either work-related or personal reasons.
Furthermore, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS Public Safety Act does not provide funding for the costs associated with providing essential law enforcement equipment for these required positions. The Police Department has identified that police related equipment costs, excluding vehicle purchase costs, total approximately $114,690. Combined vehicle and equipment costs are approximately $246,110.
Because of these mandates, the Police Department seeks approval for the following:
• Increase the allotted FTEs assigned to the Police Department by 12 positions (8 Part-Time Police Officers / 3 Full-Time Police Officers / 1 Full-Time Police Sergeant), allowing the Police Department to begin hiring and training these personnel immediately.
• Authorize the purchase four additional Police Ford Explorer vehicles in the current fiscal year. (Allen Jay Fleet Sales, Inc., not to exceed $131,420)
• Approve the retention of six police vehicles from the current fiscal year vehicle replacement list and provide funding for vehicle refurbishment. (An additional five police vehicles planned for replacement in fiscal year 2018/19 will also be retained for use in the SRO program).
• Based upon the anticipated need for law enforcement equipment and vehicles throughout the State of Florida (as all law enforcement agencies endeavor to comply with this statute), authorize the immediate purchase of law enforcement equipment directly related to the hiring of the above personnel, with vendors to include, but not limited to, the following at an amount not to exceed $114,690:
o Enforcement One, Inc.;
o Axon, Inc.;
o Florida Bullet, Inc.;
o Galls, Inc;
o Signal 15, Inc.
• Authorize an increase in the Police Department’s operating budget, to incorporate the personnel costs associated with program implementation and transition, not to exceed $239,820:
o Overtime costs for the remainder of the current fiscal year, utilized to ensure adequate staffing during program implementation, are anticipated at: $130,000.
o Pro-rated salaries, for the four additional (full-time) positions, are estimated at: $104,660.
o It is anticipated the Police Department will be required to increase the number of Field Training Personnel by 5 additional full-time training officers. Based upon existing contracts, these personnel received 5 percent additional pay of their base salary when training. This amount is approximated at: $5,160.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
A third quarter budget will amend Police Department cost center 0101138, School Resource Officers, by expenditures to date, not to exceed $486,000 offset with revenues from General Fund Reserves.
USE OF RESERVE FUNDS:
Funding for this contract will be provided by a third quarter budget amendment allocating General Fund reserves in an amount not to exceed $486,000 for expenditures to date for staffing and costs associated with the increase of SRO’s as required by mandates resulting from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS Public Safety Act. Inclusive of this item if approved, a net total of $7,977,630 of General Fund reserves has been appropriated by Council to fund expenditures in the 2017/18 operating budget. The remaining balance in General Fund reserves after the 8.5% reserve requirement is approximately $8.8 million, including the BP settlement funds. Exclusive of the BP funds, the remaining balance is $2.3 million, or 1.7% of the current General Fund operating budget.