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San Leandro Police Department <br />Extension of COPS Grant <br /> <br />Project Overview <br />Extend grant for five (5) federally funded COPS positions <br />The City of San Leandro Police Department is nearing the end of its federal COPS grant which funded five <br />police officers dedicated to community policing, crime/gang suppression and crime prevention. Police <br />sworn staffing is currently authorized for 90 positions, which includes the five aforementioned positions, <br />with funding due to expire in May 2014. Police officer staffing has been as high as 94 in the last five years, <br />however, was reduced to 84 in 2008 due to budget reductions. In the last two years, wireless 911 calls <br />have increased by a total of 18,000. Between 2010 and 2012, 911 calls have increased by 43% in part due <br />to the acceptance of 911 wireless calls. In addition, the population growth of San Leandro has increased in <br />the past 20 years from 68,000 to 85,000 residents with no increase in staffing, having a significant impact <br />on service delivery. Crime increased in 2012 by almost 10%. The five federally funded COPS positions are <br />assigned full time to the areas listed below and use a combination of enforcement, prevention and <br />education in their assignments. <br /> <br />One Crime Prevention/Neighborhood Policing Officer: This position currently coordinates our Crime <br />Free Multi-Housing and Business Watch Programs and supports the Neighborhood Watch Program. This <br />program has reduced calls for service and crime in 80% of the multi-housing units in the city. <br /> <br />One School Resource Officer: This position provides critical support to the School Resource Officer <br />(SRO) unit. With this position, San Leandro has 2 full time School Resource Officers to cover 20 public and <br />private schools. The SRO is a liaison to school administrators, assisting with district-related policy <br />violations, mentoring students, counseling families, and training staff. The SRO also investigates crimes <br />committed against or by students, and partners with the schools to reduce truancy. This position has <br />reduced the frequency of school bullying and fighting, and has played a critical role in implementing the <br />new youth diversion program, which identifies students charged with misconduct or a crime, and assesses <br />their suitability to be diverted from the criminal justice system into a restorative justice program. <br /> <br />One Downtown Bicycle Officer: The Bicycle Officer is assigned to patrol the downtown business <br />district with an emphasis on preventing crime, being a resource to business owners, and addressing <br />quality of life issues related to the solicitors and homeless population who frequent this area. This position <br />provides seven day a week coverage and has significantly reduced pan-handling in and around the <br />shopping center, and provides resources to the mentally ill who loiter around the shopping center. <br /> <br />Two Gang Suppression Officers: These officers are specially trained in Gang Intelligence/Enforcement <br />methods and are tasked with providing support to serious in-progress crimes. They are also specially <br />trained in recognizing crime patterns and trends, and developing strategies for proactively addressing the <br />patterns over both the short term and long term. This team has been instrumental in proactive street <br />enforcement and reducing gang activity in San Leandro. <br /> <br />Funding Request <br />San Leandro is seeking funding to maintain the five (5) federally funded COPS positions dedicated to a <br />variety of community policing programs. These positions are critical to staffing a department which has <br />been historically understaffed with police officers, and is located next to the City of Oakland (the third <br />most violent city in the nation), sharing contiguous borders. <br /> <br />