DEPARTMENT: San Antonio Police Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: William P. McManus, Chief of Police
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Council Dist. 2
SUBJECT: SAPD Community Engagement Patrols Proposal
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the City Manager, or her designated representative, to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) to reimburse the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) for overtime expense incurred by the SAPD in support of the Eastside SAHA Community Engagement Patrols Program not to exceed $50,000.00.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Grant proposes to enter into an agreement with the San Antonio Police Department to fund up to $50,000 in overtime police patrols in the Eastside Choice Neighborhood’s crime hot spots. The purpose of these patrols will be to both reduce crime in the hot spots and strengthen community-police relationships. The four crime hot spots to be targeted together account for about 30% of crime in the entire CNI footprint and are persistent obstacles to the community’s image, safety, economic development, and morale.
The reductions that this strategy will generate will bolster the longer-term revitalization efforts of SAHA, United Way, and Promise Zone/COSA. Namely, reducing crime along New Braunfels will align with SAGE’s efforts to revitalize area businesses and the Eastpoint Office’s efforts to rebrand the Eastpoint area in a positive light. Further, the strategy bolsters the Byrne Grant’s CPTED efforts at the Handy Stop and Hays Food Mart, and SAHA’s rebuilding Wheatley Courts a few blocks from New Braunfels and right across from the Walters Hot spot.
The strategy’s emphasis on community engagement further coincides with SAPD’s renewed focus on community policing and procedural justice. Finally, enhanced community-police relationships from the foot patrols can change the mindset of officers that the community does not appreciate them and vice versa, as well as encourage organic community engagement once the foot patrols end. Meaningful community engagement from SAPD officers has been an intense topic of discussion and discontent at recent Eastside community meetings, which shows the potential of this program to meet a much-demanded community need.
ISSUE:
This ordinance continues City Council's policy of cooperation with other agencies for promoting safer neighborhoods for its citizens.
ALTERNATIVES:
The alternative to not authorizing the MOA would result in the inability of the SAPD to support the San Antonio Housing Authority with its Eastside Community Engagement Program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the San Antonio Housing Authority to reimburse the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) for overtime expense incurred by SAPD in support of the Eastside Community Engagement Program. The total amount of overtime to be reimbursed to SAPD will not exceed $50,000.00, funded by the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program grant received by the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) of which the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) is a sub-recipient.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance authorizing the execution of a Memorandum of Agreement for the San Antonio Housing Authority to fund up to $50,000.00 in overtime for the Eastside Community Engagement Program.