DEPARTMENT: Police
DEPARTMENT HEAD: William P. McManus, Chief of Police
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Accepting a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to combat human trafficking and entering into a Local Administrative Agreement with partnering task force agencies.
SUMMARY:
An ordinance authorizing the acceptance of funds not to exceed $650,000.00 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) for the three year Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking Program and entering into a Local Administrative Agreement with partnering task force agencies for the grant period of October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2019.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On April 15, 2016, the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) submitted a Special Category Grant Opportunity Submission Authorization Request to apply for the Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking grant. This was done due to the limited time to get City Council approval to apply and accept.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) have awarded the SAPD the Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking in the amount of $650,000.00. The purpose of this program is to enhance anti-human trafficking law enforcement, victim services to victims of human trafficking, conduct both proactive and reactive investigations of sex trafficking crimes, and to enhance the established task force in coordination and collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and non-governmental agencies.
This grant will strengthen the working relationship between the Police Department and the Rape Crisis Center for Children and Adults in order to provide a victim-centered approach for addressing this rapidly growing crime. SAPD and Rape Crisis Center will work to enhance a multi-disciplinary approach of identifying and investigating occurrences of human trafficking in order to prosecute both the traffickers and those who benefit from the services forced to be provided by the victims, meet the individual needs of the victims, and to conduct public awareness of this problem within our community and surrounding areas to prevent future incidents of human trafficking.
ISSUE:
The proposed ordinance continues City Council's policy of seeking intergovernmental financial assistance for human trafficking enforcement programs. The program will enhance the City's efforts in combatting human trafficking crimes.
ALTERNATIVES:
Other than the General Fund, there is no alternative funding source. City Council can choose not to accept this grant. However, choosing not to approve this grant will result in the City losing $650,000.00 for addressing human trafficking crimes in our city.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total program budget will not exceed $650,000.00. The grant does not require a cash match, but does require an in-kind match of $216,667.00 of already existing detective overtime salaries.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council accepts this grant award for addressing human trafficking crimes in our city.