DEPARTMENT: Police
DEPARTMENT HEAD: William P. McManus, Chief of Police
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Office for Victims of Crimes.
SUMMARY:
The San Antonio Police Department will provide the Public Safety Committee with a briefing on a grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office for Victims of Crimes (OVC) in response to the FY 2021 Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking Competitive Solicitation. The grant amount is $650,000 with an in-kind match of $242,305 for a total program of $892,305 for the period of October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023.
The acceptance of this grant is scheduled for City Council consideration in “A” Session on October 29, 2020.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The San Antonio Police Department is one of the founding members of the Alamo Area Coalition Against Trafficking (AACAT) and has actively participated in local human trafficking coalitions since 2009. The Coalition is a team comprised of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as local public service agencies, victim service providers, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations. The AACAT serves as a focal point for education programs, prevention strategies and public awareness campaigns in Bexar County and the surrounding areas to produce and send a unified message to the public. The AACAT receives no direct funding to further its efforts.
The City first received this grant in 2005 and has used the funds to enhance an anti-human trafficking coalition in order to enhance anti-human trafficking law enforcement efforts, conduct investigations of human trafficking crimes and provide services to victims. Funding has covered overtime expenses for investigative and sting operations, equipment, training and operational costs. Additionally, it has been used to coordinate and collaborate with other law enforcement agencies.
The grant application was submitted to OJP on May 18, 2020. The Human Trafficking grant will pay for investigations on both proactive and reactive human and sex trafficking cases on an overtime basis to help augment the SAPD’s efforts to reduce the incidences of human trafficking in our community.
SAPD will partner with Baptist Children and Family Services (BCFS) in order to provide a victim-centered approach and expand the current Human Trafficking Task Force operations and partnerships and assist OJP in building the capacity of other task forces in the field.
SAPD and BCFS will work to implement a multi-disciplinary approach investigating occurrences of human trafficking in order to prosecute both the traffickers and those who benefit from this crime. The program will also provide services to meet the individual needs of the victims, and to conduct public awareness campaign within our community and surrounding areas. Human trafficking is a complex crime where the victims will not seek intervention to be rescued from their traffickers. This is a crime of “hidden victims” where proactive measures must be used to seek out and prosecute the crime. SAPD and BCFS will conduct proactive investigations to provide victim services once they are identified.
ISSUE:
This item provides a briefing on a grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Office for Victims of Crimes.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item provides a briefing on a grant application.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total program budget is estimated at $892,305.00. The total proposed program budget includes grant funding of $650,000.00 and an in-kind contribution of $242,305.00. The City's in-kind contribution consists of the personnel cost of 2 existing Detective Investigators dedicated to human trafficking investigations.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Public Safety Committee forwards this grant to full City Council for approval and acceptance. This item is scheduled for consideration in “A” Session on October 29, 2020.