HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.D.1. COPS Hiring Recovery Program Grant
City of Shakopee
Memorandum
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To:
Honorable Mayor, City Council
Mark McNeil, City Administrator
From:
Craig Robson, Captain
Date:
February 26, 2009
Subject:
COPS Hiring Recovery Program Grant
INTRODUCTION
The Shakopee Police Department is seeking council approval to begin the application
process for the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) Grant.
BACKGROUND
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) recently announced
the availability of funding under the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP), The
COPS Office will receive the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 to address the personnel needs of state, local, and tribal law enforcement.
Application materials are scheduled to be available before the end of March,
CHRP is a competitive grant program that provides funding directly to law enforcement
agencies having primary law enforcement authority to create and preserve jobs and to
increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts, Up to $1 billion
in grant funding will be available for the hiring and rehiring of additional career law
enforcement officers,
BUDGET IMPACT
There is no local match requirement for CHRP, but grant funding will be based on
current entry-level salary and benefits packages and therefore any additional costs for
higher salaries or benefits for particular individuals hired will be the responsibility of the
grantee agency. The grant requires funded positions be permanently added to the
department's budget.
ALTERNATIVES
1, Allow staff to begin the application process for the COPS Hiring Recovery Program
(CHRP) Grant
2, Do not allow staff to begin the application process
3, Table for further discussion from staff
RECOMMENDA TION
Staff recommends alternative one,
ACTION REQUESTED
If Council concurs, they should by motion authorize appropriate city officials to begin the
application process for the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) Grant.
Citv Administrator's Note: Note that the grant criteria provides that if funded, the
positions are to be added permanently after the three years of grant monies run out.
While I recommend that you allow us to apply for the grant at this time, we will seek
clarification as to what is meant by requirement that the positions to be made permanent.
That way, if successful in obtaining the funding, the City has the option to decline the
grant if it is not in the City's long-term best interests, My concern is not being limited in
making position reductions should a future budget shortfall ever warrants that need.
"Permanent" is a long time.