COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

DATE:

August 30, 2004

BOARD MEETING DATE:

September 14, 2004

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

James P. Fox, District Attorney

SUBJECT:

Application for Renewal of the Special Emphasis Grant

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application to the California Office of Emergency Services for grant funds in the amount of $110,000 for the Special Emphasis Project for FY2004-05.

BACKGROUND:

In 1990, the Probation Department submitted a grant proposal to the California Office of Criminal Justice Planning (OCJP), requesting funds to operate a Special Emphasis Project in conjunction with the County’s already established Victim/Witness Program. In February 2002, the project became a division of the District Attorney’s Office. OCJP had administered the awarding of special emphasis grants; however, effective January 1, 2004, the authority to award special emphasis grants was transferred to the California Office of Emergency Services (OES). Since 1991, the Board has authorized the submission of a special emphasis grant application every year to support this intensive outreach project to minority crime victims in East Palo Alto, East Menlo Park, and the southeast section of Redwood City.

DISCUSSION:

An application is required each year to receive state funds through the OES. The Special Emphasis Project provides services to minority victims of violent crime, who reside in the target communities of the southern part of San Mateo County. The goal of the project is to provide immediate services to these victims such as crisis intervention, emergency assistance, counseling referrals and inter-agency assistance/coordination.

In order to expedite services to minority victims in the target communities, the victim advocates personally pick-up the police reports from the four law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction in those communities.

OES has extended funding for the project through the end of the 2004-2005 fiscal year. Should the OES not renew this grant at the end of the 2004-2005 fiscal year, this could result in the termination of intensive outreach services to victims residing in the target communities.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

The Special Emphasis Project provides assistance to minority crime victims residing in the aforementioned target communities within San Mateo County in conjunction with Goal #8: Help vulnerable people – the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others – achieve a better quality of life.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The grant application for fiscal year 2004-05 remains at the maximum of $110,000, which is the same grant amount requested in previous years. The Grant Award Agreement requires a County match of 25% of the total project cost (i.e. $27,500). The match portion is both a cash and in-kind match, which is part of the District Attorney’s budget, and covers the project’s operating expenses. Funds have been included in the FY2004-05 Recommended Budget to cover these costs of $27,500.