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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-26-2017 Public Safety Task Force Agenda Packet Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Agenda - Page 1 of 2 SARATOGA PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 26, 2017 6:00 P.M. REGULAR MEETING City Hall, Administrative Conference Room | 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070 ROLL CALL REPORT ON POSTING OF THE AGENDA The agenda for this meeting was properly posted on October 19, 2017. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ON NON-AGENDIZED ITEMS Any member of the public may address the Public Safety Task Force for up to three (3) minutes on matters not on the Agenda. The law generally prohibits the Public Safety Task Force from discussing or taking action on such items. However, the Public Safety Task Force schedule the item for discussion at a future meeting. AGENDA ITEMS: 1. Public Safety Task Force Minutes Recommended Action: Review and approve draft minutes from the September 28, 2017 meeting. 2. Public Safety Metrics Recommended Action: Review monthly update to public safety metrics. 3. Neighborhood Watch Leader Gathering Debrief Recommended Action: Discuss the Neighborhood Watch Leader Gathering on October 15, 2017 and outcomes of the event. 4. Saratoga Safety Fair Recommended Action: Consider Saratoga Safety Fair program and budget. Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Agenda - Page 2 of 2 5. Neighborhood Watch Leader & CERT Gathering Recommended Action: Consider budget for the Neighborhood Watch Leader & CERT Gathering and prepare for joint meeting with CERT Leadership to plan the event. 6. Public Safety Webpage Recommended Action: Receive preview of the City’s new public safety webpage. 7. Ongoing Success and Sustainability of Neighborhood Watch Recommended Action: Discuss opportunities for the ongoing success and sustainability of Neighborhood Watch, process and guidelines for forming a Neighborhood Watch group, and guidelines for keeping Neighborhood Watch groups active. 8. Future Agenda Items Recommended Action: Consider agenda items for upcoming meetings. ADJOURNMENT CERTIFICATE OF POSTING OF THE AGENDA, DISTRIBUTION OF AGENDA PACKET, & COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT I, Crystal Bothelio, Deputy City Manager for the City of Saratoga, declare that the foregoing agenda for the meeting of the Public Safety Task Force was posted and available for review on October 19, 2017 at the City of Saratoga, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070 and on the City's website at www.saratoga.ca.us. Signed this 19th day of October 2017 at Saratoga, California. Crystal Bothelio, Deputy City Manager In accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, copies of the staff reports and other materials provided to the Public Safety Task Force by City staff in connection with this agenda are available at the office of the City Clerk at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070. In Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at 408.868.1269. Notification 24 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [28 CFR 5.102-35.104 ADA title II] PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE AGENDA PLANNER MEETING DATE AGENDA ITEMS March 27, 2017  Nomination of Chair/Vice Chair  Overview of State/City Laws & Policies  Review Public Safety Task Force Objectives, Development of Work Plan  Meeting Schedule  Future Agenda Items April 27, 2017  Review/approval of Minutes  Review of Public Safety Statistics  Proposed Public Safety Task Force Work Plan May 25, 2017  Review/approval of Minutes  Solved Crime/Arrest Data  Proposed Public Safety Task Force Work Plan  Future Agenda Items June 22, 2017  Review/approval of Minutes  Public Safety Metrics (Arrest Data: on-view vs warrant, Calls for Service)  Work Plan Implementation Council Priorities & Implementation Timeline  City Budget Overview  Work Plan Item: Improved Public Safety Webpage  Work Plan Item: Mobile App that Includes Public Safety Information  Future Agenda Items July 27, 2017  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Work Plan Item: Neighborhood Watch Leader Gathering  Work Plan Item: Mobile App  Rescheduling November and December Meeting Dates  CERT Overview  Future Agenda Items August 24, 2017  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Work Plan Item: Mobile App  Work Plan Item: Neighborhood Watch Leader Gathering  Scheduling the Saratoga Safety Fair & CERT/Neighborhood Watch Leader Gathering  Rescheduling November and December Meeting Dates  Future Agenda Items September 28, 2017  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Work Plan Item: Neighborhood Watch Gathering  Work Plan Item: Saratoga Safety Fair  Work Plan Item: Neighborhood Watch & CERT Gathering  Future Agenda Items October 26, 2017  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Work Plan Item: Neighborhood Watch Gathering – Debrief  Work Plan Item: Public Safety Webpage  Ongoing Success and Sustainability of Neighborhood Watch o Work Plan Item: Review Neighborhood Watch Process/Guidelines o Work Plan Item: Guidelines for Keeping Neighborhood Watch Groups Active  Work Plan Item: Neighborhood Watch & CERT Gathering  Work Plan Item: Saratoga Safety Fair  Future Agenda Items November 30, 2017  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Work Plan Item: Increase Neighborhood Watch Groups  Work Plan Item: Neighborhood Watch/CERT Collaboration  Future Agenda Items January 25, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items February 22, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items March 22, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items April 26, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items May 24, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items June 28, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items July 26, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items August 23, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items September 27, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items October 25, 2018  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items November 22, 2018 *  Review/approval of Minutes  Monthly Public Safety Metrics  Future Agenda Items * Meeting falls on City Hall holiday/closure. Meeting to be rescheduled or canceled. RESOLUTION 17-010 - PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE ROLE/DUTY: “The Public Safety Task Force will serve in an advisory capacity to the City Council on matters related to public safety and is charged with providing recommendations that can be considered and utilized by the City Council to enhance public safety in the City of Saratoga.” PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP FIRST NAME LAST NAME NOMINATED BY CITY EMAIL Ray Cosyn Vice Mayor Bernald rcosyn@saratoga.ca.us Sudip Ghosal Council Member Kumar sghosal@saratoga.ca.us John Hirokawa Chair Council Member Cappello jhirokawa@saratoga.ca.us Rebecca Jepsen Mayor Lo rjepsen@saratoga.ca.us Chuck Page Vice Chair Council Member Miller cpage@saratoga.ca.us PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE WORK PLAN Approved June 7, 2017 MISSION: Enhance public safety in the City of Saratoga. GOAL: Bring greater awareness to public safety through outreach and education; strengthen partnerships between residents and their neighbors, the City, and public safety agencies; and monitor and track progress of City efforts. PROPOSED ACTION ITEMS IMPLEMENTATION 1. Outreach and Education: A. Create an improved public safety website  Review existing content and provide staff with recommended changes before the launch of the new City website, scheduled for late summer/early fall 2017. B. Create a mobile app that includes public safety information  Provide staff with recommendations for desired content and functionality to be implemented in mobile app available through CivicPlus.  Review effectiveness of mobile app after implementation. C. Increase public safety communications on a broad range of public safety topics and provide regular communications on public safety (as needed or on a set schedule)  Create a public safety communications plan that identifies the audience, strategies for communicating (including priority messages/information and communication frequency), format for communications (such as email), and measure for success.  Include schools in communication efforts to target parents. D. Hold a Saratoga Safety Fair that provides residents with a variety of public safety resources, including information on domestic violence reporting/prevention, identity theft prevention, and burglary prevention  Identify event objectives and create an estimated event budget  Request event funding from the City council  Schedule event date and time  Work with staff to create outreach strategy  Document event planning process and lessons learned so that it can be recreated in future years 2. Strengthen Partnerships: A. Host a gathering of Neighborhood Watch leaders  Schedule event date and time  Work with staff to create outreach strategy  Document event planning process and lessons learned so that it can be recreated in future years B. Increase the number of Neighborhood Watch groups  Identify areas without a Neighborhood Watch  Conduct targeted outreach to those areas to solicit interest in Neighborhood Watch, including CERT members that may not be part of an existing Neighborhood Watch C. Encourage collaboration between Neighborhood Watch and CERT by working to have 1 CERT member per neighborhood  Identify Neighborhood Watch groups without active CERT Members  Conduct targeted outreach to those areas to solicit interest in CERT D. Review process and guidelines for forming Neighborhood Watch groups  Recommend changes to the City’s Neighborhood Watch registration process, if necessary E. Establish guidelines for keeping Neighborhood Watch groups active  Survey or solicit input from Neighborhood Watch groups to better understand what has worked well and should be avoided when forming Neighborhood Watch groups or keeping them active  Draft a guide for keeping a Neighborhood Watch group active 3. Monitor and Track Progress: A. Develop a metric for measuring success of public safety efforts, such as arrest rates  Work with Sheriff’s Office to identify effective measures for tracking progress, including crime rates, calls to 911, and arrest rates or case solved rates  Identify regular review period (such as annual or quarterly) to monitor success B. Measure/monitor engagement of Neighborhood Watch groups  Create Neighborhood Watch survey for leads to inquire about activities and engagement  Regularly review Neighborhood Watch registration and grant applications (such as annual or quarterly) CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES & DIRECTION FOR IMPLEMENTATION: - Improve Public Safety Website - Communications and Outreach o Include schools in outreach to target parents - Gathering of Neighborhood Watch Leaders - Development of metric(s) - Present any budget requests that may be needed to achieve work plan items to the Council by the December 6, 2017 City Council Meeting Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Minutes - Page 1 of 3 MINUTES SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING Chair John Hirokawa called the regular meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. in the City Hall Administrative Conference Room at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Members Ray Cosyn, Sudip Ghosal, John Hirokawa, Rebecca Jepsen, Chuck Page ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Crystal Bothelio, Deputy City Manager Captain Rich Urena, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office REPORT ON POSTING OF THE AGENDA Deputy City Manager Crystal Bothelio reported that the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on September 21, 2017. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ON NON-AGENDIZED ITEMS None AGENDA ITEMS: 1. Public Safety Task Force Minutes Recommended Action: Review and approve draft minutes from the August 24, 2017 meeting. JEPSEN/COSYN MOVED TO APPROVE DRAFT MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 24, 2017 MEETING. MOTION PASSED. AYES: COSYN, GHOSAL, HIROKAWA, PAGE. NOES: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE. ABSENT: JEPSEN. 2. Public Safety Metrics Recommended Action: Review monthly update to public safety metrics. Captain Urena summarized recent crime trends for the Public Safety Task Force. 3. Neighborhood Watch Leader Gathering Recommended Action: Receive update on the Neighborhood Watch Leader Gathering and finalize outstanding plans for the event. Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Minutes - Page 2 of 3 Task Force Member Jepsen provided a status update on the Neighborhood Watch Leader Gathering. She also provided an overview of the program for the event. The Task Force requested that staff call or find alternative ways to reach out to attendees with invalid email addresses. The Task Force discussed the challenges of communicating with Neighborhood Watch leads and importance of keeping the City’s database current. Task Force Member Ghosal suggested alternative communication methods to email, including Yammer. He also suggested amending question 7 of the discussion topics to include, “Do you know what resources from the City are available to you?” The Task Force discussed the challenges of maintaining ongoing interest in Neighborhood Watch, options for the continued success of the program, and measuring success. Captain Rich Urena shared information about the City of Cupertino’s Neighborhood Watch Program. The Task Force requested an item at the October meeting on the ongoing success of and engagement in Neighborhood Watch. They also requested that the Neighborhood Watch coordinator from Cupertino be invited to provide additional information about the Cupertino program. 4. Saratoga Safety Fair Recommended Action: Select a date and time for the Saratoga Safety Fair and start discussing other event details, such as program and budget. The Task Force discussed possible dates of the Safety Fair and came to the consensus to hold the event on May 20, 2017 at the Joan Pisani Community Center Multipurpose Room. The Task Force requested additional information about options for charging commercial vendors for booth space at the fair. 5. Neighborhood Watch Leader & CERT Gathering Recommended Action: Select a date and time for the event and begin considering the event budget and program. The Task Force discussed dates for the Neighborhood Watch and CERT Gathering. The Task Force agreed to first discuss the event with CERT Leadership at the February or March meeting. 6. Future Agenda Items Recommended Action: Consider agenda items for upcoming meetings. Saratoga Public Safety Task Force Minutes - Page 3 of 3 The Task Force agreed to discuss the ongoing success of Neighborhood Watch, the Safety Fair, debrief on Neighborhood Watch Get Together, and Neighborhood Watch and CERT Gathering budget and plans for the pre-meeting with CERT leadership at the October meeting. ADJOURNMENT Chair Hirokawa adjourned the meeting at 7:34 p.m. Minutes respectfully submitted: Crystal Bothelio, Deputy City Manager City of Saratoga CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum To: Public Safety Task Force From: Crystal Bothelio, Deputy City Manager Date: October 26, 2017 Subject: Public Safety Metrics At the June 22, 2017 Public Safety Task Force Meeting, the Task Force requested monthly update to public safety metrics, including reported crime, arrests, and suspicious calls. This information is now provided as a monthly agenda item, so that the Task Force may discuss the data if desired. Burglary, Residential ID Theft, Forgery, Fraud Vandalism Grand Theft Burglary, Vehicle Domestic Violence Burglary, Commercial Auto Theft Simple & Aggravated Assaults Sex Crimes Robbery 2014 98 66 24 32 34 21 26 20 8 6 1 2015 123 103 36 29 33 29 24 20 13 9 1 2016 130 107 31 24 15 31 16 9 21 9 6 2017 - Sep 49 48 13 18 7 16 15 12 8 4 4 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 CRIMES 2014 -2017 (THROUGH SEPTEMBER) 2014 2015 2016 2017 - Sep Burglary, Residential, 49, 25% ID Theft, Forgery, Fraud, 48, 25% Vandalism, 13, 7% Grand Theft, 18, 9% Burglary, Vehicle, 7, 4% Domestic Violence, 16, 8% Burglary, Commercial, 15, 8% Auto Theft, 12, 6% Simple & Aggravated Assaults, 8, 4% Sex Crimes, 4, 2%Robbery, 4, 2% CRIMES 2017 (THROUGH SEPTEMBER) 2014 2015 2016 2017 Total Arrests 25 7 8 9 Patrol Arrests 14 6 6 6 Detective/Warrant Arrests 11 1 1 3 # Residential Burglaries 98 123 130 49 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY & ARRESTS 2014 -2017 (THROUGH SEPTEMBER) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep # Residential Burglaries 7 6 4 10 3 7 0 3 9 Arrests 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 Patrol Arrests 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Detective/Warrant Arrests 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 Calls for Service 25 36 28 20 22 24 17 38 34 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 2017 RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY, ARRESTS, & CALLS FOR SERVICE BY MONTH Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2014 Calls 22 26 27 24 23 21 31 26 15 20 21 23 2015 Calls 15 30 27 26 27 24 16 25 13 22 28 43 2016 Calls 28 25 39 25 29 16 24 37 37 34 33 53 2017 Calls 25 36 28 20 22 24 17 38 34 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 CALLS FOR SERVICE/SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY 2014 -2017 BY MONTH 2014 2015 2016 2017 Calls 279 296 380 244 Res. Burglaries 98 123 130 49 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 CALLS FOR SERVICE & RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES 2014 -2017 Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Crime Definitions Burglary, Residential The criminal offense of breaking and entering a residence illegally for the purpose of committing a crime. Identity Theft, Forgery, Fraud Identity Theft: Knowingly transferring or using, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity Forgery: The creation of a false written document or alteration of a genuine one, with the intent to defraud Fraud: A false representation of a matter of fact—whether by words or by conduct, by false or misleading allegations, or by concealment of what should have been disclosed—that deceives and is intended to deceive another so that the individual will act upon it to her or his legal injury. Vandalism Deliberate defacing or destruction of property Grand Theft Unlawful taking in any of the following, with the intent to steal:  Money, labor, or property with a value of over $950  Farm products including domestic fowl and crops with a value of over $250  Ocean and agricultural products taken from a research facility with a value of over $250  Money, labor, or property taken by an employee from their direct employer over a 12 month period with an aggregate value of over $950  Property taken from the person of another  When the property taken is a car, firearm, horse, or any other farm animal, regardless of value Burglary, Vehicle The criminal offense of breaking and entering a vehicle illegally for the purpose of committing a crime. Domestic Violence Abuse or threats of abuse when the person being abused and the abuser are or have been in an intimate relationship (married or domestic partners, are dating or used to date, live or lived together, or have a child together) Burglary, Commercial The criminal offense of breaking and entering a commercial building illegally for the purpose of committing a crime. Auto Theft Unlawful taking or driving of a vehicle Simple & Aggravated Assaults Simple Assault: Unlawful attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another Aggravated Assault: Assault with an "aggravating circumstance" to elevate the charges against the defendant. For example, use of a deadly weapon is often considered an aggravating circumstance that can elevate a charge to aggravated assault. Sex Crimes Criminal acts involving but not limited to rape, indecent exposure, lewd conduct, sexual assault, child pornography, child sex abuse, and violations of sex offender registration requirements pursuant to PC 290. Robbery The taking of money or goods in the possession of another, from his or her person or immediate presence, by force or intimidation. CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum To: Public Safety Task Force From: Crystal Bothelio, Deputy City Manager Date: October 26, 2017 Subject: Neighborhood Watch Leader Gathering Debrief On October 15, 2017, the Public Safety Task Force hosted a get together for Neighborhood Watch leaders. With another gathering for Neighborhood Watch and CERT planned, the purpose of this agenda item is to prove the Task Force with the opportunity to share outcomes of the gathering on October 15th, as well as discuss what worked well and what can be improved. Overview of Event Roughly 40 people attended the Neighborhood Watch Get Together. Participants were broken up into groups of 6 of fewer and provided with questions to guide small group discussion. At the end of the event, participants reported out key takeaways from their small group discussions. The takeaways are summarized below. - Most Neighborhood Watch groups have been active at least 3 months, several groups reported being active for 5 years or more. - Most groups have 100 to 200 households, though the number of households in each Neighborhood Watch group varies significantly. - Many groups reported that making initial contact is a hurdle. Some lead ers reported that neighbors were cautious or uninterested. - Some groups shared that they collected a variety of information about the households in the Neighborhood Watch group. For other groups, collecting this information discouraged participation. - Communicating with Neighborhood Watch members is another challenge faced by many groups. Few groups had contact information for all households in the Neighborhood Watch area. Several groups reported using email groups, like Google Groups, or Nextdoor to communicate, but most groups also indicated that there are several households without email addresses. Some of the larger groups shared that Neighborhood Watch leaders share information from the City with block or zone leaders who then share information with households in their respective areas. - Getting neighbors to get involved with Neighborhood Watch was a common problem among the groups. Several leaders reported that neighbors were unengaged and uninterested in attending Neighborhood Watch events and activities. - Several leads shared that keeping member contact information private is important. - A regular report from the City on crime data was requested. Some leads preferred weekly updates while others expressed interest in monthly or quarterly updates. Real time data was also requested. Regular tips on crime prevention and positive news were also requested. A flyer in the Saratoga News on crime prevention was also requested. - Some groups indicated that they have set a goal to hold Neighborhood Watch activities once or twice per year. - The participants expressed support for regular Neighborhood Watch leader get gatherings. - Discounts on security products was requested. - Several leaders shared that some of their members expressed frustration that Neighborhood Watch did not completely eliminate crime. CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum To: Public Safety Task Force From: Crystal Bothelio, Deputy City Manager Date: October 26, 2017 Subject: Saratoga Safety Fair One of the Public Safety Task Force work plan items includes holding a fair that provides residents with a variety of public safety resources, such as crime prevention or bicycle safety. At the September meeting, the Task Force agreed to hold the event on May 20, 2018 in the Joan Pisani Community Center Multipurpose Room. Event Budget The City Council has directed the Task Force to present any budget requests needed to implement the Task Force’s work plan by the December 6, 2017 City Council. Due to Task Force meeting scheduling changes resulting from the holidays, the October 26, 2017 meeting will be the Task Force’s last opportunity to identify a budget for the event before the December 6, 2017 meeting. Below are some possible event related expenses. The budget can be refined after the Task Force decides the nature and scale of outreach efforts for the Safety Fair. Item Cost Median Banners (7 Banners, $120 each) $840 Refreshments $375 Children’s Crafts/Activities $400 City Giveaways $650 Misc. Event Expenses (Decorations, Plates, Napkins, etc.) $225 Total Estimated Cost $2,490 Event Activities and Program The City of Saratoga’s safety fair could include resource tables hosted by public safety agencies and resources that attendees could explore at their leisure, several public safety presentations, activities for children, and Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department vehicles on display. Below is a sample event program. Time Activity 2:00 p.m. Event Start 2:30 p.m. Welcoming Remarks, Announcement of Presentations/Activities (15 minutes) 3:00 p.m. Public Safety Presentation 1 (15 minutes) 3:45 p.m. Public Safety Presentation 2 (15 minutes) 4:30 p.m. Public Safety Presentation 3 (15 minutes) 5:00 p.m. Closing Remarks, Event End Presentations There are a variety of topics that could be covered during the presentations. Some examples include child seat safety, bicycle and pedestrian safety, proper use of a fire extinguisher, creating a home emergency supply kit, fall prevention for older adults, or home burglary prevention. With the direction of the Task Force, staff can further explore particular topics to see if presentations can be included in the event. Public Agency/Nonprofit Resource Tables Additionally, there are also a number of agencies and organizations that might be interested in hosting resource tables. Below is a list of some possible hosts. Once the event date, time, and location have been finalized, staff can begin reaching out to organizations listed below and other public safety agencies and nonprofits to determine which are available and interested in attending the event. Agency Information to be Shared Sheriff's Office Burglary Prevention, Traffic Safety, Domestic Violence, ID Theft Saratoga CERT Community Emergency Preparedness County Fire Fire Prevention, LIFE File, Emergency Preparedness FireSafe Council Wildfire Prevention and defensible space Senior Scam Stoppers Identifying and preventing scams that target older adults South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking Identifying and reporting human trafficking City of Saratoga Neighborhood Watch and other City programs Private Business Resource Tables Additionally, the Task Force has expressed interest in including private businesses that offer security devices or services. To avoid the appearance that the City is endorsing or showing favoritism to a particular service or product, the City cannot place restrictions which companies can host resource tables or on the number of similar vendors. If the Task Force chose to invite private businesses to host resource tables, the application process would need to be open to any business. To that end, the City would define an application period for businesses to express interest and agree to terms for participating in the fair. Additionally, the number of participants would be limited based on available space for private business resource tables. The City can charge private businesses a sponsorship fee to host a resource table. For example, the City could request a sponsorship fee of $250. Sponsorship fees would be considered a donation. Per the City’s Donation Policy, the City Council would need to authorize sponsorship fees. The Task Force’s sponsorship plan could be presented to the City Council for consideration with the Safety Fair budget request. Comparable Events Several other communities have held similar events. Below is a list of several examples. Community Event Event Features Tracy Safety Fair Police station tours, SWAT equipment tours, safety information, food, games, K9 unit demonstrations, music Thousand Oaks Be Prepared Safety Fair Emergency preparedness information, public safety information, K9 units, public safety vehicles, activities for children San Francisco Community Safety Fair Resource tables, fire extinguisher demonstrations, hands-only CPR instruction, free smoke detectors San Carlos Public Safety Fair Cooking safety demonstration with real fire, Fire vehicles, information on smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers, SWAT and Mobile Command Vehicles, local officers, resource tables In addition to the above events, many communities hold similar events as part of National Night Out. For example, National City holds a National Night Out event that includes free food, a movie, resource tables, SWAT equipment, police motorcycles, K9 demonstration, health screenings, face painting, arts and crafts, CPR training, and bicycle obstacle course. CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum To: Public Safety Task Force From: Crystal Bothelio, Deputy City Manager Date: October 26, 2017 Subject: Neighborhood Watch Leader & CERT Gathering One of the work plan items of the Public Safety Task Force is to encourage collaboration between Saratoga’s Neighborhood Watch and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) groups. To that end, the Task Force has been discussing the possibility of holding a gathering of Neighborhood Watch and CERT representatives. Additionally, during the September meeting, the Task Force agreed to meet with the CERT leadership team in February or March to jointly discuss the gathering. Event Budget When the Task Force’s work plan was approved, the City Council directed the Task Force to present any budget requests needed to implement the work plan by the December 6, 2017 City Council meeting. The next Task Force Meeting is November 30, which is after the publication deadline for the December 6, 2017 City Council meeting agenda packet. Therefore, the October 26 meeting is the last opportunity that the Task Force will have to identify budget requests. Depending on the nature of the event, the cost may range from $250 (light refreshments only) to $1,500 (meal provided). For the purpose of preparing a cost estimate, staff assumed that the event will have 115 attendees (75 Neighborhood Watch representatives and 40 CERT representatives). Actual attendance may be lower than estimated, particularly if the Task Force decides to invite only the CERT leadership rather than the entire roster of CERT members. There are currently 6 members on the CERT leadership team and approximately 180 people on the full roster. Meeting with CERT Leadership The CERT leadership is available to join the Task Force during either the February or March meeting. CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum To: Public Safety Task Force From: Crystal Bothelio, Deputy City Manager Date: October 26, 2017 Subject: Ongoing Success and Sustainability of Neighborhood Watch At the September meeting, the Task Force requested an item on the October agenda to discuss the sustainability of Neighborhood Watch and requested additional information about the Cupertino Neighborhood Watch Program as part of the item. The item coincides with two of the Task Force’s work plan items: Review Process and Guidelines for Forming Neighborhood Watch; and Establish Guidelines for Keeping Neighborhood Watch Groups Active. City of Saratoga Neighborhood Watch Currently, the Saratoga Neighborhood Watch program has 57 groups. After new groups have established their boundaries and determined that there is general interest in forming a Neighborhood Watch Group, the City will help new groups schedule a Neighborhood Watch orientation with the Sheriff’s Office. After orientation, the Public Works Department will work with individual neighborhoods to install signage. Additionally, the City offers a $300 Neighborhood Watch grant to each group to help jumpstart Neighborhood Watch activities for new and existing groups. A total of 29 groups received funding last Fiscal Year and this Fiscal Year 13 grants have been issued so far. Grants have been used for block parties, miscellaneous supplies for Neighborhood Watch activities, and to offset the cost of security cameras on private property. Best Practices for Forming Neighborhood Watch and Keeping Groups Active After reviewing the Neighborhood Watch Programs of several nearby communities, I summarized some of the best practices for the Task Force to consider that can be accommodated within the City’s current budget and staffing levels. - Offer meetings with City staff individually with residents interested in forming a Neighborhood Watch group to provide guidance and review the process - Request new groups to demonstrate engagement from a majority of households in the Neighborhood Watch group to receive signage - Require existing groups to hold social gatherings at least once a year - Provide regular communication to Neighborhood Watch groups through leads or directly to all members Based on the experience of Saratoga staff, the Task Force may also want to consider requiring that the boundaries of new groups do not overlap with existing Neighborhood Watch groups. Additionally, the Task Force could consider recommending requiring that each Neighborhood Watch group designate at least one person to participate in CERT. Neighborhood Watch Program Examples Cupertino Neighborhood Watch The City of Cupertino has an extensive Neighborhood Watch program, closely tied within the larger Block Leader Program. Cupertino has a total of 271 Neighborhood Watch groups, many of which were formed after engaging in the Block Leader Program, which has a total of 300 groups. For comparison purpose, Cupertino has a population of more than 60,000 and is just over 11 square miles in area (Saratoga’s population is approximately 30,000 and is almost 12.5 square miles in area). As part of the Block Leader Program, groups are required to get together two times per year. As a result, many groups have elected to use Neighborhood Watch as one of the ways to bring residents together and meet the requirements of the Block Leader Program. Occasionally, new groups not associated with the Block Leader Program are formed. The Block Leader Program is staffed by 1 full time city employee. Currently, the Cupertino Neighborhood Watch program is staffed by 1 part-time temporary staff member. The total program budget, including staff, office and outreach materials, and the National Night Out event costs, is $48,750. Additionally, the program receives resources and support from the Block Leader Program and Recreation Department. For example, Cupertino offers to provide recreation staff to lead children’s activities at block party events. Without the support of the Block Leader Program or other departments, the Neighborhood Watch Program would need more staffing and a much larger budget to sustain the same level of services. The Cupertino Neighborhood Watch Coordinator will work one-on-one with residents interested in forming a Neighborhood Watch group, helping define boundaries and providing suggestions for getting neighbors involved. When the group is ready, the Coordinator will attend a Neighborhood Watch meeting and provide an orientation. Approximately 10 hours of the Coordinator’s time per group is required during the formation process. Before signage is installed, Neighborhood Watch groups have to show participation of 80% of households in the group. Participation is measured by attendance at Neighborhood Watch meetings or gatherings through a sign in sheet. Like the Block Leader Program, Neighborhood Watch groups are required to hold 2 social gatherings per year to keep residents engaged and connected. The City of Cupertino only collects contact information for Neighborhood Watch leaders and shares updates through a volunteer portal, Better Impact. Pricing varies based on the number of users. Leaders can share information on the Volunteer Portal with their respective groups. Los Gatos Neighborhood Watch Like Cupertino, Los Gatos also has an active Neighborhood Watch Program. The Town’s Neighborhood Watch Program is supported by a full time Outreach Coordinator that also supports several other programs, such as Operation Care and Graffiti Abatement. There is no dedicated budget for Neighborhood Watch. The Coordinator meets with Neighborhood Watch groups 6 to 10 times per year to check in or provide orientation for new groups. The Town of Los Gatos has approximately 20 Neighborhood Watch Groups. Like Saratoga, Los Gatos has a population of approximately 30,000 and is approximately 11 square miles in size. Unlike Cupertino, Los Gatos does not require Neighborhood Watch groups to demonstrate engagement to receive signage, require 2 social activities per year, or provide a volunteer portal for communication purposes. Signage for new groups is installed after orientation. Before placement, new Neighborhood Watch groups are required to demonstrate that the majority of the neighborhood is in favor of installing Neighborhood Watch signs. Town staff select signage locations and do not seek feedback from residents. Additionally, the Coordinator collects contact information for all households in each Neighborhood Watch group and regularly sends out updates and information.