REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
July 23, 2024
FROM
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Award for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2024 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Grant Award (Federal Award No. G24LA0001A) in the amount of $1,108,476 with the Office of National Drug Control Policy accepting the 2024 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program for the performance period of January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025.
2. Authorize the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator to execute and submit the grant award documents and any non-substantive amendments on behalf of the County, as requested by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator to transmit all non-substantive amendments in relation to this grant award to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
4. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post adjustments to the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator’s 2024-25 budget, as detailed in the Financial Impact section (Four votes required).
5. Approve the purchase of one passenger vehicle as an unbudgeted fixed asset at an estimated cost of $75,000.
(Presenter: Kelly Welty, Chief Deputy Director, 387-3760)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator (Department) has received grant funds for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) since 1997. The grant performance period is from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025. The Department can submit claims for reimbursement retroactively to January 1, 2024. No matching funds are required.
The Department requests the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post the following adjustments to the 2024-25 budget:
|
Fund Center |
Commitment Item |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
4438001000 |
51001010 |
Regular Salary |
Increase |
$138,211 |
|
4438001000 |
51001035 |
Overtime |
Increase |
$589,665 |
|
4438001000 |
52942941 |
Conference/Training/Seminar Fees |
Increase |
$20,000 |
|
4438001000 |
52002135 |
Special Department Expense |
Increase |
$285,600 |
|
4438001000 |
54504050 |
Vehicle |
Increase |
$75,000 |
|
4438001000 |
40509094 |
Federal-Grants |
Increase |
$1,108,476 |
The grant award in the amount of $1,108,476, will provide funding in the amount of $623,420 for the Inland Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team (IRNET), $385,056 for the Regional Methamphetamine Task Force (RMTF), and $100,000 for the Vehicle Interdiction Pipeline Enforcement Resource (VIPER) Task Force, as summarized below:
|
Description |
IRNET |
RMTF |
VIPER |
Total |
|
Personnel |
$98,211 |
$40,000 |
$0 |
$138,211 |
|
Overtime |
$382,590 |
$207,075 |
$0 |
$589,665 |
|
Travel |
$5,000 |
$10,000 |
$5,000 |
$20,000 |
|
Equipment |
$0 |
$0 |
$75,000 |
$75,000 |
|
Services and Supplies |
$137,619 |
$127,981 |
$20,000 |
$285,600 |
|
Total |
$623,420 |
$385,056 |
$100,000 |
$1,108,476 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The HIDTA program provides federal assistance to local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating cooperation and providing reliable law enforcement intelligence among law enforcement agencies and supporting coordinated law enforcement strategies that make the most of available resources.
Since 1997, the Department has received HIDTA grant funds from the ONDCP for IRNET, RMTF and more recently, VIPER initiatives. IRNET is a joint effort between the Department, as the lead agency, and other member agencies designed to target, investigate and prosecute major drug trafficking organizations. RMTF is a joint effort between San Bernardino and Riverside counties to target major methamphetamine production/distribution and arrest persons/organizations involved in illicit sales and trafficking of methamphetamine. VIPER is a joint effort between the Sheriff’s Departments of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties to target drug trafficking on the highway.
The total allocation for IRNET of $623,420 will fund personnel costs of existing positions, including overtime, supplies, equipment, investigative services, service contracts, and other program-related expenses. Additionally, the grant will provide overtime reimbursement to the California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control, Montclair Police Department, Ontario Police Department, Redlands Police Department, San Bernardino Police Department and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The $385,056 allocated for RMTF will fund the Department’s overtime and partial salary, without benefits, in addition to travel, supplies, service contracts, and other operating expenses of this program. The $100,000 allocated to VIPER will fund the Department’s travel, equipment purchase and services and supplies, including a vehicle that will replace an existing high mileage unit.
The Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the submission of the grant application on April 23, 2024 (Item No. 65). The ONDCP released the award notification on April 29, 2024. The agreement is being submitted to the Board at this time, as this is the first available date following the required fiscal, operational, and legal reviews.
Approval of Recommendation No. 2 will authorize the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator to sign the grant award documents in compliance with ONDCP’s policy.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Grace B. Parsons, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 24, 2024; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, Manager, 382-7022) on June 24, 2024; Finance (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on July 2, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on July 8, 2024.