REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
April 6, 2021
FROM
JOHN McMAHON, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title v
Grant Award for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2021 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Grant Award (Federal Award No. G21LA0001A) in the amount of $1,149,110 with the Office of National Drug Control Policy accepting the 2021 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program for the performance period of January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022.
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 documents in relation to this grant award to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: John Ades, Captain, 387-0640)
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.
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, 2021 through December 31, 2022. The Department can submit claims for reimbursement retroactively to January 1, 2021. Funds in the approximate amount of $100,000 have been expended against this agreement to date. Sufficient appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department’s 2020-21 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets. No matching funds are required.
The grant award in the amount of $1,149,110, will provide $664,054 of funding 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. The expenditures to be funded by this grant are summarized below:
|
Description |
IRNET |
RMTF |
VIPER |
Total |
|
Personnel |
$98,212 |
$40,000 |
$0 |
$138,212 |
|
Overtime |
$363,588 |
$191,802 |
$95,901 |
$651,291 |
|
Travel |
$0 |
$10,000 |
$0 |
$10,000 |
|
Services and Supplies |
$202,254 |
$143,254 |
$4,099 |
$349,607 |
|
Total |
$664,054 |
$385,056 |
$100,000 |
$1,149,110 |
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 County 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 $664,054 will fund personnel costs of existing positions, including overtime, supplies, 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 overtime and technical investigative equipment.
The Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the submission of the grant application on July 28, 2020 (Item No. 58). The ONDCP released award notification on March 1, 2021. 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 (Richard D. Luczak, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 9, 2021; Finance (Carolina Mendoza, Administrative Analyst, 387-0294) on March 16, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Kelly Welty, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on March 16, 2021.