Agenda - 08-19-2003-8p - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: August 19, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. ~ SUBJECT: Authorization of Community Oriented Policing (COPSFAST) Grant Positions DEPARTMENT: Sheriff PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT (S): Attachment 1. Estimated Cost Projections for Grant Period INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheriff A. Lindy Pendergrass, extension 2901 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To authorize four permanent full-time Deputy Sheriff positions to be funded from a recently awarded US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services grant. BACKGROUND: The US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPSFAST) provides funding for community oriented policing efforts in jurisdictions with populations of less than 50,000. Since fiscal year 1995-96, the Orange County Sheriff's Department has been awarded four grants totaling $1.1 million. These monies provided "seed" funding for 15 Deputy Sheriff positions. With those positions, the Department has been able to increase police presence and address crime issues in communities and neighborhoods throughout the County. In June 2003, the Sheriffs Department received notification of a fifth COPSFAST grant award. The terms of the grant require Orange County to establish four new full-time equivalent positions. The new grant, accepted by the Commissioners on June 27, 2003, provides funding to offset a portion of the personnel related costs for four additional full-time Deputy positions in the Sheriffs Department. In the first year, the grant will offset approximately 58 percent of the salaries and benefits of the four positions while the County matches the remaining 48 percent of the costs. In accordance with the grant, Federal monies decrease each year and in turn, the County's share increases each year leading to full local funding by the fourth year of the life of the program. The attached Estimated Personnel Costs spreadsheet provides the federal and County costs for each of the COPSFAST grants the department has received. Current year matching funds for this most recent award are included in the Sheriffs Department 2003-04 annual budget.