CC - Item 4A - Authorization to Allocate Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Funds - Box 070TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS
ROSEMEADDCITY COUNCIL
FROM: BILL CROWE, CITY MANAGER
DATE: MAY 25, 2004
RE: AUTHORIZATION TO ALLOCATE JUVENILE ACCOUNTABILITY BLOCK
GRANT FUNDS TO THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE
The State Board of Corrections has advised the District Attorney's Office that the City of Rosemead
is again eligible to receive Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG), formerly known as Juvenile
Accountability Incentive Block Grant fiords. The JABG Program is intended to promote greater
accountability of juveniles in the justice system. The goal is to hold juvenile offenders accountable
for their criminal activities by placing deputy district attorneys in juvenile court offices to enhance
prosecution efforts.
In recent years, the City Council has selected the District Attorney's Office to administer the City's
share of these federal funds. Last year's allocation for Rosemead was $8,957. Funding levels for
local governments are based upon a jurisdiction's crime index and law enforcement expenditures.
The 2004 allocation for Rosemead is $6,317.
The District Attorney's Office has again requested that the City assign our new grant allocation to the
District Attorney in order to continue our partnership.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve allocation of Juvenile Accountability Block Grant
funds, in the amount of $6,317, to the District Attorney's Office, and authorize the City Manager to
sign documents.
GOUNIIM AGEN'DA
MAY 2 5 2004
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LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
STEVE COOLEY• District Attorney
CURT LIVESAY • Chief Deputy District Attorney
May 5, 2004
Mr. William Crowe
City Manager of Rosemead
8838 East Valley Boulevard
Rosemead, CA 91770
Dear Mr. Crowe:
CURTIS A. HAZELL
Assistant District Attorney
The State Board of Corrections (BOC) has advised that we are now entering the sixth annual
application period for the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG), formerly known as the
Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant (JAIBG). Your city may also have received a
JABG Request for Application (RFA) and corresponding paperwork from the BOC. As we have
in past years, we are again writing to advise you of the time frame to complete the grant
application.
For the past five years, the District Attorney's Office has utilized its share of Los Angeles County
JABG funds to place senior Grade IV deputy district attorneys in juvenile court offices to
enhance youth accountability and prosecution efforts. In addition, more than fifty cities have
released their JABG funds each year to the District Attorney's Office to support one of four
prosecution programs that they select: HEAT (Heightened Enforcement and Targeting, a
juvenile gang prosecution program); ACT (Abolish Chronic Truancy); JOIN (Juvenile Offender
Intervention Network, a diversion program for first-time, non-violent juvenile offenders); and the
"Special Projects" prosecution program targeting current, serious juvenile crime issues in our
local communities. The City of Rosemead currently participates in the Special Projects
Prosecution Program described in more detail in the attachment.
Since the inception of these JABG programs in 1999, our prosecutors have received positive
feedback from cities and local law enforcement agencies for their dedication and service in
juvenile investigations and prosecutions. Caseloads in the juvenile courts have been reduced
by more than 45% through the elimination of backlogs and the enhancement of prosecution
efforts. Case processing time has been streamlined and reduced by more than 30% in the past
5 years. More than 2,500 youth have been diverted from the criminal justice system, and over
120,000 serious juvenile cases appropriately adjudicated using JABG funds.
The 2004 allocation for the City of Rosemead is $6,317. We are taking this opportunity to invite
you to continue your partnership with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in the
JABG Program,for Year Six. The District Attorney's Office will again contribute the required
10% matching funds for its city partners that release JABG funds to this department, thus no
matching funds are required from your city if you choose to participate in JABG with the District
Attorney's Office.
18-201 Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
210 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 974-5959
Mr. William Crowe
Page Two
May 5, 2004
If your city chooses to continue in the JABG program, we will need to receive a letter of
intent to release your allocated funds to the Office of the District Attorney no later than
May 21, 2004, to meet the state deadline. To finalize the release of funds, BOC requires a
waiver form with the city manager/administrator's original signature and city seal or notarization.
We recognize that many cities will need city council approval to execute the attached waiver,
therefore we ask that you forward your completed waiver form to Special Assistant District
Attorney Mia Baker by June 25, 2004.' To reiterate, we need a letter of intent to release funds
by May 21, 2004 and a completed waiver no later than June 25, 2004.
Last year, the District Attorney's Office was successful in securing a separate state JABG grant
to fund one JOIN hearing officer in each of the juvenile courts throughout the county. Since this
program is currently fully operational in each jurisdiction, we will not continue to offer this
particular collaborative program with Year Six JABG funds. We are asking the cities who have
previously selected this program to consider releasing their allocation to another program
instead. Thank you.
If your city has lost its JABG appropriation this year or the amount of funding was reduced from
last year, we welcome your continued participation in a JABG program using other city or grant
funds. If you have any questions about JABG programs or procedures, please contact Deputy
District Attorney Susan Steinfeld at (213) 974-9870 or Mia Baker at (213) 202-7652.
Very truly yours,
STEVE COOLEY
District Attorney
By
CURTIS A. HAZELL
Assistant District Attorney
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Enclosures
c: Chief of Police
Please forward all written communication to:
Mia Baker, Special Assistant District Attorney
c/o Bureau of Management & Budget
Los Angeles County District Attorney
201 North Figueroa Street, Suite 1300
Los Angeles, California 90012
You may FAX your letter of intent to: (213) 250-8757
LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
JABG PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS
2004-2005
Abolish Chronic Truancy (ACT)
The purpose of the ACT program is to reduce delinquency and later adult criminality by
keeping children in school. ACT Deputy District Attorneys and Hearing Officers require parents
to take responsibility for their children's school attendance problems. They follow up with a
series of graduated actions which promote good attendance and academic success. Parents and,
some minors may be prosecuted for violations of mandatory school attendance laws if attendance
does not improve after graduated sanctions are imposed.
Heightened Enforcement and Targeting (HEAT)
HEAT is a collaborative, geographically specific, gang and gang-related vertical
prosecution program targeting gang members. HEAT prosecutors work in close cooperation with
local law enforcement, probation and schools to identify problem areas and problem offenders
and institute appropriate criminal proceedings. Our deputies use community-based prosecution
techniques to ensure focused suppression efforts in abating gang and gang-related crime in those
communities which have selected this model for implementation.
Special Projects Prosecutor
This program was expanded in 2003-04 to enhance joint law enforcement and
prosecution efforts to target specific juvenile offenses. The Special Projects Prosecutor works
closely with local law enforcement and city personnel to determine the type of criminal activity
that warrants special attention in each jurisdiction. The deputy will then focus prosecution efforts
on this designated community problem. During the past year, Special Projects prosecutors have
handled cases involving juvenile sexual assaults, gang crimes, juvenile gun crimes, graffiti
vandalism, and other high profile or uniquely complex cases and investigations, depending on
local needs. This collaborative program offers increased flexibility in addressing the specific
juvenile justice needs of the communities selecting this model.
Juvenile Offender Intervention Network (JOIN)
JOIN is a restorative justice diversion program designed to stop delinquency before it
becomes a pattern of behavior. JOIN officers conduct hearings in cases involving first-time non-
violent juvenile offenders. These youth sign a contract to pay restitution to their victims and
perform community service, among other mandatory conditions, and parents must attend
parenting classes. If the juvenile and parents successfully complete all the terms of diversion, the
criminal case will not be filed. If the juvenile does not successfully complete diversion, a
criminal complaint is instituted and the offender enters the juvenile court system. JOIN is now
funded through a separate state JABG grant and is offered without charge at all juvenile
courts throughout the County.
Gift - Equipment and Training
if a city wishes to release its JAIBG funds to the District Attomey without designating a
specific program, this Office will use the funds to support juvenile accountability programming
throughout the county.
JABG 2004
WAIVER OF DIRECT SUBGRANT AWARD FROM UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
I,
(Name / Title)
the legally authorized administrative officer (City Manager/City Administrator) of
(Name of waiving unit of local government)
authorize the State of California, Board of Corrections, to transfer award funds allocated under the
Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) 2004, in the amount of $ , to
THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Authorized Official's Signature
Authorized Official's Typed Name
Authorized Official's Typed Title
Date Executed
Waiving Unit of Local Government Official Seal or Notary Stamp is required below:
MAYOR:
MARGARETCLARK
MAYOR PRO TEM:
JAY T. IMPERIAL
OOUNCILMEMBERS:
BILL ALARCON
GARY A. TAYLOR
JOE VASQUEZ
May 11, 2004
osesocad
8838 E. VALLEY BOULEVARD • P.O. BOX 399
ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA 91770
TELEPHONE (626) 569-2100
FAX (626) 307-9218
Ms. Mia Baker
Special Assistant District Attorney
c/o Bureau of Management and Budget
201 North Figueroa Street, Suite 1300
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) Release - Intent Letter
Dear Ms. Baker:
The City of Rosemead plans to release its funds under the Juvenile Accountability Block
Grant (JABG) to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, to be used for the
Special Projects Prosecution Program.
The City's Waiver of Direct Subgrant Award will be presented to the Rosemead City
Council for approval at the next regularly scheduled meeting of May 25, 2004. The
completed waiver should be in your hands within a few days following the meeting.
We look forward to continuing this collaborative effort. Should you have any questions,
please contact me at (626) 569-2110.
Sincerely,
Bill Crowe
City Manager