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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13B - COUNCIL CMT - PUBLIC SAFETY MINUTESCITY OF SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT MINUTES January 28, 2014 CALL TO ORDER: Santa Ana Police Department 60 Civic Center Drive, Police Community Room Santa Ana, California 5:40 PM ATTENDANCE: Council Committee members: David Benavides Michele Martinez STAFF PRESENT: David Cavazos, CMO Carlos Rojas, PD Scott Brown, OCFA Laura Rossini, CAO Paul Satras, OCFA Ruben lbarra, PD Ken Gominsky, PD Karen Haluza, Planning & Building Alvaro Nunez, Code Enforcement PUBLIC SIGN -INS: Glen Stroud PUBLIC COMMENTS Glen Stroud, Santa Ana resident, concerned about the issue of jaywalking in Santa Ana. He talks about his personal experience of being involved in a traffic collision in January, 2014, with two other vehicles at Fairview and McFadden. In reviewing the police report, it was possibly caused by a jaywalker. Two vehicles were totaled. Mr. Stroud wants to know what the Police Department is doing to address this issue. AGENDAITEMS 1. Approval of Minutes of 11 -26 -13 Meeting 13B -1 Motion: Approve the Minutes of 11 -26 -13 meeting. MOTION: Martinez SECOND: Benavides VOTE: AYES: Benavides, Martinez NOES: None (0) ABSENT: Reyna (1) Motion carries. 2. Santiago Creek Hazard Reduction (Reduce Hazardous Fuels Along The Santiago Creek Area) Captain Paul Satras, OCFA, gives an update on the hazard reduction clean -up between the I -5 freeway and Jack Fisher Park. In order to reduce any fire hazard, the OCFA is clearing out the brush in this area to protect the residences along the creek. OCFA received final approval from Fish & Game to go ahead with the program. The OCFA is involved in risk reduction programs, and a community committee has been formed comprised of OCFA, the Police Department, Public Works Agency, Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Associations to be involved. There have been 3 -4 brushfires in the drainage along the Santiago Creek due to the dry temperatures, winds, and overgrowth of vegetation and grass. It will take one week's worth of work to clear it out and then maintenance once a year. 3. Smoke Detector Project (Fire Safety to Prevent Home Fires) Captain Paul Satras, OCFA, explains how members of the OCFA have partnered with neighborhood associations and the Red Cross for door -to -door outreach programs to install 150- 200 smoke alarms, free of charge, in residences that do not have a functioning smoke alarm to prevent fires. Eventually the OCFA hopes to encompass 350 -400 residences. 4. Pedestrian Safety (Statistical Information Regarding Traffic Collisions /Fatalities During 2013) Commander Ibarra, SAPD, has a Power Point presentation entitled Pedestrian Safety Update. The statistics cover total traffic collisions from 2008 -2013, pedestrian collisions from 2008- 2013, and a breakdown of the total number of fatalities: pedestrian fatalities, pedestrians at fault, and bicycle fatalities from 2008 -2013. Education has become a key element and is offered through programs such as Officer Reggie and pamphlets distributed in both English and Spanish. The Police Department puts on a traffic safety fair, conducts a media campaign, and is looking to do a train - the - trainer program at the high schools. The Police Department has submitted an OTS Grant to refurbish a van for traffic safety involving DUI, distracted driving, and pedestrian 13B -2 safety. The Police Department is presently looking into putting up one - minute clips on social media or a loop to play in the PD lobby and over at City Hall. 5. Receivership (Discussion of the Use of Receivership as a Tool For Extreme Code Enforcement Cases) Alvaro Nunez, Community Preservation Coordinator, distributes a handout regarding Receiverships. A receivership is a legal process whereby the City goes to court to take away the property of a 3`d party. Properties who are candidates for Receiverships are those with a history of non - compliance by the owners and pose an immediate threat to the public or occupants of the structure, hoarder properties, fire damaged properties, vacant and /or abandoned properties, Police Department /Fire referrals, and slumlord/absentee landlord -owned properties. The City is working closely with the City Attorney's Office and Receiverships will only be used as a last resort. 6. Hot Spot Update (Statistical Crime Summary and Progress of Bishop Manor and Evergreen Areas) Commander lbarm, SAPD, has a Power Point presentation entitled Bishop Manor and Cedar /Evergreen Update. An update for both areas is given regarding calls for service and Part I crimes comparing years 2009 through 2013. Commander Ibarra also discusses a two -fold strategy: enforcement and partnerships. There were two major enforcement operations done in the past two years, one at Bishop Manor and Smokin Aces at Cedar /Evergreen. The Police Department has partnered with Kidworks at Bishop Manor and Lives Worth Saving for Cedar /Evergreen. SAPD also works collaboratively with other City Departments regarding trash pick -up and graffiti removal. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS Committee Chairman Benavides inquired as to whether the Police Department has a partnership with SAUSD on the pedestrian safety issue. Chairman Benavides asked about the model that will be used for the Townsend /Raitt area and requested that an invitation be extended to members of the partnerships we are working with, Kidswork and Lives Worth Saving, to attend the next Public Safety and Neighborhood Association Meeting. Chairman Benavides commended Chief Rojas on restructuring the Police Department. Chairman Benavides agreed with Committee Member Martinez that the issue of the vending trucks needs to be revisited. Committee Member Martinez brought up that there is currently a State Grant regarding the Pedestrian Safety issue for safe routes to schools. For the next meeting, she would like to talk about the shopping cart issue. Committee Member Martinez also inquired as to the current status 13B -3 of, options available, and the steps needed to deal with the federal injunction against vending trucks. ADJOURNMENT — 7:11 P.M. ti CARLOSROJ Acting Chief of Police 13B -4 CITY OF SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT MINUTES March 31, 2014 CALL TO ORDER: Santa Ana Police Department 60 Civic Center Drive, Police Community Room Santa Ana, California 5:30 PM ATTENDANCE: Council Committee members: David Benavides Michele Martinez Roman Reyna STAFF PRESENT: David Cavazos, CMO Carlos Rojas, PD Anthony Espinosa, OCFA Laura Rossini, CAO Ruben lbarra, PD Karen Haluza, Planning & Building Eileen F. Greene, Recording Secretary PUBLIC SIGN -INS: Apolonio Cortes Paul Guzman Ismael Becemil Samuel Romero Sarai Arpero Joanne Luevano PUBLIC COMMENTS Apolonia Cortez, here on behalf of SACRED as a follow -up to the Strategic Plan that has been approved by the City. Thanks the City Council for all the effort they have made. Paul Guzman, resident of Santa Ana, is concerned about unemployment. Mr. Guzman feels there is discrimination against the youth in Santa Ana; he says 40% are unemployed, highest 13B -5 rating in the County, next to Anaheim. Correlation between unemployment and the youth - civil services, school disturbances, all the way down the line, one affects the other. Ismael Becemil — resident living at 450 E. 4 1 Street, Spectrum Condos for the past 20 years. He belongs to the safety group, the Wellness Corridor. He is concerned about problems at Lacy /3`a Street /French Street after midnight, especially Thurs- Sundays. Young people on the streets intoxicated with drugs and alcohol. SAPD needs to control this situation. He asks that the City control sales of alcohol. Samuel Romero — security guards need to report problems to the police inunediately. Mr. Romero says he brought this problem to the City Council a year and a half ago, but the problem continues. Mr. Romero would like all security guards looked at, not just those working inside the bars and restaurants, in order to keep things under control. Sarai Arpero — she is part of SABHC and LHA working four years on safety issues and has had different meetings with the City on how to improve relationship with police. She asked community members what things they felt were important, and police conduct stood out. After looking at solutions, Ms. Arpero says believes in the Restorative Justice program. Joanne Luevano, high school senior talks about immigration. She believes the Police Department is working with ICE — taking funding away from libraries and things that can help youth. She tells how her father was deported and how hard that has been for her. She wants her message to get through that Santa Ana does not need the ICE contract to make money. AGENDAITEMS 1. Approval of Minutes of 1 -28 -14 Meeting Motion: Approve the Minutes of 1 -28 -14 meeting. MOTION: Martinez SECOND: Benavides VOTE: AYES: Benavides, Martinez ABSTAIN: Reyna NOES: None (0) Motion carries. 2. OCFA Standards of Coverage (Presentation explaining mechanisms to improve fire service response strategies) 13B -6 Acting Division Chief Anthony Espinosa, OCFA, has a power point presentation and begins with the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Program and how it teaches members of the community to take care of themselves. Chief Espinosa talks about standards of coverage and explains OCFA response times once a 911 call has been placed whether it is for a fire, medical aid or other emergency. He explains that OCFA is committed to meeting the basic national standard of response time. Chief Espinosa explains that the OCFA has ten stations spread out in Santa Ana which encompasses 21 square miles. He addresses the question about removing any of these stations. He explains that OCFA is a regional response team; however, they will not be removing any fire stations that are in Santa Ana at this time. 3. Restorative Justice (Introduce and Define Restorative Justice and how it will affect the youth of Santa Ana) Rafael Solorzano, Santa Ana Boys and Men of Color working group member, has a power point presentation regarding the subject of Restorative Justice. He explains that there is a State -wide initiative being moved by the California Endowment which is also part of the alignment of Boys and Men of Color. Recently the President announced this idea of restorative justice at a national level. It is at the forefront of what government leaders want to do for young people of color in reference to better outcomes, including graduation in the school system and less contact with the criminal justice system. Mr. Solorzano begins his power point presentation by introducing current local, state and national work of the Santa Ana Boys and Men of Color. Mr. Solorzano goes on to introduce Restorative Justice by defining it and giving a brief background. He explains what methods are used with Restorative Community Conferencing (RCC) and how it would work in the city of Santa Ana. Mr. Solorzano concludes the discussion by making a recommendation to create a task force that researches and develops a restorative justice pilot program that would work for the city of Santa Ana. 4. Medical Marijuana Dispensaries (Discussion of Ballot Initiatives and Options) Karen Haluza, Acting Executive Director, Planning & Building, has a Power Point presentation entitled Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Discussion. The presentation provides background information on the medical marijuana dispensary issue as it relates to a ballot initiative that qualifies to go on the ballot this November. Topics covered in the presentation are a brief history of Medical Marijuana Legislation, current City regulation and enforcement efforts, pending State legislation (SB 1262), local initiative process, summary of qualified ballot initiative, and the next steps planned to deal with the influx of these dispensaries. At this time, the City's position is that medical marijuana dispensaries operating as a storefront use is prohibited; it is allowed through health care facilities. Ms. Haluza concludes the presentation by giving calendar dates coming up in order to having a competing initiative on the ballot if that is something the City Council elects to do. The elections will be held on November 4, 2014. 13B -7 5. Homelessness (Overview of Public Safety Efforts Related to the Homeless Population) Ruben Ibarra, Commander, SAPD, gives a brief overview of the Police Department's efforts dealing with the homeless issue. There are presently 1,400 homeless people in Santa Ana; 400- 600 of those are living in the Civic Center area. A major concern in the Civic Center is public safety. City and Courthouse employees do not want to go outside to sit and enjoy their lunch because of the stench, and they are wary of being assaulted. This problem is not just in the Civic Center, it is throughout the city. As a result of AB 109, more prisoners have been released into homelessness. The Police Department is looking at taking a two -prong approach: enforcement and compassion. In 2012, there were 2398 calls for service; in 2013, 1808. The H.E.A.R.T. Program identifies those people who want to be helped, and to date 83 people have been rescued. There are over 500 clients in the H.E.A.R.T. program; 254 are active. Commander Ibarra concludes his overview by stating the importance of partnering together with other agencies to address this issue. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS Chairman Benavides says we need to identify and assess what programs are already out there as it applies to the item on Restorative Justice. He also mentions it would be helpful for the Committee to see some case studies that have been done with the cities of Oakland and Long Beach and the outcome reached. Regarding partnering with the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, questioned if they are already providing the same efforts as the concept of restorative justice. Chairman Benavides would like to review a sample contract of what this type of partnership would be and to see what costs or administrative fees are involved. Committee Member Martinez speaks about the Medical Marijuana item. She is concerned about the marketing of these dispensaries showing Santa Ana as the city to come to for marijuana. Committee Member Martinez would like the City to have a counter measure in order to protect our business community. She mentions that the cities of Oakland and Los Angeles have designated medical districts, and says she would be supportive of such in order to be able to monitor and control the dispensaries from a law enforcement and code enforcement perspective. Committee Member Martinez requests more research and an analysis of the medical districts so the City has more options and choices regarding this matter. Chairman Benavides says the City has three options regarding the Medical Marijuana initiative that will be on the ballot in November: 1) have a competing measure to allow for X- number of dispensaries; 2) stay silent and let the ballot go forward; and 3) have a competing measure to reinforce the City's position that we do not allow medical marijuana dispensaries other than through health care agencies. 13B -8 Committee Member Martinez states that we need to work with our housing authority as a long term solution to the homelessness issue. Affordable housing is key. She mentions the City possibly using Receivership as an option with absentee or shim landlords who do not attend to their properties as possible sites that the City may take over. Committee Member Reyna speaks about other service providers who can also help with the homeless issue, whether it is through grants or their case managers working directly with the homeless offering the different resources that they have available. Chairman Benavides agrees with Committee Member Martinez to use Receivership as a possible tool to address the homelessness issue. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ➢ Community Oriented Policing ➢ Vendor Trucks ➢ Memorials ➢ Myrtle /Townsend, the area around KidWorks ADJOURNMENT — 7:50 P.M. ( / WI/ CARLOSROJAS Acting Chief of Police 13B -9 13B -10