ORDER-2016-36 : Acceptance of a Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grant from the United States Department of Justice in the amount of $125,000 to the Police Department; fund #4507

Transcript (~6 min @ 2:51)

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▶ 2:49 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: on October 19th at 7.30, and let the record reflect that Alderman Medeiros has joined us this evening. Thank you. We have one more order tonight, order 2016-36. It's the acceptance of a community-oriented policing service grant from the United States Department of Justice in the amount of $125,000 to the police department fund number 4507. We have Chief Lyle with us this evening. Would someone like to make a motion to suspend the rules? Seconded by Alderman Inferno, all in favor? Aye. Thank you.

▶ 3:31 Speaker 3: Chief, would you like to make a statement?

▶ 3:33 Speaker 4: Certainly. Thank you. It's certainly a pleasure to bring this forward to the Board of Aldermen. Since I've become the Chief in 2007, I have applied every year for the COPS grant. And I've gotten a letter in September and said thank you for applying, try next year. This year I got something different. We were awarded a grant and it's very, very comforting to get this. And I certainly owe a lot of gratitude to Lieutenant Jim O'Rennan for writing the grant this year for a middle school resource officer. The middle school resource officer, if the grant's approved by the board, will come from the existing core of the police department, collective bargaining. I know this one alderman's pretty familiar with collective bargaining, so that we would have to post it from the existing core. The new officer that we would hire would replace that officer that will go into the school. The structure of the grant, there is flexibility as far as the funding, but it's a three-year funding.

▶ 4:31 Speaker 4: The best way to say it, there is a three-year funding, but it's structured in such a way that every year it has to decrease, and there's a minimal amount in the third year. I'll certainly work with the Auditor's Office to set up a budget with them that's comfortable for the city and the police department for the three-year period. This includes vacation time, health insurance, sick time, all their accruals plus a salary.

▶ 4:58 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Thank you, Chief. You're welcome. Any members of the committee have any questions?

▶ 5:05 Gail Infurna: Alderman Inferno. Thank you. Actually, it's not really a question, but it is my gratitude to the grant for the people involved in writing that grant and everything.

▶ 5:18 Speaker 1: school resource officer I know it's a very needed support system for them down

▶ 5:20 Gail Infurna: at the high school so I'm sure they greatly appreciate it also officer

▶ 5:23 Speaker 4: replicate at the high school has been doing a great job and and I certainly see the need for a police presence in the schools from the times we live in today unfortunately and I think this is only going to be an asset to the middle

▶ 5:39 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: school thank you thank you chief congratulations on winning the grant several years trying it's great could you just tell us a little bit about the school resource officers and the work that they do in the support that they

▶ 5:54 Speaker 4: give the students the middle school will certainly be different from the high school where there's a different age group and we're prepping students to go into the high school officer Applegate is a big brother to many kids he's a sounding board for students he's a resource for them he's out there to protect them he gives guidance to students confidential or in an open form there is it's an asset to the school system and the police department remember there's you know a thousand kids they were all day long that's part of one of our larger areas for for a condensed population other than Melrose

▶ 6:32 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: Wakefield during the day great great well it sounds like a great support for for the kids and to have it come from a police officer too is a great muster for that so thank you thank you president on so chief will this allow

▶ 6:47 Speaker 5: you to bring on another police officer that is the goal here is is to back

▶ 6:50 Speaker 4: we'll call it a backfill for the officer that is assigned or selected for the position at the middle school this officer will not go into the school until we have a new candidate in place so if we hired somebody today we you probably wouldn't see that person for eight and a half months because of the academy and the field training program. So we're hoping to have somebody in place for next September.

▶ 7:15 Speaker 5: And by how much does the grant decrease in each year?

▶ 7:18 Speaker 4: You know what, I read through it and it was a little vague. It said as long as it decreased so we could cover salary 100% this year and then dramatically reduce it in years two and three. I certainly want to work the auditors off to something they're comfortable with to not impact the city's budget or the police department's budget over the three year period to minimize any exposure.

▶ 7:43 Speaker 5: But it would be fair to say it's your goal and a goal that's shared by the administration that you're going to bring on another police officer. Yes. And increase the staffing level of the police department.

▶ 7:50 Speaker 4: By one, there will be no difference in patrol, but there will be one additional officer for the department which will be assigned to the school.

▶ 7:58 Speaker 5: And the plan is to continue to keep that staffing level moving forward, even after the grant dries.

▶ 8:03 Speaker 4: Yes, to maintain that officer, yes.

▶ 8:05 Speaker 5: That's all.

▶ 8:07 Speaker 1: Thank you.

▶ 8:09 Speaker 3: Anyone else?

▶ 8:12 Speaker 6: Motion to recommend for passage.

▶ 8:13 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Second. We have a motion by Alderman Lemmerman to recommend, seconded by Alderman Boisselle. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? That order will be forwarded to the full board meeting for discussion on October 19th as recommended.

▶ 8:30 Speaker 2: Thank you. Motion to adjourn.