City Council Meeting: June 23,
2009
Agenda Item: 1-C
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Timothy J. Jackman, Chief of
Police
Subject: Transportation of Santa Monica Police
Department Prisoners to the
Recommended
Action
Staff recommends that the
City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a service
agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) in the amount
of $120,061 to provide transportation for Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD)
prisoners to the Superior Court of California –
Executive
Summary
The Santa Monica Police
Department has been utilizing the services of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department to transport prisoners from the SMPD’s Jail to the Airport Branch
Courthouse since July 2004; the current service agreement expires on June 30, 2009. Under the terms of the service agreement, the
Sheriff Department’s personnel makes one pick-up at SMPD on each court date and
transports both male and female pre-arraignment misdemeanants, felons, and
Discussion
Since 2000, the Los Angeles County Superior Court, in an effort to consolidate its operations and reduce costs, started to transfer some criminal cases from the Santa Monica Branch Courthouse to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Branch of the Superior Court. On June 11, 2004 the City was informed that no criminal case proceedings would take place at the Santa Monica Branch Courthouse and that virtually all criminal case hearings involving Santa Monica Police Department arrestees will occur at the Airport Branch Courthouse.
In response to the Superior Court’s decision, City staff identified and investigated three options in 2004: video arraignments, an in-house prisoner transportation unit, and a service agreement with LASD for prisoner transport.
Arraignments could be conducted via a video-link between the Santa Monica Public Safety Facility (PSF) jail and a designated courtroom at the Airport Branch. SMPD staff would be required to outfit and service at least three areas in the jail to accommodate prisoner movement, defense attorney visitation, and the arraignments themselves. Video equipment would have to be installed in the SMPD jail and in a courtroom at the Airport Branch Courthouse, and at least six integrated services digital network (ISDN) phone lines would be required. Jail section employees would be responsible for preparation of court paperwork, jail remand paperwork, and release paperwork that would normally be completed by court personnel; potentially requiring more Jailer positions. It was determined that the video arraignment option was not economically viable.
SMPD evaluated creating an in-house prisoner transportation unit. However it was determined that an in-house “Court Services Unit” with employees transporting pre-arraignment arrestees to the Airport Branch Courthouse would require four Police Officer positions and one Police Sergeant from other units within the Police Department. Additionally, SMPD personnel who would be implementing this new court services program would not have the years of experience and the extensive support system (for this function) that the Sheriff’s Department already possesses.
In 2004 Council opted to enter into a service agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for prisoner transport and staff’s assessment is that the service has worked well for the SMPD and should be continued.
Previous Council Actions
On June 8, 2004 Council authorized the City Manager to negotiate
and execute a service agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department [Contract # 8350 (CCS)].
Financial Impacts &
Budget Actions
The
service agreement to be awarded to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
is $120,061 for FY2009-10. Funds are
included in the FY2009-10 proposed budget in account number 01304.566960.
Prepared by: Neela Patel, Senior Administrative
Analyst – Police Budget
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Approved: |
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Forwarded to Council: |
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Timothy J. Jackman Chief of Police |
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P. City Manager |