SUBJECT
Title
SHERIFF - NEW USER AGREEMENTS FOR THE CALIFORNIA IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM/REMOTE ACCESS NETWORK (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) is a statewide system, maintained by the California Department of Justice, that provides local law enforcement agencies with direct access to local, state, and federal automated fingerprint, palm print, photo systems and databases. This statewide system allows for the rapid identification of persons booked into detention facilities and latent prints lifted from crime scenes. The Sheriff’s Office serves as San Diego County’s Cal-ID/RAN administrator, and membership includes all 18 cities in the region.
Cal-ID/RAN is funded in part by user fees collected from the cities. User agreements between the County and the cities outline agency contributions towards the shared costs of the program which is estimated to be $9 million for Fiscal Year 2026-27. On February 26, 2019 (3), the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors (Board) authorized the current user agreements, for a five-year period beginning July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2024. On May 21, 2024 (1), the Board authorized extending the agreements for two additional years. The agreements are set to expire on June 30, 2026. It is necessary to establish a new set of five-year agreements with regional Cal-ID/RAN participating cities to ensure continued fingerprint, palm print, and photo inquiry services can be provided.
Today’s actions request the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors to approve and authorize new Cal-ID/RAN user agreements for a period of five years, beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. This request includes a fee adjustment to ensure revenue from participating cities within the San Diego region to offset Cal-ID/RAN operational costs. Additionally, a waiver of Board Policy B-29 is requested, as the Cal-ID/RAN program is not full cost-recovery.
RECOMMENDATIONS
SHERIFF
1. Approve and authorize the Clerk of the Board to accept and execute, upon receipt, California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) user agreements with the cities of Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, Oceanside, Poway, San Diego, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, and Vista for a period of five years from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, and authorize the Sheriff, or designee, to execute amendments as needed.
2. Approve and authorize the Sheriff’s Office to reassess and adjust user fees to offset Cal-ID/RAN operational expenses. Estimated amounts of revenue based on user fees for Fiscal Year 2026-27 are Carlsbad ($30,600), Chula Vista ($68,700), Coronado ($5,700), Del Mar ($1,000), El Cajon ($29,300), Encinitas ($14,300), Escondido ($42,100), Imperial Beach ($6,000), La Mesa ($16,400), Lemon Grove ($7,600), National City ($19,200), Oceanside ($50,900), Poway ($9,400), San Diego ($407,700), San Marcos ($19,900), Santee ($12,100), Solana Beach ($3,100), and Vista ($23,400).
3. Waive Board Policy B-29, Fees, Grants, and Revenue Contracts - Department Responsibility for Cost Recovery.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Offender identification is crucial in the criminal justice process to deliver offender accountability and bring justice and healing to victims. The California Identification System/Remote Access Network program provides local law enforcement agencies with direct and quick access to local, state, and federal automated fingerprint, palm print, photo systems and databases. Since this statewide system allows for the rapid identification of persons booked into detention facilities and latent prints lifted from crime scenes, law enforcement agencies can more efficiently identify individuals involved in crimes and exonerate the innocent. This creates a more equitable process when using fingerprints to identify individuals involved in crime cases.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Today’s action to authorize user agreements supports the County of San Diego’s Sustainability goal of providing just and equitable access for victims of crimes and those that may have wrongfully been accused in a crime. The California Identification System/Remote Access Network program ensures that there is expedient and accurate identification, which is a critical component of serving justice and holding the responsible parties accountable for their actions. Additionally, today’s actions will support the County’s Sustainability goal of maintaining fiscal stability and ensure long-term solvency by adjusting fees to ensure full cost recovery.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this request in the current year. If approved, this request will result in estimated costs and revenue of $767,400 in Fiscal Year 2026-27 from Carlsbad ($30,600), Chula Vista ($68,700), Coronado ($5,700), Del Mar ($1,000), El Cajon ($29,300), Encinitas ($14,300), Escondido ($42,100), Imperial Beach ($6,000), La Mesa ($16,400), Lemon Grove ($7,600), National City ($19,200), Oceanside ($50,900), Poway ($9,400), San Diego ($407,700), San Marcos ($19,900), Santee ($12,100), Solana Beach ($3,100), and Vista ($23,400). Remaining Fiscal Year 2026-27 Cal-ID/RAN program costs, estimated at $9,616,500, will be included in the Fiscal Years 2026-28 CAO Recommended Operational Plan for the Sheriff’s Office. The funding sources will be the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund ($8,041,100) and General Purpose Revenue ($808,000). A waiver of Board Policy B-29 is requested, as the Cal-ID/RAN program is not full cost-recovery. Anticipated costs and revenue for the contract years through June 30, 2031, will be included in future Operational Plans for the Sheriff’s Office. The funding sources will be Cal-ID/RAN user fees collected from participating cities, Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund and General Purpose Revenue. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
The San Diego California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) Board is a regional policy and advisory board responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding the use of Cal-ID/RAN funds as well as the management of Cal-ID/RAN equipment and technology. The San Diego Cal-ID/RAN Board is comprised of seven members including a member of the Board of Supervisors, the Sheriff, the District Attorney, two police chiefs, a mayor, and a member-at-large. On December 1, 2025, the Cal-ID/RAN Board approved a new five-year user agreement for the period beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, which includes approval of an increase of user fees for Fiscal Year 2026-27 and subsequent years of the agreement to allow for partial cost recovery. The Cal-ID/RAN Board approval also included an adjustment to how the user fees are calculated and recommended that calculations include the city’s population and total crime as reported in the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) annual report. In previous years, the calculations included the city’s population and the number of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Index Crimes as reported in SANDAG’s annual report.
BACKGROUND
The California Identification System (Cal-ID) is an automated system maintained by the Department of Justice for retaining fingerprint files and identifying latent fingerprints. The Remote Access Network (RAN) is the uniform statewide network of equipment and procedures that allow local law enforcement agencies direct access to the Cal-ID system. Through Cal-ID/RAN, local law enforcement agencies are provided with direct access to local, state, and federal automated fingerprint, palm print, photo systems and databases. This statewide system allows for the rapid identification of persons booked into detention facilities and latent prints lifted from crime scenes. The Sheriff’s Office serves as San Diego County’s Cal-ID/RAN administrator.
On December 17, 1985 (34), the Board of Supervisors (Board) adopted a Resolution establishing the San Diego Cal-ID/RAN Board and directed the Sheriff to develop user agreements with the participating cities. Since then, Cal-ID has been funded through a combination of user fees collected from the 18 cities and unincorporated areas of the County of San Diego, along with revenue from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund.
Since 1995, Cal-ID has collected $1,432,000 in user fees annually. Of this amount, the Sheriff’s Office contributes the first $716,000, which is funded by General Purpose Revenue. The remaining $716,000 is collected by user fees from 18 cities within the region and $76,600 from the unincorporated County areas, based on population and FBI crime statistics published in the SANDAG annual crime report.
Since user fees have not been reassessed in over 30 years, Cal-ID is requesting an increase to ensure partial cost recovery for user fee offset expenses. These expenses currently include salaries and benefits for nine fingerprint examiners and two senior fingerprint examiners in the TenPrint Unit.
An estimated $859,400 will need to be collected from the cities and unincorporated County areas in Fiscal Year 2026-27. Of this amount, cities will contribute approximately $767,400, and the County will contribute $92,000 for the unincorporated areas. The total County contribution for Fiscal Year 2026-27 is projected to be $808,000 ($716,000 plus $92,000 for Cal-ID services in the unincorporated areas).
The remaining Cal-ID program costs are funded by the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund which is supported by a $2 fee collected for every vehicle registered in the County, as authorized through Vehicle Code Section 9250.19. On October 5, 2021 (6), the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors authorized to increase the fee to $2 for a period of five years by adopting Resolution No. 21-156. Funds deposited in the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund are collected countywide and used exclusively for regional law enforcement forensic and fingerprint identification systems.
Today’s item requests authorization to establish new five-year user agreements for the Cal-ID/RAN program effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. These agreements will ensure continued revenue from participating cities within the San Diego region to offset Cal-ID/RAN operational costs. This request includes a fee adjustment to ensure continued revenue from participating cities within the San Diego region to offset Cal-ID/RAN operational costs. Today’s item also requests a waiver of Board Policy B-29, as the Cal-ID/RAN program is not full cost-recovery.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions support the Community, Sustainability, and Equity Strategic Initiatives of the County of San Diego’s 2026-2031 Strategic Plan by aiding in the identification and subsequent apprehension of criminals and providing justice and healing for victims and their families, resulting in a safer community. The actions also ensure that the County’s available resources are aligned with services that help maintain long-term fiscal solvency.
Respectfully submitted,
KELLY A. MARTINEZ
Sheriff
ATTACHMENT(S)
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