SUBJECT
Title
SHERIFF - REQUEST FOR AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITIES OF CARLSBAD, EL CAJON, ESCONDIDO, AND SAN DIEGO FOR CALIFORNIA IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM SUPPORT (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) is a statewide system 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.
Since 2007, the San Diego County Cal-ID/RAN Board has served as a regional policy and advisory board responsible for making recommendations for a program to employ staff and purchase equipment for crime laboratories across the region to support the identification of suspects. The Sheriff’s Department serves as San Diego County’s Cal-ID/RAN administrator. The County of San Diego’s current agreements for Cal-ID support positions with the cities of El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego will expire on June 30, 2025. To ensure the continued success of the program, there is a need to continue to provide funding for staff at the El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego Police Departments as well as equipment and other Cal-ID/RAN Board approved items at the Carlsbad Police Department.
Today’s actions request the Board of Supervisors (Board) to authorize agreements between the County of San Diego by and through the Sheriff’s Department and the cities of Carlsbad, El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego to provide annual funding from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund to the four cities for Cal-ID support positions and equipment. This funding comes from the collection of a $2 fee for every vehicle registered in San Diego County by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The term of the agreement for equipment is from October 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 with optional annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2029. The term of the agreements for positions is from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with optional annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2030.
RECOMMENDATIONS
SHERIFF
1. Authorize the Sheriff's Department (Sheriff) to execute a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the City of Carlsbad to provide funding for Cal-ID/RAN Board approved equipment, training, and certification based on revenue from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund for the period of October 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 with optional annual renewals, with the option to renew being at the Sheriff's discretion, up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2029, and to amend the MOA as needed to reflect changes to requirements and funding. The estimated funding for the initial term is $22,025 to include $17,025 for a fingerprint development chamber and $5,000 for training. Funding for option years will be based on requests for equipment, training, and certification to enhance the City of Carlsbad’s capacity to provide fingerprint identification.
2. Authorize the Sheriff to execute a MOA with the City of El Cajon to provide an estimated $131,721 in annual funding for one full-time Forensic Latent Print Examiner position based on revenue from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with optional annual renewals, with the option to renew being at the Sheriff's discretion, up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2030, and to amend the MOA as needed to reflect changes to requirements and funding.
3. Authorize the Sheriff to execute a MOA with the City of Escondido to provide an estimated $275,032 ($137,516 per position) in annual funding for two full-time Latent Print Specialist positions based on revenue from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with optional annual renewals, with the option to renew being at the Sheriff's discretion, up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2030, and to amend the MOA as needed to reflect changes to requirements and funding.
4. Authorize the Sheriff to execute a MOA with the City of San Diego to provide an estimated $256,000 ($128,000 per position) in annual funding for two full-time Latent Print Examiner Aide positions based on revenue from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with optional annual renewals, with the option to renew being at the Sheriff's discretion, up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2030, and to amend the MOA as needed to reflect changes to requirements and funding.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Offender identification is crucial in the criminal justice process to deliver offender accountability and bring justice and healing to victims. Qualified Latent Print Examiners/Specialists demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and understanding of friction ridge physiology and morphology, terminology, detection, recovery, photography, preservation, enhancement, analysis, comparison, documentation and reporting of latent print evidence. This level of expertise in conjunction with the necessary equipment is critical in supporting the San Diego County California Identification System program. Fingerprint identification and forensic evidence handling are key components to identifying individuals involved in crimes and exonerating the innocent. The positions for El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego ensure that these critical components of criminal investigations are completed.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Today’s actions to authorize agreements with the cities of Carlsbad, El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego support 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 program requires both Latent Print Examiners/Specialists and equipment to ensure that accurate identification is conducted, a critical component of serving justice and holding the responsible parties accountable for their actions.
FISCAL IMPACT
If approved, the equipment agreement with the City of Carlsbad will result in Fiscal Year 2024-25 estimated costs and revenue of $22,025 for fingerprint development chamber ($17,025) and training ($5,000). Costs and revenue for four optional annual renewals will be determined and approved by California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) Board and included in future Operational Plans for the Sheriff’s Department. The funding source is the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
If approved, costs and revenue estimated at $662,753 for agreements to fund positions supporting the cities of El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego will be included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operational Plan for the Sheriff’s Department. As needed annual increases for up to four additional years, through June 30, 2030, will be included in future Operational Plans for the Sheriff’s Department. The funding source is the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
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Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
The San Diego County 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 funds. The 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 May 6, 2024, the Cal-ID/RAN Board authorized the use of Cal-ID revenue to fund a fingerprint development chamber and training in the City of Carlsbad as well as to continue to fund one full-time Forensic Latent Print Examiner in the City of El Cajon, two full-time Latent Print Specialists in the City of Escondido, and two full-time Latent Print Examiner Aides in the City of San Diego. The approved term for these positions is July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with optional annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2030.
BACKGROUND
The California Identification System (Cal-ID) is the automated system maintained by the Department of Justice for retaining fingerprint files and identifying latent fingerprints. Remote Access Network (RAN) is the uniform statewide network of equipment and procedures allowing local law enforcement agencies direct access to the Cal-ID system. It 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 Fingerprint ID Trust Fund is funded through the collection of a $2 fee for every vehicle registered in San Diego County by the Department of Motor Vehicles, as provided for under 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’s Fingerprint ID Trust Fund are collected countywide and expended solely for regional law enforcement forensic and fingerprint identification systems.
Latent prints identified and collected as crime scene evidence are entered into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) by crime scene investigation (CSI) and crime laboratory staff. AFIS compares the latent prints to prints contained in the San Diego County regional and California Department of Justice Cal-ID print databases. The searches contribute to the identification of suspects in crimes, as well as exonerating the innocent. As part of a program to effectively and efficiently process latent prints to identify suspects, the Cal-ID/RAN Board has made recommendations to fund Cal-ID support positions since 2007. The current agreements for Cal-ID support positions with the cities of El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego will expire on June 30, 2025. Those agreements were authorized by the Board on September 24, 2019 (3), July 7, 2020 (3), and October 27, 2020 (2). The continuation of funding for these positions will allow the cities’ crime laboratories to efficiently process fingerprints to assist in case resolution. Personnel in these positions will be able to continue to enter and search cases in AFIS. As part of this program, on May 6, 2024, the Cal-ID/RAN Board authorized and approved the use of Cal-ID revenue from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund to continue to support positions in the cities of El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego. At the same meeting, the Cal-ID/RAN Board approved funding for equipment and training for the City of Carlsbad. There is no existing agreement with the City of Carlsbad. If approved, this would be the first agreement to allow the City of Carlsbad to receive funding for Cal-ID/RAN Board approved items.
This is a request to authorize an agreement between the County of San Diego by and through the Sheriff’s Department and the cities of Carlsbad, El Cajon, Escondido, and San Diego to provide funding from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund to the cities annually for Cal-ID support positions and Cal-ID/RAN Board approved items. The term of the agreement for equipment and other approved items is October 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, with optional annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2029. During the term of the agreement, the City of Carlsbad will request Cal-ID/RAN Board approval for equipment, training, and certification in advance of the fiscal year in which they will have a need to make a purchase. The term of the agreements for support positions is from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with optional annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2030. The three cities will provide known compensation increases annually to the Cal-ID/RAN Board during the term of the agreement.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions support the Community and Equity Strategic Initiatives of the County of San Diego’s 2024-2029 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.
Respectfully submitted,
Kelly a. martinez
Sheriff
ATTACHMENT(S)
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