SUBJECT
Title
SHERIFF - AUTHORIZE AGREEMENTS WITH CITY OF CHULA VISTA AND CITY OF ESCONDIDO FOR CALIFORNIA IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM SUPPORT POSITIONS (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. The Sheriff’s Department serves as San Diego County's Cal-ID/RAN administrator.
The San Diego County Cal-ID/RAN Board is a regional policy and advisory board responsible for making recommendations since 2007 for a program to employ staff in crime laboratories across the region and identify suspects. To ensure the continued success of the program, there is a need to continue to provide funding for staff at the Chula Vista Police Department and Escondido Police Department crime laboratories.
Today’s request seeks approval to authorize agreements between the County of San Diego by and through the San Diego Sheriff’s Department and the cities of Chula Vista and Escondido to provide funding annually from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund to the cities for Cal-ID support positions. The term of the agreements is July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, with automatic annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2027.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
SHERIFF
1. Authorize the Sheriff’s Department (Sheriff) to execute a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the City of Chula Vista to provide an estimated $139,349 in annual funding for one full-time Latent Print Examiner position based on revenue from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund for the period of July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, with automatic annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2027, and to amend the MOA as needed to reflect changes to requirements and funding.
2. Authorize the Sheriff to execute a MOA with the City of Escondido to provide an estimated $110,117 annually for one full-time Latent Print Specialist position based on revenue from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund for the period of July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, with automatic annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2027, 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 accountability and bring justice and healing to victims. Latent print experts are a crucial component to effectively collecting latent prints from crime scenes. The Sheriff's Department as San Diego County’s California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) administrator is requesting the funding of these latent print examiner/specialist positions in order to provide the regional support approved by the San Diego County Cal-ID/RAN Board. Providing these staff positions at the regional crime laboratories ensures fair and equitable criminal justice system services regardless of the location of the crime within the County. These positions assist in processing crime scenes and collecting identifiable prints that are a step in achieving accountability. Victim access to objective forensic science support without bias is a critical component of the justice system. Continuing to provide funding for these positions is essential to ensuring that all citizens can feel safe in their communities.
In 2021, latent print experts in the cities of Chula Vista and Escondido objectively made over 269 identifications that allowed for case closure. These identifications were not just limited to offenders, but also included victims or potentially anyone related to the case. In performing their duties, latent print experts give unbiased results based on objective data (the fingerprints), without knowledge of demographic information available during the process. This adds a layer of impartiality, which is crucial to deliver fairness in the justice system.
FISCAL IMPACT
If approved, these requests will result in Fiscal Year 2022-23 estimated costs and revenue of $249,466. Funds for these requests will be included in the Fiscal Year 2022-24 CAO Recommended Operational Plan for the Sheriff's Department. The funding source is the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund. Costs through the contract term, estimated at $249,466 annually, will be included in future Operational Plans for the Sheriff’s Department. 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. On December 15, 2021, the CAL-ID/RAN Board authorized the use of Cal-ID revenue to continue to fund one full-time Latent Print Examiner position in the City of Chula Vista. And on May 3, 2021 the CAL-ID/RAN Board authorized the use of Cal-ID revenue to continue to fund one full-time Latent Print Specialist position in the City of Escondido. The approved term for these positions is July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, with automatic annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2027.
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 Fingerprint ID Trust Fund is funded through the collection of a $1 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 ending in 2026 by adopting Resolution No. 21-156. Funds deposited in the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund are collected countywide and expended solely for regional law enforcement forensic and fingerprint identification systems.
Quality latent prints identified and collected as crime scene evidence are entered into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) by 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 potential suspects in crimes. As part of a program to effectively and efficiently process latent prints to identify suspects, the San Diego County Cal-ID/RAN Board has made funding recommendations since 2007. The continuation of funding for these positions will allow those cities’ crime laboratories to efficiently process fingerprints to assist in case resolution. Personnel in these positions will continue to enter and search cases in AFIS. As part of this program, on May 3, 2021 and December 15, 2021, 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 Chula Vista and Escondido.
This is a request to authorize agreements between the County of San Diego by and through the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the cities of Chula Vista and Escondido to provide funding from the Sheriff Fingerprint ID Trust Fund to the cities annually for Cal-ID support positions. The term for both agreements is from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, with automatic annual renewals up to a maximum of four additional years through June 30, 2027. The cities will provide known compensation increases annually to the Cal-ID/RAN Board during the term of agreements.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions support the Justice Initiative of the County of San Diego 2022 - 2027 Strategic Plan and aligns with the objective of ensuring a fair and equitable justice system that supports and provides services for victims by aiding in the identification and subsequent apprehension of individuals engaging in criminal behavior.
Respectfully submitted,
KELLY A. MARTINEZ
Acting Sheriff
ATTACHMENT(S)
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