HomeMy WebLinkAboutC- 4 Backfill for HIDTA Task Force OfficerCONSENT CALENDAR
To: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
From: KING DAVIS, CHIEF OF POLICE
Via: RICK COLE, CITY MANAGER
Date: APRIL 21, 2003
Subject: BACKFILL FOR HIDTA TASK FORCE OFFICER
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council authorize the backfilling of a police officer
position to allow an Azusa Police Officer to participate in the HIDTA task force.
BACKGROUND
The Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) is a task force
consisting of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The goals of HIDTA
are to disrupt drug trafficking organizations by targeting high level distributors and
manufacturers of illicit drugs. One of LA HIDTA’s operational groups, LA-HIDTA 48, is
embarking upon a major investigation into a criminal organization. In order to
conduct this investigation, LA-HIDTA 48 needs to add an additional investigator. The
group has extended a by-name request for one of this department’s most
experienced and accomplished drug investigators.
It is anticipated that this will be a complex investigation involving substantial sums of
money. As a participating agency in the investigation, the Azusa Police Department
could receive approximately 6%-7% of the forfeited assets. The actual amount
returned to the city of Azusa would depend on that actual amount seized during the
investigation.
The supervisor of LA-HIDTA 48 was asked about the historical seizure amounts that
have been returned to participating agencies in the task force for merely providing a
task force officer to the group. The following are the figures he provided for an
agency providing a single officer for fiscal years 1996-2002:
1996 $ 154,696
1997 $ 107,397
1998 $ 70,000
1999 $ 65,000
2000 $ 99,870
2001 $ 95,421
2002 $ 78,964
Total share to date $ 671,348
Average annual share per officer (FY 1996- FY 2002) $ 95,907
LA-HIDTA will provide $9,801 annually towards the overtime compensation for the
assigned officer. The city of Azusa would be responsible for the remaining salary and
benefits of the designated officer.
In addition to the substantial financial benefits that would accrue to the City upon
assignment of an officer to the task force, there are other benefits that would be
derived from a closer association with DEA. Among the more valuable benefits
would be the availability of the Mobile Enforcement Team (MET). This is a highly
specialized team that aggressively targets violent criminal drug enterprises. It is likely
that this team could be assigned to target our local gang before the end of the year.
Disrupting our local gang would reduce violent crimes, drug distribution and hate
crimes in the city of Azusa.
Benefits
Assigning an officer to LA-HIDTA 48 has the potential to reap a windfall economic
benefit to the City. Even if the full potential is not realized, the history demonstrates
the probability that there will be a solid return on our investment. The increased
availability of the DEA resources is an added bonus. We could deal a severe blow to
our local gang.
Drawbacks
1) We will be losing one of our best officers for up to two years.
2) In order to maintain patrol officer strength if will be necessary to hire a back-
fill officer. That officer will likely be an entry-level officer, or at best a lateral.
It will take time to recruit, screen, hire and train a back-fill officer.
FISCAL IMPACT
The annualized cost for a step 3 officer to backfill for the HIDTA officer will be
$89,001. This will be an unbudgeted expense to the General Fund.
Although the past performance of LA HIDTA asset seizure distribution demonstrates
that we can expect to receive approximately $95,907 annually, this amount is not
guaranteed. There will also be a period of time before we will start receiving the
asset seizure funds. This is due to the initial lag time between joining the task force
and the completion of court forfeiture procedures.
Participation in the LA HIDTA task force does have the potential of returning a
substantial amount of seized funds to the city.
Prepared by,
Karen Pihlak, Police Captain