REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Approval of the Spending Plan for the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund and the Related Budget Amendment
Report
BACKGROUND
In 1996, the California Legislature established the Citizens' Option for Public Safety (COPS) program through Assembly Bill 3229, creating the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) to provide additional resources for frontline municipal law enforcement services. The program provides non-competitive, non-matching funding to local law enforcement agencies to support community policing efforts. These are state, not federal, funds.
Under Government Code ?? 30061-30063, COPS funds are allocated annually by the California Department of Finance and distributed through Santa Clara County based on population. The City of Santa Clara is eligible to receive a minimum of $100,000 each year; however, actual allocations vary and are not finalized until the payment cycle is complete.
Monthly distributions are received via wire transfer and the City's Finance Department deposits these funds into a dedicated account. Because distributions are not received in equal installments, the total amount available may fluctuate throughout the fiscal year.
In recent years, the City of Santa Clara has received COPS funding as follows:
Funding Cycle
Minimum Amount to be Allocated
Projected Allocation *
Actual Amount Received **
COPS 2020/21
$100,000
$196,119
$327,071
COPS 2021/22
$100,000
$200,298
$331,035
COPS 2022/23
$100,000
$200,980
$374,141
COPS 2023/24
$100,000
$205,975
$400,959
COPS 2024/25
$100,000
$203,918
$410,969
COPS 2025/26
$100,000
$205,680
$205,680
* California Department of Finance's initial estimated allocation
** Actual amount received by the Police Department.
The COPS/SLESF allocation does not have any application or other requirements; the monies are transferred to local entities through the County by law (Government Code ??30061-30063) and are to be expended in accordance with...
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