CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: March 13, 2024
Agenda Date: March 26, 2024
Prepared By: Joanna Tabor, Victim Advocate Coordinator
Through: Evander Collier, IV, Chief of Police
Requested Action:
title
To provide approval for the City to apply for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Grant Cycle 2023-2024, for salaries, benefits and operating costs for the Victim’s Advocate Program, in order to provide victim advocate services to crime victims along with operating budget for supplies.
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BACKGROUND:
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has announced the availability of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant funds from the U.S. Department of Justice. The purpose of the VOCA grant funds is to support victims of crime by providing services that respond to the emotional and physical needs of crime victims, assist victims of crime to stabilize their lives after victimization, assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system, and to provide victims of crime with a measure of safety and security.
The Cocoa Police Department is committed to reducing crime in Cocoa by strengthening our citizen’s understanding of victimization. A victim advocate devotes attention to the various needs of the victim by acting as a liaison with officers, keeping the victim informed on their case, and arms them with knowledge to reduce the potential for further harm.
The funding for this project would be a necessity in providing further assistance to victims of crime in Cocoa. According to the Cocoa Police Department's report of crimes from 2023, there were 4,423 reports of those, including 277 Domestic Violence related offenses. In FY2022-2023 the Cocoa Police Department’s Victim Services unit served 798 victims of crime with a majority of the focus being on violent crime and domestic violence. Out of the 1,616 total number of victims during the FY22/23 grant cycle, we anticipate that approximately 30% of those victims were not crime victims or were not in need of direct victim services, thus leaving approximately 333 victims in need of services.
The Victim Services Program, which began October 1, 2013, has been a great success. As more citizens of Cocoa are aware of the victim services the Cocoa Police Department offers, the more demand on the advocate. The Victim Advocate provides crisis intervention counseling, follow-up contact for cases, personal advocacy, criminal justice support, information and referrals to local organization and agencies, emotional support, assistance with property return, assistance with filing crime victim’s compensation, assistance in filing for injunctions and accompanying the individual to court hearing(s), locating transportation, and assisting in locating translators. The victim services unit has been able to expand the types of victim/survivors provided from domestic violence, burglary/home invasion, assault/battery, child victims of physical abuse, homicide, robbery, fraud, and elder abuse to also include victims of arson, bullying, child victims of neglect and who are exposed to domestic violence and who have witnessed violence, child victims of sexual abuse or assault, human trafficking, identity theft and other financial crimes, robbery, stalking and harassment, teen dating violence and violation of court orders.
The Victim Advocate has created essential working relationships with other criminal justice agencies and local organizations. There has been a wonderful response from the citizens served through this program who would have otherwise fallen through the cracks. This program has proven to be a much-needed part of the City of Cocoa and the Police Department. The current Victim Advocate position is subject to funding availability annually.
This position will be budgeted in FY25 when the funding becomes available October 1, 2024.
The grant cycle will run from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025.
The OAG has previously informed all recipients of the VOCA grant funds that the total amount of funding for the Program in Florida has been reduced, by 26% in FY2023-2024 and 38% in FY2022-2023, and is slated to be reduced by another 25% for FY2024-2025. This has led to the City’s awards stagnating, and beginning to decline ($118,921 for FY21/22 and FY22/23, $112,393 for FY23/24), despite a greater cost year-over-year to maintain the positions due to necessary wage increases and increasing cost of benefits.
While the reductions in our awards are less than what the OAG is seeing (5.5% vs 38%), this amount is still substantial as we still see rising costs internally. As it is now, it would take a projected $139,456 to fund both positions in their entirety in FY25. A projected 6%-10% reduction in an award this year would result in a $33,807- $38,303 shortfall (approximately 24%-27% of the total cost) that the City would need to burden.
Compared to the Victim Services Program of the past, the VOCA grant now no longer covers the full costs of maintaining the two Victim Advocate positions. The continuously-decreasing awards coupled with ever-rising costs means that the City will need to consider allocating additional funds to cover this growing shortfall to ensure the Victim Services Program can continue providing necessary advocacy and community aid to the citizens and residents of Cocoa.
STRATEGIC PLAN CONNECTION:
Operational.
BUDGETARY IMPACT:
Budgeted No
If not budgeted, is amendment/transfer attached? No
There is no further budgetary impact for Fiscal Year 2024. The grant would not be awarded until FY 2025. The Police Department will budget for these funds through the normal budget process in FY2025 for council’s review.
Amount Requested $ 112,393.00
Source of Funds: __X__ Grant Source:US Department of Justice VOCA Grant
A New Revenue Account will be created.
PREVIOUS ACTION:
This is the twelfth application cycle for this grant. In previous years, we have applied for funding for a victim advocate coordinator and a victim advocate. A portion of adding for a second victim advocate position in 2018 was awarded through the grant, and every year the position(s) have been funded or supplemented through VOCA. Council approved these positions in all prior fiscal years due to grant funding.
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Recommendation
To provide approval for the City to apply for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Grant Cycle 2023-2024, for salaries, benefits and operating costs for the Victim’s Advocate Program, in order to provide victim advocate services to crime victims along with operating budget for supplies.