Traffic Safety Grant - Videos & OT
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MEMORANDUM
January 21,2006
TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Governor's Traffic Safety Grant - Special Grant Opportunity
Chief of Police Kim Wadding requests City Council approval to seek an Iowa Governor's
Traffic Safety special grant opportunity in the amount of $24,002, for the period April 1 ,
2006 through September 30, 2006. If successful, the grant will supply 200 hours of
traffic safety reimbursement overtime funds and fund the purchase of five in-car video
systems.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
(71J ~C7jJtv{k
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Kim B. Wadding, Chief of Police
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MEMORANDUM
Date: January 11, 2006
To: Michael C. Van Milligen
City Manager
From: Kim B. Wadding?-/~
Police Chief I ~,
Re: Governor's Traffic Safety Grant - Special Grant Opportunity
INTRODUCTION:
The purpose of the memorandum is to seek approval of an Iowa Governor's Traffic
Safety special grant opportunity to run from April 1, 2006 through September 30, 2006.
If successful the grant supplies 200 hours of traffic safety reimbursement overtime funds
and funds the purchase of five in-car video systems. The total grant is $24,002.
BACKGROUND:
The Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau has identified Dubuque County, along with
40 Iowa counties, as a county with a notable incidence of impaired driving related
crashes. As a result, the Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau invites our participation
in a special traffic safety program. The program is designed to focus attention to the
identification and apprehension of intoxicated and impaired drivers and to the continual
usage of seatbelts.
DISCUSSION:
The availability of these special traffic safety funds helps the police department to
maintain its proactive approach regarding our traffic safety focus toward the impaired
driver and seatbelt usage. If approved, the grant allows the department 200 hours of
reimbursable overtime funds for special enforcement efforts related to these areas.
Based upon an average hourly overtime rate of $32.51, 200 overtime hours totals
$6,502.
Additionally, we are requesting the purchase of five in-car video systems to video record
the traffic stops. The Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau is allocating $3,500 toward the
purchase of each in-car video system. The digital in-car video systems currently have a
unit cost of $4,800. As submitted in the police department's FY2007 Capital
Improvement Program, we are proposing to outfit all of the 19 patrol units with digital in-
car video systems over the next three years, adding five new units per year. If
approved, the Governor's Traffic Safety Grant would offset our cost per unit by $3,500
per unit. The combined grant cost for the overtime and the five in-car video systems is
$24,002.
200 Traffic Safet Overtime Hours
Five in-car video camera
$32.51 er hour
$6,502
$3,500 er unit
. .
$24,002
$17,500
RECOMMENDATION:
This special grant opportunity, although short in duration, allows the police department
additional funding to pursue our traffic safety efforts related to the enforcement of the
impaired driver and seatbelt usage. I recommend approval of the Iowa Governor's
Traffic Safety grant submission.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Request City Council consideration to approve the Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety grant
application for special traffic enforcement from April 1, 2006 to September 30, 2006.
NOTE: To ensure the grant submission is received by the due date of February 6,
2006, a fax copy will be sent demonstrating our intent to participate. Once final City
Council action is taken, a confirmation will be sent verifying the city's intent to continue
or withdraw from consideration.
Cc: Jeanne Schneider, City Clerk
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Dubuque Police
Department
Highway Traffic Safety Funds
163 Funding Proposal
January 11, 2006
SUMMARY:
The Dubuque Police Department is committed to providing the utmost in traffic safety
through effective and constructive means. To continue our work, the Dubuque Police
Department is requesting funding for five in-car video systems and overtime hours focused
on preventing the operation of motor vehicles by intoxicated drivers, decreasing alcohol-
related traffic injuries and fatalities, and increasing the use of occupant restraints.
The funding requests 200 overtime hours for selective enforcement projects at a cost of
$6,502 and five in-car video systems at a cost of $17,500. For the past several years, the
police department has received funding through the Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau
to focus on the awareness and dangers of the impaired driver. Through this combined
education and enforcement effort, the Dubuque Police Department has been successful in
fulfilling its awareness pledge while incorporating many new and innovative promotional
campaigns all highlighting traffic safety. This current proposal continues this strategy. Our
intent is to focus specific attention towards the reduction of motor vehicles operated by
intoxicated drivers, reduce injury and fatality accidents, and increase the usage of occupant
restraint devices, Using our past success of selected enforcement and education
awareness we are optimistic we will be successful.
OVERVIEW:
The Dubuque Police Department consists of 93 sworn officers and seven civilian staff.
The City of Dubuque is located in the northeast portion of the state along the Mississippi
River and has a population of 57,031. Dubuque serves as the county seat for Dubuque
County with a total county population of 89,143. Highways intersecting in Dubuque include
Highway 20, Highway 61, Highway 151, and Highway 52.
PROBLEM STATEMENT/NEEDS ASSESSMENT:
As we review the Iowa Problem Identification Report by the Governor's Traffic Safety
Bureau (FFY07), the report shows Dubuque County ranking 8th of the 99 Iowa counties for
the overall importance of the highway safety problem. With the City of Dubuque containing
a significant amount of the county population, we playa major role in improving the ranked
position through effective and prudent traffic safety measures. Additionally, Dubuque
County ranks significantly in other key areas in comparison with the other 99 Iowa
Counties. They include:
. 6th
Fatal ities
-
Dubuque Police Traffic Safety Grant Proposal:
Aprill, 2006 through September 30, 2006
Page2of4
. 8th
. 8th
. 5th
. 8th
. 7th
. 6th
. 8th
Alcohol Related Fatalities
Motor Vehicle Injuries
Alcohol Related Injuries
Major Injuries
OWl Revocations
Motorcycle/Bike/Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities
Overall Rank
The Federal Funds requested serve to strengthen our enforcement and educational effort.
The overtime request funds 200 hours of overtime to supplement OWl enforcement during
peak hours. The in-car video systems are an effective tool and provide a measure of
accountability for both the police officer and the public. The in-car video systems facilitate
the collection of evidence for criminal prosecution or complaint investigation and can be
used by the department as a training tool for officer safety and best practices.
The Dubuque Police Department has 19 marked patrol units. Coupled with this year's
purchase of four digital video in-car systems along with the digital system computer
backbone, our goal is to purchase five digital units per year until all patrol units are
outfitted. The digital in-car video system adds efficiency and proficiency in capturing,
storing and retrieving the in-car video images.
Finally, our request focuses on traffic safety education. With our seat belt usage current
rate of 90%, as of August 31, 2005 we realized the importance of such a visible and
proactive approach to promoting a safe and comprehensive program. Through the use of
these grant funds, our hope is to achieve a seat belt compliance rate of 95%.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Increase visibility and enforcement efforts during late night and early
morning hours, focusing on preventing the operation of motor vehicles
by intoxicated drivers.
2. Increased occupant restraint use to a consistent rate of 95%.
3. Increase child restraint usage through specific traffic safety saturation
patrols.
4. Issue public information news releases after significant enforcement
events.
METHODS:
1. Increase visibility and enforcement efforts during late night and early
morning hours, focusing on preventing the operation of motor vehicles
by intoxicated drivers. Those peak hours would be from 11 :00 P.M. -
3:00 A.M.
2. Increase visibility and enforcement efforts during hours of school
e Dubuque Police Traffic Safety Grant Proposal:
Aprill, 2006 through September 30,2006
Page 3 of4
a rriva I and dismissal times for occupant and child restraint
enforcement, those peak hours are from 7:00 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. and
2:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
3. Work closely with area medical offices; help promote the proper use
of child restraint devices. Enforcement of child restraint violations will
become a separate selective enforcement project.
4. Traffic safety will be highlighted during GTSB STEP projects as well
as during holidays during this time period.
EVALUATIONS:
Evaluation of this project will be accomplished in the following ways.
1. Occupant restraint compliance will continue to be surveyed through
both the 163 and 402 grants at six different locations throughout
Dubuque. A survey will be completed at both the beginning and the
end of the 163-grant period.
2. Traffic stop logs will be reviewed and evaluated for each overtime
assignment completed.
3. GTSB reporting forms will be completed and filed in a timely manner.
BUDGET:
1. PERSONNEL SERVICES
Item Quantity Description Unit Cost Total
A 200 Overtime Hours (OWl, Occupant and Child Restraint $32.51 $6.502
Hours Enforcement) Per hour
SUBTOTAL -- Personnel Services $6,502
2. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES
Item Quantity Description Unit Cost Total
A None None None None
SUBTOTAL .- Contractual Services None
3. COMMODITIES
Item Quantity Description Unit Cost Total
A None None None None
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Dubuque Police Traffic Safety Grant Proposal:
April I, 2006 through September 30,2006
Page 4 of4
SUBTOTAL
4. OTHER DIRECT COSTS
Commodities
None
Item Quantity
A 5
Description
In-Car Video System
Unit Cost
$3,500
Total
$17,500
SUBTOTAL
Other Direct Costs
$17,500
FUTURE FUNDING STATEMENT/SIGNATURE:
Future Funding Statement / Signature:
The Dubuque Police Department will provide officer employment benefits, administrative
staff support, record keeping, reporting, and analysis for the duration of the contract.
Date:
/
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Kim B. Wadding, Police Chief
City of Dubuque, Iowa