Agenda Item # 2
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
November 24, 2009
Agenda Report # 445
To: Mayor and Council
Subject: 2009 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Competitive Grant Project
Request
Initiated by: District Attorney ? Victim-Witness Assistance Program
Recommendation: Approval is requested to authorize the District Attorney/Victim
Witness Assistance Program to submit and if approved, accept a grant for
$12,181 from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council along with $2,436 from
the Five Percent Crime Victim Surcharge Fund allocated in the FY09 Budget to
provide funding for Crime Victim Assistance in the Chattahoochee Judicial
Circuit from January 1, 2010 to September 30, 2010.
Background: The District Attorney?s Office has been operating a Crime Victim
Assistance Program in the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit since July 1989. In
October of 1992, the Crime Victim-Witness Assistance Program was awarded its
first grant, which allowed the provision of standard victims services to
commence. In July of 1995, additional funds were received from the Crime
Victims Assistance 5% Surcharge, allowing the program to expand its services
throughout the entire Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit. Successful grant
allocations have allowed the program to grow and currently there are 5
full-time positions and 2 temporary/part-time positions.
Funds from this grant will be used for creation of a part-time temporary
position of a Spanish-speaking Victim Advocate in order to meet the demand for
a service that we are currently not providing. This is the opportunity to
bridge the cultural gap and language barrier and effectively provide service to
our Hispanic victims/witnesses throughout the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit.
Analysis: For FY10, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council awarded $72,819
effective October 1, 2009. The original VOCA Allocation of $85,000 leaves a
$12,181 balance represented in this request for Competitive Grant Project
Request. The District Attorney requests Council?s authorization to use funds
obtained from the Five Percent Crime Victim Surcharge Funds in the amount of
$2,436.
Our plan to create a temporary, part-time position will last only as long as
the life of the grant. Creation of this position will enable our office to
provide a service to the Hispanic community that, until now, has not been
offered.
Muscogee County alone has seen a 58% growth in the Hispanic population since
1990; the numbers are expected to be much higher Circuit-wide after the 2010
census count. By adding
this new component, we will be able to meet the needs of our constantly growing
Hispanic communities.
There are two main goals of the grant project; the first is to provide a
Spanish-speaking advocate to provide victim services in the capacity and role
of a Victim Advocate. The second goal of this project is to expand services
into Hispanic communities throughout all 6 counties in the Chattahoochee
Judicial Circuit in order to bridge the cultural gaps that exist. Individuals
in these communities often live in fear, amidst crime, unwilling to report
serious crime or other safety issues to authorities due to mistrust of law
enforcement in general.
By acquiring an advocate who already possesses community ties, established
relationships and leadership abilities, this individual will be ready to
initiate our Workplace Template immediately:
Identify and geographically chart Hispanic communities
Complete a needs/assessment survey
Contact/network communities for valid leadership
Schedule community events, awareness activities, educational briefings
Through positive relationships, education and community involvement, Hispanic
communities become involved in their neighborhoods; they take part in
neighborhood watch groups with local businesses, which leads to optimism and
economic growth.
Grant Funded Crime Victim Advocate/Interpreter
$15.00/Hour * 728 annually est. 14 Hours/week = $10,920
FICA (7.65%) = $11,756
Financial Considerations: Grant funded total is $14,617.20 with $$12,181.00
from the Federal Grant, along with $2,436.20 from the Five Percent Crime Victim
Surcharge Fund allocated in the FY10 Budget to provide funding for the Crime
Victim Assistance Program. All VOCA grants require an In-Kind Match of 25% (of
the required 20% match). The In-Kind Match is provided from various volunteer
services, donated therapists? services, as well as office space offered by
Columbus Consolidated Government.
Legal Considerations: Georgia Law requires the prosecutor and the District
Attorney to provide extensive services, information and notification to crime
victims. (O.C.G.A.-17-17-1) The District Attorney is solely and directly
responsible for complying with this law. The legislature enacted the Victims?
Bill of Rights mandating that the District Attorney comply with the law. The
legislature acknowledging the additional burdens placed on prosecutors,
designed laws enabling prosecutors to provide the services, and provided a fund
from which the prosecutor may draw to fund the costs.
Recommendation: Authorize the Victim-Witness Assistance Program to submit and
if approved, accept a grant of $12,181 from the Georgia Criminal Justice
Coordinating Council to provide funding for a Spanish-speaking Victim Advocate
for the duration of the grant period.
A RESOLUTION
NO.______
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, ON
BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AND IF APPROVED, TO ACCEPT A VOCA COMPETITION
GRANT OF $12,181 FROM THE GEORGIA CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COUNCIL ALONG
WITH $2,436.20 FROM THE FIVE PERCENT CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE SURCHARGE FUND
ALLOCATED IN THE FY10 BUDGET, TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE CREATION OF A
PART-TIME TEMPORARY VICTIM ADVOCATE POSITION TO SERVE THE SPANISH-SPEAKING
POPULATION IN THE CHATTAHOOCHEE JUDICIAL CIRCUIT FROM JANUARY 1, 2010 THROUGH
SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 AND AMEND THE MULTI-GOVERNMENTAL FUND BY LIKE AMOUNT.
WHEREAS, the District Attorney is requesting the acceptance of a VOCA
Competition Grant in the amount of $12,181. The Criminal Justice Coordinating
Council will allocate $12,181 for a nine-month period, to support the temporary
hiring of a bilingual Victim Advocate to meet the needs of the growing Hispanic
population, along with $2,436.20 from the Crime Victim Assistance Surcharge
allocated in the FY10 Budget; and,
WHEREAS, the In-Kind Match of 25% of the required 20% will be met
through the use of volunteers, donated professional counseling services and
office space, which is located at 100 Tenth Street, First Floor, West Wing,
inside the Government Center and offered by the Columbus Consolidated
Government. All figures are based on the duration of the grant period; and,
WHEREAS, the funding will be used to maintain a part-time, temporary
Spanish-Speaking Victim Advocate position, funded in the FY10 grant from the
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Grant funding will provide services to
victims/witnesses throughout the counties of Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion,
Talbot, Taylor and Muscogee, which is mandated by Georgia Law; and,
WHEREAS, the District Attorney?s Office will continue to supervise the
operation of the Crime Victim Assistance Program in the Chattahoochee Judicial
Circuit from October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY RESOLVES AS
FOLLOWS:
That the City Manager is hereby authorized to submit and if approved,
accept a grant of $12,181 from the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating
Council along with $2,436.20 of the Five Percent Surcharge Funds allocated in
the FY10 Budget to fund the Crime Victim Assistance Program which will extend
over a nine-month period of January 1, 2010 through September 30, 2010.
_______________________
Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia,
held the ____day of ____________, 2009 and adopted at said meeting by the
affirmative vote of _______members of said Council.
Councilor Allen voting __________.
Councilor Henderson voting __________.
Councilor Hunter voting __________.
Councilor McDaniel voting __________.
Councilor Turner Pugh voting __________.
Councilor Woodson voting __________.
___________________________________ _____________________________
Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council , Mayor
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