Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into contract with The Research Foundation of the City University of New York on behalf of Criminologist David Kennedy and the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College to assist the City in taking steps towards the implementation of a comprehensive Group Violence Intervention (GVI) strategy in Columbus. GVI focuses on the groups at highest risk for violent victimization and offending, with the intention to keep those in them alive, safe, and out of prison.
The National Network’s operational approach includes working with cities to identify serious violent crime problems; assembling partnerships of law enforcement, community leaders, and social service providers; conducting crime analyses to identify the conditions driving the majority of serious offending; devising a response that uses enforcement strategically to reduce collateral consequences while increasing police legitimacy and public safety; focusing services and community resources on those at the highest risk for violence, victimization, or offending; and, where applicable, delivering prior notice of the consequences for further offending.
This legislation seeks a waiver of the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code. National Network for Safe Communities, a project of John Jay College of Criminal Justice is uniquely well-suited to serve as consultants to Columbus' law enforcement and community partners in their implementation efforts. David Kennedy and the National Network is also the only entity that can offer access to scores of jurisdictions across the country that are implementing its violence intervention strategies, providing Columbus the opportunity to directly collaborate with and learn from peers doing this work. Mr. Kennedy is among the nation's most respected consultants in the field of modern policing and has been for over 20 years, since the mid-1990s, when he was the chief architect of Boston's "Operation Ceasefire," on which GVI is modeled. He and the National network team are singularly influential with major city chiefs around issues of police and management; count dozens of the most respected major city chiefs among their current and former clients; and have unique capacities to analyze management and operations challenges for modern police departments and advise chiefs on how to effectively address them. This includes significant experience in helping jurisdictions prepare for and execute a Problem Analysis in a timely fashion without compromising quality, and minimizing common operational issues or delays that jurisdictions can face in the development of a Problem Analysis; all of which will ensure the most expeditious and cost-effective delivery of Columbus' Problem Analysis.
Term: The agreement shall be for the period covering November 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021
Fiscal Impact: This legislation authorizes the transfer and expenditure of $80,000.00 from the General Fund with the Research Foundation of the City University of New York to support a comprehensive problem analysis of serious violence in the City of Columbus. Funding in the amount of $80,000.00 is available within the 2020 General Fund Budget.
Emergency action is requested so that a contract can be entered into immediately and project activities can begin without delay.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into a contract with The Research Foundation of the City University of New York on behalf of Criminologist David Kennedy and the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College to assist the City in serious violence prevention; to authorize the transfer of $80,000.00 within the General Fund; to authorize the expenditure of $80,000.00 from the General Fund; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code and to declare an emergency ($80,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City has a need to reduce violence and improve public safety, minimize arrest and incarceration, strengthen communities, and improve relationships between law enforcement and the communities it serves; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus has identified the National Network for Safe Communities, a project of John Jay College of Criminal Justice as a group that supports cities implementing proven strategic interventions to reduce violence; and,
WHEREAS, Dr. David Kennedy and the National Network’s operational approach includes working with cities to identify serious violent crime problems; assembling partnerships of law enforcement, community leaders, and social service providers; conducting crime analyses to identify the conditions driving the majority of serious offending; and devising a response that uses enforcement strategically to reduce collateral consequences; and,
WHEREAS, a waiver of the competitive bid provisions of the Columbus City Code is necessary as the National Network for Safe Communities, a project of John Jay College of Criminal Justice is uniquely well-suited to serve as consultants to Columbus' law enforcement and community partners in their implementation efforts; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into contract with The Research Foundation of the City University of New York on behalf of Criminologist David Kennedy and the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College to support a comprehensive analysis of serious violence in the City of Columbus, for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Public Safety is hereby authorized to enter into contract with The Research Foundation of the City University of New York on behalf of Criminologist David Kennedy and the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College to support a comprehensive analysis of serious violence in the City of Columbus.
SECTION 2. That this Council finds it is in the best interests of the City to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Code to enter into this contract, and hereby waives such provision.
SECTION 3. That the transfer of $80,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within Fund 1000 General Fund, from Dept-Div 3001 Public Safety Director’s Office, Object Class 01 - Personnel to Dept-Div 3001 Public Safety Director’s Office, Object Class 03 - Contractual Services per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of up to $80,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1, is hereby authorized in the General Fund 1000, in Object Class 03 - Contractual Services, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 6. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing sections shall be paid upon the order of the Director of the Department of Public Safety, and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 7. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 8. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part thereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.