Morgan Hill police are banking on federal grants to keep two key
crime-fighting programs going in the face of anticipated – and
possibly significant – budget cuts.
Morgan Hill police are banking on federal grants to keep two key crime-fighting programs going in the face of anticipated – and possibly significant – budget cuts.
Next month, police will submit an application to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs to fund the operation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training program, according to Cmdr. Joe Sampson. The department has benefited from that grant the past two years, providing the life-skills class to elementary and middle school students in the Morgan Hill Unified School District.
And police have already reapplied for a two-year grant through the DOJ Office of Violence Against Women, to continue programs that have improved the city’s ability to prosecute domestic violence crimes, and improved victims’ access to assistance.
Since October 2008, the $1.1-million grant has funded a full-time MHPD detective assigned to domestic violence cases, a domestic violence victims advocate who is also a law enforcement liaison at Community Solutions, and has expanded local victims’ access to services at four other nonprofit agencies in Santa Clara County.
“Our role is the enforcement and follow-up investigation for domestic violence cases,” Sampson said. “In essence, we have another officer position because (the grant) pays for a detective to do follow-up.” He added that authorities have been able to connect victims to services more frequently since being awarded the grant.
“Victims are able to get the resources they need to get back on their feet,” Sampson said.
The funds have resulted in an increase in the number of cases filed by the district attorney’s office, Sampson said. In 2008, the D.A. declined to file charges in 59 Morgan Hill domestic violence cases. In 2009, when the funds were available for the entire year, only 25 cases were rejected.
Furthermore, the number of calls reporting domestic violence declined during the same two years from 176 to 143, Sampson said.
Community Solutions’ use of the federal dollars includes assigning a staff member as a liaison with law enforcement, and as a legal advocate for domestic violence victims. This aspect of the program means victims are more willing to seek assistance and file reports, according to Perla Flores, program director for Community Solutions’ solutions to violence department.
“I think it’s been a huge benefit for victims because now there’s one detective that works with domestic violence victims,” Flores said. “He has a close relationship with our liaison to talk to victims, and help them to explore options. A lot of times victims are hesitant (to file a report) but if they have an advocate come out, they feel safer.”
Because the program allows Community Solutions better access to police reports, the nonprofit’s advocate is able to contact more victims. “Being able to follow up in that way, it’s definitely increased access to services,” Flores said.
The VAW grant has “filled a gap” by providing for Community Solutions’ law enforcement liaison – a position that would likely disappear without the grant for the next two-year cycle, Flores said.
Sampson added that another advantage to having a full-time domestic violence detective, a position currently occupied by Luis Espejo, is that he can coordinate with other local police agencies to serve arrest and search warrants.
“If this grant were to go away, it’s highly likely we would not have a person assigned to domestic violence cases, and we would have a reduced level of service in that area,” Sampson said.
This year, the amount of available funding has been reduced, and Morgan Hill applied for about $1 million.
Other victims’ services organizations participating in the grant are Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, Support Network for Battered Women, and Maitri.
Another grant-funded law enforcement-coordinated program aims to use education to prevent young people from getting involved in crime in the first place. The G.R.E.A.T. program has been offered in Morgan Hill to students in fifth, sixth and seventh grades, Sampson said. For the past two years it has been funded by the OJP grant that police intend to submit an application for next month.
The federal funds paid for the training of officer Mike Nelson as a G.R.E.A.T. instructor in local classrooms, as well as for materials and promotional supplies such as T-shirts and hats.
With the goal of keeping kids out of gangs, Nelson described the program as a “life skills” class for both young students and parents.
“It’s less about gangs, and more about good decision-making, life skills, communication and self confidence,” Nelson said. The most immediate difference he has seen since the program started in Morgan Hill two years ago is the students’ perception of the police, which used to be more negative.
“Working with them on a personal basis, now they’re more open, willing to talk, and more trusting,” Nelson said.
As a complement to the G.R.E.A.T. classroom program, the federal grant has also paid for the Morgan Hill Parent Project, which reaches out to the parents of students who seem to be at high risk of being involved in gang-related crime. The Parent Project works with the parents away from the children, teaching parenting skills and what behaviors to look for and address that might indicate students are drifting toward crime.
Keeping G.R.E.A.T. and the Parent Project going are important in Morgan Hill, where the threat of gang violence is pervasive, police said.
“It’s clearly one of the key prevention programs that we have the opportunity to provide. Parents need to have a place to turn to, and the kids need to be able to make good choices,” Sampson said.
Police have not yet applied for the G.R.E.A.T. grant, but plan to do so before the April 22 deadline. After that, August 2010 would likely be the earliest the funds would be available.
Last year’s federal share of G.R.E.A.T. funding to Morgan Hill was about $59,000.
