22001166--22001177 Ffiinnaall Rreeppoorrtt

Conclusions 10

• CL1
  2016 Internal Affairs Division Grand Jury Report;
• CL2
  Sacramento Police Department Internal Investigations Manual 220.01; Sept. 7, 2005;
• CL3
  State of California Penal Code 832.5; Jan. 1, 2003; http://law.onecle.com/California/penal/832.5.html
• CL4
  Peace Officers Bill of Rights, Government Code Sections 3300 – 3312; https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?. City Council Report File #2016-01504, Nov. 29, 2016;
• CL5
  City of Sacramento Office of Public Safety and Accountability, Annual Report 2015;
• CL6
  Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office; Officer-Involved Shooting case No. SPD-16-201049; Jan. 25, 2017; www.sacda.org/files/8314/8553/9110/OIS_-- _Mann.pdf;
• CL7
  City of Sacramento Rule 12 Disciplinary Actions, Appeals, and Hearing Procedures and a compendium of all Sacramento Police Department IAD complaints from 2011 to 2015;
• CL8
  Sacramento Police Department Organization Chart; www.cityofsacramento.org/Police/About-SPD/Organizational-Information 39 Sacramento County Grand Jury 2016-2017 40 Sacramento County Grand Jury 2016-2017 Homeless Crisis Continues Summary This is the second consecutive year that the Sacramento County Grand Jury has addressed the complicated issue of homelessness in Sacramento County. Even with the expenditure of tens of millions of public and private dollars annually, the crisis and high visibility of the homeless problem persists with no discernible improvement. Homelessness in Sacramento County continues to be an active challenge and frustrating problem. The public and local homeless service providers have demanded solutions to the hundreds of people who are currently subsisting on the streets or in temporary shelters. There is no shortage of ideas as to how to address the issue, but finding solutions remains a complex undertaking. This issue has been elevated to the top of the political agenda in the county. In 2016, a new county position, director of homeless initiatives, was created and staffed. The Sacramento City Council’s Homeless Subcommittee Visionary Document and Work Plan of May 31, 2016 was published. And several county workshops on Homeless issues were held. In January 2017, the The mayor of Sacramento has first coordinated County/City Homeless proposed that the homeless should committee meeting was held. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg has a long- held interest in this be given preference over other problem and has made it one of his highest qualified applicants for public priorities. housing when housing choice Despite all of this attention, the county has been vouchers are available. faced with increasing numbers of homeless. This problem has been exacerbated by a shrinking housing market, which has become one of the hottest in the country. Apartment prices are growing at double-digit percentages. This, coupled with very high occupancy rates, has led to a shrinking inventory of affordable housing with very few additional units being added or under construction. New programs for responding to the homeless crisis within the county are being analyzed, debated, and seriously considered. One new idea is the creation of a triage center, which would offer housing without barriers to qualify and provide multiple services at one location. The mayor of Sacramento has proposed that the homeless should be given preference over other qualified applicants for public housing when housing choice vouchers are available. In addition, the County of Sacramento has agreed to fill budget shortfalls in some area of transitional housing programs. Unfortunately, all of these ideas are being considered at the same time that federal funds allocated from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for homeless programs are likely to be reduced in the upcoming federal budget. Currently, the county and city 41 Sacramento County Grand Jury 2016-2017 have concurred in recognizing the problem and have indicated willingness to increase their contribution toward homeless interventions. Even with such an increase in local funding, interventions would be seriously impeded unless more housing units are made available to house homeless individuals and families.
• CL9
  The grand jury acknowledges that local government recognizes the extreme need and is working diligently to formulate new strategies to address the homeless crisis. The county and city are beginning to coordinate their actions and efforts. However, there is no single entity taking the lead to make decisions and be held accountable to produce positive results. The existing process seems counterproductive and cumbersome at best. The Sacramento Police Department Impact Team’s partnership with mental health professionals has been successful. This program should be adopted by all county law enforcement agencies. To implement the proposed new programs, additional community partnerships will need to be formed and new public and private funding sources identified or created. These new programs will require a substantial investment of new funding. Local government will also need to overcome the “not in my backyard” mentality that local communities often voice when they hear that a homeless shelter is being established or expanded in their neighborhoods. 51 Sacramento County Grand Jury 2016-2017 52 Sacramento County Grand Jury 2016-2017 Teacher Shortage: A Case of Catch and Keep Summary The chronic teacher shortage in California public schools was intensified by the economic crash of 2008, the recession that followed and extensive budget cuts. The recession initiated a cycle of widespread layoffs every year and districts in Sacramento County scrambled to recruit, hire and retain the numbers of qualified teachers needed for their classrooms. This practice led to unstable school environments and the hiring of some individuals who were not fully prepared to teach.
• CL10
  The grand jury found that two largest districts are struggling with recruitment, hiring and retention of teachers. Two smaller districts have different problems. SCUSD and NUSD reported the economic recession caused uncertainty about job security for teachers receiving pink slips every year. Consequently, many promising young teachers sought more stable working conditions elsewhere. Robla Elementary has a stable teacher pool and GJUHSD is overstaffed because of declining enrollment. All schools in the county reported experiencing the greatest needs for special education, math and science teachers. Some of the challenges districts The grand jury found that many confront include the following: new teachers are only offered jobs Recruiting qualified applicants:As the as temporary teachers or long- demand for quality teachers increased, teacher term substitute positions. These preparation programs reported dramatic drops in impermanent positions postpone enrollment. To address this issue, districts aggressively recruited in other states and their participation in the state’s countries. For example, SCUSD targeted induction process and delay their historically black colleges and sent employees to paths to tenure. the Philippines to recruit teachers. SCUSD, NUSD and Robla collaborate with local universities to identify and hire new teachers. Delays in the induction process: State policy mandates that new hires complete teacher preparation and earn preliminary credentials, take probationary teaching jobs, complete two-year induction programs, undergo annual evaluations and earn clear credentials before gaining tenure. The grand jury found that many new teachers are only offered jobs as temporary teachers or long-term substitute positions. These impermanent positions postpone their participation in the state’s induction process and delay their paths to tenure. Many are discouraged from becoming teachers and turn to other districts or professions for permanent employment. Impact on student achievement:Districts reported a substantial number of new hires possessed temporary teaching permits and had not completed all the course work required to become fully qualified teachers. Any time a qualified teacher is not in the classroom, it is more challenging for students to learn, administrators said. Districts unanimously reported that under-prepared teachers undermine student achievement. Research suggests student success is related to having quality teachers in the classroom. Addressing teacher shortages in a coordinated and timely manner would guarantee that all students receive competent, continuous instruction. 59 Sacramento County Grand Jury 2016-2017 Passing timely state budgets: Districts would prefer to hire new teachers at mid-year and place them in classrooms with the most experienced teachers before they are on their own. Timely coordination between budgetary decisions and the required number of teachers must be closely maintained. Although the districts must forecast the number of students who will be attending school in the fall during the month of March, estimates of the number of teachers that will be required are not made until late spring or early summer. Until the state budget is passed – usually in mid-summer — no school district knows what its budget will be and therefore, how many teachers it will be able to hire. Sometimes people are hired right before school starts and there is not enough time to bring teachers “on board” before they must be in the classrooms. 60 Sacramento County Grand Jury 2016-2017 Correctional System Facilities Review