City of Santa Maria*

R1

That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, the Probation Department, the District Attorney and the police departments of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Guadalupe and Lompoc pool their resources to establish a comprehensive database that includes a gang roster across jurisdictions. Response: Will not be implemented. Law enforcement agencies in California, including the Santa Maria Police Department, historically shared gang intelligence using a statewide database. The regulatory requirements of using any such shared gang database have increased over the years, governed in part by the Code of Federal Regulations 28, part 23, and more recently, California Penal Code Section 186.34-35 (January 1, 2017). As a result, the benefits of using the shared gang database became outweighed by the burdens imposed by the regulations. The Santa Maria Police Department, along with the majority of agencies in California, has since ceased the use of any such database. Shared gang intelligence is currently being accomplished during regularly scheduled meetings or upon request. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

R6a

That the Santa Barbara County District Attorney form a consortium including the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, the Santa Barbara County Probation Department, and the Police Departments of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Guadalupe to hire a full-time crime analyst and share data to reduce gang crime. Response: Will not be implemented. Gang activities do occasionally cross jurisdictional boundaries, however, the overwhelming majority of gang violence that occurs in the City of Santa Maria is perpetrated by gang members who live in Santa Maria. The City of Santa Maria is currently projecting layoffs as a result of budget shortfalls. Participation in a consortium to hire a crime analyst would presume funding that is not available or would divert funds from existing programs, potentially leading to additional layoffs. A shared crime analyst dedicated specifically to gang crimes occurring across multiple jurisdictions faces the same regulatory and resource challenges of managing or using a shared gang database as described in the City's response to Recommendation 1.

R6b

That the Santa Barbara County District Attorney form a consortium including the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, the Santa Barbara County Probation Department, and the Police Departments of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Guadalupe and hire staff that would apply for grants to fund anti-gang programs. Response: Will not be implemented. The cost of new staff to serve as grant writers would be the responsibility of the consortium at a time when the City of Santa Maria is currently projecting layoffs as a result of budget shortfalls. Applications for grants can be completed without hiring additional staff. M. Vatim ALICE M. PATINO Mayor