HomeMy WebLinkAbout14 - Analysis of July 4 Police OperationsCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item Number 14
November 14, 2006
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Police Department
Jim Kaminsky, Lieutenant; 644 3710; jaminsky@nbpd.org
Bob McDonell, Chief of Police; 644 3701; bmcdonell @nbpd.org
SUBJECT: Analysis of Police Operations - July 4, 2006
RECOMMENDATION:
Review the contents of this report recapping the day's events and provide staff direction on
those areas of focus, if any, Council would like brought back for possible implementation prior to
July 4, 2007. A short DVD is available if Council would like to see a sampling of the related
activities.
DISCUSSION:
Deployment of Police Resources
Historically, the Newport Beach Police Department has had to deploy virtually all of its
resources to deal with crowd and traffic control problems associated with the July 4"' holiday.
Experience has taught us that large numbers of people are drawn to the West Newport area on
this date. This fact of life has existed for many years and has remained a reliable assumption in
the development of our deployment strategy.
Over the past several years, we have supplemented our deployment with officers from the
California Highway Patrol, the Orange County Sheriff's Department, and various municipal
police departments in order to provide a highly visible police presence within the impacted areas
of West Newport, while allowing us to provide a heightened level of police services to the
remainder of the City.
This year, the 4"' of July fell on a Tuesday. As such, we did not have to utilize officers from
other departments to supplement our deployment over the weekend leading up to the holiday,
as was the case last year.
On the 4"' of July holiday we have learned that a strong presence of highly visible uniformed
officers in potential problem areas serves as a deterrent.to potentially lawless behavior. The
principal element of this uniformed presence continues to be our "tactical" and "foot beat" teams.
Typically, these teams are composed of one sergeant and three officers. Tactical teams, or tac-
teams, are deployed in a vehicle and are capable of being assigned to any area where a
Analysis of Police Operations — July 4, 2006
November 14, 2006
Page 2.
problem or potential problem has developed. Foot beat teams rove on foot within a relatively
small, pre- designated area, generally a single street, and are tasked with maintaining order
within that area. Beat officers, bicycle officers, motorcycle officers, transportation officers,
helicopter crews, and a variety of non -sworn support personnel augment these teams.
With the additional resources from other Orange County police agencies, we were able to
assign a four -officer foot beat to almost every street in the Safety Enhancement Zone. By doing
so, each group had an early "investment in the real estate" that returned dividends in terms of
their ability to prevent and control any potentially disruptive behavior. With the small area of
responsibility for each team, they were able to make early contact with potential problem
houses, advise them of the rules, seek their cooperation, and monitor their actions throughout
the day and evening.
"Safety Enhancement Zone"
The heavy influx of bicycle and pedestrian traffic into the West Newport area continues to
necessitate a system of street closures and restricted access to ensure everyone's safety and
allow for crowd control. The annual City Council action enacting the "Safety Enhancement
Zone" has given us additional tools and resources to address the dangerous and volatile
situations we have historically encountered. One of the more effective tools is the "triple fine"
provision, where fines for municipal code violations are three times the amount normally
assessed. Most of the visitors and residents were well aware (upon their arrival) of the potential
for increased fines, and it was a topic of many conversations between officers and partygoers.
This increased awareness can be attributed to the Police Department's media release of
information in Los Angeles, Orange,. Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties, along with the
distribution of hundreds of informational fliers hand - delivered by Police Explorers to residents in
the Safety Enhancement Zone. In addition, most of the property management companies
provided the Department's informational fliers to their short -term renters upon check -in. As
always, our goal in the pre -event publicity campaign is to use it to our advantage in an effort to
serve as a deterrent to engaging in disruptive behavior, and we believe we enjoyed some
success from that effort.
Regrettably, the benefits of the Safety Enhancement Zone and other restrictions do not come
without sacrifice. The residents of the West Newport area continue to endure City- imposed
street closures and interference with access to their homes the afternoon and evening of July
41h. Some residents of the area stridently object to these restrictions, while others accept them
as "making the best of a bad situation."
Police Planning Strategy Results
The one constant factor on the a of July is the large crowds that fill the streets of West
Newport, and we can expect those large crowds to be there for the foreseeable future. The
deployment plan that we have implemented. for the past five years has given us the ability to
deal with, or prevent, potential riotous behavior as well as ensuring the public's safety. While
we have had an impact on the tone of the holiday atmosphere, we have not had a significant
impact on the sheer numbers of people who visit the West Newport area. While we believe our
efforts have made a considerable difference, we are still not ready to significantly reduce or alter
our policing strategy for this holiday. We remain committed to exploring other approaches in
concert with the residents of West Newport as we prepare for future operations.
Analysis of Police Operations — July 4, 2006
November 14, 2006
Page 3
As to the specifics of our deployment strategy, we had no major incidents or significant
problems that were beyond our resources. Our activity and enforcement numbers mirrored the
levels of the past two years. In contrast to prior years, however, the crowds appeared lighter.
The increased number of officers, coupled with a steady enforcement level, has produced a
fairly consistent result. There were no major assaults, confrontations with officers, or crimes in
or adjacent to the Safety Enhancement Zone. Noteworthy is the fact that we received no
complaints of officer misconduct.
This year, seven tac -teams and 18 foot beats were included in the deployment. Two foot beats
were assigned to Corona Del Mar Main Beach. One, three - officer team was assigned to the
Main Beach parking lot, and a two- officer team was assigned to Ocean Boulevard, above the
beach. This was in response to residents' request for a stronger presence in that neighborhood.
Two tac-teams were assigned to cover the neighborhoods between 32nd Street and the Wedge,
in response to concerns over lack of back -up coverage in this area. Additionally, a four - officer
foot beat was assigned to the area around the Balboa Pier. Another tac -team was assigned to
make .periodic checks through Newport Crest, as we did last year, and to cover Newport
Shores.
In addition to the extra ,tac-team and foot beat coverage for Corona Del Mar and Newport
Shores/Newport Crest, we assigned two additional, two- officer patrol cars to handle calls for
service in those areas. Both cars consisted of officers from Newport Beach and Irvine. The
westside car was used primarily to handle calls for service regarding fireworks complaints in
Newport Shores and neighborhoods north of PCH as a result of input from those communities.
That car responded to 24 of the 124 fireworks calls dispatched Citywide. The eastside car was
primarily used to handle excess calls for service in the "Old Corona Del Mar" neighborhoods.
As to our overall ability to handle calls for service outside the Safety Enhancement Zone, we
have managed that wel, and for the most part have sufficient resources. However, we continue
to fall short in our ability to handle calls regarding the Citywide use of fireworks. We received
approximately 148 calls reporting the illegal use of fireworks, and our helicopter crews observed
literally hundreds of displays during the 36 -hour deployment period. While our officers take
enforcement action for the possession and use of fireworks when they encounter it in the field,
we lacked the resources to respond to each of these calls. This inability to respond to each and
every report of illegal fireworks activity has led to frustration on the part of those who do call us
and then see this illegal activity go unchecked.
Enforcement Summary
Beginning in 1998, we established a uniform 36 -hour deployment period for the purpose of
capturing enforcement data from one year to the next. This time frame commences at 6 PM on
July 3rd and concludes at 6 AM on July e. Historically, this is when most of the problems occur,
regardless of which day of the week the holiday falls.
In addition to enforcement statistics for this year, I have included information from the past five
years for comparison purpose (please refer to Appendix A — Enforcement Summary).
Analysis of Police Operations — July 4, 2006
November 14, 2006
Page 4
Our arrest numbers, which rose slightly from last year, continue to be for mostly alcohol- related
offenses (fully 60 %). The typical arrestee was male (86 %), white (85 %), 25 years of age, and a
non - Newport Beach resident (79 %). Arrests made within or adjacent to the Safety
Enhancement Zone were 57% of the total for the deployment period. As to the other
enforcement numbers, they have remained constant over the past three years. We did see a
reduction in the number of citations for Business and Professions, Health and Safety, Municipal
Code, and parking violations.. We saw a significant rise in the number of Vehicle Code
violations during this year's holiday period. While the number of Administrative Citations
dropped from last year's total, the number of Disturbance Advisements (party house warnings)
rose by 53 %.
Traffic Management
As in past years, our plan for controlling traffic in the West Newport area centered on the
installation of barricades. These barricades close Seashore Drive to vehicular traffic and
prevent vehicles from accessing the westbound lanes of Balboa Boulevard between Pacific
Coast Highway and 32nd Street. The installation of barricades by General Services Department
personnel was started at approximately noon, and they remained in place until approximately
midnight.
This was the. fifth year of a collaborative effort with Cal Trans to monitor and control signal
phasing at West Balboa Boulevard and West Coast Highway. At the close of the evening, Cal
Trans representatives manually reset the signals for northbound Newport Boulevard, or leaving
the peninsula. This expedited outbound traffic on Newport Boulevard. Another Cal Trans
representative increased the northwest flow on West Balboa Boulevard onto West Coast
Highway or Superior Avenue, thereby eliminating the necessity of police officers to direct traffic
at this intersection.
Our traffic control and enforcement efforts were supported again this year by a contingent of
traffic officers from the California Highway Patrol. This contingent was divided into two groups:
motorcycle officers for enforcement of traffic laws and CHP officers on foot assigned to staff
barricades and checkpoints.
Department Support Activities
As in past years, our Command Post and Field Booking Operation were established in the rear
parking lot of the City Hall complex. Staffing levels for the transportation and field booking
operation, as well as the Command Post staff, were maintained at year 2005 levels. The
Command Post/Field Booking Operation opened at 2 PM on July 4d' and closed at 1 AM on July
5d'. This operation was staffed by NBPD Support Services personnel, NBPD Jail personnel,
and NBPD Reserve Officers. It was supplemented by OCSD Jail Deputies who performed
searches and handled prisoner management, and OCSD Transportation Deputies who
transported prisoners in Sheriffs vans and utilized a full -sized OCSD Jail bus that served as a
detention facility. A total of 85 arrestees were transported to and processed through the
Command Post's Field Booking Operation, which was the same as last year (please refer to
Appendix B — Command Post Bookings By Hour).
We again utilized the services of a Jail Nurse from the Orange County Health Care Agency
during the booking process. This service was once again an overwhelming success on two
Analysis of Police Operations — July 4, 2006
November 14, 2006
Page 5
fronts. We increased our level of service to all prisoners in our custody, rendering medical
attention when needed, and evaluating potential health problems. We also eliminated the need
to transport prisoners with minor injuries to a hospital in order for them to receive first -aid
treatment. Of the 85 prisoners processed through the Command Post, only one required
transportation to Hoag Hospital for evaluation prior to booking. No injury was involved with this
prisoner, as the condition was diagnosed as alcohol poisoning. As well, a Jail Nurse aided a
passer by who complained of heart -attack symptoms. Ultimately, medics transported the
individual to Hoag Hospital.
In addition to serving as an initial receiving point for arrestees, the Command Post housed
Communications personnel and equipment. The assigned Dispatchers handled all radio traffic
related to the transportation of prisoners to and from the Field Booking Operation. The
Command Post also served as a staging area for personnel, a storage point for supplies and
equipment, as well as a location where City officials and media personnel were directed to
gather for situation briefings.
Supplemental Law Enforcement and Salary Costs
Supplemental services were provided by eight different law enforcement agencies compared to
only three agencies in 2002. The California. Highway Patrol provided 30 officers who were
assigned to traffic control and enforcement. The Orange County Sheriff's Department provided
27 deputies who were assigned to transportation duties, as well as searching /booking duties at
the Command Post. The Anaheim,. UCI, Fullerton, Irvine, Orange, and Santa Ana Police
Departments provided approximately 55 officers who were teamed with our officers for patrol
and enforcement duties. The Orange County Health Care Agency provided two nurses to
examine and treat arrestees during the field booking process. The cost for these services are
listed in Appendix C, along with the costs from the previous five years for comparison purposes.
Per the. Memorandum of Understanding with our Employee Associations, NBPD personnel
receive "Premium Pay" for working on July 40. The Premium Pay, Overtime Pay (for employees
who worked longer than their assigned shift) and the number of hours of Compensatory Time
taken in lieu of Overtime Pay is also listed in Appendix C.
The overall cost to have the majority of the Police Department's 280 personnel working this
holiday is significant. When you factor in the supplemental law enforcement costs, we have a
better understanding of the total budgetary impact for ensuring we have an adequate law
enforcement presence on the July 0 holiday.
Planning For Next Year
Planning for the deployment of Police Department personnel on July 4, 2007, has already
begun in the form of critiques of this year's operation prepared by key personnel within the
Police Department. These critiques form the basis of future staff discussions to explore and
implement operational improvements as well as determining staffing levels and resources. We
value Community feedback from those most affected by our operation and will continue to be
open to suggestions on ways to improve the services we provide on this holiday.
Analysis of Police Operations — July 4, 2006
November 14, 2006
Page 6
CONCLUSION:
Overall, we were satisfied with the results of our efforts, but we remain mindful of the potential
for serious problems due to the huge influx of party- seeking revelers and the excessive
consumption of alcohol. Unfortunately, we do not believe there will be a significant reduction in
the considerable number of rental properties on the peninsula nor in the general party
atmosphere that will continue to attract these visitors to our City. We are still not at a pant
where we can take a step backwards in terms of our deployment of personnel and resources.
Much in the way that the Newport Beach 4th of July party atmosphere is ingrained in the minds
of the public, we need to equally ingrain an enforcement posture and a level of tolerance that
will bring sensibility to the holiday celebration.
Again, our employees, and those of the other involved agencies, performed in an exemplary
manner and significantly contributed to a safe and peaceful holiday. Not one complaint was
lodged despite our high profile enforcement effort.
We are grateful for the cooperation of other City Departments, most notable General Services,
whose employees made valuable contributions to our efforts. The support received from the
Orange County Sheriffs Department, the Orange County Health Care Agency, the California
Highway Patrol, Cal Trans, and the Police Departments of Anaheim, UCI, Fullerton, Irvine,
Orange, and Santa Ana was much appreciated as well.
In conclusion, the staffing levels and tactics we have employed ,these past three years have
given us the ability to help our Community, enjoy. the July 4th holiday in a safe and lawful
manner. In preparing for the future, we will take into account our experiences and continue to
look for ways to refine and hopefully improve our approach to this annual challenge. Our overall
recommendation is to continue to "stay the course" for the foreseeable future while continuing to
assess any progress we make in curbing the traditionally disruptive behavior, which this City
has experienced over the years.
Prepared by,
e�2� aGrp
Jim Kaminsky
LIEUTENANT
Attachments: Appendices A, B, C
Appfoved by,
Bob McDonell
CHIEF OF POLICE
APPENDIX A
ENFORCEMENT SUMMARY
ARRESTS
1 2006
2005
2004
20031
2002
2001
Felony
13
10
17
10
14
17
Misdemeanor
97
92
97
93
148
176
TOTAL
110
102
114
103
162
193
CITATIONS
B & P*
58
78
80
69
110
92
H &S*
7
9
0
17
11
5
Municipal Code
223
300
329
307
341
366
Vehicle Code
137
80
149
108
171
178
Misc.
0
0
1
1
0
1
Parking
588
766
707
722
711
667
TOTAL
1013
1233
1266
1224
1344
1309
DISTURBANCE
ADVISEMENTS
52
28
44
36
35
42
ADMINISTRATIVE
CITATIONS **
136
194
253
231
169
67
"B &P refers to the California Business and Professions Code. Almost all citations issued pursuant
to this code relate to minors in possession of alcohol or false identification documents.
H &S refers to the California Health and Safety Code. Most citations issued pursuant to this code
relate to possession of marijuana.
"Administrative Citations are a civil process as opposed to using the criminal process.
Administrative Cites are issued for violations of the NB Municipal Code, and those issued in the
Safety Enhancement Zone carried a fine triple the standard fine amount. The Administrative
Citations issued are incorporated into the Municipal Code. citation total.
APPENDIX B
COMMAND POST BOOKINGS BY HOUR
1300 - 1400 hrs
2
1400 - 1500 hrs
2
1500 - 1600 hrs
5
1600 - 1700 hrs
7
1700 - 1800 hrs
11
1800 - 1900 hrs
8
1900 - 2000 hrs
15
2000 - 2100 hrs
19
2100 - 2200 hrs
11
2200 - 2300 hrs
3
2300 - 2400 firs
2
2400- 0100 hrs
0
- TOTAL:
85
APPENDIX C
SUPPLEMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SALARY COSTS
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
OC Sheriff
$24,070
$26,461
$28,479
$28,567
$19,685
$15,343
CHP
$27,491
$27,774
$25,358
$22,203
$23,345
$23,465
Cost Mesa PD
0
$1,226
$5,921
$8,156
$3,685
0
Anaheim PD
$6,410
$1,529
$13,638
$12,994
0
0
Brea PD
0
0
0
$657
0
0
Fullerton PD
$6,091
$6,874
$8,825
$1,963
0
0
Irvine PD
$9,982
$12,869
$6,956
$8,084
0
0
La Palma PD
0
0
. 0
$1,927
0
0
Orange PD
$8,482
$10,356
$14,765
0
0
0
Santa Ana PD
$5,753
$4,459
$5,086
$6,020
0
0
UCI PD
$5,034
$0
$0
$0
0
0
OC Health Care
1 $860
$764
$689
$680
$678
0
Total
Supplemental
Services
$96,175
$92,312
$109,717
$91,251
$47,393
$38,808
Overtime Pay
$11,773
$13,235
$15,020
$52,187
$43,928
$56,210
Premium Pay
$41,182
$38,040
$38,180
Combined
w /OT
Combined
w /OT
Combined
w /OT
Comp. Time
Hours
133.5
158 hrs
225 hrs
NIA
NIA
NIA
TOTAL:
1$149,130
$143,587
1 $162,917
1 $143,438
$91,321
$95,018