LAW ENFORCEMENT PLANNING COMMISSION FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET PRESENTATION “ Supporting the Territory’s Crime Reduction and Public Safety Efforts” Submitted to: Senator Kurt A. Vialet Chairman, Committee on Finance 33 rd Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands Presented by: Ray A. Martinez
Director June 27, 2019 Good morning Honorable Kurt A. Vialet, Chairman, and members of the Committee on Finance; other members of the 33rd Legislature present; Legislative staff, members of my Team, and ladies and gentlemen in the listening and viewing audience. I am Ray A. Martinez, Director of the Law Enforcement Planning Commission (LEPC). My LEPC Team members who have accompanied me this morning are Mrs. Keisha E. Culpepper-Smith, Director of Financial Management Services; Ms. Angela Lloyd-Campbell, Director of Victim Witness Services; Ms. Elouise Brown, Director of Juvenile Justice Programs; and Mrs. Ana Maria Creque, Financial Management Supervisor. We are pleased at the opportunity to appear before you this morning to offer justification for the Law Enforcement Planning Commission ’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget. The Law Enforcement Planning Commission herein referred to interchangeably as the Commission, the Agency, or LEPC, was established as an agency of the Government of the Virgin Islands, under Title 3 Chapter 15 Section 261. LEPC is entrusted with the responsibility and empowered to affect the functions and responsibilities provided for under the provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 as amended. The Commission serves as the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for the distribution of 2 | P a g e LEPC FY 2020 Budget
federal funds earmarked for local criminal justice agencies, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations. The agency is designated with exclusive oversight to administer, monitor, and evaluate several streams of federal funds that address criminal justice, juvenile delinquency, and victim services initiatives from the US Department of Justice (USDOJ) grant programs. The Commission is also vested with the statutory responsibility of providing policy advice and guidance to the Governor and is established to be the State planning agency for the criminal justice system in the Territory. This responsibility encompasses assisting the Governor in developing policies, crime prevention and violence reduction plans, juvenile delinquency and victims of crime programs, and budgets directed at improving the coordination, administration and effectiveness of criminal justice efforts. In short, LEPC is a critical component in the Territory’s criminal justice tool chest with the charge of bringing together local and federal resources to comprehensively reduce crime and violence within the Territory, thereby improving the administration of justice. The collection of data and statistical information is of great significance. The submission of concise state level award applications lending to improved funding opportunities, hinges upon LEPC’s ability to exercise its statutory authority in collecting from any government entity, the information, data reports, statistics, or such other 3 | P a g e LEPC FY 2020 Budget
pertinent material necessary to provide expert guidance. To that end, collaboration and information sharing between LEPC and governmental stakeholders is of utmost importance. Additionally, data co llection and analysis advance the Agency’s delivery of technical assistance that increases sub-grantees ’ programs successes. BUDGET OVERVIEW The Law Enforcement Planning Commission receives its operations funding through appropriations from the General Fund. In addition, three (3) of the seven (7) formula grants provide funding to cover administrative and personnel costs associated with managing the respective grants. We intend to work with purposeful determination, within the scope of the allotted resources to deliver quality services that improve and strengthen the criminal justice system. We will accomplish this by improving communication with sub-grantees, restructuring application and cumbersome reimbursement processes, increasing new and existing funding opportunities, and developing real-world policy recommendations that optimize law enforcement and criminal justice efforts. This year’s General Fund allotment has increased $9,284 to $814,658 compared to last year’s $805,374 allotment . The Commission will work within the confines of the recommended FY 2020 Budget as it continues to obtain and sub-award available grants in addition to providing law enforcement policy recommendations and technical assistance. 4 | P a g e LEPC FY 2020 Budget
Personnel costs of $489,257 and Fringe Benefits of $208,124 are the lion’s share of our operating budget which funds the salaries of six (6) employees and three (3) funded vacancies. In addition, the Agency does not incur personnel or fringe benefit costs for the VOCA/VAWA Grant Manager as this position is 100% federally funded. LEPC operates two offices, one in the St. Thomas/St. John District and one in the St. Croix District, with the majority of the employees operating out the St. Thomas Office. $7,193 and $20,400 are allotted for supplies and utilities costs. Other services and charges are allotted $89,684 which covers expenses incurred for rent, electricity, telephone, inter-island travel, vehicle maintenance, and fuel. The Agency utilizes federal funds awarded the office for the administration of grants to pay allowable costs for supplies, services and charges. There are presently no capital outlays budgeted for the fiscal year. The LEPC Fiscal Year 2020 General Fund Budget Summary is included as Appendix I and the Personnel Costs Summary included as Appendix II. Office Space Rentals The Agency has two (2) leases for office space. The St. Thomas office is located in the Nisky Shopping Center and the St. Croix office is housed within the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs at the Golden Rock Shopping Center, Christiansted. The St. Thomas office lease agreement with St. Thomas Properties, LLC., at an annual 5 | P a g e LEPC FY 2020 Budget
cost of $56,484 expires May 2020. The St. Croix office lease agreement with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs at an annual cost of $6,000 is open-ended. Office space rental information is outlined in Appendix III. Vehicle Fleet LEPC has two (2) assigned vehicles, a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse and a 2008 Chevrolet Equinox, both located in the St. Thomas/St. John District. The 2008 Equinox is in deplorable condition and needs to be taken offline. There is no vehicle assigned to the St. Croix operation. When transportation is needed on St. Croix, we utilize loaner vehicles from the Property & Procurement transportation fleet. LEPC vehicles are used to attend meetings, conduct monitoring visits, site visits, and travel to provide technical assistance to our sub-grantees. Vehicle fleet information can be found in Appendix IV. FEDERAL GRANTS SUMMARY On behalf of the Territory, the Law Enforcement Planning Commission is awarded Federal Formula Grants from the U. S. Department of Justice (USDOJ). Formula grants are grants where the enacting legislation specifies how the funds are to be distributed. These grants are non-competitive with allocations primarily awarded based upon population size. The LEPC is the recipient of seven (7) Commented [RM1]: How many ACTIVE grants do we USDOJ formula grants. have to report on? 6 | P a g e LEPC FY 2020 Budget
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Title II Grant (JJDP) Juvenile Justice Prison Rape Elimination Act (JJPREA) Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Grant (RSAT) Victims of Crime Assistance Grant (VOCA) Violence Against Women STOP Grant (VAWA) The Agency was awarded $3,075,912 for Fiscal Year 2018. For Fiscal Year 2019 we anticipate total awards of approximately $2,300,000. The Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) is the primary federal criminal justice funding program. The JAG provides funding to support a broad range of activities geared at increasing law enforcement efforts to preventing and controlling crime through hiring additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance, and information systems for criminal justice. The Territory uses funding to support activities that prevent and control crime, through apprehension, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation of offenders. Agencies such as the Department of Justice, Police Department and the Bureau of Corrections have utilized funding to support a number of projects ranging from training, acquiring technical assistance, hiring personnel, and the purchase of routine and specialized law enforcement equipment. A total of 7 | P a g e LEPC FY 2020 Budget
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