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CONTRACT K-1819-51: A CONTRACT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN AND CROSSROADS YOUTH AND FAMILY CENTER, INC., FOR THE OPERATION OF THE EMERGENCY YOUTH SHELTER AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $40,000 FROM THE SEIZURES AND RESTITUTION FUND BALANCE.
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BACKGROUND: The City of Norman juvenile program in conjunction with the Crossroads Youth and Family Center, Inc., (“Crossroads”) was awarded a federal and state grant from the Office of Juvenile Affairs (“OJA”) to implement a Community Intervention Center (“CIC”) in early 1997. Originally, this was a pilot project and the City of Norman was one of five cities to open a CIC. This program began in October of 1997. Until 2016 the CIC was housed in a building owned by the City and located at 1900 West Robinson in Westwood Park.
The CIC was a multi-city collaborated project. The federal money for the program was originally “seed” money to start the program. By design of the grant, the federal funding ceased three years after the inception of the program. Funding for the program was from the state through OJA. The CIC program was the first program to have a partnership between a local government, the state government, youth service agencies and law enforcement agencies.
The purpose of the CIC was to provide a community based location for law enforcement officers to take juveniles, who had been apprehended for committing an offense that is not detention-eligible, for the purpose of holding, supervising and releasing the juveniles to a parent or guardian as appropriate. The goal of the program was two-fold: to maximize police officer productivity by returning them back to patrol duties as timely as possible; and to have a consistent entry for juveniles into the juvenile justice system where they can be offered social services and evaluated for needs.
The juveniles are held at the CIC for up to twenty-four (24) hours until a parent, guardian or responsible adult can be located. While at the CIC, information for court and social service referrals are gathered. Upon arrival to obtain custody of a child at the facility, the parent or responsible adult must sign a promise to appear in court with the juvenile. The CIC, in conjunction with juvenile municipal court programs, has been an important tool in dealing with juvenile crime in the community.
Prior to the CIC, police officers were delayed several hours at a time, trying to contact and wait for a parent to take responsibility for an arrested juvenile. The CIC allowed the officer to return to patrol within minutes. The average time an officer spent dropping a juvenile off at the CIC was 15 minutes or less.
DISCUSSION: The State Legislature in fiscal year 2015-2016 (FYE16) made reductions to agency budgets across the state. OJA has ceased all funding for all the CIC’s across the state, including the CIC in Norman. Law enforcement has been transporting juveniles to the Emergency Youth Shelter (EYS) operated by Crossroads Youth and Family at 1650 W. Tecumseh.
This contract with Crossroads Youth and Family will allow law enforcement officers to continue to have a facility to take juveniles for the reasons stated above. If the City no longer desires to operate the CIC in this manner, then the City may decline to approve the contract with Crossroads. However, being able to take juveniles to the EYS not only better allocates the time of law enforcement officers, but also serves the community by allowing youth to be professionally assessed for needs and then reunited with responsible family members should the youth find themselves involved in criminal activity.
Contract K-1819-51 is between the City of Norman and Crossroads Youth & Family Center, Inc., for Crossroads to continue to serve law enforcement and juveniles in a similar manner. This contract commits the City of Norman to provide funding of $40,000 toward the continued partnership for FYE19.
It is staff’s recommendation that $40,000 be appropriated from the Seizures and Restitution Fund Balance/Unreserved (account 025-0000-253.20-00) to Other Professional Services (account 025-6035-421.40-99) and paid to Crossroads Youth and Family Center.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff has reviewed and recommends approval of Contract K-1819-51 with Crossroads Youth and Family Center to continue to serve law enforcement and juveniles at the Emergency Youth Shelter at 1650 W. Tecumseh, Norman, Oklahoma, including an appropriation from the Seizures and Restitution Fund Balance/Unreserved (account 025-0000-253.20-00) in the amount of $40,000 to Other Professional Services (account 025-6035-421.40-99).