May 17, 2005
SUBJECT: Gun Amnesty Program - Council Study Issue (DPS#2)
REPORT IN BRIEF
In 2003, a proposed Council Study Issue (CSI) was raised for the Public Safety Department (DPS) to explore a “gun amnesty” program for the City. The CSI was placed “below the line” by Public Safety for 2003 due to other priorities. The CSI, DPS-02, was amended and approved for 2005 (Attachment A). The amended CSI directed DPS to participate with another local agency that was sponsoring a gun amnesty program, and promote it through the Office of the City Manager’s Communications Division.
Staff has researched this issue and found that no law enforcement agency in Santa Clara County currently has a gun turn-in procedure that provides monetary or other incentive, or “amnesty” for turning in the gun; and no agency has plans to conduct any type of gun amnesty program in the foreseeable future. Additionally, research showed that sponsoring a gun amnesty program would take a significant amount of staff time to plan, arrange for incentives, coordinate, and publicize. An estimated 154 hours of DPS staff time ($14,542) plus an estimated $200 for material costs would be needed to prepare for and conduct a gun amnesty event. The total cost would be approximately $14,742. Additional costs would be incurred if Sunnyvale did not partner with a corporate sponsor to offer incentives, but rather paid for the incentives from city funds. The time estimates are based on the time it took other agencies to plan and conduct their events. The cost of a second event may be reduced by as much as 50% by eliminating planning and start up costs incurred in the first event.
DPS staff believes there are several steps that can be done to accomplish the goal of reducing available weapons on the street without this significant use of staff hours. The steps include ensuring appropriate information is provided to the public in routine contacts, frequent articles in the Quarterly Report reminding the public that firearms may be turned in to DPS at any time, and producing a brochure for distribution to the public. Staff intends to implement the expanded procedures to include publication of the brochures and articles in the Quarterly Report and other local newspapers. DPS will partner with any local law enforcement agency when another gun amnesty program is planned.
BACKGROUND
In 2003, Mayor Julia Miller proposed a CSI for the Public Safety Department to explore the possibility of sponsoring a “gun amnesty” program in Sunnyvale. The CSI directed staff to explore gun amnesty programs held in other communities and to identify necessary resources to conduct a similar program in Sunnyvale. The issue was presented at the 2003 Study Issues Workshop and approved. DPS placed the issue “below the line” because DPS did not have the staff capacity to complete the study.
At the December 16, 2004 Council Study Issues Workshop, Council amended the CSI and directed DPS to “explore participation in the Santa Clara County Police Chiefs’ gun amnesty program and promote this program through the Office of the City Manager - Communications Division.”
EXISTING POLICY
Police Services Sub-Element Goals:
4.1A.4 – Reduce crime by strengthening the Police-Community partnership.
4.1A.4a – Continue and enhance neighborhood-based crime prevention programs.
DISCUSSION
DPS staff concurs with the amended approach in the 2005 CSI and believes that gun amnesty programs are more effectively implemented on a multi-city or county-wide approach. DPS will participate with any local law enforcement agency that conducts such a program.
During staff’s research for the report, all local law enforcement agencies were contacted regarding their participation in gun amnesty programs. No law enforcement agency in Santa Clara County currently has a gun turn-in procedure that provides monetary or other incentive, or “amnesty” for turning in the gun; and no agency has plans to conduct any type of gun amnesty program in the foreseeable future.
Several local law enforcement agencies have, however, conducted gun amnesty programs in the past. The San Jose Police Department has sponsored several gun amnesty programs in partnership with the San Jose Sharks. During their 1999 event, 100 weapons were collected. In their last event in 2002, only 20 weapons were collected. The program administrator from the San Jose Police Department said that staff began planning the program 3 months before the first scheduled gun amnesty event. Due to personnel cutbacks, they do not plan on conducting a gun amnesty event due to the time required.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office conducted a gun amnesty event in 2001, also in partnership with the San Jose Sharks. It required preparation time and eight personnel on overtime to staff the weekend event. The Sheriff’s Office was unable to provide information on the number of weapons collected. DPS provided an officer to assist with both the Sheriff’s Office and the San Jose Police Department’s events.
Hayward Police recently completed a gun amnesty event and collected 150 weapons for destruction. The Hayward Police Department solicited funds from corporate sponsors and paid $50 for each weapon turned in. Hayward PD staff conducted the event preparation and the day of the event required four personnel on overtime, in addition to volunteers and explorers. Overtime costs for Hayward police department were $1560, and paid incentives totaled $7500 for weapons turned in.
Based on information gathered from San Jose Police Department, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and the Hayward Police Department, approximately 154 hours of staff time would be needed to prepare for and conduct a gun amnesty event. The cost of a second event could be reduced by as much as 50%, because initial planning including, research, finding a possible corporate sponsor to provide cash or gift incentives, developing procedures, internal coordinating, and coordinating with other agencies that may be interested in joint participation could simply be replicated. Staff estimates costs for the one day event to be $14,742, including $10,366 for staff planning (100 hours), $200 for printing brochures, and event overtime costs of $4,176 (54 hours) for 1 Public Safety Lieutenant, 4 Public Safety Officers and 2 Property Clerks.
Absent participation in a joint gun amnesty program, DPS will continue to accept weapons for destruction at any time. When a weapon is received for destruction, a property report is completed and a receipt given to the person turning in the weapon. DPS will continue to store weapons until sufficient numbers are gathered and will then destroy the weapons at a local metal smelting facility.
Staff will work with the Communications Division of Office of the City Manager to publicize the current program and encourage community members to turn in unwanted weapons for destruction.
By publicizing the existing program and using existing resources, DPS can assist in reducing the amount of weapons in the community without expending significant staff hours to plan, coordinate, and coordinate a gun amnesty event.
FISCAL IMPACT
A total cost to conduct a “Sunnyvale only” gun amnesty event would be approximately $14,742 (staff cost of $14,542 and $200 for printing event information). Costs for gifts or other incentives to turn in weapons would be needed without a corporate partner.
Conclusion
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the Council agenda on the City's official bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the City's web page, and the availability of the report in the Library and the City Clerk's Office.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Continue the existing weapon destruction program and promote the program through the Communications Division of the Office of the City Manager; and partner with any local law enforcement agency in any future event.
2. Conduct a “Sunnyvale only” gun amnesty event with or without a corporate partner, offering incentives for weapons turned in at an approximate cost of $14,742.
RECOMMENDATION
In light of the significant cost to conduct this event and the other methods explained in this report that may achieve a good result in a more cost efficient manner, staff recommends Alternative #1.
Reviewed by:
Don Johnson, Director of Public Safety
Prepared by: Craig Farley, Acting Captain
Approved by:
Amy Chan, City Manager
Attachments
A. Council Study Issue for 2005, DPS-02 (.pdf format)
B. Press Release
C. Flyer – “Get Guns off the Streets” (.pdf format)