Adam Laxalt, the Attorney General of the State of Nevada, has initiated a victim services pilot project grant program in Washoe County.  The Sparks Police Department was invited to participate and if accepted will receive funding from the program to make available a second Victim Advocate at the Sparks Police Department. - See more at: http://portal.cityofsparks.us/agendas/meeting/227/item/1723#sthash.CVYrTdhd.dpuf

The Victims of Crime Act provides a grant program that is administred by the State of Nevada Office of the Attorney General.  Funds from that program are utilized to increase the quality and availability of emergency services to the victims of crime here in Nevada.  The funds are availalbe for several authorized purposes, including paying the salary and fringe benefits of a victim advocate position.  There is a twenty five percent matching funds requirement.

Over the past three years the Sparks Police Department has utilized a grant from the Victims of Crime Act and Violence Against Women Act to help subidize the costs for salary and benifits for the Victim Advocate who works in the Sparks Police Department.  At the end of the grant, the position was absorbed into the authorized complement of personnel at the Police Department.  That position is very busy to the point that the workload exceeds the hours available to provide serivices to victims.  The Victim Advocate has provided services to 3,701 victims of crime since the inception of the position in May 2008.

The Police Department Administration has identified a need for an additional Victim Advocate so that we can provide the best possible service to the victims of crime in our community.  A funding source for that position has not been identifed prior to this grant becoming available.

This Washoe pilot program being offered to the Sparks Police Department will cover 75% of the costs of employing a second Victim Advocate.  The remaining funds required, $15,457 is in the existing budget for grant match.  The idea behind this pilot project is for the Attorney General's office to have all of the victim services in Washoe County working together to eliminate the duplicaiton of services, to provide the best possilbe services, and to provide follow-up services to reduce the instances of second and third time victimization, an area where the Sparks Police Department faces severe challenges due to the constant influx of new victims and the limiations faced by having only one Victim Advocate.

The grant represents 9 months of funding for the position.  This is due to the fact that although the funds would be available July 1, 2015, the Sparks Police Department will, if approved, need to advertise the postion and collect applications, test and interview for the position and then conduct a background investigation of the applicant chosen to fill the position.  It is estimated that the hiring process will take approximately 3 months giving an estimated start date of October 5, 2015 (payroll number 22).

Job Title

Victim Advocate

Salary Range is $40,820.00 – $59,596.00

Complement Change

Current                                  Change

1 Victim Advocate                  2 Victim Advocates

1. The City Council may approve the complement change in conjunction with the acceptance of the grant funding, approved July 13, 2015.

2. The City Council may not approve the complement change.

3. The City Council may not approve the complement change as presented by staff, and may provide other direction to the City Manager.

I move to approve to increase the complement at the Police Department to include one additional Victim Advocate for a total of two.