Title
Approval of Use of Asset Forfeiture Funds for Training
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the use of Asset Forfeiture funds for police staff training.
Report
Issue:
The Olympia Police Department has adopted a mission and values that emphasize building trust with the community. To further our mission, the Department is providing training to all its employees on the role of policing in the 21st century and providing them tools to meet the expectations of the community.
Staff Contact:
Laura Wohl, Administrative Services Manager
360.753.8214
Presenter(s):
Consent item.
Background and Analysis:
The Olympia Police Department (OPD) completed a large asset forfeiture process in late 2001, following criminal convictions in a homicide case. The net proceeds, $369,247, were placed in the Special Accounts Control Fund, Seizure and Forfeiture Account ("Asset Forfeiture Fund"). By statute, money seized and/or forfeited as a result of criminal behavior must be used "exclusively for the expansion and improvement of law enforcement activities," and the funds may not be used to supplant pre-existing funding sources (RCW 10.105.010).
When the Asset Forfeiture Fund was established in 2002, Council determined that one of the primary purposes for its use was to invest in our employees by providing them with special training and educational opportunities that would otherwise not be affordable. Each year since the fund was created, the Department has used a portion of the fund balance to provide that type of training. The Department is requesting use of these funds for the training below:
Proposed Training.
The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center, where new recruits attend their entry-level Police Academy, has recently adopted a course called, "Blue Courage". The course outlines the role of law enforcement officers as "guardians" rather th...
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