Paying for public safety services
How Proposition 4 contributes to an ecosystem of services
Why is Prop. 4 on the Nov. 5 ballot?
According to recent surveys, public safety has consistently been a top issue for the community. To address the growing demand for police services as Vancouver’s population grows, the Vancouver City Council voted to place Proposition 4 on the ballot. If approved, Prop. 4 is expected to address the unmet need in the community surrounding public safety.
Does the City help fund the Law and Justice system in Clark County?
Under a state law passed almost 30 years ago, Vancouver is responsible for the costs of prosecuting, adjudicating, sentencing, and incarcerating all misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses committed by adults in the city limits. This means that for every arrest, prosecution, and conviction of a misdemeanor, the City pays Clark County a fee to provide the offender with a legal defense, have Clark County District Court adjudicate the offender’s case, and have the Clark County Jail incarcerate the offender and manage probation.
How much did the City pay Clark County last year for these services?
Last year, the City paid Clark County around $5.25 million to provide these services, with more to come if Prop. 4 passes. The dollar amount is proportionate to the number of cases the City of Vancouver generates.
Will Prop. 4 allocate resources to the County to cover the anticipated increased load on the Law and Justice system?
Yes. When developing Prop 4, the City considered this by including “related criminal justice costs” in the levy language. If Prop. 4 passes, the City anticipates allocating an additional $6.6 million to Clark County over the first six years of the levy to cover the additional costs for jail, corrections, and district court.
Why does the City pay Clark County for the services they provide?
Keeping the community safe takes a broad ecosystem of interconnected governments, providers, and services. Working in partnership is essential to the overall health and stability of this ecosystem and the safety and well-being of the community.
Also, per state law, cities are “responsible for the prosecution, adjudication, sentencing, and incarceration of misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses committed by adults in their respective jurisdictions.” RCW 39.34.180(1). The City reimburses Clark County for providing these services through an interlocal agreement detailing the different components the City pays for.
What kinds of misdemeanors are covered by the City’s agreement with Clark County?
The agreement with Clark County in 1998, which is still operative today, covers any crime committed within the City limits where the punishment is one year or less in jail. There are many different kinds of misdemeanors, but some common ones include theft of property less than $750 (i.e., shoplifting); fourth-degree assault (including domestic violence); possession of stolen property; third-degree malicious mischief (i.e., vandalism); trespass; unlawful possession of controlled substances.
Who is responsible for paying the costs for felonies?
Under state law, counties are statutorily responsible for prosecuting, adjudicating, sentencing, and incarcerating felony offenders. However, the passage of Proposition 4 does not mean more felonies will be committed. Instead, it means there would be more law enforcement resources to investigate the felonies that are occurring. The County, through property taxes, a sales tax (one-tenth of 1% or one cent for every $10 spent) dedicated to public safety, and an array of other fees, generates more than $38 million annually from residents of Vancouver.
The County estimates they will need 81 additional FTE to support the 80 officers included in Prop. 4 where did this number come from?
The County made staffing estimates based on current deployment assumptions. The City anticipates a tapering of crime over time due to having additional resources available to respond, investigate, and hold offenders accountable. If Prop. 4 is passed, there will be ample time to discuss needs, collaborate, and determine if we need to adjust the interlocal agreement that governs what we pay the County for certain public safety services.
Why doesn’t Vancouver have its own courts and jails?
Rather than expend the resources to build dedicated jails and courts, many cities, like Vancouver, enter into interlocal agreements with their counties to provide these centralized services and pay the county for them.