City Council Meeting Date: June 4, 2019
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Monte Nelson, Chief of Police
Title
Consider Approving BCA Joint Powers Agreement for participation in the Minnesota Anti-Heroin Task Force Program.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council is asked to consider a Motion approving a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and City of Northfield, and to direct the Mayor and City Clerk to sign the attached JPA.
Summary Report:
The Minnesota BCA has created the Minnesota Anti-Heroin Task Force Program (AHTF) receiving funding through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. The AHTF allows cooperative agreements between BCA and Local Government Units to investigate crimes related to the distribution, trafficking, inappropriate prescribing of opioids, and the investigation of fatal opioid-related overdoses. Through these agreements, local law enforcement agencies may receive reimbursement for overtime expenses related to these opioid investigations.
The proposed JPA would allow the Northfield Police Department to receive reimbursement for overtime expenses related to the investigation of fatal opioid-related overdoses. There would be no financial obligation to the City of Northfield. If signed, the JPA will expire in October 2019; if the AHTF funding continues after that time, NPD would seek to renew the JPA and continue with the program.
Over the past 12 years, the NPD has investigated many opioid-related crimes and overdoses. In the last two years, the Northfield area has experienced significant increases in the presence of Fentanyl and Carfentanil in illicit drugs being purchased and consumed. These synthetic opioids are extremely dangerous and dramatically increase the likelihood of a fatal overdose. In the last 18 months, the NPD has investigated more than six overdoses that resulted from the ingestion of such synthetic opioids; one of those was a fatal overdose. The NPD usually incurs significant salary expense as a result of these investigations, especially when the overdose is fatal. The reimbursement available through this JPA could be very helpful to the City of Northfield and NPD.
Staff recommends approval of the proposed JPA.
Alternative Options:
The City Council could choose not to approve the JPA. NPD will continue to provide quality investigation of opioid-related crimes and overdoses, but the City would not be eligible for overtime reimbursement.
Financial Impacts:
There is no cost for participation in the JPA. NPD officers would be required to track and report investigations as they already do.
Tentative Timelines:
N/A