To: Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County
Department or Agency Name(s): Sheriff’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: Melissa McDonald 565-3922
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
2020 Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Letter of Agreement
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize the Sheriff to execute the 2020 Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program Letter of Agreement and any Amendments that do not substantially alter the scope of the Agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration, in the amount of $40,000, to support efforts related to eradicating illegal cannabis activity in Sonoma County.
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Executive Summary:
Upon execution of the Letter of Agreement, the Sheriff’s Office will receive up to $40,000 for illegal cannabis suppression and eradication activities during the period of October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020 from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2020 Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program. The grant will offset expenditures associated with deputy overtime, supplies, and equipment. The Sheriff’s Office will recognize the revenue on a monthly basis.
Discussion:
The Sheriff’s Office received the 2020 Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program Letter of Agreement from the Drug Enforcement Administration on January 3, 2020. The Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a $40,000 grant and intends to expend all funds over the 12-month grant period of October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020, with peak illegal cannabis eradication season typically occurring during the months of August through October. The funding is awarded based on operational need and historic activity.
The 2020 award of $40,000 is consistent with the 2019 award, but represents a decrease in grant funds from the 2018 grant year. The federal government continues to consider cannabis to be a controlled substance, although there is growing public acceptance of cannabis use, as reflected in the passage of California’s Proposition 64, which legalized recreational cannabis use. At this time, it is unknown whether the Sheriff’s Office will continue to receive funding from the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program in future years and if so, at what level.
Since 1995, The Sheriff’s Office has received grants from the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program to support the Sheriff’s illegal cannabis suppression efforts. Grant funds are administered by the Drug Enforcement Administration and are specifically designated to cover illegal cannabis eradication efforts.
In 2017, the Sheriff’s Office’s Narcotics Unit was eliminated as a result of funding constraints and budget reductions. Lack of assigned narcotics personnel requires overtime from detectives in other investigative units to handle narcotics cases that arise. Various laws have been implemented which allow for the use of cannabis recreationally under specific circumstances to include retail sales. Laws have also reduced the sale, transportation, and cultivation of cannabis to low-level misdemeanors and infractions, leaving the industry ripe for black market and out-of-state diversion. The Sheriff’s Office anticipates that illegal cannabis cultivators, sellers, and butane honey oil manufacturers will continue to take advantage of reduced proactive enforcement activities to benefit financially. More commercial operations will likely result in higher incidents of theft, robbery, and other violent crime. Funding provided by the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program provides additional resources to support illegal cannabis-related investigations.
$40,000 is available to the Sheriff’s Office for expenditures incurred during the period of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020. The grant will offset expenditures associated with deputy overtime, supplies, and equipment, which have historically been approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Prior Board Actions:
Board approval of agreements for the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program for the past twenty fiscal years (FY 96-97 through FY 18-19), most recently in 2019.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
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$40,000 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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$40,000 |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
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$40,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
No matching funds are required for Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program participation. Revenues and expenditures for the 2020 Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program funding are included in the Sheriff’s Office FY 20-21 recommended budget.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
2020 Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program Letter of Agreement
2020 Supporting Documents for Letter of Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A