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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION Date: November 30, 2020 Item No.: 9.h Department Approval City Manager Approval Item Description:Accept 2021Pathways to PolicingGrantFunding 1 B ACKGROUND 2 For many years, the Roseville Police Department (RPD) has taken proactive measures to reflect the 3 community we serve through increasing our commitment to diversifying staff, especially police 4 officers. The City of Roseville is an active member of the Government Alliance on Racial Equity 5 (GARE) and strives to employ minorities in law enforcement. RPD’s program specifically seeks 6 nontraditional law enforcement candidates with preference given to candidates who can demonstrate 7 experience living in, interacting with, or organizing diverse communities. Preferences are given to 8 those who are fluent speakers, readers, and writers of the top 5 non-English languages spoken in 9 Roseville: Hmong, Karen, Somali, Spanish, or Thai. 10 In recent years, our most intensive recruitment efforts have focused on Community Service Officers 11 (CSOs). The department hires CSOs with the intention that they will become Roseville Police 12 Officers in the future. Once hired, CSOs earn part-time pay (an average 20 hour work week) and 13 retirement benefits while attending a full-time professional peace officer education program of their 14 choice. Upon completion of the education program, trainees must attain POST licensure before 15 transitioning to a full-time Police Officer position. 16 In 2019, Roseville City Council approved applying for and accepting grant funding through the 17 Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s 2020 Pathways to Policing program. Participation in the 18 2020 Pathways to Policing grant has greatly supported RPD’s Commitment to Diversity staffing 19 program by reducing financial barriers. This opportunity provides current CSOs reimbursement for 20 coursework fees, books and equipment costs. 21 Participating in the 2020 Pathways to Policing is already generating successful outcomes as one 22 CSO became POST eligible and was offered employment by the City of Roseville as a police 23 officer. The other three CSOs are still on track for POST eligibility by the grant deadlineof June 30, 24 2021. th 25 On July 27, Council approved applying for 2021 Pathways to Policing grant funding. On October st 26 31, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety notified RPD funding has been awarded in the 27 amount of $20k. Two CSOs will receive up to $10k in reimbursement to help cover the costs 28 associated with the board-certified Minnesota Professional Peace Officer Education program of their 29 choice. A condition of the grant is candidates must pass their state mandated licensing exam by 30 December 31, 2021. To be eligible for participation in the 2021 Pathways to Policing program, Page 1 of 2