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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION Date:February 13, 2023 Item No.: 10.e Department Approval City Manager Approval Item Description:Approve 2023 Auto Theft Prevention Grant Applications 1 B ACKGROUND 2 In May, 2021, the Roseville Police Department was awarded two auto theft prevention grants through the 3 Minnesota Department of Commerce. One grant provided funding for an auto theft investigator dedicated 4 to reduce automobile related thefts, increase education and awareness in our community, respond to 5 automobile theft incidents, and prosecute offenders. The grant was a two year grant (2021-2023) and 6 covered up to $100,000 per year towards salary/benefits of the investigator. The second grant awarded 7 funding for equipment used to respond to automobile related crimes (e.g. tire deflation devices, covert 8 cameras, and GPS vehicle tracking devices to be utilized in catalytic converter theft and auto related 9 investigations). 10 11 On May 17, 2021, the Roseville City Council voted to accept the grant funding. At that time, staff 12 recommended if the auto theft investigator position was beneficial, RPD would seek grant funding to 13 continue to the position at the end of the grant cycle (June 30, 2023) or explore other funding sources. 14 15 The Department of Commerce recently released its most recent requests for proposals for automobile theft 16 prevention grants. The newly released dedicated auto theft investigator grant provides funding for three 17 years (July 2023 – June 2026). The grant covers up to $100,000 each year towards salary and benefits. If 18 Roseville was awarded the grant, it would allow the Roseville Police Department to continue the current 19 dedicated auto theft investigator position for an additional three years. This would not be a new position, 20 but would only continue the current grant funded position in place since 2021. The equipment grant would 21 allow the department to obtain additional equipment to enhance the department’s response and 22 investigation of auto related crimes. 23 24 Roseville experienced a 34% increase from 2021 to 2022 in auto related crimes. Without the dedicated 25 position, many of these cases would not have been investigated and the number of crimes could be much 26 higher. As a result of the grant funded position, Roseville has hosted a number of catalytic converter 27 etching events, proactive patrols of hot spots, carjacking details, and building partnerships with businesses 28 and citizens to proactively reduce auto related crimes. In 2022, our investigator also played an integral role 29 in helping take down a national ring believed to be responsible for a high number of the catalytic converter 30 thefts in the metro area. 31 32 According to statistics compiled by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Roseville 33 reported 224 motor vehicle thefts in 2022. Referring to the FBI’s average valuation of $8,886 per stolen 34 vehicle in 2019 (an amount likely much higher in 2022), Roseville residents and visitors incurred an 35 estimated $1,990,464 in losses associated with auto theft. While the negative economic impact of auto 36 theft is significant, of even more importance is the perceived risk and associated trauma of victimization in Page 1 of 3