HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/23/2017 - ENFORCEMENT AND OUTREACH UPDATEDATE:
STAFF:
May 23, 2017
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Beth Sowder, Director of Social Sustainability
Jeremy Yonce, Police Lieutenant
WORK SESSION ITEM
City Council
SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
Enforcement and Outreach Update.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this work session is to update Council on programs, policies, and other efforts designed to
mitigate disruptive behaviors in the downtown area and to provide alternative sentencing and intervention
strategies for those in need of services. These efforts include enforcing the Appropriate Use of Public Facilities
(AUPF) ordinance and updating the existing obstruction ordinance, alternative sentencing, mental health services,
special agency sessions, Outreach Fort Collins, and metrics for measuring the effectiveness of the AUPF
ordinance.
GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
Staff is seeking general feedback from Council on these staff efforts to curb disruptive behavior. Specific
questions to be answered by Council are as follows:
1. Is Council supportive of the proposed revisions to the obstruction ordinance?
2. Is Council supportive of bringing the IGA with Larimer County to facilitate alternative sentencing options
forward?
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
Over the past several years, Fort Collins has experienced challenges with disruptive, aggressive, and unwanted
behaviors around the City, which has caused numerous challenges and frustration among downtown visitors,
business owners, and residents. Staff has engaged with various partner agencies and organizations such as
Larimer County, the Downtown Business Association, and Outreach Fort Collins to develop a variety of programs
and policies aimed to mitigate these challenging social issues.
On October 11, City staff reviewed a variety of options for addressing and mitigating these challenges with City
Council. These options include the programs, policies, and other efforts mentioned above in the Executive
Summary. Each of these aim to address some of the challenges that law enforcement, businesses, municipal
court, other agencies have been having when dealing with disruptive behaviors in the downtown area of Fort
Collins. These challenges include:
The lack of ability to enforce current ordinances due to legal ambiguity.
The need to provide alternative sentencing models to divert individuals away from jail time and towards
support services.
The need to provide street outreach for populations in need that is not connected to a law enforcement
agency.
The need to provide additional intervention programs to provided social services to those in need.
The need to support mental health services in the City of Fort Collins.
Additionally, on March 21, City Council adopted an amended Appropriate Use of Public Facilities (AUPF)
Ordinance that prohibits:
Sitting or lying on things not designed for sitting at a transit facility or within 20 feet from a transit facility.
May 23, 2017 Page 2
Sitting, kneeling, or lying within 10 feet of a public restroom.
Leaving personal property unattended on a public bench or sidewalk.
This work session serves as a review of each of these programs, policies, and other efforts for Council to consider
and for staff to get general direction from Council on the new programs that are being initiated, such as Special
Agency Sessions, Alternative Sentencing, the Mental Health Therapist Co-Responder position, and Outreach Fort
Collins. Additionally, staff is seeking direction from Council on its approach to collecting metrics for the approved
Appropriate Use of Public Space Ordinance and staff’s proposed revisions to the obstruction ordinance.
Overview of existing enforcement tools, systems of accountability, and improving the system of
accountability for repeat offenders
Below is a summary of police services’ efforts to utilize existing enforcement tools and steps to begin improving
the system of accountability for offenders:
Disruptive activity in the downtown area has increased during the daytime, evening, and nighttime. As such,
calls for police services and proactive patrols by officers have also increased.
The Appropriate Use of Public Facilities Ordinance, adopted on March 21, 2017, has not yet been cited. The
Ordinance regulates sitting, kneeling and lying at public transit facilities and restrooms only, as well as
depositing unattended personal property. Police Services receives few complaints within these parameters,
and therefore staff does not anticipate a significant number of violations cited under this ordinance.
Police Services and the City Attorney’s Office have worked together to identify subsections of existing
ordinances that may be useful in addressing downtown behavioral issues, such as the restriction on sitting or
lying within 20 feet of a business entrance under the Obstruction Ordinance, or sitting on a planter under the
Trespass ordinance.
The City is working with Larimer County’s Alternative Sentencing Department on a modified work-release
program, in which indigent offenders can serve their sentence in the Alternative Sentencing Unit versus jail.
The offenders will be assessed for individual needs, will be assigned a case manager, and will be provided
three categories of services:
o Life Skills
Strategies for self-improvement and change
GED education
Character First
Computer basics
Employment education
Moral reconation curriculum
Responsible living
Stress management
Critical thinking
o Community Resources
Recovery support
Employment lab
Medicaid assistance
Mental health screening
Dental/physical health screening
Veterans rehab services
Transportation assistance
Clothing
Hygiene products
Food assistance)
o Wellness and Self Improvement
Community mentor partners
Nutrition and wellness
Community support groups
Yoga
May 23, 2017 Page 3
Creative writing,
Nutritional cooking
Nurturing parenting
Stress management
Clean and sober visualization
SummitStone, UC Health and Fort Collins Police Services are partnering to provide a full-time (40 hour
per week) Mental Health Therapist Co-Responder. This person will assist officers in dealing with
individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis in order to foster the safety of both parties, reduce the
frequency of interactions with law enforcement, reduce repeated unnecessary trips to the hospital
emergency room, and help those with mental disorder get the most appropriate treatment services.
This summer, District 1 officers will be tracking data on calls for service where no crime was committed, in
an effort to identify areas of concerns for citizens which cannot be addressed through enforcement of
existing laws and ordinances.
Recommended Approach to Disruptive Behavior Metrics
As a part of approving the Appropriate Use of Public Facilities (AUPF) ordinance, Council instructed staff to find
ways to measure effectiveness of both the AUPF ordinance and other efforts aimed at curbing unwanted and
disruptive behaviors downtown. Staff plans to measure the effectiveness through two major approaches which
would comprehensively explain the effectiveness of the City and community’s efforts:
1. Complaints and Perceptions
2. Enforcement of Various Ordinances
Under the first approach, complaints and perceptions, staff plans to use the following indicators:
Tracking of communications in the summer months related to behavior concerns downtown.
o This will include Service Area Requests (SARs) and other communications with City Leaders
A third party survey will be distributed to downtown businesses and visitors. The intent of this survey will be to
gain insights on efforts such as Outreach Fort Collins in addition to perceptions of safety.
Staff believes that these two avenues of feedback will highlight potential areas for improvement and identify
successes in existing efforts.
The second approach is in its development stage as District One officers are currently developing a process to
track the outcomes of non-criminal calls.
Municipal Court Special Agency Sessions
Special Agency Sessions (SAS) were added to the Municipal Court in August 2014 to address public concerns
with quality of life violations (such as camping, littering, open container, etc.) for people experiencing
homelessness and/or with other service needs. The sessions are intended to support dispositions which balance
compassion and resourcefulness with accountability.
At the first session, defendants meet with a team including a prosecutor, Fort Collins Police Officer, City SAS
Resource Specialist, and sometimes a representative from court-approved social service providers or navigators.
The group decides what alternative sentencing options the defendant will complete in lieu of a fine or jail sentence
after pleading guilty or no contest. The disposition is handled in the Court with the Municipal Court Judge and
then the cases are set for court review monthly for up to 6 months. Defendants work with the SAS Resource
Specialist to develop an action plan and make progress on it. Successful completion often means obtaining
employment, needed health care, housing (sometimes outside of Fort Collins), and/or placement in a substance
use treatment facility.
Through 2016, 137 defendants participated in SAS with 45 successfully completing the program - a 33% success
rate. There is a 0% recidivism rate for participants who have successfully completed the program.
May 23, 2017 Page 4
The SAS Resource Specialist position became a City position in December 2015. Numerous improvements have
been made to the program since the position was created including the development of exit questionnaires to be
able to obtain feedback from participants about what they have seen as beneficial and what they saw as
ineffective in supporting them to make positive life changes. These questionnaires are part of the completion
process and completely anonymous. Survey results show that:
77% agree/strongly agree that they were able to complete goals that matter to them.
92% would recommend this program to someone else and feel that their quality of life has improved due to
participating in this program.
Some comments taken directly from the questionnaires about the SAS team and benefits of the program:
To find better ways to be more stable and find a place to live.
They were about me and my household and what we need to do to become stable.
Helped me make connections needed and listened if it was a bad day.
To meet with someone that knows the right resources for you.
Being able to discuss my issues openly.
Being able to trust and talk to a knowledgeable person.
Staff has provided information about Special Agency Session to the community in several ways:
Designed SAS flyers and posters for distribution at Municipal Court offices
Multiple articles have appeared in City News on City programs/resources that address homelessness,
including SAS.
Obtained permission from a client who completed SAS to use his photo with promotional materials related to
SAS.
“Did You Know?” section on SAS in fact sheet on Reducing Homelessness in Our Community.
Multiple City News articles on homelessness in 2016 featured SAS.
Judge Kathleen Lane and SAS Specialist Andrea Little presented to City Works in 2016.
Judge Kathleen Lane and Police Lt. Jerrod Kinsman participated in a panel on homelessness for (Chamber of
Commerce) Leadership Fort Collins Alumni in 2016.
Feature story on Court Administrator Patty Netherton - “Fort Collins Faces” - for City website focuses on SAS
(to be published this spring).
Outreach Fort Collins Information
What OFC Is
Outreach Fort Collins (OFC) is a collaborative partnership, a program of Colorado Non-Profit Development Center
(CNDC), and includes the following funding partners:
City of Fort Collins
University of Colorado Health
SummitStone Health Partners
Downtown Development Authority
Visit Fort Collins
Downtown Business Association
Blue Ocean Foundation
The goals of Outreach Fort Collins (OFC) are to:
Resolve on-street conflicts.
Streamline community referrals.
Maintain downtown as a vibrant and thriving destination to live, dine, work, and visit.
The approach of OFC is to proactively engage with all clients in the downtown area with a focus on engagement
May 23, 2017 Page 5
with high utilizers of emergency services and police interaction.
By establishing relationships with people in the downtown area, OFC builds trust and supports merchants,
visitors, and others by assisting with referrals, contacts, and situations as they occur. OFC has proactively sought
and received feedback from downtown businesses (Attachment 1: OFC Merchant Cover Sheet) People can
contact OFC when they see something that is uncomfortable but not illegal, and OFC will respond (Attachment
2: OFC Call Sheet). However, the vast majority of OFC contacts are done proactively which is an important part
of the overall goal of building relationships.
What OFC is NOT
Among other things, OFC is:
Not solely focused on homelessness
Not an enforcement agency
Not a silver bullet to end homelessness
Contact Data
During the months of June 2016 thru February 2017, OFC has made the following contacts:
Contact Type Total Contacts Unduplicated Contacts
Homeless/At-Risk Contacts 1327 347
Merchant Contacts 451 105
OFC Calls to Police 38 38
OFC Calls to Emergency
Services
117 17
Service Provider Contacts 196 32
Incoming Calls for Service 253 253
Outcomes (Attachment 3: OFC Outcomes)
By utilizing a proactive approach and working closely with Police Services, UC Health, and other partners, OFC
shared a narrative of four individuals within the Fort Collins homeless community whom are examples of
successful relationship-building by OFC staff to influence and impact disruptive and illegal behaviors and connect
high risk frequent utilizers of emergency and police services with housing and treatment options. Through
collaborative efforts (with service providers and SAS), these four individuals are now housed in either permanent
supportive housing or inpatient substance abuse housing, and no longer residing on the streets in Downtown Fort
Collins.
The impact of this success for local medical, law enforcement, courts, and social and human services is
measured by the costs that were previously incurred for these four individuals, or by the reduction in resources
that were previously being devoted to address the repeated engagements with agencies and services. The
timeframe in which these impacts are measured is between May 2016 and December 31, 2016, and overlaps with
the first seven months of OFC operation.
OFC coordinated services 26 times, with a total of 14 different services partners, in order to navigate these
individuals from the streets to permanent supportive housing and intensive substance abuse treatment programs.
OFC staff made a total of 118 street level contacts with these 4 individuals
The Murphy Center reported a 600% increase in visits by these 4 individuals as compared to their visitation in
the previous 6 months, thus connecting them to services
Prior to OFC program launch, 2 out of 4 of these individuals had contact with SummitStone Health Partners.
Since program launch, all 4 of them have accessed SummitStone Health Partners services a total of 63 times.
May 23, 2017 Page 6
Cost to Agencies and Services Prior to Housing
City of Fort Collins Police Services issued 31 citations for illegal behavior to these individuals, resulting in 189
documented hours of officer interaction.
City of Fort Collins Municipal Court reports a total of 68 court hours spent addressing municipal citations, as
well as over 200 instances of court personnel working on of these cases.
Larimer County Corrections reports 71 days spent in county jail by two of these individuals in 2016.
University of Colorado Health reported $93,297 in emergency service response (ambulance and emergency
room intake) costs, and $246,194 in medical service costs associated with these 4 individuals, or a total
health care cost of $339,491.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Outreach Fort Collins Merchant Feedback (PDF)
2. Outreach Fort Collins Call Sheet (PDF)
3. Outreach Fort Collins Outcomes (PDF)
4. Powerpoint Presentaion (PDF)
At the beginning of 2017, the Outreach Fort Collins team distributed Merchant Feedback sheets to businesses
in the downtown core in an attempt to better understand the impact the team had with through 2016. The
Merchant Feedback sheet asked to “Please briefly describe any interactions you have had with Outreach Fort
Collins and how if any impact they have had on your business”. Below are samples of responses recently
received.
Sample Merchant Feedback
“When the people assembled on the benches are negatively disruptive, I call Outreach. I have called on them at least
two dozen times this last year. They arrive nearly immediately and help reduce the negative behavior….Outreach is
enormously helpful and helps everyone feel heard and understood. I don’t know if I could stay on this corner without
them”
- Amy Satterfield, Owner, Wadoo
“When I see altercations or unrest happening I have been able to call outreach instead of the police department. They
arrive promptly and have handled the situation with professionalism and respect”
- Jennifer Dayton, Wadoo
“They always arrive in a timely manner, allowing us to avoid calling the police. They create less of a scene than the
police do so our customers typically keep shopping”
- Zoey Grunder, Ragstock
“Outreach brought in one homeless gentleman to open an account. From what we can see at the bank [he]
successfully went from being homeless and camping out around Old Town to getting off the street”
- Laila Lambourne, First Bank
“I am an enthusiastic supporter of the Outreach Fort Collins idea, the team we have in place and the work they do in
our community. I have contacted the Outreach team several times during this last season about people who appeared
to need help but who were not breaking any law. Outreach FC’s response in every case was timely and helpful to the
person in trouble”
- Charles Carlson, Owner, Mulberry Max
“The [staff] from Outreach came and talked to us about what to do in this situation, and gave us information we could
use to refer homeless individuals to resources for help. It was awesome to have a community resource such as this!”
- Janelle Williams, Walnut Creek
“We have called them on several occasions due to disruptive persons entering our stores. They have responded
promptly and resolved the conflict. They are a welcome buffer between businesses and the police”
– Lee Swanson, Owner, Ben and Jerry’s
ATTACHMENT 1
ATTACHMENT 2
ATTACHMENT 2
What Has Happened…
Outreach Fort Collins (OFC) has provided monthly statements of general metrics on the number
of interactions with high-risk frequent utilizers since its inception in May 2016. Recently, OFC shared a
narrative of four individual within the Fort Collins Homeless Community whom are examples of
successful relationship-building by OFC staff to influence disruptive and illegal behaviors and connect
high risk frequent utilizers with services and housing. Through collaborative efforts with OFC partners
these four individuals are now housed in permanent supportive housing or inpatient substance abuse
housing, and no longer residing on the streets in Downtown Fort Collins.
Impacts...
The impact of this success for local medical, law enforcement, courts, and social and human services is
measured by the costs that were previously incurred for these four individuals, or by the reduction in
resources that were previously being devoted to address the repeated engagements with agencies and
services.
When It Happened…
The timeframe in which these impacts are measured is between May 2016 and December 31, 2016, and
overlaps with the first seven months of OFC’s operation.
Outcomes
How It Happened…
Outreach Fort Collins coordinated services 26 times, with a total of 14 different service partners, in
order to navigate these individuals from the streets to permanent supportive housing and intensive
substance abuse treatment programs.
✦ OFC staff made a total of 118 street level contacts with these 4 individuals, and 71% of these
contacts were made at Jefferson Park, Oak St./College Ave., Old Town Square, and the Olive
St./Remington Street bus stop shelter.
✦ The Murphy Center reported a 600% increase in visits by these 4 individuals as compared to their
visitation in the previous 6-month period, thus connecting the myriad of services available in the
facility with these individuals.
✦ Prior to OFC program launch, 2 out of 4 of these individuals had contact with Summitstone Health
Partners. Since program launch, all 4 of these individuals have accessed SHP services a total of 63
times.
The Cost to Agencies and Services Prior to Housing These Individuals…
✦ City of Fort Collins Police Services issued 31 citations for illegal behavior to these individuals,
resulting in 189 documented hours of officer interaction.
✦ City of Fort Collins Municipal Court reports a total of 68 court hours spent addressing municipal
citations, as well as over 200 instances of court personnel working on of these cases.
✦ Larimer County Corrections reports 71 days spent in county jail by two of these individuals in 2016.
✦ University of Colorado Health reported $93,297 in emergency service response (ambulance and
emergency room intake) costs, and $246,194 in medical service costs associated with these 4
individuals, or a total health care cost of $339,491.
ATTACHMENT 3
Enforcement & Outreach Update
Jeff Mihelich, Beth Sowder, and Jeremy Yonce
May 23, 2017
ATTACHMENT 4
On October 11th, City Council
discussed the following:
• Dedicated jail space
• Municipal court special
agency sessions
• Outreach Fort Collins
• Potential new ordinances
2
Background
ATTACHMENT 4
Summary
Topics to be discussed tonight:
• Existing ordinances and
proposed changes
• Alternative Sentencing and
intervention strategies
• Outreach Fort Collins
• Summer data collection
3
ATTACHMENT 4
Questions for City Council
1. Is Council supportive of the
proposed revisions to the
obstruction ordinance?
2. Is Council supportive of a pilot
alternative sentencing program
moving forward?
4
ATTACHMENT 4
Enforcement Overview
• Appropriate Use of
Public Facilities
ordinance
• Existing ordinances
• Summer data
collection
5
ATTACHMENT 4
Illegal vs. Non-Illegal Behaviors
Illegal
• Obstructing a passageway
• Depositing bodily fluids
• Littering
• Possession of open
containers/public consumption
Not Illegal
• Public intoxication
• Panhandling
• Swearing and yelling
• Sitting or lying on sidewalks
(if not obstructing them)
• Sleeping in public
6
ATTACHMENT 4
New Ordinance
17-46 Appropriate Use of Public Facilities:
Enacted March 21, 2017.
Prohibits:
• Sitting or lying on things not designed for sitting at a transit
facility or within 20 feet from a transit facility.
• Sitting, kneeling, or lying within 10 feet of a public restroom.
• Leaving personal property unattended on a public bench
or sidewalk.
No citations issued since the passage of the ordinance
7
ATTACHMENT 4
Existing Ordinances
• Trespassing ordinance
• Obstructing a Highway
or Passageway
ordinance
• Police services is
training officers on
available tools
8
ATTACHMENT 4
Summer Data Collection
District One officers will be
collecting representative data
on the nature of calls in which
no crime has occurred and no
enforcement action is taken.
9
ATTACHMENT 4
Consequences
• Reserved jail spaces
Compassion
• Alternative sentencing
• Mental health support
• Special agency sessions
• Jail based behavioral health
services
10
New Sentencing
and Intervention Options
ATTACHMENT 4
Alternative Sentencing
Life Skills
• GED education
• Character First
• Computer basics
• Employment education
• Responsible living
• Critical thinking
Community Resources
• Recovery support
• Employment lab
• Medicaid assistance
• Mental/physical health screenings
• Veteran services
11
Modified work-release program through
Larimer County Alternative Sentencing Department
Proposed one-year pilot ($60,000 IGA with Larimer County)
ATTACHMENT 4
Mental Health
Mental Health Therapist Co-Responder Partnership with
SummitStone, UC Health, and Fort Collins Police
• Assists officers with individuals experiencing behavioral health crisis
• Fosters safety
• Reduces frequency of interactions with law enforcement
• Reduces repeated unnecessary ER visits
• Serves as a connection to treatment services
Expected to be hired in the late summer/early fall
12
ATTACHMENT 4
Special Agency Sessions
13
• 33% Successful Completion Rate
• 0% Recidivism Rate
• Exit Questionnaires
o 77% completed personal goals
o 92% would recommend the
program to others
“Able to find better ways to be
stable and find a place to live”
“Met with someone who knows
the right resources for me”
13
ATTACHMENT 4
14
Outreach Fort Collins
ATTACHMENT 4
• Address street conflicts
• Streamline referrals
• Maintain downtown as vibrant, thriving, and
welcoming to all
• OFC is NOT:
– Solely about homelessness
– Enforcement
– A silver bullet
15
Outreach Fort Collins – GOALS
ATTACHMENT 4
• Downtown Fort Collins focus
• Proactive engagement with all clients
• Focused effort & engagement with high
utilizers of emergency services and police
interaction
16
Outreach Fort Collins – APPROACH
ATTACHMENT 4
Outreach Fort Collins
Case Study Outcomes Jun – Dec 2016
17
189 Documented
hours by
Police Services
600% Increase visits to
Murphy Center
in Health Care related cost
$339,491 through UC Health
$246,194 in medical services
$93,297 in emergency response services
4 High
impact
individuals
Municipal Court
Hours addressing
68 citations
4 Individuals now housed in
permanent supportive housing or
inpatient residential treatment
facilities
Street level
contacts by
118 OFC
ATTACHMENT 4
If Council supports, staff will bring back an ordinance
Potential modifications would prohibit:
• Obstructing access to public fixtures including benches, pedestrian
signal buttons, trash cans, and water fountains
Exemptions would be provided including:
• Sitting on a chair or bench
• Playing children and strollers
• Vending carts
18
Modifications to the
Obstruction Ordinance
ATTACHMENT 4
Questions for City Council
1. Is Council supportive of bringing
the IGA with Larimer County to
facilitate alternative sentencing
options forward?
2. Is Council supportive of a pilot
alternative sentencing program
moving forward?
19
ATTACHMENT 4
20
BACKUPS
ATTACHMENT 4
Downtown Summer Police Calls
21
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
DISTURBANCE
MUNICIPAL VIOL
SUBJECT STOP
WELFARE CHECK
TRANSIENT CONTACT
ASSIST OTHER AGENCY
SUSPICIOUS
CIRCUMSTANCE
TRESPASS
THEFT
HARASSMENT
ALCOHOL CONTACT
OLD TOWN ACTIVITY
SUMMER
MAY 14 - OCT 14
MAY 15 - OCT 15
MAY 16 - OCT 16
ATTACHMENT 4
Downtown Winter Police Calls
22
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
DISTURBANCE
MUNICIPAL VIOL
SUBJECT STOP
WELFARE CHECK
TRANSIENT CONTACT
ASSIST OTHER AGENCY
SUSPICIOUS
CIRCUMSTANCE
TRESPASS
THEFT
HARASSMENT
ALCOHOL CONTACT
OLD TOWN ACTIVITY
WINTER
NOV 14 - APR 15
NOV 15 - APR 16
NOV 16 - APR 17
ATTACHMENT 4
Downtown Summer/Winter Combined
23
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
DISTURBANCE
MUNICIPAL VIOL…
WELFARE CHECK
TRANSIENT CONTACT
ASSIST OTHER AGENCY
SUSPICIOUS…
TRESPASS
THEFT
HARASSMENT
ALCOHOL CONTACT
OLD TOWN ACTIVITY
SUMMER
MAY 14 - OCT 14
MAY 15 - OCT 15
MAY 16 - OCT 16
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
DISTURBANCE
MUNICIPAL VIOL…
WELFARE CHECK
TRANSIENT CONTACT
ASSIST OTHER AGENCY
SUSPICIOUS…
TRESPASS
THEFT
HARASSMENT
ALCOHOL CONTACT
OLD TOWN ACTIVITY
WINTER
NOV 14 - APR 15
NOV 15 - APR 16
NOV 16 - APR 17
ATTACHMENT 4
Officer Initiated
vs Citizen Calls for Service
24
ATTACHMENT 4