Legislative Fiscal Office Interim Joint Committee on Ways and Means – January 2016
Item 15: Department of Justice
Criminal Justice Division Fusion Center
Analyst: John Borden Request: Increase the Department of Justice Criminal Justice Division’s Other Funds expenditure limitation by $243,402 and establish two limited duration positions (1.00 FTE) for the Fusion Center. Recommendation: The Legislative Fiscal Office recommends that the interim Joint Committee on Ways and Means recommend the Department of Justice Other Funds expenditure limitation for the Criminal Justice Division be increased by $254,493, and two limited duration positions (1.08 FTE) be established in a budget reconciliation bill during the 2016 legislative session for the Titan Fusion Center. Analysis: The Department of Justice (DOJ) ‐ Criminal Justice Division is requesting that two limited duration positions (1.00 FTE) be established for the Titan Fusion Center. The agency’s request contains a clerical error. The original request for both grants totals $283,402, or $40,000 more than the $243,402 stated in the request letter. Nationwide, there are approximately 78 state and major urban area Fusion Centers that arose out of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The purpose of state, rather than federal, Fusion Centers is to facilitate state information sharing, analysis, and training for law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism. Oregon’s Fusion Center is part of the Department of Justice ‐ Criminal Justice Division ‐ Criminal Intelligence Unit and includes criminal investigatory and prosecutorial elements as well as limited participation by federal, state, and local entities. Originally funded entirely with Federal Funds, Oregon’s Fusion Center has transitioned to predominately state General Fund beginning in 2014. The 2015‐17 adopted budget for the Fusion Center is $806,958 General Fund and includes three limited duration positions (3.00 FTE); however, the Fusion Center is also supported by a prosecutor and a special agent, both of which are funded with General Fund designated for the investigation and prosecution of organized crime. This brings the Center’s total budget to $1,178,727 General Fund (5 positions/3.90 FTE). DOJ is requesting two additional limited duration positions. These are longer‐term limited duration positions that have been part of the program since 2010. Funding for the positions would come from two separate federal grants received by the Oregon Military Department ‐ Office of Emergency Management (OMD‐OEM). DOJ would receive the funds as Other Funds. The grants are one‐time in nature and require no state matching funds. The State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) grant runs from May 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016 and totals $140,000. This grant will fund one limited duration criminal research analyst position to continue work on Oregon’s state [critical] infrastructure plan.Legislative Fiscal Office Interim Joint Committee on Ways and Means – January 2016 The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant runs from June 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016 and totals $143,402. This grant will fund one limited duration criminal research analyst position to continue providing risk and threat assessments to prevent terrorist events in the Portland Urban Area. The positions were not previously re‐requested for the 2015‐17 biennium due to the uncertainly of whether the agency would continue to receive federal grant funding from the OMD‐OEM, according to DOJ; however, funding for both grants became known prior to June 15, 2015. Adjustments to the agency’s request are needed because part of the funding for each grant was consumed last biennium. The SHSP request is reduced by two months (May and June 2015), or $18,667, for a revised request of $121,334 and 0.54 FTE. The UASI request is reduced by one month (June 2015) or $10,243, for a revised request of $133,159 and 0.54 FTE. Continued funding for these grants beyond July 31, 2016 is uncertain. The Legislative Fiscal Office recommends that the interim Joint Committee on Ways and Means recommend the Department of Justice Other Funds expenditure limitation for the Criminal Justice Division be increased by $254,493, and two limited duration positions (1.08 FTE) be established in a budget reconciliation bill during the 2016 legislative session for the Titan Fusion Center.
Department of Administrative Services 15-i January 15, 2015
15
Department of Justice
Lisper
Request: Increase Other Funds expenditure limitation by $243,402, and establish two limited duration Research Analyst 3 positions, (1.00 FTE).
Recommendation: Approve the request as modified for consideration during the 2016 Legislative Session with the following modification: Increase Other Funds expenditure limitation by $283,402, and establish two limited duration Research Analyst 3 positions, (1.00 FTE).
Discussion: The department’s initial request for limitation was miscalculated. The combination of the two grant awards is $283,402, and that is the limitation the programs will need to utilize the awards and cover the cost for the two positions.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), Criminal Justice Division (CJ) received final grant notification for both the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) after the 2015 Legislative Session. Both grants are managed by the Oregon Military Department, Office of Emergency Management. The UASI and SHSP grants are within the Homeland Security Program. DOJ is a sub-grantee through the Office of Emergency Management. The UASI grant is designed to assist high-threatened and high-density urban areas with prevention, protection, mitigation response and recovery from acts of terrorism. Oregon is in the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization that includes Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah and Washington counties in Oregon, and Clark County in Washington State. UASI assessment determined that there is a need for a dedicated research analyst to focus their attention on the Portland metropolitan area. Currently, there are no other research analysts within CJ’s Titan Fusion Center that perform this work.
The SHSP grant assists state, tribal, and local preparedness gap activities. The requested analyst position will focus on activities that fall under Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKKR). Specifically, they would research and assess high-priority preparedness gaps that may exist as it relates to all crimes. Examples may include but are not limited to potential acts of terrorism, national security threats or threats resulting from a natural disaster.
The UASI grant award is $143,402 and the SHSP grant award is $140,000. Combined both awards would cover the cost for both positions for a 12-month period within the 2015-17 biennium. Legal Reference: Increase the Other Funds expenditure limitation established by chapter 692, section 2(4), Oregon Law 2015, for the Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Division by $283,402 for the 2015-17 biennium.
1162 Court Street NE, Salem, OR 97301-4096
Telephone: (503) 947-4530 Fax: (503) 378-3784 TTY: (800) 735-2900 www.doj.state.or.us
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
December 7, 2015
The Honorable Richard Devlin, Co-Chair The Honorable Peter Buckley, Co-Chair Joint Committee on Ways and Means 900 Court Street NE
H-178 State Capitol Salem, OR 97301-4048 Dear Co-Chairpersons: Nature of the Request
The Oregon Department of Justice receives annual grants from the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP). The final grant amounts for FY2016 were not finalized at the time of budget ratification, so they were not included in the Criminal Justice Division’s budget. The grant amounts have now been finalized: $143,402 from UASI and $140,000 from SHSP.
Agency Action
The UASI program is a Homeland Security Grant Program designed to assist threat, high-density urban areas with their efforts to build and sustain the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism. UASI funds are distributed to eligible UASI regions according to Department of Homeland Security methodology.
Oregon has one UASI region, the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO).1 In 2015 the RDPO awarded $143,402 in UASI funds to the Oregon Department of Justice’s TITAN Fusion Center for a criminal research analyst. The purpose of this analyst is to provide analytical support to the RDPO’s member agencies.
The State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) is also part of the Homeland Security Grant Program. The SHSP assists state, tribal and local preparedness activities that address high-priority preparedness gaps across all core capabilities and mission areas where a nexus to terrorism
exists. The Oregon Military Department’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) administers Oregon’s SHSP funds. In 2015, OEM awarded $140,000 in SHSP funds to the TITAN Fusion Center for a criminal research analyst. The purpose of this analyst is to conduct Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR).
1The RDPO is composed of Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah and Washington counties in Oregon and Clark
County in Washington. ELLEN F. ROSENBLUM Attorney General
FREDERICK M. BOSS Deputy Attorney General
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December 7, 2015 Page 2
Action Requested
The Oregon Department of Justice requests approval to increase the Criminal Justice Division’s Other Funds expenditure limitation by $243,402 to account for the grant funds received from UASI and SHSP for FY2016. The Department also requests limited duration position authority for two Research Analyst 3 positions (1.00 FTE) funded by the grants.
Legislation Affected
Increase the Other Funds expenditure limitation established by chapter 692, section 2(4), Oregon Laws 2015, for the Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Division, by $243,402 for the 2015-17 biennium.
Sincerely,
FREDERICK M. BOSS Deputy Attorney General cc: Darin Tweedt
Art Ayre Robert Schiewe DM 6981924 v.2
