REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Travis Hopkins, City Manager
VIA: Eric Parra, Chief of Police
PREPARED BY: Brian Schrieber, Lieutenant and Ingrid Ono, Sr. Exec. Asst.
Subject:
title
Accept the Fiscal Year 2026/27 California Office of Traffic Safety Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Grant No. PT27078 in the amount of $561,300 and approve the related appropriation
body
Statement of Issue:
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) has awarded the City of Huntington Beach a one-year Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant, No. PT27078, in the amount of $561,300. The grant period runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027.
Grant funds will reimburse the City for one full-time officer dedicated to DUI enforcement, overtime for DUI/Driver’s License checkpoints, DUI saturation patrols, distracted driving and primary crash factor enforcement operations, pedestrian, bicycle, and motorcycle safety operations, community education and engagement activities, related training travel, and checkpoint supplies.
City Council action is requested to accept the grant and to appropriate the grant funds, which are fully offset by reimbursement revenue from OTS.
Financial Impact:
This one-year grant is funded by OTS through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on a reimbursement basis, and no local match is required. The City will incur eligible expenditures and submit quarterly reimbursement claims to OTS.
The total award of $561,300 is to be expended between October 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027, and is allocated as follows: personnel costs of $553,098, consisting of $264,088 for the straight-time salary and benefits of one full-time DUI officer and $289,010 for enforcement and outreach overtime; in-state travel for training and conferences of $5,700; and DUI checkpoint supplies of $2,502.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
A) Accept the Fiscal Year 2026/27 California Office of Traffic Safety Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Grant No. PT27078 in the amount of $561,300 for the grant period of October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027; and
B) Ratify the execution of Grant Agreement No. PT27078 by the Chief of Police as the designated Authorizing Official, and authorize the Chief of Police, or designee, to execute any amendments, reimbursement claims, reports, and related documents necessary to administer the grant with an appropriation of $561,300.
end
Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve recommended action and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
Huntington Beach presents a distinctive traffic safety environment. Traffic and collision data identified in the grant application underscores the need for sustained enforcement. In calendar year 2025, driving under the influence was a factor in two fatal crashes, resulting in two fatalities, and in 107 injury crashes that injured 144 people. Unsafe speed was responsible for 251 crashes, 152 injuries, and three fatalities; improper turning contributed to 321 crashes, 156 injuries, and one fatality; and other improper driving accounted for 265 crashes and 52 injuries. These figures reflect the persistent risk that impaired and high-risk driving behaviors pose to residents and visitors alike.
The STEP grant funds a coordinated program of enforcement, education, and community engagement designed to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in traffic crashes. During the grant year, the Police Department will dedicate one full-time officer to DUI enforcement and will conduct, on an overtime basis, eight DUI/Driver’s License checkpoints, 21 DUI saturation patrols, 22 distracted driving enforcement operations, 15 primary crash factor enforcement operations, six pedestrian and bicycle safety operations, two motorcycle safety operations, and eight collaborative DUI and traffic enforcement operations with neighboring agencies. Enforcement will be deployed at high-crash locations and during high-risk periods, when the deterrent value of a visible police presence is greatest.
The program also emphasizes prevention. The Department will conduct three Know Your Limit campaigns, four traffic safety educational presentations, and ten community collaboration and engagement activities intended to share traffic safety information with residents and to receive their input. Grant-funded travel will support officer attendance at Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, Drug Recognition Expert, and DUI checkpoint management training, as well as OTS traffic safety conferences.
As a condition of the award, the Police Department will submit quarterly reimbursement claims and quarterly performance reports to OTS and will complete a final evaluation at the close of the grant year.
Environmental Status:
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment do not constitute a project.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 8 - Public Safety, Strategy A - Community-wide comprehensive risk reduction program to optimize public safety's emergency response and reduce the number of calls.
Attachment(s):
1. Fiscal Year 2026/27 OTS Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Grant Agreement No. PT27078