Parlier approves BSCC grant to fund a dedicated officer and partner services

The Parlier City Council on April 18 approved a BSCC grant the city said will fund several community services and cover part of a police officer's salary for five years.

Acting city manager and Chief Serta brought the grant back to council, calling it “vital” and “essential to this community.” Serta said the grant includes services from Breaking the Chains (human and labor trafficking work) and a health collaborative that addresses youth substance use and unhealthy behaviors. Serta said the BSCC grant amount is $2,900,000; at the meeting he also referenced a separate consultant/insurance request that staff submitted for review (he mentioned $3,000,000 as a related figure sent to a consultant).

Serta described duties for the officer funded under the grant: investigating violent crimes and domestic violence, initiating and participating in school presentations, and meeting benchmarks tied to anti-violence work. He said the officer would be pulled from patrol and assigned full time to the grant position, and the grant will cover a percentage of the officer's salary for five years.

During public comment, Juan Montano asked whether the officer would also handle tobacco-related outreach and who would provide backup for tobacco education and reporting. Chief Serta replied that tobacco work is funded separately by a three-year tobacco grant, that other officers and code enforcement will share tobacco-enforcement duties, and that the health collaborative nonprofit included in the BSCC grant will assist with youth education.

On the record, the motion to approve was moved by Council member Diego Garza and seconded (recorded as 'Cathy'); the council voted in favor and the motion carried.