Public Safety Reimbursement Program

BACKGROUND

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes seeks to provide residents with opportunities to further enhance community safety by strengthening neighborhood vigilance and security. Continuing efforts to improve public safety by implementing the City Council’s Goals, the City is introducing the Public Safety Reimbursement Program (Program) to allow neighborhoods and individuals to purchase public safety equipment such as security cameras.

Security cameras are effective tools in crime-solving efforts. Neighborhoods and individuals may also propose additional public safety technology that has sufficient potential for public benefit, subject to approval by the Program Coordinator.

PROGRAM DETAILS

The City will provide a one-time reimbursement for half of the cost of a new public safety purchase, up to $2,000 for neighborhoods, and up to $100 for individuals. The City will additionally waive permit fees directly related to the installation of the approved purchase. The neighborhood, individual, or vendor will be responsible for completing any necessary permits prior to installation.

Project Examples:
Projects must be purchased after the award of grant funds, as approved by the City such that the project will provide a general public safety benefit. Eligible projects include:

  • Doorbell/exterior home security cameras
  • Neighborhood entrance security cameras
  • Add-on purchase for existing cameras, such as license plate-reading software
  • Additional proposals, as approved by the Program Coordinator that demonstrate sufficient safety enhancement measures.

Eligible Applicants:

Neighborhoods representing five or more households are eligible to apply. If the neighborhood has a homeowners association (HOA), portions of the HOA may not apply separately from the HOA. Projects must be located within the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.

Individuals whose neighborhood is not interested in participating are eligible to apply for exterior residence security cameras, such as doorbell cameras, and must be a resident of the City.

Neighborhoods that have participated in previous City security camera grant programs may not re-apply for another neighborhood camera. Individuals that purchased a doorbell camera through the City’s doorbell camera subsidy program held between 2017 and 2020 may not apply for another individual camera. Contact the Program Coordinator at PublicSafety@rpvca.gov to request verification of eligibility.

Application Process:

Due to the limited amount of funding available, neighborhood applications will be scored based on the rubric in the application packet, with highest-scoring applicants meeting the minimum threshold of 15 points awarded first.  Individuals will be selected based on random draw.  Neighborhood and individual applications are awarded separately, as there are individual budget amounts allocated for each project type.

Neighborhoods must submit an attestation of community consensus, an example of which is included in the application materials. All neighborhoods, whether they are formally represented or not, must submit the attestation, with the signatures of at least 40% of the homeowners in the neighborhood.

Disbursement of Funds:

The Program Coordinator will provide written approval of the proposed project with notification of award status, after which awarded neighborhoods or individuals may purchase their approved equipment. Reimbursements in the notified amount will be made once the City is in receipt of documentation illustrating proof of purchase and proof of installation, to the satisfaction of the Program Coordinator.

DISTINCTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES

The neighborhood or individual is the primary signatory of the security camera(s), or other purchase as approved, and holds sole responsibility of the purchase and any related maintenance. Any recordings or data provided through the camera service belongs to the neighborhood or individual. The City will provide one-time reimbursement to the neighborhood of 50% of the purchase, up to $2,000 and one-time reimbursement to an individual of 50% of the purchase, up to $100. Funding for additional years is not guaranteed as the City Council will evaluate the program on an annual basis.

The neighborhood/individual and their selected vendor are responsible for preparing and submitting all necessary permits related to installation of the purchase, including as appropriate, but not limited to: Encroachment Permit for any installations in the public right-of-way, Coastal Permit for any installations in the Coastal Zone (area seaward from Palos Verdes Drive South), and Minor Site Plan Review for installations on private property. Participation in the program shall waive permit fees associated with necessary permits, but in no way exempts a project from the permitting process.

As part of the program, the neighborhood or individual will provide their acknowledgement that security camera footage can be a valuable crime-solving tool and agrees to provide footage to the Lomita Sheriff’s Station in connection to a reported or suspected crime.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Participants are encouraged to conduct their own due diligence in selecting a camera type and vendor. As a starting point, the following has been prepared to provide examples of different kinds of camera vendors: Examples of Camera Vendors (PDF)

QUESTIONS?

For additional information, please email PublicSafety@rpvca.gov.

DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION

Individual Application (PDF)
Neighborhood Application (PDF)

APPLICATIONS DUE BY 5PM, APRIL 10, 2023

Email completed applications to PublicSafety@rpvca.gov