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APPROVE THE SECOND FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE TO THE 2023-24 SAN JOAQUIN CIVIL GRAND JURY SECOND LOOK AT CASE NO. 0318 COLD CASES IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY: ON THE BACK BURNER
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve by motion the City’s second, follow-up response to the 2023-24 San Joaquin Civil Grand Jury’s Second Look at the 2018-19 Report, Case No. 0318, Cold Cases in San Joaquin County: On the Back Burner.
It is also recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to submit all approved responses to the San Joaquin Grand Jury on behalf of the City and Council.
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Summary
Each year it is the duty of the San Joaquin Civil Grand Jury to examine and investigate the activities of local government and agencies within San Joaquin County. The 2023-2024 Civil Grand Jury conducted two new investigations, four second look reviews of prior follow-up reports, and issued four additional follow-up reports. Of these ten items, the City of Stockton is required to respond to four.
Today’s item is presenting for approval the City’s second, follow-up response to the 2023-24 Grand Jury’s Second Look at Case No. 0318 “Cold Cases in San Joaquin County: On the Back Burner” (Attachment A).
DISCUSSION
Background
California Penal Code 933 requires that “a grand jury shall provide to the affected agency a copy of the portion of the grand jury report relating to that person or entity […]” and “no later than 90 days after the grand jury submits a final report on the operations of any public agency subject to its reviewing authority, the governing body of the public agency shall comment to the presiding judge of the superior court on the findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under control of the governing body […].”
Of the work completed by the 2023-24 Grand Jury, the City of Stockton is required to respond to the following four of ten investigations:
• New Investigation: City of Stockton: Crisis in Government, Case No. 0123
• Second Look: Cold Cases in San Joaquin County: On the Back Burner, 2018-19 Report, Case No. 0318
• Second Look: Illegal Dumping: Talking Trash, 2019-20 Report, Case No. 0519
• Follow-Up Report: School Safety in San Joaquin County: Developing a Culture of Safety, 2022 -23 Report, Case No. 0322
On August 20, 2024, by motion 2024-08-20-1210, the City Council approved the City’s initial 90-day response to the full 2023-24 report, preliminarily addressing all four investigations with information available at that time and confirmed timelines for the City to provide additional information, as necessary, and as required by the Grand Jury. The portion of the City’s 90-day response specific to Cold Cases has been included in this item as Attachment B.
The City will provide the Grand Jury with a second, follow-up response to Case No. 0123, Crisis in Government in April 2025.
In September 2024, the City submitted to the Grand Jury its second, follow-up response to Case No. 0519, Illegal Dumping following Council approval of the City’s amendment Stockton Municipal Code Title 8.104, adding the Illegal Dumping Ordinance and Resolution 2024-09-10-1601.
A follow-up response to Case No. 0322, School Safety in San Joaquin County is not required at this time.
The City is now presenting its second, follow-up response to Case No. 0318, Cold Cases in San Joaquin County for Council review and approval.
Present Situation
The 2023-24 report states that “the 2018-2019 San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury investigated the status of cold case investigations and concluded that the County lacked leadership, staff, desire, and funding: what were called cold case units were basically nonexistent units.” The 2018-19 Civil Grand Jury identified 8 areas of concern for cold case investigations.
The 2023-24 Civil Grand Jury determined that a second look at the status of cold cases was warranted. The Law and Justice Committee wanted to determine the status of cold case investigations in San Joaquin County today and assess/determine the impact of the 2018-2019 Civil Grand Jury report. As part of their second look, the 2023-24 Grand Jury reviewed previously issued reports and agency responses, presentations from each agency named, interviews with some of the agencies, and site visits.
At the conclusion of their process, the 2023-24 Grand Jury issued one new finding and two recommendations, the first of which instructed all Agencies to review and implement the recommendations from the 2018-19 report. The City has prepared a draft response to the 2018-19 Recommendations R1, R2, R5, R8, and R10 (Attachment C).
If approved, the City Manager will submit the City’s response to the San Joaquin Civil Grand Jury on behalf of the City and Council.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Approving the City’s second, follow-up response to the 2023-24 Grand Jury’s Second Look at Case No. 0318, Cold Cases in San Joaquin County: On the Back Burner, will not impact the City’s General or Special Funds in any way.
Attachment A - 2023-24 Second Look at Cold Cases Report
Attachment B - Previously Submitted Response to Cold Cases Item
Attachment C - Second Follow-up City Response to Cold Cases in SJ County, Case No. 0318