TITLE
Title
INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF GREENSBORO FOR CONTINUED FUNDING OF ONE (1) NAVIGATOR POSITION FOR THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Sonya Desai
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BACKGROUND
Background
The Greensboro Police Department entered into a two-year Interlocal Agreement with the Guilford County Family Justice Center to contract a pilot Navigator position at the GCFJC from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024. The contract was then renewed for an additional two years until September 30, 2026. The department again wishes to amend the Interlocal agreement with the GCFJC for the Navigator position for an additional one year, ending September 30, 2027. The Greensboro City Council approved this agreement at their August 3, 2026 meeting in accordance with current city fiscal procedures.
The Greensboro Police Department (GPD) partners with the Guilford County Family Justice Center (GCFJC) to investigate violent crimes and support victims. The department wanted to expand its resources to assist juvenile and elderly citizens with whom it interacts but whose circumstances may not rise to the level of a formal complaint. Since 2022, GPD has contracted with the GCFJC to support a Navigator position to meet these shared goals. GPD wishes to amend the Interlocal Agreement to support the Navigator position for one additional year.
By continuing to fund a dedicated Navigator for GPD within the GCFJC, GPD officers more effectively and efficiently guide citizens to the GCFJC. The Navigator bridges service gaps, particularly for underserved populations.
The GCFJC has a strong history of providing navigation services for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, stalking, and sexual assault. Annually, the GCFJC in Greensboro provides navigation to nearly 7,000 individuals impacted by violence and abuse. Of that, approximately 1,600 are children and 1,000 are older adults. In addition, the GCFJC works closely with GPD and DSS- Aging and Adult Services to improve training and increase capacity for investigating and responding to reports of elder abuse.
Since the start of the pilot project, GCFJC has accepted 1,227 referrals from GPD patrol officers and the Navigator provided follow-up to the referring officers 798 times. The top five reasons for referrals included concerns about child abuse, child exposure to violence, domestic violence, runaway juveniles, and elder abuse. A GCFJC Navigator responded to each referral to support individuals and families. In addition, the Navigator provided follow-up to referring officers 582 times. The pilot project demonstrated great success. As a result, GPD requests to continue this partnership for another one year.
Continued funding for a dedicated Navigator for GPD within the GCFJC supports GPD officers in guiding citizens to the GCFJC more effectively and efficiently. The dedicated Navigator bridges service gaps, connecting the dots between GPD patrol and the broader GCFJC partnership. In addition, the position helps connect victims of elder abuse, child abuse, and underserved populations to the GCFJC for assistance. The program will be funded through GPD’s NC Drug Excise Tax proceeds. The 12-month County cost of the program is estimated to be $34,186 with $72,000 budgeted from City of Greensboro funds through the end of FY 2027 (12 months). The County portion of the award was included with adoption of the FY 2027 budget and no additional County funds are needed for this item.
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BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY FUNDS REQUIRED
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Approve interlocal agreement, in substantial form, with the City of Greensboro and extend the Navigator position at the Family Justice Center associated with the interlocal agreement through September 30, 2027, or as long as funding is available.
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