City Council Meeting: March 25,
2008
Agenda Item: 1-K
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Timothy J. Jackman, Chief of
Police
Subject: Designation of Uses and Appropriation
of $194,761 of State Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) Funding.
Recommended
Action
Staff recommends that the
City Council appropriate and approve uses for $175,223 of 2007 State COPS
funding and $19,538 of related interest earnings. The report also requests authorization to
utilize the State COPS funding for the purchase of digital recorders, digital negotiation
equipment, License Plate Reader and specialized electronic equipment.
Executive
Summary
COPS grant funding is
provided for front-line law enforcement expenses that are not funded as part of
the normal budget process. The funding
will be utilized to purchase the following items for the Police
Department:
1.
Digital recorders for detectives to utilize during interviews that
will record clears and precise information, rather than the older regular tape
recorders which have outlived their use.
2.
A new recording system for the Crisis Negotiation Team, which will
replace the outdated rescue phone. The
equipment digitally records all calls and automatically keeps an ongoing log of
events and also secures all audio and text files for evidentiary purposes.
3.
License Plate Reader. The
system captures images of all license plates that come into view of the cameras
and query criminal databases to compare the scanned license plates with those
entered in the databases as wanted or stolen.
4.
Specialized electronic equipment to be used during special
operations, the equipment would include but not limited to lighting for
undercover vehicles, electronic surveillance equipment and cameras.
The approximate cost
will be $194,761.
Discussion
State Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) funds are provided
to local jurisdictions to help finance front-line law enforcement expenses that
are not funded as part of a jurisdiction’s regular budgeting process. The City has received annual State COPS funds
allocations since 1996. Uses for the
State COPS funds that a jurisdiction received must be formally approved and
designated by the jurisdiction’s governing body at a public meeting.
Financial Impacts &
Budget Actions
The 2007 COPS allocation of $175,223 has been received and
recorded at account 22304.405810 “COPS-Per Capita’. An appropriation is required for $194,761,
including the annual allocation of $175,223 and interest earnings of $19,538,
at account C22053078.589000.
Prepared by: Neela Patel, Senior Administrative Analyst – Police Budget
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Approved: |
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Forwarded to Council: |
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Timothy
J. Jackman Chief
of Police |
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P. City Manager |