COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
City Manager’s Office
GENERAL INFORMATION
Agenda Date: 03/28/05 Communication
No.: 05-125
Agenda Item Type: Resolution Roll
Call No.:
Submitted by: William McCarthy, Chief of the
Police Department
SUBJECT—
Justice Assistance Grant
SYNOPSIS—
The City of Des Moines and Polk
County intend to split $211,816 from the Justice Assistance Grant. A requirement in receiving these funds is
that the City and County sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that states
that the City is the official applicant and fiscal agent for this grant. The City will receive 85%, or $180,043.60
and the County will receive 15%, or $31,772.40 to be spent on various law
enforcement equipment and technology.
The Polk County Board of Supervisors approved this MOU at their meeting
on March 22, 2005.
FISCAL IMPACT—
The grant is 100% federally
funded. There is no local match and no
cost to the City or Polk County.
RECOMMENDATION—
Approval
BACKGROUND—
The Office of Justice Programs
has deemed that our grant award is contingent on the City and Polk County
having a Memorandum of Understanding in how these funds will be split and
spent. The City of Des Moines has
fulfilled the grant application requirements regarding Program Narrative,
Budget Narrative and the MOU.
The grant period is from October
1, 2004 to September 30, 2008.
See attached program narrative
for equipment and technology that may be funded with this grant.
FY 2005 PROGRAM NARRATIVE
March
28, 2005
Edward Byrne Memorial
Justice Assistance Grant
AGENCIES
CITY OF DES MOINES, IOWA
$180,043.60
POLK COUNTY, IOWA
$31,772.40
The Justice Assistance Grant will
greatly enhance and improvement law enforcement functions to both the Des
Moines Police Department and the Polk Sheriff’s Office with these grant funds.
The funds will allow the Des Moines
Police Department to update the indoor firearm range to replace the ten lane
automatic target system and bullet traps which are over 20 years old and have
deteriorated to the point that only half of the lanes are usable. The firearms range is utilized by all local,
state and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the greater Des Moines
Metro area. The completion of this
upgrade to the firearms range is in coordination with FY2004 LLEBG funds.
The equipment will be used to improve
police service delivery to the citizens of Des Moines and visitors to our
planned re-vitalization of the downtown
riverwalk area. The equipment that we
are requesting will be a great asset to the officers and their ability to
perform their law enforcement functions to their fullest extent.
The officer safety equipment is the
best way to protect officers from having to use deadly force when there is no
another alternative. The purchase of
Tasers will allow officers to remain safe and the person(s) receiving minimal
injury to them, whereas in the past without these Tasers person(s) may have
received serious or often fatal injuries.
The evidence
collection and investigative equipment will allow traffic and criminal
investigators the abilities to record and preserve vital interviews and
interrogations for use in court. The
microscope will enhance the crime scene technicians’ capabilities to retrieve,
analyze and record all trace evidence from blood, hair fibers, carpet fibers,
fingerprints by attaching a digital camera or a video camera to the microscope.
The accident
truck upgrades will allow the traffic officers a working office in the field
with all of their tools of the trade. The
office equipment will enhance employee productivity, when their environment is
improved by new furniture.
The Polk
County Sheriff upgrade to their information system will assist in their
budgetary needs in the purchase of a new Computer Aided Dispatch software
application so they will be on the same platform as the City of Des Moines.
AGENCIES
CITY OF DES MOINES, IOWA
$180,043.60
POLK COUNTY, IOWA
$31,772.40
Purpose Area 1 Des Moines, Iowa
LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS
Firearms Training Improvements
1.
Automated Indoor Pistol Target Range System
Replace 20 year old current target
system that operates at 50% capacity due to maintenance issues and worn out
parts.
Police Service Delivery Improvements
1.
All Terrain Vehicle
The ATV would be utilized in
providing transportation and hauling equipment for officers in patrolling,
recreation trails, parks and downtown Des Moines and the new riverwalk
area.
2. Boat
Trailer
Replacing old and worn out boat
trailer that is used by the Metro STAR (Special Tactics and Response) Team who
patrols rivers and does body recovery missions.
3.
Sound Meters
Add an additional ability of the
officers to validate, measure citizen noise complaints to be able to enforce
city and state noise ordinance violations.
Officer Safety Improvements
1.
Tasers/Holsters
Increase officer
safety to increase the less than lethal options an officer has at their
disposal.
Investigative and Evidence
Collection Improvements
1. In
Car Digital Video Systems
To increase
officer safety, document criminal actions, identify offenders for criminal
prosecution. Allows quicker access,
better quality of the video and much more efficient storage of the digital
videos for later reference.
2. Digital
Recording System
Document all
interviews and interrogations by traffic investigators and criminal
investigators for criminal prosecutions in court.
3. Stereoscopic
Microscope
Gives the crime
scene technician the ability to examine trace evidence ( i.e. fingerprints,
blood, hair, fibers) and do detailed comparisons by attaching a digital camera
or video camera to the microscope and recording or photographing the evidence
for court.
4. Close
Circuit Security System
Record all
police employee interactions with the public at the information desk. All police reports and vehicle impounds
financial transactions are completed at this location. Provides security, accountability and
official record for future reference.
5. Office
Equipment/Computer Workstations
The replacement
of old desks, chairs and computer workstations to enhance the police employees’
work environment.
6. Accident
Reconstruction equipment
Refit the
current truck with equipment and a topper to better facilitate on site accident reconstruction activities.
Purpose Area 2 Polk
County, Iowa
Information Systems
1.
Computer Aided Dispatch Software
Assist
in the budget needs to finance the cost of the software.
