SR-701-006 (2)
PD:JTB:KW \\police\share\staffrpt\COPS2000_TechGrant
Council Meeting: May 2, 2000 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Accept U.S. Department
of Justice (USDOJ) COPS 2000 Technology Grant Funds and Designate
Proposed Uses by the Police Department.
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that Council authorize the City Manager to accept United States
Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services 2000 Technology Grant
funds and designate use of the grant funds which are available to the Santa Monica Police
Department for the purchase of mobile field reporting and computer equipment.
BACKGROUND
The Police Department has been awarded $550,000 under the Federal 2000 COPS
Technology Grant Program. This grant is sponsored by the Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) of the USDOJ. No City matching funds are required.
Acceptance of the grant requires the City Manager?s signature within 90 days of the notice
of the grant award on March 7, 2000.
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It is proposed that the COPS 2000 Technology Grant allocation be used to purchase
additional components of the mobile field reporting system (MFRS) currently being
implemented by the Police Department.
Due to the number of employees who will be using the current and future components of
the MFRS, a purchase of eight (8) laptop computers to be used for police technology
training and EOC operations is also proposed. With over 250 employees to be trained in a
short time, it is anticipated the City?s training center would have difficulty scheduling
classroom availability. The purchase of these laptops will allow the Police Department to
provide training in the police briefing room which has recently been outfitted with a
multimedia projection system ideal for computer-based training.
The laptops will be stored locally in the police briefing room and available for EOC
operations. The laptops will contain the necessary word processing and communications
software to allow for the rapid sharing of information while the EOC is activated. The
briefing room is already outfitted with the necessary power and network connections at
each EOC station.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
With respect to the COPS 2000 Technology Grant funds, the following budget changes will
be necessary:
1. Establish a revenue budget of $550,000 in new revenue account 20304.407040 to
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reflect receipt of the COPS 2000 Technology Grant funds.
2. Establish an expenditure budget of $550,000 in new capital improvement account
C20079900.589000.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to accept the COPS
2000 Technology Grants funds for acquisition of the technology items cited above, and
approve the above budgetary changes.
Prepared by: James T. Butts, Jr., Chief of Police
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