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PO JTB HA-pohce\share\staffrep\9711ebg JAN 1 3 1998
Council Meeting January 13, 1998 Santa Monica, California
TO Mayor and City Council
FROM City Staff
SUBJECT Recommendation to Designate Uses of 1997 Local Law Enforcement
Block Grant Funds
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that the City Council designate the use of funds under a grant
from the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants Program, established within the Federal
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Fiscal year 1997 Omnibus Appropnatlons
Act
,BACKGROUND
Under the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants Program, the City of Santa Monica IS
eligible to receive a dIrect award of $284,033 to "reduce cnme and Improve public safety"
The CIty'S match IS $31,559 Grantee obligations Include holding a public diScussion on
proposed use of the funds This City CounCil meeting serves as the required heanng
The Police Department has Identified two uses Involvmg the application of technology
Innovations First. IS an automated/mobile field reporting system The automated system
WIll enable line officers or detectives to complete a report on a PC uSing custom designed
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software, and electronically forward the report for review Once approved, the report can
be transmitted directly to the department's data base for storage and retneval, eliminating
the need for any other data entry After the system IS Implemented Internally, It Will be
expanded to the field where officers Will be able to complete reports on-line from a patrol
car The system reduces the amount of tIme that officers spend completing reports and
Increases their available field time It also Will Improve data gathenng and analYSIS
Approximately $270,033 of the grant funds would be allocated to purchase this equipment
Second, the Department WIshes to use the grant funds to purchase a navigational aide,
a Geographic Positioning System (GPS), for the Department's fixed-Wing airplane The
equipment IS necessary to enhance the usefulness of the airplane when the weather
changes dunng a flight Santa MOnica's aircraft conducts surveillances With other law
enforcement aIrcraft on a regular basIs This eqUipment Will ease coordination With the
other agencIes, the majority of which have aircraft eqUipped With GPS, when they
relinquish control of a surveillance to Santa MOnica The cost of the equipment Will be
approximately $14,000
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
The follOWing budget changes are necessary to Implement the Local Law Enforcement
Block Grant Program grant
1 Establish revenue estimate of $284,033 at 20-300-304-00000-0610-10000
2 Appropnate $284,033 at miscellaneous equipment expendIture account
01-300-306-30620-8850-00000
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3 Reimburse the General Fund from the miscellaneous grant fund by an
Inter-fund transfer Appropriate ($284,033) at 01-700-695-00000-7806-00000 and
$284,033 at 20-700-695-00000-7806-00000
4 Appropriate the local grant match In the amount of $31,559 from the
General Fund to 01-300-306-30620-8850-00000
RECOMMENDATION
It IS recommended that the City Council designate Local Law Enforcement Block Grant
funds for the technology eqUIpment cIted above, and make the noted budgetary changes
Prepared by James T Butts, Jr . Chief of Police
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