Explanation
Need: The City of Columbus Division of Police has been selected to participate in the FY2006 Technology Initiative grant program funded and administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The $148,084.00 award will provide funding for the Digital Police Cruiser "in-car cameras" project. This project will equip Columbus Division of Police Freeway Patrol cruisers with digital cameras and provide the equipment needed for the storage and retrieval of the recorded images. Currently the Freeway Patrol Unit has 29 cruisers and only 9 have in car video cameras. The Digital Police Cruiser Project will fund 26 digital cruiser cameras and this emerging technology will provide for increased officer safety and video evidence for use in court and citizen complaint resolution. The camera systems will enhance the prosecution phase of other law enforcement programs and activities such as DUI enforcement, Drug Interdiction and Human Smuggling. Project Director Sgt. Jeffrey Sowards is the official program contact authorized to act in connection with this grant on behalf of the city.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is needed to respond in a timely manner to the application and acceptance process required by the award. And the appropriation will permit the necessary purchasing activities to proceed without undue delay.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact for the City General Fund Account. No matching funds are required and all grant expenditures will be reimbursed by the awarded grant funds.
Title
To authorize the Mayor of the City of Columbus to apply for and accept a FY2006 Technology Initiative Grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, to authorize Project Director Sgt. Jeffrey Sowards as the official representative to act in connection with this application and award, to authorize an appropriation of $148,084.00 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Division of Police for the Digital Police Cruiser project and to declare an emergency. ($148,084.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services has provided a FY2006 Technology Initiative grant to the City of Columbus Division of Police for the Digital Police Cruiser project; and
WHEREAS, Project Director Sgt. Jeffrey Sowards has been identified as the official representative to act in connection with the grant application and acceptance and to provide information as required; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Division of Police is in need of funding assistance to acquire digital cruiser cameras and equipment to expand and enhance its Freeway Patrol Unit in-car camera capabilities; and
WHEREAS, emergency legislation is needed to meet federal deadlines and expedite the city purchasing process; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the Division of Police, Department of Public Safety, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize and direct the Mayor of the City of Columbus to apply for and accept a FY2006 Technology Initiative grant and to authorize an appropriation for the Digital Police Cruiser Project for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; now therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Mayor of the City of Columbus be and is hereby authorized and directed to apply for and accept a FY2006 Technology Initiative Grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
Section 2. That Project Director Sgt. Jeffrey Sowards is designated as the official program contact and authorized to act in connection with the FY2006 Technology Initiative grant application and acceptance, and to provide any additional information as required.
Section 3. That from the unappropriated monies in the General Government Grant Fund and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purposes during the grant award period the sum of $148,084.00 is appropriated as follows:
DIV FD OBJ#1 OBJ#3 OCACD GRANT AMOUNT
30-03 220 02 2193 336035 336035 9,809.00
30-03 220 02 2224 336035 336035 500.00
30-03 220 06 6647 336035 336035 137,775.00
Section 4. That for reasons stated in the preamble, hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.