Explanation
Need: The City of Columbus Division of Police has been invited to apply for a FY2008 grant funded and administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The proposed project will enable public safety officers to share voice and video information within minutes of recording the data. The current system is very labor intensive, requiring the manual transporting of hard drives and downloading of data. Current storage capacity limits are reaching the need for additional cost expenditures and investment of resources. The proposed project, Integrated Mobile Computing/Digital Video Solution, would use newer technology to record, move, store and access the data safely and securely via a wireless system located in the police substations and Central Police Headquarters. The new system will enhance access to data for investigations, prosecutions, public records requests, information sharing and crime prevention. Ramona Patts, Assistant Division Administrator for the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services is the Project Director. As the official program contact, she is authorized to act in connection with this grant on behalf of the city.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is needed for this required legislation to be in process in the timeliest manner possible for the application which has a June 27, 2008 deadline.
FISCAL IMPACT
There would be no impact for the City General Fund Account. There is no required city match. The grant project expenditures ($1,215,013.00) would be reimbursed by the awarded grant funds.
Title
To authorize the Mayor of the City of Columbus to apply for and, if awarded, accept a FY2008 COPS grant for the proposed project Integrated Mobile Computing/Digital Video Solution, from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, to authorize Ramona Patts, Assistant Division Administrator for the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services as the official city representative to act in connection with this grant; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Division of Police has been invited to apply for a FY2008 grant funded and administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS); and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Division of Police is in need of an upgraded system for mobile computing and digital video data; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus budget does not have the resources to fund a project that would enhance the current data systems; and
WHEREAS, Ramona Patts, Assistant Division Administrator for the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services has been designated as the official city representative to act in connection with the grant application by virtue of being the Project Director for the proposed project, Integrated Mobile Computing/Digital Video Solution; and
WHEREAS, the grant application deadline is June 27, 2008 and requires this city legislation be completed and available on file in the grant applicant's office; 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, if awarded, accept a FY2008 COPS grant for the proposed project, Integrated Mobile Computing/Digital Video Solution and authorize Ramona Patts, Assistant Division Administrator for the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services as the official city representative to act in connection with the grant 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, if awarded, accept a FY2008 COPS grant for the proposed project Integrated Mobile Computing/Digital Video Solution from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
SECTION 2. That Assistant Division Administrator for the Department of Public Safety Division of Support Services Ramona Patts is designated as the official city program contact and authorized to act in connection with the FY2008 COPS grant application and if awarded, acceptance and to provide any additional information required for the proposed project Integrated Mobile Computing/Digital Video Solution.
SECTION 3. 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.