Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Safety to enter into a contract with Morpho USA, Inc., dba Idemia Identity & Security USA, LLC, to continue payments for the upgrade and technical support of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) for the Division of Police.
The City of Columbus entered into an agreement with Morpho Trak, Inc. in 2015 to upgrade the City’s 15 year old AFIS which was at approximately 90 percent capacity on fingerprint inventory. The agreement required the city to make lease payments to the vender over an eleven year period to cover the cost of the upgrade as well as to provide maintenance and technical support of the new system for the duration of the agreement. The new upgraded system, completed in 2016, provides technology that increases the Division’s latent fingerprint accuracy, meaning it provides the Division tools to help identify suspects quickly and more accurately. The Division of Police anticipates a significant increase in unsolved latent fingerprint hits just by using newer technology. The Division will be able to query searches to multiple agencies and databases which includes wanted person, persons of special interest, sexual offenders, and terrorist watch list.
Passage of this ordinance is contingent on approval of the 2019 General Fund Budget by City Council.
Bid Information: The initial contract was awarded pursuant to the sole source provisions of Chapter 329 of Columbus City Code due to the proprietary nature of AFIS technology, and the prohibitive cost of conversion to a different system.
This company is not debarred according to the Federal excluded parties listing or prohibited from being awarded a contract according to the Auditor of State unresolved findings for recovery certified search.
Contract Compliance No.: 33-0154789, expiration date April 17, 2019.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is requested so that the Division of Police may continue...
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