BACKGROUND: The Division of Police has been awarded a FY2022 Violent Crime Reduction grant in the amount of $413,908.00. This is a subgrant (number 2022-VCR-A02-361) in accordance with the Violent Crime Reduction provisions of 373.20, Justice Program Services, of Am. Suv. H.B. No. 110 of the 134th Ohio General Assembly, enacted June 29, 2021, the Ohio office of Criminal Justice Service (OCJS), as the duly authorized State Agency, hereby approves the project submitted as complying with requirements of the Agency for the fiscal year indicated in the subgrant number above.
The official City contact authorized to act in connection with this grant is Smith Weir, Deputy Chief, Columbus Division of Police. The grant program provides funds to purchase a Digital Forensics Unit (DFU) Response vehicle and thirty-eight (38) laptops to be used in the investigation of serious crime scenes. The project will focus on the entire city of Columbus, Ohio, but more specifically on three target areas in the city experiencing the most violent crime at this time: Linden, Hilltop, and the Southside. This project proposal will utilize policing theories driven by technology, data/video collection analysis, and intelligence gathering. We will continue to use proactive policing strategies of hot spot policing and offender -focused policing.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is necessary to make the funds available as soon as possible for the grant award, effective as of January 1, 2022.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the acceptance and appropriation of a grant in the amount of $413,908.00 from the State government to fund equipment and supplies for the City's Division of Police. This is a new grant award for 2022. All funds appropriated are reimbursable from the grant award.
Title:
To authorize and direct the Mayor of the City of Columbus, on behalf of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, to accept a subgrantee award through the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services; to authorize Deputy Chief Weir, as the official city representative to act in connection with the subgrant; to authorize an appropriation of $413,908.00 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Division of Police to cover the costs of the vehicle and laptops; and to declare an emergency. ($413,908.00)
Body:
WHEREAS, the Division of Police was awarded funding through the FY2022 State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services Violent Crime Reduction Act to fund equipment, and,
WHEREAS, increased crime and advancing technology have created a need for up-to-date additional resources, and,
WHEREAS, Deputy Chief Smith Weir, has been identified as the official representative to act in connection with this FY2022 Violent Crime Reduction Act Subgrant and to provide information as required; and,
WHEREAS, the grant award period begins on January 1, 2022 and ends December 31, 2022; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to accept and appropriate the FY2022 OCJS Violent Crime Reduction Act Grant award in order to make funds available for the grant award period, thereby preserving the public peace, health, 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, on behalf of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, be and is hereby authorized and directed to accept a FY2022 OCJS Violent Crime Reduction Act subgrant to fund equipment costs for the Columbus Division of Police.
SECTION 2. That Deputy Chief Weir is designated as the official program contact and authorized to act in connection with the FY2022 OCJS Violent Crime Reduction Act subgrant, and to provide any additional information 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 purpose during the subgrant award period, the sum of $413,908.00 is appropriated in Fund 2220 General Government Grants in Object Class 02 Supplies and 06 Capital Outlay, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 3 shall be paid upon order of the Director of Public Safety, and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 6. That at the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 7. 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.