Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Division of Police Digital Forensic Unit is in need of maintaining the current Cellebrite equipment and software licenses and purchasing additional Cellebrite Adapters and licenses to help extract digital evidence from cellular phones to solve crimes. Many crimes have some link to digital evidence. Due to this fact most divisional units are using the services of the Digital Forensics Unit to obtain evidence from cellular devices. The vendor TriTech Forensic is a third party provider of the Cellebrite Inc. equipment and licensed software sold exclusively to law enforcement. The equipment is an on-site solution that caters to both iOS-Apple and Android phones. It is currently the only software solution on the market that can access and decrypt a majority of locked devices. With this hardware and software the Digital Forensics Unit obtains the ability to unlock and decrypt more phones and extract more evidence to solve crimes. This evidence includes accessing: 3rd party Apps, stored passwords and tokens, chat conversations, location data, email attachments, system logs, deleted content, and much more. Cellebrite also offers free unlocking services at their facility. The Division of Police needs to transfer appropriated money within the Law Enforcement Seizure Fund. The funds will be transferred form 03 Contractual Services to 02 Supplies and Materials in the amount of $21,149.20
BID INFORMATION: The Division of Police requests to waive competitive bid provisions of the Columbus city code to purchase this equipment due to its compatibility with other equipment owned by the Division of Police. Cellebrite is currently the only software solution on the market that can access and decrypt a majority of locked devices.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency legislation is requested due to the expiration dates on current subscription which will halt critical investigations including homicides.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: CC-002463 Expires 9/13/2024
FISCAL IMPACT: The funding for the hardware and services/subsriptions has already been appropriated and authorized by Ordinance 1650-2022 passed on 7-14-2022. This expenditure is funded by Law Enforcement Seizure Fund 2219. This ordinance authorizes a transfer of $21,149.20 within fund 2219.
Title
To authorize the Director of Finance and Management, on behalf of the Public Safety Department, to enter into a contract with TriTech Forensics to obtain evidence from cellular devices; to waive competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes; and to authorize the expenditure of $124,792.35 from the Law Enforcement Seizure Fund, to authorize a transfer of $21,149.20 within the Law Enforcement Seizure Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($124,792.35)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Division of Police needs to purchase additional Cellebrite adapters and services/subscriptions to extract digital evidence from cellular phones to solve crimes for the citizens of Columbus and the cost of the hardware and software is $124,792.35; and
WHEREAS, the funding for the hardware and software have been appropriated and authorized by Ordinance 1650-2022 passed on 7/14/2022; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City to waive competitive bidding for this purchase due to its compatibility with other equipment owned by the Division of Police, furthermore, Cellebrite is currently the only software solution on the market that can access and decrypt a majority of locked devices; and
WHEREAS, the Division needs to transfer $21,149.20 within 2219 fund from 03 to 02.
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation in the Division of Police, Department of Public Safety, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with TriTech Forensics to purchase adapters and services/subscriptionsp as soon as possible to continue critical investigations including homicides, for the preservation of the public health, peace property now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Finance and Management, on behalf of the Public Safety Department, be and is hereby authorized and directed to enter into a contract with TriTech Forensics for hardware and software to extract digital evidence from cellular phones to solve crimes for the citizens of Columbus.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $124,792.35 or so much thereof as may be needed, be and the same is hereby authorized in the Law Enforcement Seizure Fund in object classes 02 and 03 per the accounting codes in the attachment of this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the sum of $21,149.20 is hereby authorized to be transferred within the appropriated funds within 2219 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That this Council finds it in the best interest of the City to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes to permit the aforementioned purchase contract.
SECTION 5. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, the City Auditor shall establish such account codes as necessary.
SECTION 6. That for reasons state 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 is the mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.