Title
Resolution Approving the City of Hampton, Virginia's Participation In and Appropriation of the DCJS Byrne/JAG Program Law Enforcement Grant
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
The Department of Criminal Justice Services has awarded the City of Hampton Police Division grant funding in the amount of $50,000.00 in federal funds, with no local match requirement, in support of the Police Division's "Counter Measures and Crime Analysis" project. Crime and disorder can only be addressed by law enforcement through the collection, analysis, and distribution of actionable information and information-led policing tactics that are subsequently followed through by the investigatory process and ultimately, successful prosecution. As the age of technology progresses, more and more judges/magistrates and juries have the expectation of tangible evidence in the form of audio, video, and still photography during the presentation of case material. Simultaneously, criminal elements are advancing their own tactics and skills relating to the detection of police surveillance, undercover operations, and covert technology which captures this evidence. These factors pose challenges to law enforcement when addressing violent crime, drug abuse, and extremism/terrorism within the community. Through the use of the DCJS Byrne/JAG grant funding, the Hampton Police Division will be able to strategically reduce these gaps in capabilities and more closely align with the ultimate goal of facilitating a safer community for our city while furthering officer safety.
Discussion:
The Hampton Police Division will utilize the grant funds to purchase equipment for investigations related to guns, gangs, and drugs in alignment with the Division's mission. This will include equipment for use in covert operations as well as for the analysis, storage, and preservation of evidence for prosecution. Additionally, it will allow the Hampton Police Division to purchase its first Forensic Workstation to download, analyze, and preserve mobile device evidence which is recommended by the National Computer Forensic Institute to increase investigatory capabilities and efficiencies and strengthen forensic-based cases in this area. A third component of this project will be to expand surveillance capabilities throughout the city in concert with the Hampton Police Division's Real Time Information Center ("RTIC"). This will further develop information-led policing capabilities by expanding the area of visibility accessible through the RTIC.
Impact:
The DCJS Byrne-JAG Law Enforcement Grant funds will greatly improve the Police Division's ability to develop, analyze, and maintain strong evidentiary case files for use in successful prosecution in the key areas of guns, gangs, and drugs. The equipment will be used as a force multiplier in high crime areas as defined by statistical analysis, in undercover operations for both citizen and officer safety and for the tangible documentation of evidence, and in dynamic/high-risk entries during the execution of search warrants. Audio and video evidence allows law enforcement to build more robust cases of value that ultimately lead to the successful prosecution of offenders. This equipment and the supportive analytical tools are essential to staying at the forefront of 21st Century investigatory processes.
Recommendation:
Rec
It is the recommendation of the Hampton Police Division that the City Council of the City of Hampton accepts and appropriates the DCJS Byrne/JAG Law Enforcement Grant for the implementation of this grant award.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Hampton Police Division has been awarded the DCJS Byrne/JAG Program Law Enforcement Grant in the amount of $50,000.00 in Federal funds with no local match requireed; and
WHEREAS, the grant award covers the period of 04/01/2018 to 09/30/2018.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Hampton accepts and appropriates the DCJS Byrne/JAG Program Law Enforcement Grant as awarded by the Department of Criminal Justice Services in accordance with the grant agreement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council authorizes the City Manager, or her designee, to take the necessary steps to implement this grant award.