Commissioners Court Meeting

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Meeting Date:	02/25/2019
BWCs Grant Application by the Sheriff's Office
Submitted for:	Martin Cuellar	Submitted By:	Anita Guerra
Department:	Sheriff

Subject:

Discussion and possible action to authorize the submission of a grant application as developed, written, and submitted by and for the Webb County Sheriff's Office to the Office of the Governor Criminal Justice Division in the amount estimated at $54,006 for Body Worn Camera (BWCs) equipment, software, and supplies; and authorizing the Webb County Judge to execute all relevant documents; and any other matters incident thereto. This grant does not require any type of match; and, thus will have no impact to the general fund. All required documents were sent for review through the Economic Development Department and the solicitation is compliant with the Webb County Single Point of Contact (SPOC) procedures. [Requested by Martin Cuellar, Webb County Sheriff]

Issue: Tragic local, state, and national events have eroded public trust in law enforcement agencies and their officers. Recent incidents has again focused attention on controversial confrontations between certain citizens and law enforcement officials; and, these specific incidents has further fomented distrust between community members and the officers sworn to protect them.

Solution: Grant application to expand and leverage grant resources so that the Webb County Sheriff’s Office will be able increase transparency and accountability through the utilization of body-worn cameras for its sworn officer force.

Result: The Webb County Sheriff’s Office will be able to achieve greater transparency and accountability in its service and protection of the Laredo/Webb County public and taxpayers.

Background:

Body-worn cameras (BWCs) can be highly effective, providing an inalterable audio and visual record of interactions that can capture empirical evidence in the event of a crime, police-citizen interaction, or use-of-force incident. Preliminary research by the U.S. Department of Justice indicates that departments that have effectively implemented body-worn cameras (BWC) programs have received fewer public complaints, file fewer use-of-force reports, and show a reduction in adjudicated complaints resulting in a decrease of settlements.

Previous Court Action:

The court has given authorization to apply for and accept grants for Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) in the recent years.

Fiscal Impact

Budget Account Number:	To Be Determined
Funding Source:	Grant Revenue
Balance:	N/A
Financial Impact:
$54,006 estimated grant request for equipment, software, and supplies. Thus, there will be no impact to the general fund.