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25.

Meeting Date:	06/08/2015
Body-Worn Cameras Grant Application
Submitted for:	Martin Cuellar	Submitted By:	Anita Guerra
Department:	Sheriff

Subject:

Discussion and possible action to approve the submission of a grant application to the U.S Department of Justice for a Fiscal Year 2015 Body-Worn Camera Pilot Implementation Program grant in the amount estimated at $14,636.87 to pay for the implementation of a body-worn camera system for the Webb County Sheriff’s Office to include Thirty-One (31) body-worn cameras, docking stations, power supply, belt clips, pin clips, USB charging cables, warranties, data storage, software, 17 tera byte server and remote installation; and authorizing the Webb County Judge to execute all relevant documents; and any other matters incident thereto. This grant requires a Fifty (50%) percent match, or a $14,636.87 cash match. [Account #168-2001-9301]

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

Solution: Grant application to leverage federal resources so that the Webb County Sheriff’s Office will be able increase transparency and accountability through the grant-funded implementation of a comprehensive, holistic body-worn camera system 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 while leveraging federal grant funding to implement a complex technological system that would otherwise require substantial initial start-up costs to be paid through the Webb County budget.

Background:

The U.S. Department of Justice has concluded that body-worn cameras (BWCs) are an important tool that could be an integrated part of a jurisdiction’s holistic problem-solving and community-engagement strategy, helping to increase both trust and communication between the police and the communities they serve. 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:

None.

Fiscal Impact

Budget Account Number:	N/A
Funding Source:	Grants
Balance:	N/A
Financial Impact:
$35,078 estimated grant funding $35,078 estimated cash match

Attachments
COPS Study
BWCs Grant Considerations