Item 6-H

Council Meeting: June 23, 1998 Santa Monica, California

TO: Mayor and City Council

FROM: City Staff

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Apply for, Negotiate, and Execute a COPS MORE '98 Grant Application with the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to Receive Funding for an Automated/Mobile Field Reporting System and to Authorize the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute a Sole-Source Contract for the PoliceWorks Report Writing Software Package from Motorola and UCS Inc. not to Exceed $500,000 and to Notify Council of an Exception to Resolution #8966 (CCS)

INTRODUCTION

The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (OCOPS) is accepting applications for the COPS MORE '98 grant. This report recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to apply for, negotiate, and execute all grant-related documents to receive grant funding. This report also recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a sole-source contract not to exceed $500,000 for the PoliceWorks report writing software package from Motorola and UCS Inc. This contract also requires notification of an exception to Council policy (Resolution #8966-CCS) regarding conducting business with firms doing business in or with Burma.

BACKGROUND

OCOPS is the lead agency responsible for granting and administering funds under the Federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program. The purpose of the COPS MORE '98 grant is to assist police departments to become more efficient by providing funding for technology, equipment, and support resources. This increased efficiency will allow officers to spend more time engaged in community policing activities. The Santa Monica Police Department proposes to request grant funds of up to $400,000 to aid in the implementation of an Automated/Mobile Field Reporting System (AMFRS).

DISCUSSION

For over one year, the Police Department has been researching the technology required to implement an AMFRS. The system will allow patrol officers to complete police reports using a vehicle-based computer system and specialized report writing software. Completed reports are sent to the police facility, using wireless technology, to be reviewed by supervisory personnel. When a report is approved, it is sent directly into the Police Records Management System. This will eliminate the need for a both a hard copy of the report as well as the necessity for Records Section personnel to re-keyboard information into the database. It is estimated that the AMFRS will save a minimum of 50 minutes of patrol officer time for each shift worked. The project will also save Records staff a minimum of five hours a day from not having to manually enter information from each report.

The AMFRS will place 50 computer systems, associated automated software, and communications equipment into patrol vehicles and equip an additional 52 workstations within the department with the same automated software. This will enable station-based officers, detectives, records clerks, and crime analysts to use the same system, thereby enhancing the entire department's ability to share information immediately and accurately.

Police and Information Systems Division (ISD) staff obtained information from police agencies that have implemented similar systems and met with vendors who offer specialized report writing software and vehicle-based computer systems. In the software area, PoliceWorks by Motorola and UCS, Inc. was rated superior to other available products. It excels in four key areas: ease of use, functional workflow architecture, customization ability, and compatibility with existing systems. As a result, staff believes it is the only product which meets the Police Department's needs.

Several vendors have been identified as having viable hardware products and have offered to supply units for in-the-field testing. Depending on the field test results, hardware requirements may be fulfilled through a Request for Proposal or a sole-source purchase recommendation.

Ordinance Number 1743 (CCS), Section 5, paragraph 2.24.080 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code allows exception to competitive bidding when the items or services are only available from a sole-source manufacturer. The partnership of Motorola and UCS Inc. is the only source of the PoliceWorks software.

On November 28, 1995, Council adopted Resolution #8966 (CCS) "Establishing a Policy for the City of Santa Monica Prohibiting Contracts for Personal Services and Purchase of Commodities from the Companies Doing Business in or With Myanmar (Burma)." This policy allows the City Manager to approve an exception when it is in the interest of public health, safety or welfare and the service or commodity cannot be reasonably obtained from any other source.

The Police Department estimates the costs of implementing the total project at $1,076,000. The project has already been partially funded by the 1997 Local Law Enforcement Block Grant ($270,033) which has already been budgeted. Additionally, California State Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) Grant funds in the amount of $210,219 are projected to be received in fiscal year 1998-99 and are included in the Proposed City Budget for FY 1998-99. An additional $196,967 from the City's Asset Seizure Fund has also been set aside for this project. The purchase of the computer hardware and software for the AMFRS qualifies as an eligible use of Asset Seizure Funds. The balance of approximately $400,000 is being requested in the COPS MORE '98 grant application. If the City's $400,000 grant application is not approved for funding, then additional Asset Seizure funds will be utilized for this purchase.

BUDGET / FISCAL IMPACT

Acceptance of the COPS MORE '98 grant will not increase City costs. The City is requesting up to $400,000 in grant funds. The grant has a 25 percent local matching funds requirement, which will be met with funds currently available in the City's Asset Seizure (21) Fund. It is not the City's practice, however, to budget and charge expenditures to this Trust and Agency-type fund. It will be necessary, therefore, to establish a General Fund Capital Improvement Project (CIP) appropriation equal to the amount of Asset Seizure funds to be used. Expenditures in that account will result in equal reimbursements from the Asset Seizure Fund to the General Fund. It will also be necessary to budget those funds not previously designated for this project (including the COPS MORE grant funds and the 1998 COPS allocation funds). The new appropriations needed are indicated below:

$196,967 to new CIP account# 01-730-304-20098-8900-99537;

$210,219 to new CIP account# 22-730-304-20098-8900-99537;

$400,000 to new CIP account# 20-730-304-20098-8900-99537;

If less than the requested $400,000 of COPS MORE grant funds are approved for the City, staff will effect budget changes to the above appropriations to reflect less grant funding and more Asset Seizure funding of this project.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to apply for, negotiate, and execute all COPS MORE '98 grant-related documents, in order to receive up to $400,000 in funds to be used for the Santa Monica Police Department's Automated/Mobile Field Reporting System. It is also recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a sole-source contract for not more than $500,000 with Motorola and UCS, Inc., for the PoliceWorks report writing software package, and approve the related budget appropriations described above.

Prepared By: James T. Butts, Jr., Chief of Police