02-03-2009 - Assest Forfeiture Funds for West Covina Service Group Projects•
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Andrew G. Pasmant, City Manager
and City Council
City Of West CQV[na
Memorandum
� 01
LH;911 0,111v
ITEM NO. D-5f
DATE February 3, 2009
Frank Y. Wills, Chief of Police
ASSET FORFEITURE FUNDS FOR WEST COVINA SERVICE GROUP
PROJECTS
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council appropriate $350,984.20 in federal asset forfeiture from
117.31.4559 to fund supplemental West Covina Service Group project overtime and equipment,
and make the following appropriations:
® $125,000 into 117..31.3119.5113 for project overtime
® $25,984.20 in 117.31.3119.6220 for project supplies
® $200,000 in 117.31.3119.7160 for project equipment
DISCUSSION:
The development of West Covina's Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management System
(CAD/RMS), which began in the 1980's, was initially funded using federal asset forfeiture. This
development project became the West Covina Service Group, which today supplies 25 public
safety agencies with CAD/RMS, Mobile Digital Computer (MDC) solutions, and technical
support services.
Recently, the West Covina Police Department received $350,984.20 in federal asset forfeiture
funds stemming from successful law enforcement and prosecution efforts. The U.S. Department
of Justice produces a lengthy publication concerning the spending rules and prohibitions
associated with federal asset forfeiture. This publication is called the. Guide to Equitable Sharing
of Federally Forfeited Property for State and Local Governments. Briefly, asset forfeiture funds
are approved for new law enforcement uses, and must be accounted for separately from other
funds to adhere to financial reporting and auditing requirements. Moreover, these funds cannot
be used to replace (supplant) existing funds (like police officers, materials, services, patrol
vehicles, etc., previously funded from the City's General Fund). Also, if asset forfeiture funds
are used for police salaries, those positions must be newly authorized, and asset forfeiture can
only fund them for a 12 month maximum timeframe (afterward, other, local funds must be used
to retain the newly authorized police positions).
It is suitable to use this asset forfeiture funding on two new West Covina Service Group projects.
The first project is the implementation and deployment of the Automated Field Reporting (AFR)
module, which allows police officers to write reports using vehicle -mounted Mobile Digital
Computers (MDC's). The second project is the Property/Evidence module, which will utilize
bar-coding and radio frequency identification device (RFID) tracking technology to catalog
police evidence items. In total, these two WCSG projects will consume about 2,000 overtime
hours through FY 2009-2010. Additionally, a range of equipment items are needed to support
these projects that will ultimately improve the productivity and efficient operation of the Police
Department. These include servers for MDC's, software testing platforms, and other smaller
public safety items.
Using these asset forfeiture funds for these West Covina Service Group projects will improve the
efficient operations 'of the Police Department and adhere to the U.S. Department of Justice's
rules.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$350,984.20 in supplemental federal asset forfeiture funding will be used for these West Covina
Service Group projects. There is no impact on the City's General Fund.
Prepared by: Alex B. Houston
LAU11111I SMILIVe Services manager
Reviewed/Approved by:
;FraAJ.1 Chief of Police
-;e6
Finance