PUBLIC NOTICE OF GRANT SOLICITATION

 The Murray City Police Department is submitting a solicitation for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant.  (JAG)

 This grant program allows states, tribes, and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own local needs and conditions.

JAG funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice.

 It is proposed that funds from the JAG grant be used to purchase the following items:

 Patrol In-Car Video/Audio Systems

 Our current in-car video/audio recording system is over 4 years old and no longer supported. As these systems break down we have no way of replacing them. We requested to allocate $98,884 to replace 15 of our systems and move towards a supported solution with a three year warranty.  It is our intention to use departmental funds to install an additional 6 to 8 in-car video recording systems per year until our fleet of 38 patrol vehicles are equipped with a viable supported digital video system.

 Tactical Surveillance and Camera Equipment for SWAT vehicle

 Digital Cameras - The digital cameras allow officers to capture relevant field data in a digital format on a local hard drive or in digital storage located in a command post vehicle.  The equipment integrates and enhances existing capabilities built into the Murray City Police Department SWAT command vehicle.  The vehicle is wireless network enabled and hard wire enabled to accept digital input from multiple sources including the digital cameras.  The vehicle is equipped with digital storage capacity and viewing devices for real time monitoring.  This will allow us to accomplish several of our program objectives including officer safety and accurate documentation of operations. 

Narcotic/Vice Unit Equipment 

Pinhole Camera and Monitor - The camera will be used during undercover operations where a traditional camera would compromise the undercover operation.  Operations targeting drug and organized crime operations and operations conducted in vehicles or any operation where a live video feed would benefit evidence gathering or officer safety. The covert camera requires one antenna/amplifier to receive the signal from the covert camera. The monitor will be used to project information for operational briefings, power points, training classes and to monitor remote camera systems. 

 Firearms Equipment

 Weapon mounted lights - Most uniformed officers work in the evening and at night when low light conditions are constant.  Any officer at any time can find themselves suddenly in a low light area such as dark buildings and basements. If an officer is encountering a hostile threat and the officer is armed with his patrol rifle, then the officer must use both hands to accurately fire the weapon.  This does not allow for the use of a flashlight.  We are requesting funds to purchase weapon mounted lights which would greatly enhance each officer’s safety. 

 Weapon cleaning kits and AR-15 armor kit - We are requesting individual kits for each firearm which will help insure that each weapon is kept in good condition.  In addition, the Department Firearms Instructors are certified as AR-15 armors.  To fully maintain and service the Department rifles we are requesting a full AR-15 armor kit, toolbox and vise. 

 Tasers 

The Murray City Police Department began issuing Tasers in 2004.  The taser is issued to each uniformed officer.  The annual costs for providing equipment for training and maintaining the Tasers has proven to be a major drain on the department budgets.  The Tasers were obtained with one time approved funding and there is not an annual maintenance budget for the Tasers.  The Department will use allotted money to obtain additional taser equipment for training as well as replacements for damaged devices.

 Varda Car 

Alarm and tracking equipment - Currently, Burglary Investigators do have a tool/program that is used to conduct proactive investigations.  The >Varda= program was designed to place a decoy vehicle in an area where there are a large amount of burglaries.  The vehicle is filled with items that are common targets for suspects to take. The decoy vehicle is alarmed and the items inside are equipped with a tracking devices “bugs”.

 Since the inception of the Varda program, Murray Police has recovered over $50,000 dollars worth of stolen property, made several arrests, and obtained valuable leads in other, non-property related cases, and reduced the amount of vehicle burglaries in the general area of the decoy. Grant funds would be used to update the alarm and tracking equipment.

 City Hall and Court Security System 

Our current system is outdated and not functioning properly.  This system will have 2 Cameras in the City Hall parking lot, 1 camera in the City Attorney’s office, 1 camera in the Finance Department, 1 camera in the Murray Justice Court Judge’s chambers, 1 camera in the court clerk’s area, and 1 camera in the Utilities Department.  They cameras will be motion censored so the system will start to record if there is activity as well as if a department panic button is pushed.

The amount allocated to the Murray City for this grant is $185,556. The JAG grant program and budget narratives may be viewed online at http://www.murray.utah.gov/default.aspx?nid=194.

If you have any questions or would like to make any comments regarding the Justice Assistance Grant or its intended use, please contact Lieutenant Doug Roberts of the Murray City Police Department at 801-264-2674.