Title
Budget Amendment - Sheriff's Office - U.S. Department of Justice - 2023 Justice Assistance Grant
Action
ACTION:
1) Adopt a grant project ordinance for the 2023 Justice Assistance Grant in the General Grants Fund (G001).
2) Recognize, receive, and appropriate $134,479 in federal revenue from the U.S. Department of Justice, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) to the General Grants Fund (G001) within the Sheriff’s Office.
Staff Contact: Rachel Vanhoy, Sheriff's Office
Presentation: No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) had been receiving the U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance (JAG) grant since 2012. MCSO declined the 2019 JAG and did not participate in the 2020 JAG once it was determined that we did not meet the ICE certification requirements to accept the award. Those requirements are no longer in place.
Estimates for the following requested initiatives are listed below:
Bola Wrap Devices and Accessories $26,399
MCSO will purchase 15 Bola devices to expand our response to detention center residents that are combative. The BolaWrap allows for another non-lethal option when dealing with residents. BolaWrap remote restraint device is a patented, hand-held pre-escalation apprehension tool for law enforcement that discharges a Kevlar cord to restrain uncooperative suspects or non responsive persons in crisis from a distance. BolaWrap’s surprising sound and ability to restrict an individual’s movement buys officers time and makes it safer for them to approach and gain control of individuals. Situations between officers and uncooperative individuals are usually chaotic, and officers don’t have many effective options to handle them. Instead of waiting for an encounter to unfold and escalate, the use of BolaWrap can effectuate a situation quickly, safely, and humanely - ending the situation and facilitating a positive outcome that doesn’t result in injury or use of force.
Radar Equipment $27,528
MCSO will purchase approximately twelve (12) additional Bee III Radar units for installation in patrol vehicles in the Field Operations Division.
QVRT Rifle Storage for Courthouse $ 7,300
MCSO has rifles currently stored in traditional gun storage devices at the courthouse. However, MCSO is requesting funding for two (2) secure weapon storage devices for enhanced security. The QVRt or Quiver, is specifically designed for high security, storage, and fast access. The compact design allows us to place the QVRt in almost any location and have access to the weapons in under two (2) seconds. The device has extremely high security with locking mechanism and the lock is in the base of the QVRt. The QVRt has a small footprint (23” x 23”) and combined with no external door swing allows for placement in strategic areas. Since the door rotates into the body, weapons can be accessed instantly in a stressful emergency. The QVRt is designed to be placed in an area where weapons can be stored and quickly and reliably accessed in an emergency. When the door is rotated to the closed position after opening it locks automatically.
2024 15-Passenger Sprinter Van $73,252
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) continues to struggle with adequate vehicles for transporting employees to various events, including training and community-related activities. In many cases, employees are caravanning or requesting mileage reimbursement when attending community events or training. Having a Sprinter van assigned to training will allow better transportation coordination and allows employees have an option that doesn’t require them to take their own personal vehicles to training. This 15-passenger van would also be utilized by the dignitary protection team when attending events.
PROCUREMENT BACKGROUND:
All applicable procurement requirements will be met to comply with procurement policies and procedures.
POLICY IMPACT:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
Increase the General Grants Fund (G001) revenue and associated expenses in the amount of $134,479 from Federal funding in the current fiscal year.