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PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING ACCEPTANCE OF A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $17,507 TO THE CITY OF NORMAN AND CLEVELAND COUNTY FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE (DOJ/BJA) THROUGH THE EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT (JAG) PROGRAM WITH NORMAN'S PORTION OF $15,758 TO BE USED BY THE NORMAN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR FORENSIC TRAINING AND ASSOCIATED TRAVEL, APPROVAL OF CONTRACT K-1819-69, AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION FROM THE GRANT REVENUE ACCOUNT.
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BACKGROUND: The U.S. Department of Justice, fiscal year 2018 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, announced that grant funds are available to the City of Norman and Cleveland County in the amount of $17,508. These entities are considered disparate jurisdictions based on a U.S. Department of Justice formula that includes population crime statistics and other law enforcement related data. Norman’s share of the award is $15,758 with the remaining $1,750 passing through to Cleveland County.
DISCUSSION: The department received notice of an award for the 2018 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Award 2018-DJ-BX-0698).
The Norman Police Department has limited training funds for forensic personnel. Prosecutors and other agencies work closely with investigators to ensure proper criminal investigations, thorough documentation, and credible reporting and testimony. They demand detailed forensic examinations and crime scene investigations. We are a mid-sized agency and attempting to use the State’s lab for our cases quickly overwhelms their resources. The State has repeatedly requested that we assume more and more of the responsibilities for forensic examinations. To accommodate the desires of both our local partners and the State’s lab, we will use JAG funds to bridge the gap between our funding and our specialized forensic training needs. The project will, therefore, provide minimal continuing education for the Norman Police Department’s Forensic Technicians, Forensic Video Examiner, Forensic Computer Analyst in an effort to maintain certifications. Excess funding, if any, will provide initial and/or continuing education training for select forensic personnel.
The remainder of the award would pass through to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office who will be able to purchase the necessary hardware, software, media storage, and secure equipment for reliable and secure recording of interviews and interrogations.
A public hearing is required prior to the disbursement of grant funds. The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office made this solicitation, applicable Certifications and Assurances, Certification of Compliance with 8 U.S.C. § 1373 by the Chief Legal Officer of the Applicant Government, and the corresponding Interlocal agreement available for public review and comment at the regularly scheduled Commissioner’s meeting held on Monday, September 10, 2018. Each person in attendance received a copy of the agenda and attachments and was eligible to speak on any topic on that agenda. The County Commissioners subsequently voted to accept the grant award.
RECOMMENDATION NO. 1: Staff now recommends that a public hearing be conducted where each person in attendance receives a copy of the agenda and attachments and is eligible to speak about this topic as required prior to applying for the grant.
RECOMMENDATION NO. 2: Approval of the grant by Council and acceptance by the Mayor (by signing the attached Award Document and Certifications and Assurances by the Chief Executive of the Applicant Government, and initialing the bottom right corner of each page of the Special Conditions document).
RECOMMENDATION NO. 3: Deposit funds into the Special Grants Fund, JAG Grant Revenue (account 022-0000-331.13-33) and appropriate $15,758 to Employee Training / Workshops and Seminars (account 022-6017-421.46-04) project GP0032 and $1,750 to Miscellaneous Services/Pass-Thru Refunds (account 022-6017-421.47-54; project GP0032) for distribution to Cleveland County.