Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Norman Foster
Department: Office of Management and Budget
Information
Requested Action
title
A. MOTION TO ADOPT budget Resolution No. 2020-415 transferring funds within the Law Enforcement Trust Fund (LETF) for the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) in the amount of $205,000 to implement a wide-area outdoor acoustic gunshot surveillance system, known as ShotSpotter, in a one square-mile area in unincorporated Central Broward for a three-year period.
ACTION: (T-10:57 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0. Commissioner Rich and Vice-Mayor Geller voted in the affirmative telephonically.
B. MOTION TO ADOPT budget Resolution No. 2020-416 transferring funds within the Law Enforcement Trust Fund (LETF) for BSO in the amount of $7,782 to provide matching funds for a grant from the Florida Department of Children and Families.
ACTION: (T-10:57 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0. Commissioner Rich and Vice-Mayor Geller voted in the affirmative telephonically.
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Why Action is Necessary
Florida Statutes 932.7055(5)(a) requires that proceeds from the disposition of liens and forfeited property obtained from criminal procedure and corrections be deposited in a special law enforcement trust fund to be used for law enforcement purposes. Recommendation of the Sheriff and Board approval are required to appropriate LETF funds.
What Action Accomplishes
A. Provides LETF funding in the amount of $205,000 to implement a wide-area outdoor acoustic gunshot surveillance system in a one square-mile area in unincorporated Central Broward for a three-year period.
B. Provides LETF funding in the amount of $7,782 to provide matching funds for a grant from the Florida Department of Children and the Families.
Is this Action Goal Related
No
Previous Action Taken
On November 5, 2019, the Board of County Commissioners adopted budget Resolution No. 2019-497 transferring funds within the Law Enforcement Trust Funds in the amount of $3,615 for the purpose of providing matching funds for a grant from the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence to fund one BSO Detective in the Special Victims Unit of the Criminal Investigations Unit. The term of that grant was August 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.
Summary Explanation/Background
A. BSO supports this LETF request for ShotSpotter. BSO intends to install ShotSpotter in a one square-mile area within unincorporated Central Broward County. ShotSpotter is an outdoor acoustic gunshot detection system that uses advanced technology to calculate the precise location a gun was fired, which is then transmitted to law enforcement on a GPS map in their car’s computer, cell phones, and command center, thus allowing deputies to respond to an incident within seconds. The ShotSpotter Initiative’s goals are to: (1) respond to firearms related crimes in an expedient manner (80% of all “shots fired” calls are never reported to law enforcement); (2) arrest perpetrators responsible for firearms-related crimes; (3) apply lifesaving first aid to victims of gun violence at the scene of incidents; and (4) collect firearms ballistic evidence at crimes scenes for analysis and comparison to other crime scenes.
B. BSO supports this LETF request for Enhanced Law Enforcement Response to Domestic and Dating Violence. The Florida Department of Children and Families has awarded BSO a grant award in the amount of $150,000 to fund one full-time Detective position in the Special Victims Unit of the Criminal Investigation Division for a three-year grant period. As a condition of the grant award, BSO is required to provide matching funds in the amount of $50,000 for a total cost of $200,000. At the time of the initial grant application, BSO anticipated only needing $42,218, which has already been secured. BSO is in need of an additional $7,782 to meet the match requirement. The grant year for which the funds are requested runs from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.
Source of Additional Information
Norman Foster, Director, Office of Management and Budget, (954) 357-6346
Colonel James Reyes, BSO Department of Administration, (954) 831-8180
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
Funds are available within the Law Enforcement Trust Fund for these actions. According to BSO, the current balance of the LETF, as of August 18, 2020, is $2,365,877 in the local account ($1,790,277 of which is unrestricted) and $6,486,600 in the federal account ($2,771,975 of which is unrestricted). This action will utilize $205,000 in unrestricted federal funds and $7,782 in unrestricted local funds.