I. RECOMMENDATION:
The Police Chief recommends the city council approve the acceptance of this year's Homeland Security Grant to be used to purchase a single purpose canine.
II. BACKGROUND:
The police department has been receiving a Homeland Security Grant for the past several years. The grant amount has ranged from $4,100.00 to $8,000.00. The police department will be receiving $5,100.00 towards the purchase of a single purpose canine which would be trained as a bomb/accelerant detection dog.
At this time, the department is only requesting Council's permission to accept the funding and will come back to the council with an operational cost for the second canine unit if council approves this request.
III. DISCUSSION:
This year the police chief put in request to Homeland Security for this years funding to go towards the purchase of a bomb/accelerant detection dog. The police department has been notified that our request has been approved and we will be receiving $5,100.00 to purchase the dog. The cost of the animal is $5,000.00.
Homeland Security allows agencies to purchase dogs for a specific purpose. Realizing that on the westside of the valley there are no bomb/accelerant detection dogs, I felt the need to try and obtain the funding to purchase a dog. By having this dog, it would allow the police department to have another tool which could detect explosives, accelerants, and firearms. This would come in handy during investigations where firearms were used and discarded. This canine can be used to help the fire department when investigation arson fires by being able to detect accelerants used to ignite a fire. We could assist other agencies via a mutual aid request if needed when a bomb dog is needed on the west side of the valley.
IV. ALTERNATIVES:
The council can deny this request and the police department would have to go back to Homeland Security to fund a different project.
V. FISCAL IMPACT:
None at this time. |