Title
A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Authorizing The Expenditure Of Federal Law Enforcement Forfeiture Funds Pursuant To The Federal Comprehensive Crime Control Act To Provide Funding For Specialized Law Enforcement Training, Law Enforcement Investigations (Inclusive Of Overtime, Confidential Informant Fees), And The Acquisition Of Law Enforcement Equipment In An Amount Not To Exceed $250,000.00; Authorizing The Department Of Financial Services To Establish Account(s) As May Be Needed; And Further Authorizing The Recognition Of Revenue And Appropriation Of Net Assets In Fund 12 To Those Accounts.
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the attached Resolution.
Explanation:
The attached Resolution seeks City Commission authorization to expend Federal Law Enforcement Forfeiture Funds pursuant to the Federal Comprehensive Act of 1984 in anticipation of the costs associated with specialized non-budgeted Specialized Law Enforcement training, protracted and complex Law Enforcement investigations (inclusive of Task Force/specialized initiative program overtime expenses, Confidential Police Informant fees) and acquiring investigative equipment and expertise. Protracted and complex investigative costs including substantial overtime expenses are often incurred during extensive prolonged investigations targeting narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and violent crimes, crime prevention initiatives, etc. Payment of confidential informant fees is essential in order to compensate the informant for providing investigative information ordinarily not available, often resulting in money laundering and narcotic related arrests and large seizures of currency. The Department of Justice's Equitable Sharing Guidelines set forth that Federal Law Enforcement Forfeiture Funds may be expended on permissible uses such as specialized training, law enforcement investigations (which may include the payment of overtime and payment of confidential informant fees), and law enforcement equipment under certain parameters. All permissible uses expenditures for equipment and training will be in accordance with the City's Purchasing Ordinance.
The Federal Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 requires that the Police Department obtain approval for such expenditure from the City Commission. Since the source of funding for these anticipated costs is the Police Department's Federal Law Enforcement Forfeiture Fund, the City of Hollywood taxpayer will bear no cost for this expenditure.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Wazir A. Ishmael, Ph.D., City Manager
Frank G. Fernandez, Chief of Police