Title
A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Authorizing The Expenditure Of Federal (Justice) Law Enforcement Forfeiture Funds Pursuant To The Federal Comprehensive Crime Control Act Of 1984, To Provide Funding For 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 $300,000.00; And Amending The Fiscal Year 2018 Adopted Operating Budget For The Law Enforcement Forfeiture Fund 12 As Detailed In Exhibit 1.
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the attached Resolution.
Explanation:
The Federal Comprehensive Act of 1984 authorized the federal officials to implement a national asset forfeiture program. The Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Program serves not only to deter crimes but also to provide valuable additional resources to state and local law enforcement agencies. One of the most important provisions of asset forfeiture is the authorization to share federal forfeiture proceeds with cooperating state and local law enforcement agencies.
The Department of Justice’s Equitable Sharing Guidelines (Guidelines) sets forth that Federal (Justice) 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. The Guidelines require that the Police Department obtain approval for such expenditures from the City Commission.
The Police Department is requesting authorization to expend Federal (Justice) Law Enforcement Forfeiture Funds in the amount of $300,000 for costs associated with law enforcement training, law enforcement investigations and initiatives (inclusive of overtime and payment of confidential informant fees), and the acquisition of law enforcement equipment for the use by law enforcement personnel that supports law enforcement activities.
All permissible use expenditures relating to training and the acquisition of equipment will be in accordance with the City’s Purchasing Ordinance. The Acting Chief of Police recommends that $300,000.00 be made available from the Federal (Justice) Law Enforcement Forfeiture Fund and the Department of Financial Service will create certain accounts to recognize revenue and appropriate program funding for the permissible uses of specialized training, law enforcement investigations and initiatives (inclusive of overtime and payment of confidential informant fees), and the acquisition of law enforcement equipment for use by law enforcement personnel that supports law enforcement activities.
The expenditure of such Federal (Justice) Law Enforcement Funds will incur no cost to the taxpayers of the City of Hollywood. The Fiscal Year 2018 Operating Budget of the City of Hollywood was adopted and approved by the City Commission pursuant to Resolution R-2017-288 at the 2nd Public Budget Hearing on September 27, 2017.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Dr. Wazir Ishmael, City Manager
Mel Standley, Assistant City Manager of Public Safety
Chris O’Brien, Acting Chief of Police