Police Department Grant Application

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CITY OF ALAMO HEIGHTS
POLICE DEPARTMENT
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Rick Pruitt, Police Chief
SUBJECT: A Resolution to authorize a grant application with the Office of the Governor,
Criminal Justice Division, for an equipment procurement grant
DATE: November 8, 2021
SUMMARY
Staff is requesting consideration of a Resolution authorizing the filing of a grant application with
the Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division, for an equipment grant to purchase body
worn camera storage for the police department and authorizing the Chief of Police to act on
behalf of the City of Alamo Heights in all matters related to the application. The proposed
Resolution also pledges the Chief Executive Officer and Chief of Police for the City of Alamo
Heights will comply with the grant requirements of the Office of the Governor Criminal Justice
Division, federal regulations, and the Alamo Area Council of Governments.
BACKGROUND
During the regular session of the 2021 87th
Legislature several bills were proposed relating to the
use of body worn cameras and the storage of body worn camera recordings. Two bills were
passed and signed by the Governor having a direct effect on agencies having body worn camera
programs.
House Bill 929 also known as the “Botham Jean Act,” increased the retention requirements for
the storage of body worn camera recordings to ensure their preservation as evidence.
Additionally, the Texas State Library Records Retention Schedule has been updated to regulate
the storage of body worn camera recordings as evidence for cases in which an arrest is made or a
citation issued. In the majority of cases the new retention periods are equal to the statute of
limitations applied to traffic violations and criminal offenses. This action increased the retention
period for applicable body worn camera recordings for a period between six (6) months and fifty
(50) years. It is therefore likely the current video storage capacity will not be sufficient to meet
retention requirements as long as anticipated under the former retention schedules.
Body worn camera recordings consume a large amount of storage space. The amount of space
required is compounded when multiple officers participate in a single investigation. As mobile
video and body worn camera programs have increased over the years the cost of data storage has
increased. This new demand for increased storage capacity has increased the product cost in this
market. House Bill 1938 provides relief from these costs to a law enforcement agency that

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provides body worn cameras to its peace officers through a grant program offered by the Office
of the Governor to defray the cost of data storage for recordings created with the body worn
cameras.
The Alamo Heights Police Department currently stores all interview room, mobile and body
worn camera recordings on dedicated servers in the City of Alamo Heights IT inventory. A recent
upgrade was made to the law enforcement video server creating thirty (30) terabytes of storage.
Currently, ten percent of this storage space is being used. Staff has consulted with IT
professionals who suggest an additional twenty (20) terabytes of storage. Staff is confident the
additional twenty (20) terabytes of data storage combined with a sound policy for data storage
maintenance will carry our needs for the foreseeable future.
The police department is currently in the process of applying for a grant from the Office of the
Governor Criminal Justice Division. Deputy Chief Pruitt has completed the grant application on
behalf of the Alamo Heights Police Department for the period March 1, 2022 through December
1, 2022. A qualifying component for the grant application is a resolution from the City of Alamo
Heights governing body addressing the following four (4) items.
• authorization from the governing body for the submission of the grant application;
• commitment to provide all applicable matching funds;
• designation of an authorized official having the authority to apply for, accept, reject,
alter, or terminate a grant; and
• written assurance that, in the event of loss or misuse of grant funds, the governing body
will return all funds.
Once the resolution is passed the grant will be forwarded to the Office of the Governor for
review and approval before the deadline of November 30, 2021.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the grant would have a positive fiscal impact of $29,963.00 in capital improvements.
This would effectively reduce the future fiscal impact of IT upgrades for police department video
storage servers.
POLICY ANALYSIS
The City Council has the authority to pass Resolutions authorizing grant applications made in the
name of the City of Alamo Heights and designate an authorized official to act on its behalf in
meeting the requirements of the grant application process.
COORDINATION
Deputy Chief Cindy Pruitt has accomplished the pre-requisite grant requirements by serving on
the Bexar County Criminal Justice Planning Committee. City Manager Buddy Kuhn has been
briefed on the grant application and City Attorney Frank Garza has prepared the Resolution.

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ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A – Resolution
Attachment B – CEO/Law Enforcement Certifications and Assurances Form
Attachment C – House Bill No. 929
Attachment D – House Bill No. 1938
______________________
Rick Pruitt
Police Chief
______________________
Buddy Kuhn
City Manager

4. Attachment A
RESOLUTION NO. 2021R-143
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FILING OF A GRANT
APPLICATION WITH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, CRIMINAL
JUSTICE DIVISION, FOR AN EQUIPMENT GRANT TO PURCHASE BODY
WORN CAMERA STORAGE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND
AUTHORIZING THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO ACT ON BEHALF OF THE
CITY OF ALAMO HEIGHTS IN ALL MATTERS RELATED TO THE
APPLICATION; AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, the City of Alamo Heights (“City”) is a Home Rule City governed by the laws
of the State of Texas; and
WHEREAS, during the regular session of the 2021, 87th Legislature two bills were passed
and signed by the Governor having a direct effect on agencies having body worn camera programs;
and
WHEREAS, House Bill 929 also known as the “Botham Jean Act,” increased the retention
requirements for the storage of body worn camera recordings to ensure their preservation as
evidence; and
WHEREAS, the Texas State Library Records Retention Schedule and House Bill 929 also
known as the “Botham Jean Act,” have increased the retention requirements for the storage of body
worn camera recordings to ensure their preservation as evidence; requiring the City to increase its
storage capacity; and
WHEREAS, these recent additional requirements for body cameras and data storage
requirements have increased product costs in the market and for the City; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 1938 provides relief from these costs to a law enforcement agency
that provides body worn cameras to its peace officers through a grant program offered by the Office
of the Governor to defray the cost of data storage for recordings created with the bodyworn cameras;
and,
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the grant submission is appropriate,
follows good governance of the City, and is fiscally responsible.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF ALAMO HEIGHTS, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Alamo Heights hereby authorizes the filing of
a grant application with the Office of The Governor, Criminal Justice Division, for an equipment
grant to purchase body worn camera storage for the Police Department and authorizing the Chief of
Police to act on behalf of the City of Alamo Heights in all matters related to the application. The City
hereby further commits to provide all applicable matching funds when due pursuant to the Grant, and

5. Attachment A
will return all funds in the unlikely event of loss or misuse of grant fund.
SECTION 2. This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon the passage hereof.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 8th
day of November, 2021.
_____________________________________
BOBBY ROSENTHAL, MAYOR
ATTEST:
____________________________________
ELSA T. ROBLES, CITY SECRETARY
APPROVED AS OF FORM:
____________________________________
FRANK J. GARZA, CITY ATTORNEY