Title
Consider and take action on a resolution authorizing the Police Department to submit a grant application to the State of Texas Office of the Governor’s FY2027 Operation Lone Star grant program (OLS) to seek funding for the purchase of an icor mini-caliber tactical robot for the Bay Area Regional Bomb Squad (BARBS) (Chief of Police)
Background:
Approval of this item will allow the City to pursue state funding to close a critical capability gap, enhance regional bomb response operations, and protect residents, visitors, and key infrastructure without impact to the City’s General Fund. This asset is critical for interdicting Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) activity, including UAS-borne (Drone) explosive threats and maritime-based smuggling hazards.
The Governor’s Office, through the Office of the Governor - Public Safety Office, is soliciting grant applications to support border security and interdiction efforts under Operation Lone Star (OLS). The purpose of this funding is to enhance regional capabilities to address transnational criminal activity, including narcotics trafficking, explosives, and emerging asymmetric threats that pose a risk to public safety and critical infrastructure.
The League City Police Department, on behalf of the Bay Area Regional Bomb Squad (BARBS), is requesting approval to submit a grant application in the amount of $163,534 to acquire an ICOR Mini-CALIBER Tactical Robot. This lightweight, man-portable robotic platform will enhance the squad’s ability to interdict illicit narcotics and explosives along the I-45 corridor and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, directly supporting the Governor’s Border Security Disaster Declaration.
Current intelligence indicates that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) are increasingly utilizing weaponized drones and operating in confined maritime environments where traditional, heavy-duty bomb robots cannot maneuver. BARBS’ existing robotic platforms weigh more than 500 pounds a...
Click here for full text