Title
Consider and take action to approve a request to allow the League City Police Department to submit a grant proposal to the Governor’s Office to seek funding from the Criminal Justice Grant Program to offset costs associated with funding the department’s digital forensics unit and to authorize the acceptance of such grant if awarded (Chief of Police)
Background:
If approved, this request will formalize City Council’s support for seeking grant funding for the Criminal Justice Grant Program to offset costs associated with funding the department’s digital forensics unit.
The Office of the Governor is soliciting grant applications from law enforcement agencies to fund projects and programs that promote public safety, reduce crime, and improve the criminal justice system. The police department hopes to use the awarded funds to equip a more comprehensive and up-to-date digital evidence lab with the necessary hardware and software programs to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal investigations.
Most criminal investigations conducted by law enforcement have some form of digital evidence that can be collected, analyzed, and used to further the investigation. The amount of digital evidence available to law enforcement is ever-increasing due to our digitally connected society and the continued technological advancements. All digital evidence that needs to be collected and analyzed requires specially trained personnel and specific hardware, software, and storage capabilities to ensure all requirements are met to further the investigation and result in a successful disposition of the case.
In 2024, 82 cases had digital evidence to be processed and analyzed. These were mostly felony-level offenses that frequently involved crimes against persons. The League City Police Department has often relied on other agencies, such as the La Porte Police Department, the Pearland Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security, to process most of the ...
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