DATE: November 18, 2024
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
FROM: Tracy Avelar, Police Chief
DEPARTMENT: Police
SUBJECT: DATA SHARING MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) WITH THE SAN MATEO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR A
DATA AGGREGATION PLATFORM
RECOMMENDATION
Is it recommended that City Council approve the attached Resolution authorizing the Foster City Police Department to enter into a data-sharing MOU with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office for a data aggregation platform.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2023, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office secured grant funding from the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Organized Retail Theft Grant. Part of these funds supported the development of a data aggregation platform, designed to facilitate seamless information-sharing among San Mateo County law enforcement agencies and enhance bi-directional data collaboration.
Approval of the MOU will enable the Foster City Police Department to leverage this platform, optimizing resource use and reinforcing public safety efforts through efficient data-sharing and collaborative engagement.
BACKGROUND
The Police Department currently participates in a data-sharing MOU with other law enforcement agencies in San Mateo County via the Sunridge Systems Records Incident Management System (RIMS). RIMS serves as the records management system for every agency in San Mateo County, as well as the computer aided dispatch
software for all agencies not contracted with Public Safety Communications. While RIMS enables data sharing, it requires users to search each agency’s data independently, leading to redundant work and limited efficiency. Additionally, users may need to log into multiple platforms to retrieve necessary information.
The proposed software data aggregation platform allows for centralized data access through a single, user-friendly application, streamlining data retrieval and improving operational efficiency. This platform is meant to enhance and simplify access to existing data, not replace existing records management software.
ANALYSIS
In January 2021, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office initiated a proof-of-concept project with C3 AI to develop a consolidated data aggregation platform. The software consolidates data from four core record systems into a single, unified interface, enabling efficient cross-agency data viewing. Daly City Police Department joined as a pilot agency, helping test the software’s ability to integrate data securely across multiple agencies. In September 2023, grant funding expanded the program to include additional agencies, including the Foster City Police Department.
This platform supports collaboration amongst participating agencies, and significantly improves investigative efficiency by simplifying data access. The platform is hosted within a Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS)-compliant secure government cloud environment managed by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Its features support sole-source procurement, including resolution/correlation of person and vehicle identities into one record, and it already contains and will provide access to San Mateo County law enforcement data. This software solution enhances public safety by efficiently integrating disparate data sources into a single, searchable platform for law enforcement personnel to derive investigative insights in near real-time.
All shared data is managed securely and in compliance with applicable laws, with usage restricted to authorized personnel. The Foster City Police Department would contribute data to the platform and only participating agencies would have access to the data. All searches and queries into the platform are logged in an audit trail. The information residing in the shared data repositories would be used as a pointer system for investigative leads or guidance. Agencies may withdraw from the MOU with 90 days’ notice.
California Environmental Quality Act
Not Applicable
FISCAL IMPACT
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office fully funds the application through the BSCC Organized Retail Theft Grant, allowing the Foster City Police Department access at no cost for approximately three (3) years. There is no in-house cost as the associated databases are configured for data sharing.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Public Safety and Social Equity
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Memorandum of Understanding