Fremont City Council Meeting: 04/15/25 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Police Department
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Grants
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5411) DOC ID: 5411 B
Updated: 4/10/2025 1:02 PM by Dina Lewis B Page 1
ACCEPTANCE OF COPS TEP GRANT - Acceptance of 2024 Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Technology and Equipment Grant (TEP); Appropriation Actions; and Authorize Purchase of Briefcam Analytics Platform Contact Persons:
Name: Matthew Snelson Johanna Canaday
Title: Police Captain Manager - Criminal Intelligence & Analysis
Div/Dept: Police Department Police Department
Phone: 510-790-6874 510-790-6976
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The federal Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) has awarded the Fremont Police Department (Department) $963,000 to replace and purchase cameras/equipment and purchase Briefcam software under the 2024 COPS Technology and Equipment Program (TEP). City staff recommends that the City Council accept the grant, appropriate a portion of the grant funds, and authorize the execution of a contract and implementing documents to acquire the Briefcam software.
BACKGROUND: In 2016, the Department created the Community Camera Program with License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras and color cameras, which were deployed to designated locations around the City. The cameras are used daily to deter criminal activity, assist during in-progress crimes, and investigate crimes after they occur. The ongoing success using these cameras has helped to preserve and enhance the level of safety in the city. Based upon use and success, the Department made a focused effort to expand the Community Camera Program by installing new LPR and color cameras over the last few years. Since the Community Camera Program started, the Department has been transparent in explaining the technology and use to the public.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The COPS Office is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing. The 2024 COPS TEP allocated $247,347,161 in funding to entities for “Community Oriented Policing Services, Technology and Equipment Community Projects/COPS Law Enforcement Technology and Equipment,” to develop and acquire effective law enforcement equipment, technologies, and interoperable communications that assist in responding to and preventing crime.
The Department submitted a grant proposal on June 25, 2024, for approximately $1 million dollars and was awarded $963,000. The grant reporting period runs from March 9, 2024, to March 31, 2026. With the COPS TEP grant funding, the Department will be able to purchase BriefCam, new cameras, and replace existing color cameras and LPR cameras.
The addition of BriefCam’s analytic technology will greatly enhance the Department’s efficiency, situational awareness, and increase actionable intelligence when reviewing video footage. BriefCam is a multi-patent company that provides a comprehensive hardware and software video analytics platform. BriefCam is the only hardware/software Council Staff Report (ID # 5411) Meeting of April 15, 2025 Updated: 4/10/2025 1:02 PM by Dina Lewis B Page 2
solution that provides user-defined metadata searches, expediting video review and real-time alerts across multiple cameras/video databases. BriefCam is a proprietary product, only made by Surveillance Grid, which holds exclusive legal rights to the hardware and software. If approved, the purchase will be made as a sole-source purchase pursuant to Fremont Municipal Code section 3.20.300. The BriefCam Platform is a one-time hardware and license purchase with a two-year maintenance and updates package, with the option to purchase annually thereafter. The total not-to-exceed amount of the recommended agreement is $205,216.
In addition to camera replacement, the Department intends to leverage historical data analysis to determine new locations for future LPR and color camera deployments. The Department is working with the Transportation Engineering Division of the Public Works Department to alleviate vehicle and pedestrian traffic and improve vehicle/pedestrian safety. The installation of new cameras at and near Fremont Unified School District locations will assist Transportation Engineering and the Department with their goals of lowering speeds, collisions and injuries. The additional cameras can also be utilized during emergency incidents that may occur on and near campus.
FISCAL IMPACT: The 2024 COPS TEP grant funds are available from March 9, 2024, to March 31, 2026, and must be spent in accordance with the budget proposal in the Fremont Police Department application. Purchases will be made in accordance with the City’s adopted policies. This includes camera server and storage, BriefCam platform, License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras, and color cameras.
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the 2024 COPS TEP grant, increase the revenue estimate in the Federal Operating Grants Fund (Fund 191) by $205,216, and appropriate $205,216 to the Community Camera Program for the purchase of the BriefCam platform. The revenue estimate and appropriations for the remaining portion of the grant award will be included in the FY 2025/26 proposed operating budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The recommended action is exempt from and not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because, without limitation, it is not a “project” as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2) and/or 15378(b)(5) and as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment per CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), each as a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Draft Resolution COPS TEP Grant 2025
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager, or her designee, to accept the 2024 COPS Technology and Equipment Program grant in the amount of $963,000.
2. Increase the revenue estimate in the Federal Operating Grants Fund (Fund 191) and appropriate $205,216 to the Community Camera Program.
3. Authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to execute a contract with Surveillance Grid for BriefCam in the amount not-to-exceed $205,216 and take any and all necessary implementing actions.