DATE: April 25, 2023
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Acting Chief Bryan Matthews
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Agreement With Foster + Freeman to Purchase the DCS®5 Fingerprint Imaging Workstation in an Amount Not to Exceed $199,350
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with Foster + Freeman to purchase the DCS-5 Fingerprint Imaging Workstation for the Hayward Police Department Investigations Division in an amount not to exceed $199,350.
SUMMARY
The Hayward Police Department has identified a comprehensive fingerprint imaging system for the detection, capture, and enhancement of almost any type of fingerprint on any surface or background to ensure that maximum detail is revealed. This will greatly improve the Crime Scene Technician (CST) Unit’s detection and capturing capabilities, which will help obtain higher quality latent print images for the Latent Print Examiner.
BACKGROUND
The Hayward Police Department has identified a comprehensive fingerprint imaging system for the detection, capture, and enhancement of almost any type of fingerprint on any surface or background to ensure that maximum detail is revealed. The DCS®5 Fingerprint Imaging Workstation is a one-of-a-kind product, sold only by Foster + Freeman, a company at the forefront of forensic science technology. Use of this product will greatly improve the Crime Scene Technician (CST) Unit’s detection and capturing capabilities, which will help obtain higher quality latent print images for the Latent Print Examiner.
DISCUSSION
Foster + Freeman is an international company dedicated to improving the quality of forensic evidence, through the designing and manufacturing of innovative products and technologies used for the detection and examination of criminal evidence. One of the innovative products they sell, which no other competitive companies sell, is the DCS®5 Fingerprint Imaging Workstation.
The DCS®5 Fingerprint Imaging Workstation includes the camera, computer, monitor, software, multiple alternate light source options, and a built-in Image Validation/Audit Trail that will record all steps taken that led to the final image. An integral part of the DCS®5 is the easy-to-use software that provides sophisticated image capturing and enhancement tools to uncover hidden detail within images, such as by removing surface texture or difficult backgrounds. This makes capturing visible, fluorescence, infrared, and reflective ultraviolet detected prints easy to capture, enhance, and record.
Another component of the DCS®5’s hardware is the Cylindrical Surface Unwrapper, which enables 2D images of fingermarks to be extracted from narrow cylindrical items including bullets, casings, pens, batteries, glass vials, bottles, syringes, hand tools, and other similarly shaped objects. These hardware and software options will give the CSTs more capabilities in locating and capturing latent prints, which the CST Unit currently does not have.
The CST Unit is currently using the EOS Canon imaging program that comes standard with Canon cameras. With this equipment, the CSTs rely on a separate alternate light source and camera filter to capture latent prints on the EOS imaging program. The EOS imaging program offers no latent print specific enhancements or any of the components stated above.
For the Latent Print Examiner, successful latent print examinations require comparable quality latent prints. The ability to see ridge detail and characteristics in impressions is crucial to identifying the source of a print. When impressions are of poor quality or hidden by surface interference, the possibility of a “no value,” a lesser degree of association, or inconclusive result is likely. This complexity also leads to more time spent on the capturing and examination process.
With the technology of the DCS®5 Fingerprint Imaging Workstation , the ability to enhance and capture latent impressions on evidence is increased, leading to a more efficient and successful examination process for the Latent Print Examiner, which leads to more cases being solved. The types of evidence this system will be used for (e.g., weapons, casings, paper, etc) are often from crimes against persons. A higher success rate in capturing images from these types of surfaces will result due to this technology.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost to purchase the DCS®5 Fingerprint Imaging Workstation is $185,177.56. To offset some of the cost to the City, the Hayward Police Department applied for and was awarded the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $73,662.03. In addition to using these grant funds, $111,515,53 will be used from the Police Department’s FY 23 CIP funds for this purchase.
It should be noted that HPD secured 2022 pricing until May 22, 2023. After this date, the product pricing will include the manufacture price increase of $14,172 for a total cost of $199,350 for 2023. Staff recommends expediting the purchasing of the DCS®5 Imaging Workstation prior to this date to avoid the 2023 pricing increase. Staff is requesting authorization up to $199,350 in case the contract cannot be executed in a timely manner to secure the 2022 pricing. Any unused funds will be returned to the CIP fund.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item is a routine operational item and does not relate to any of the priorities outlined in the Council’s Strategic Roadmap.
NEXT STEPS
If the Council authorizes this action, staff will enter into an agreement to purchase the DCS®5 Fingerprint Imaging Workstation from Foster + Freeman in an amount not to exceed $199,350.
Prepared by: James Javier, Acting Captain Investigations Division Recommended by: Bryan Matthews, Acting Chief of Police Approved by:
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager