16 October 6, 2026
Honorable Mayor and City Council
City of Long Beach
California
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation to adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Leads Online, LLC, of Plano, TX, for providing the hardware, installation, calibration, and operational training for an IBIS® BrassTrax Acquisition Station, in a total amount not to exceed $300,000, for a period of five years. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to enter into a contract with Leads Online, LLC (Leads Online), for providing the hardware, installation, calibration, and operational training for one IBIS® BrassTrax Acquisition Station (IBIS® BrassTrax) for the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD).
IBIS® BrassTrax is a highly specialized forensic workstation that uses advanced 3D microscopy to capture unique ballistic markings of expended bullets and cartridge cases. These markings are compared through the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS®) to identify potential associations and generate investigative leads. IBIS® is a proprietary ballistic identification system that integrates directly with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and is the only technology that meets the rigorous testing and security standards required for direct integration with NIBIN database for gun crime intelligence. Leads Online is the sole source of IBIS® and IBIS® BrassTrax.
The purchase of the IBIS® BrassTrax will be funded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) 2026 National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Modernization Grant Program. As one of 194 existing NIBIN sites, the LBPD applied for federal funding to replace its aging ballistic imaging station, which has reached the end of its useful life. Consistent with the deliverable outlined in the federal funding opportunity and as approved by the City Council on August 4, 2026, the LBPD will procure the IBIS® BrassTrax system to replace the legacy equipment and maintain its ballistic analysis capabilities.
The request to enter into a contract with Leads Online prior to receipt of the formal grant award is intended to avoid potential procurement and implementation delays. Increased demand and extended wait times are anticipated as NIBIN sites nationwide move forward with equipment modernization. Participating law enforcement agencies are therefore being encouraged to execute order documents in advance to minimize delays and secure timely delivery. To protect Police Department
400 West Broadway Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 570-7301
Honorable Mayor and City Council
October 6, 2026
the City, the agreement will specify that it is void if grant funds are not awarded or if the City elects not to accept the grant.
City Charter Section 1801 requires that contracts for City purchases be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder after a competitive bid process, but allows for awards without a competitive bid process when authorized by law and a Resolution adopted by the City Council. As this vendor is the sole source for this equipment, which is the only technology that meets the rigorous testing and security standards required for direct integration with NIBIN database for gun crime intelligence, a competitive procurement process for this equipment and the associated services be a waste of the City’s resources and would serve no useful purpose.
This matter was reviewed by Procurement Analyst Tommy Ryan on September 3, 2026, Budget Management Officer Nader Kaamoush on September 10, 2026, and by Deputy City Attorney Eliezer Ben-Shmuel on September 17, 2026.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action to adopt a Resolution and award a contract concurrently is requested on October 6, 2026, to ensure the contract is in place expeditiously.
LEVINE ACT
This item is subject to the Levine Act. The Mayor, Councilmembers, and Commissioners who have received a contribution of more than $500 within 12 months prior from a party, participant, or their representatives involved in this proceeding may do either of the following: (1) disclose the contribution on the record and recuse themselves from this proceeding; OR (2) return the portion of the contribution that exceeds $500 within 30 days from the time the elected official knew or should have known about the contribution and participate in the proceeding.
All parties, participants, and their representatives must disclose on the record of this proceeding any contribution of more than $500 made to the Mayor or any Councilmembers within 12 months prior to the date of the proceeding. The Mayor, Councilmembers, and Commissioners are prohibited from accepting, soliciting, or directing a contribution of more than $250 from a party, participant, or their representatives during a proceeding and for 12 months following the date a final decision is rendered.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total amount of the contract will not exceed $300,000 for a period of five years. Cost of this contract is anticipated to be offset through the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2026 National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Modernization Grant Program. Once awarded, the LBPD will come back to the City Council to request an appropriation increase to be budgeted in the General Grants Fund Group in the Police Department, offset by grant revenues. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
Honorable Mayor and City Council
October 6, 2026
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
Wally Hebeish
Chief of Police
Police Department
ATTACHMENT - Resolution