Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Darren Allison,
City Administrator Interim Chief of
Police
SUBJECT: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer
Contract
DATE: October 30, 2023
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1) Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into A Three Year Contract With Forensic Logic, LLC, For The Period Of July 1, 2023 Through June 30, 2026, For Two Hundred And Seventy-Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($272,500) For The First Year, And Two Hundred Sixty-Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($262,500) Per Year For Years Two And Three, For A Total Contract Of Seven Hundred Ninety-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($797,500), For Access To The Forensic Logic Search And Analytics System And Related Network, Licensing, Technical Support, And Consulting Services; And
2) Waiving The City’s Advertising/ Bidding And Request For Proposal Requirements For The Proposed Purchase.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The proposed resolution will allow the Oakland Police Department (OPD) to enter a three- year contract with Forensic Logic, LLC, for the continued use of the proprietary search system known as CrimeTracer (formerly known as CopLink or LEAP). The system connects critical OPD data systems and other local police agencies regionally and nationally. OPD officers have relied on this system since 2009 to quickly and effectively search for information related to suspects in real-time investigations – this report provides several examples of the ways that officers and investigators use Forensic Logic CrimeTracer regularly to solve violent crimes that occur in the City by quickly connecting otherwise unknown data links. Forensic Logic has also created a process that allows for the efficient production of weekly crime reports; these reports are used regularly by the City Council, Office of the Mayor, and numerous neighborhood public safety groups. The Forensic Logic, LLC contract also provides various technical assistance to OPD. OPD recommends that the Oct 30, 2023
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 2
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
City waive the competitive bidding requirements now, as with past contracts with Forensic Logic over the last 11 years, because CrimeTracer is a unique system and constitutes the largest warehouse of local and state law enforcement data nationally.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Modern law enforcement agencies such as OPD need continuous access to various forms of crime data and data analysis tools to investigate and solve criminal cases. Forensic Logic has supplied OPD with a variety of data tools since 2009, which have significantly aided OPD’s crime-fighting efforts. Forensic Logic, LLC is a technology company that created a Software as a Service (SaaS) search engine that combines criminal justice information from various law enforcement systems owned and operated by agencies throughout the United States. Forensic Logic maintains a massive and secure data warehouse within the Microsoft Azure Government Cloud. The technology allows for the incorporation and integration of disparate data sets from OPD and other local, regional, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Core datasets include computer-aided dispatch (CAD) / record management system (RMS) crime incident data, as well as county arrest, booking, and jail records from several thousand law enforcement agencies across the United States.
Legislative History
• On April 11, 2012, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 83819 C.M.S ., which
authorized: 1) a two-year contract with Forensic Logic, Inc., for the initial purchase of their LEAP Crime Analysis System, in an amount not to exceed $195,000; and 2) the waiving of the City’s Request for Proposal/Qualifications (RFP/Q) requirements; • On July 1, 2014, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 85082 C.M.S., which authorized: 1) a two-year contract extension with Forensic Logic, Inc., for the continued use of the LEAP Crime Analysis System, in an amount not to exceed $309,605; and 2) the waiving of the City’s RFP/Q requirements;
• On July 5, 2016, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 86270 C.M.S., which authorized: 1) a one-year contract extension with Forensic Logic, Inc., for the period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, in the amount of Two Hundred and Twenty-Four Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy-Five Dollars ($224,375), for the continued use of the LEAP Crime Analysis System; and 2) the waiving of the City’s RFP/Q requirements;
• On June 20, 2017, the City Council Adopted Resolution No. 86801 C.M.S., which authorized a contract with Forensic Logic, Inc. for the period of July 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017, in an amount not to exceed one hundred twelve thousand one hundred eighty-eight dollars ($112,188), for the use of their LEAP Network suite of crime analysis applications, licensing, technical support, and consulting services; and 2) waiving the City's advertising/ bidding and request for proposal requirements for the proposed purchases;
• On December 18, 2017, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 87002 C.M.S., which authorized a contract with Forensic Logic, Inc. for the period of January 1, 2018, through June 30, 2018, for a total not to exceed ninety-four thousand five hundred dollars ($94,500), for the continued use of the LEAP crime analysis system; and 2) the waiving of the city’s RFP/Q requirements;
• On May 15, 2018, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 87193 C.M.S., which authorized a contract with Forensic Logic, Inc. for the period of July 1, 2018, through Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 3
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
June 30, 2020, for a total not to exceed $326,000, for the continued use of the LEAP crime analysis system; and 2) the waiving of the City’s RFP/Q requirements. • On December 1, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 88421 C.M.S., which authorized a contract with Forensic Logic, Inc. for the period of July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2023, for a total not to exceed $704,000, for the continued use of the LEAP crime analysis system; and2) the waiving of the City’s RFP/Q requirements. • Forensic Logic, LLC purchased both Forensic Logic, Inc. and CopLink from IBM and combined the LEAP crime analysis system with CopLink to create CrimeTracer. • In January 2021, ShotSpotter, Inc. acquired Forensic Logic, LLC, and in April 2022, ShotSpotter, Inc. was rebranded and changed its name to SoundThinking, Inc.
However, Forensic Logic, LLC remains a valid entity as Forensic Logic, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of SoundThinking, Inc. (see Attachment A for Service Agreement).
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
This policy action supports the citywide priority of responsive, trustworthy government as effective crime analysis supports investigations and helps to solve crimes. The weekly crime report is also published on the OPD website so residents can stay regularly informed about Oakland’s Part I crime statistics.
Part I: Forensic Logic CrimeTracer (Formerly Forensic Logic CopLink) Value for Law Enforcement
Forensic Logic Crime Tracer provides three core services for OPD: 1) crime report production, 2) technical assistance, and 3) search.
Crime Report Production
Forensic Logic has built a process that allows OPD crime analysts to produce various crime reports, such as point-in-time, year-to-date, and year-to-year comparisons. The process takes thousands of penal code types and organizes the data in a comprehensive manner to tabulate data into standard Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Universal Crime Reporting Part One and Part Two crimes and will accommodate the updated FBI National-Incident- Based-Reporting-System (NIBRS) reporting now mandated by the FBI once data is captured and implemented by OPD in their Records Management System.
The OPD Crime Analysis Section housed in CID uses Forensic Logic’s tools to produce weekly crime reports. These reports provide useful information about crime trends in easily consumable formats (year-to-date and year-to-year comparisons). The reports highlight key crime types, such as robberies and burglaries. The reports break down citywide crime and into the six police areas. Quarterly crime reports are used for reports to the City Council.
These reports are also used by Community Resource Officers (CROs) to present crime updates to Neighborhood Councils throughout the City. The technology allows for a streamlined process that would take OPD’s Crime Analysis Unit days or weeks of additional time to compile the reports using only OPD-owned technology.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 4
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
For example, the 2022 Annual Crime Report (Figure 1 below) was produced by the OPD Crime Analysis Section with the assistance of the Forensic Logic process. The report provides data on Type 1 crimes occurring in Oakland during 2022 contrasted with the four prior years.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 5
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
Figure 1 OPD Crime Report 2022
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 6
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
Technical Assistance
OPD has, in the past, solicited Forensic Logic for technical expertise to integrate and tabulate data such as from OPD Field Based Reporting systems to analyze stop data. Forensic Logic has also assisted OPD with the following projects over the past few years:
a. The development of the first OPD CompStat1 weekly review using both interactive Google Earth maps and detailed Area maps and reports;
b. The development of the first Stop Data search and analysis system employed by the Federal Monitors and used successfully by OPD to achieve many of the criteria required of Task 34 of the OPD Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA). c. The evaluation and analysis of OPD’s reporting to the FBI of monthly UCR reports to confirm that incidents were reported correctly and in a timely manner and d. The recovery of the Forensic Logic system due to Records Management System interruptions likely caused by the Motorola LRMS system being declared out-of-support by Motorola, the RMS’ vendor.
e. The recovery of the Forensic Logic system after the city of Oakland was attacked by ransomware.
CrimeTracer
Data sharing of local law enforcement data collected from many agencies accrues benefits in combatting many types of crime, such as homicides and robberies. The collection of crime data also aids in combatting multi-jurisdictional crime, including human trafficking, motor vehicle theft, and violent crime, where criminal networks use firearms in the commission of crimes across geographies patrolled by multiple law enforcement agencies.
Attachment B, Forensic Logic CopLink System – 2022 Annual Report, provides tables that showcase how OPD officers use data and examples where CopLink provided valuable investigatory information. Attachment B also lists data on actual OPD CopLink search usage (unique searches by month, number of searches per officer per month).
OPD relies upon Forensic Logic’s CrimeTracer tool for daily investigative operations. The Forensic Logic data repository is the largest custodian of state and local law enforcement data in the country. OPD patrol officers and officers assigned to crime reduction teams and Ceasefire need real-time information on specific criminal investigations. Forensic Logic’s CrimeTracer provides these officers with an unparalleled tool because only in CrimeTracer can officers find a wealth of state, regional, and local information.
Search queries can include partial license plates, nicknames, person descriptions, and location information. CrimeTracer also integrates with numerous OPD data systems, including CAD / RMS, the ShotSpotter System for locating locations of gunshots, and the Field Based Reporting (FBR) module.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 7
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
Many local, regional, state, and federal law enforcement agencies use CrimeTracer, including those of the cities of Berkeley, Hayward, San Leandro, San Francisco, Fremont, Tracy, San Jose, Alameda, and Alameda County Sheriff, as well as Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). The CrimeTracer system connects data sources from various police agencies into one data repository with quick and useful search functions. Officers would need to spend days each time they had information requests if they had to individually contact different police agencies for specific information queries. Watch commanders often expect officers to conduct initial search queries based upon initial information before the commanders arrive on the scene – CrimeTracer searches have become an integral part of field officers’ standard operating procedures.
CrimeTracer: Critical Tool for Crime Investigations
Criminal Investigation Division (CID) investigators use CrimeTracer daily and run most of their cases through the search portal to look for suspects or any leads. The following examples highlight some of the many ways CrimeTracer is used many times every day by CID investigators, patrol officers, and officers assigned to special units:
Armed Robbery Series Targeting Construction Workers and Their Tools Starting in July 2022, multiple suspects were involved in an armed robbery series where the targeted victims were construction workers and their power tools. During the investigation, the assigned Robbery Unit investigator identified one suspect. The investigator conducted a LEAP/CopLink search of the suspect’s name, and several crime reports/field contact reports were located showing the suspect’s previous contacts. The suspect was listed in an Oakland Police crime report as a shooting victim in 2021. A cell phone number for the then shooting victim (suspect) was listed in the crime report. A separate field contact report for the suspect listed the same cell phone number. The investigator obtained a cell phone ping warrant for the listed cell phone number associated with the suspect. The information gleaned from the cell phone ping warrant assisted in tracking the suspect and placing him on the scene of two of the robberies.
There was an identified vehicle used by the suspects in their robberies. The investigator conducted a LEAP/CopLink search on the vehicle’s license plate and discovered it was associated with another suspect based on a stop data information in LEAP/CopLink. The investigator consequently connected this suspect to the suspect vehicle and one of the robbery incidents.
Home Invasion Robbery
In February 2022, three suspects committed a home invasion armed robbery. The suspects forced entry into a home, assaulted a victim, and stole property and cash. The case was assigned to a Robbery Investigator. During the investigation, one suspect (S-1) was identified by name. The investigator conducted a LEAP/CopLink search on the suspect, which revealed several field contact reports where the suspect (S-1) was associated with a male subject who matched the description of one of the other suspects (S-3) provided by the victim. The investigator conducted a LEAP/CopLink search on S-3, which revealed several recent contacts throughout Alameda County where he was in a vehicle; the vehicle noted in these contacts matched the suspect vehicle that was Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 8
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
observed on surveillance cameras at the time the home invasion robbery occurred. The victim subsequently identified S-1 and S3 in a photo lineup. The investigator obtained arrest warrants for S-1 and S-3, and they were taken into custody.
Armed Robbery
In December 2022, three suspects committed an armed robbery of two victims. The case was assigned to a Robbery Investigator. During the investigation, it was discovered that a credit card belonging to one of the victims was used at a liquor store in Oakland. The investigator reviewed surveillance video from the liquor store capturing the date/time the stolen credit card was used. From the liquor store surveillance video, the investigator observed subjects using the stolen credit card and entering a vehicle. The investigator conducted a LEAP/CopLink search on the vehicle, which led to the identification of one of the suspects. The LEAP/CopLink search provided information on the registered owner of the vehicle in addition to who was previously contacted operating the vehicle. Based on previous contact information involving the vehicle, the investigator connected one of those individuals as being one of the suspects involved in the robbery. The investigator subsequently obtained an arrest warrant for this suspect.
Regional Intersectionality and Cross-Jurisdictional Collaboration
Unlike in prior years, due to the increase in data records to more than one billion residing in the CrimeTracer data store, it is not possible to report on (i) the number of officers in agencies outside of the Oakland Police Department who may have viewed OPD records, nor (ii) the number of records submitted by non-OPD agencies that OPD officers may have viewed during their information search activities.
However, the following facts illustrate the wide use of the CrimeTracer product using the previous LEAP user interface in 2022.
• Oakland Police Department officers conducted 338,386 searches in calendar year 2022 • Alameda County District Attorney’s office conducted 58,845 searches in calendar year 2022
• Alameda County Sheriff’s Office conducted 46,549 searches in calendar year 2022 • Sunnyvale PD conducted 27,399 searches in the calendar year 2022 • San Francisco PD conducted 24,586 searches in the calendar year 2022 • Santa Clara Sheriff's Office conducted 22,225 searches in the calendar year 2022 • San Jose PD conducted 22,089 searches in the calendar year 2022 • Berkeley PD conducted 18,779 searches in the calendar year 2022 • Federal Agencies (FBI, USMS, and ATF) conducted 13,178 searches in the calendar year 2022
Waiver of the City’s Competitive Bidding Process For A New OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 9
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
Forensic Logic has been providing consulting and technical services to the City of Oakland since 2009, including but not limited to access to their “Law Enforcement Analysis Portal,” more commonly known as “LEAP” (later known as CopLink Search and now known as CrimeTracer). Forensic Logic, LLC purchased “CopLink,” a public safety information sharing platform formerly owned by IBM, and has since integrated LEAP with CopLink into a merged system rebranded as “CrimeTracer.” The legislative history section earlier in this report outlines the twelve-year history of OPD-Forensic Logic Contracts, each with a connected waiver of the City’s competitive bidding requirements. OMC Section 2.04.051.B. permits the City Council to waive the request for proposal/qualifications (RFP/Q) requirements upon a finding that it is in the best interest of the City to do so. Staff recommends that it is in the best interests of the City to waive the RFP/Q process because Forensic Logic, LLC is the sole developer and operator of the Forensic Logic CrimeTracer System. which offers a unique form of critical data analysis to OPD – staff would also have to undertake significant organization and technical changes to change crime report support providers.
FISCAL IMPACT
Table 1 below details the costs of the crime analysis software staff recommendation. No additional funds are required for this contract. $188,006 in funds are available in OPD’s General-Purpose Fund (1010) to pay for the first year of a proposed three-year contract (July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024). OPD will identify funds of $456,700 for contract years two and three (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2026) in the next biannual budget.
Table 1: Forensic Logic, Inc. CopLink Cost: July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2026 Year 1 Cost (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024) $272,500
Year 2 Cost (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025) $262,500
Year 3 Cost (July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026) $262,500
Total $797,500
Funds will be allocated from the General-Purpose Fund (1010), Information Technology Unit Org. (106410), Contract Services Account (54919), Administrative Project (TBD), Agency- wide Administrative Program (TBD).
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No outreach was deemed necessary for the proposed policy action beyond the standard City Council agenda noticing procedures.
COORDINATION
OPD presented its annual report on July 6, 2023, and it was approved by Privacy Advisory Commission.
The Budget Bureau and the Office of the City Attorney were consulted on the development of this report and accompanying resolution.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 10
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: The City of Oakland can more readily attract economic activity in a safer city.
Crime analysis software and technology help OPD to fight crime and make the City more attractive for economic activity.
Environmental: There are no environmental issues associated with this report.
Race and Equity: All Oakland residents and visitors benefit from better crime analysis that leads to reduced crime levels, particularly in communities that face greater exposure to violent crime.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1) Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into A Three Year Contract With Forensic Logic, LLC, For The Period Of July 1, 2023 Through June 30, 2026, For Two Hundred And Seventy- Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($272,500) For The First Year, And Two Hundred Sixty- Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($262,500) Per Year For Years Two And Three, For A Total Contract Of Seven Hundred Ninety-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($797,500), For Access To The Forensic Logic Search And Analytics System And Related Network, Licensing, Technical Support, And Consulting Services; And 2) Waiving The City’s Advertising/ Bidding And Request For Proposal Requirements For The Proposed Purchase.
For questions concerning this report, please contact David Elzey, Acting Deputy Chief, OPD, Bureau of investigation, at [email protected]
.
Reviewed by:
David Elzey, A/Deputy Chief
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: OPD Forensic Logic CrimeTracer Contract
Date: October 30, 2023 Page 11
Public Safety Committee
November 14, 2023
OPD, Bureau of Investigations
Seth Neri, Lieutenant
OPD, CID
Prepared by:
Tracey Jones, Police Services Manager,
OPD, Research and Planning Unit
Attachments (2):
(A): Forensic Logic Subscription Services Agreement
(B) Forensic Logic Annual Report