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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Police
Meeting Date: June 18, 2024
Report #:2406-3131
TITLE
Approval of (1) Professional Services Contract No. C24187724 with LensLock, Inc in Amount Not to Exceed $1,181,400 for Replacement of the Police Public Contact Audio/Video System for a Period of Five (5) Years; (2) Police Audio/Video Technology Surveillance Use Policy; and (3) Approve a Budget Amendment in the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund and Capital Improvement Fund (2/3 vote required); CEQA status – not a project
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council:
1) Approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Contact No.
C24187724 (Attachment A) with LensLock, Inc. (LensLock) to upgrade the police public contact audio/video system for a term of five (5) years and a total not-to-exceed $1,181,400, including $1,074,000 for basic services and $107,400 for additional services; and
2) Approve the LensLock audio/video system Surveillance Use Policy to enable the recording of police officer or community service officer contacts (Attachment B); and 3) Approve an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Appropriation (requires two- thirds approval by the City Council):
a) Supplemental Law Enforcement Services (SLES) Fund
i) Increasing the transfer to the Capital Improvement Fund by $11,397; ii) Decreasing fund balance by $11,397;
b) Capital Improvement Fund
i) Increasing the transfer in from the SLES Fund by $11,397; and ii) Increasing the expense appropriation for Department Technology Upgrades and Improvements Project (PD-20000) by $11,397.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Video technology has become instrumental in law enforcement training, evidence collection, and for officer safety, oversight, and accountability. The current technology is at end-of-life and the vendor has discontinued support. The Department released a Request for Proposal for an upgraded audio/video officer-initiated recording platform. The system will be used to document public contacts, to include, but not limited to traffic stops, parking enforcement, suspect interviews, witness interviews, victim interviews, and any other citizen contact in response to a call for service or when investigating criminal activity through user-activated audio and video recordings. Approval of the agreement, the surveillance use, and the budget amendment is required to continue the contract for services with a police audio/video recording platform service provider.
BACKGROUND
The Police Department (Department) has used enterprise recording technology with contacts for the last decade, both for body-worn and in-car audio/video equipment. It began as body-worn officer-initiated audio recording and, in 2013, advanced to include in-car video recording to supplement the body-worn audio. Operational policy was established, and current Public Safety Video Surveillance System policy can be found on the Department website 1. A few years later, body-worn video was included with the audio and since, the Department has had both officer- initiated body-worn and in-car audio/video recording. The technology has proven to be indispensable for police work. The hardware is owned by the City and many parts are at end-of- life. In 2023, the current vendor announced they were discontinuing support of the system.
Officer-initiated fixed audio/video has been in interview rooms and holding cells for decades.
These systems are distinct from the newer body-worn and in-car systems. The Department explored replacement of all three platforms: body-worn, in-car, and fixed interview audio/video recording systems to coordinate with the Public Safety Building implementation.
ANALYSIS
In recent years, high profile incidents throughout the country accentuated the need for transparency and accountability in policing. In many cases, the video has provided clear documentation of what occurred during incidents in the field. The video evidence has exonerated officers of false accusations, enhanced training and, in rare instances, provided the basis for corrective action.
The proposed five-year contract calls for LensLock to deliver and support ninety (90) body worn cameras, thirty-five (35) in-car systems, and fifteen (15) interview room systems. LensLock will complete the installation of the patrol-vehicle-mounted in-car systems using their network of 1 Palo Alto Police Department Policy Manual, May 1, 2024, policy 378 - Public Safety Video Surveillance System:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Police/Public-Information-Portal/Police-Policy-Manual 4 8
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national installers. Interview room systems will be installed by the general contractor as part of the construction of the Public Safety Building (PSB). Body worn cameras and in-car cameras will be replaced every thirty (30) months. Interview room cameras will be replaced every forty-two (42) months.
Procurement Process
Table #1: Summary of Request for Proposal Process
Request for Proposals Name/Number Police Mobile Video Services (RFP 187724) Total Days to Respond to RFP August 10 to September 18, 2023 (39 calendar days)
Pre-Proposal Meeting N/A
# of Company Attendees at Pre-
Proposal Meeting
N/A
# of Proposals Received Six
Proposal Price Range $565,000 - $924,420, (Five years)
On August 10, 2023, the Request for Proposal (RFP) was posted on the City’s eProcurement portal. Six proposals were received in response to the RFP. Police and Information Technology staff reviewed each firm’s qualifications and submittal in response to the criteria identified in the RFP.
The proposals were evaluated and determined to be responsive to the criteria identified in the RFP. LensLock was selected due to the quality of their services, the experience of their staff, and their ability to provide future services. Lenslock will own the hardware and software. The difference between the total dollar value of the RFP bids received, as noted in the above table, and the final contract are due to increases in unit quantities. The final quantity ordered did not impact the price per unit the vendors quoted for products and services. LensLock’s Software-as- a-Service (SaaS) platform provides a method of gathering, maintaining, and storing digital evidence., LensLock‘s Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) model allows for in-car and body worn camera systems to be replaced every thirty (30) months and interview room systems every forty-two (42) months. In addition, LensLock offers unlimited redaction by way of their Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) Level 4 certified employees.
The additional installation services offered by LensLock will include removal of existing in-car systems and rewiring the vehicle for LensLock’s system. The LensLock proposal best accomplishes the City’s needs as requested in the RFP and is reasonable for the scope of work 4 8
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requested. The recommended contract will implement a design-build, turnkey project which includes design, provision or all parts and equipment, and installation of the in-car video system. A contract contingency of $107,400 (which equals ten (10) percent of the total contract) is requested for related, additional but unforeseen work which may develop during the project.
An evaluation committee, comprised of city staff from the Police and Information Technology Departments, convened to review proposals and conduct interviews with the top three scoring firms. The committee reviewed the firm’s qualifications and submittal in response to the criteria outlined in the RFP, including work quality, the firm’s experience and effectiveness, quality and completeness of the proposal, prior performance, the firm’s financial stability and ability to provide services.
Surveillance Evaluation
(1) A description of the surveillance technology, including how it works and what information it captures;
The audio/video system will have a comprehensive enterprise Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) which is fully integrated with the in-car, interview, and body worn camera systems that capture audio and video. The system’s metadata will automatically flow into the evidence management application where video assets are verified as original or exact duplicates (non-edited data) and managed as evidence.
Global Positioning System (GPS) technology allows for an equipped device’s geographic location to be ascertained and tracked remotely. For the in-car and body worn camera systems, the device’s location metadata will help locate where the vehicle or officer was at a specific point in time when an incident occurs. This is critically important in forensic situations when the location of the vehicle or officer is in question.
(2) Information on the proposed purpose, use and benefits of the surveillance technology; Purpose: Across the nation, public outcry has demanded accountability for all levels of law enforcement. The implementation of in-car, body worn, and interview room systems, supports law enforcement agencies ability to provide that accountability. In-car, body worn, and interview room cameras are essential tools for fact-based evidence that provides total transparency for an officer’s actions in the line of duty. Accurate, transparent reporting of crime data and use of force incidents is an important way police agencies can build trust and confidence within the communities they serve.
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Benefits of Usage: The use of in-car, body worn, and interview room systems provides several potential benefits:
•Officer Safety: The traffic stop is the most common form of civilian interaction with the police. Using in-car and body worn cameras is a proven way to mitigate potential dangers. •Agency Liability and Internal Control: In-car, body worn, and interview room cameras are not only reactive tools that can expedite the internal investigative process and provide conclusive evidence of guilt or innocence, but they are also proactive in preventing misconducts as officers and citizens typically conduct themselves more professionally when being recorded.
•Training and Education: Not only are officers using in-car, body worn and interview room camera systems as an effective tool for self-critique, but they are also using them as training resources for new officers. New officers can review their actions with their training officers immediately after an event occurs and review any positive or negative police behavior depicted in the recording.
•Transparency and Community Perception: It is expected that all officers be equipped with body worn cameras, police vehicles be equipped with in-car cameras, and interview rooms be equipped with cameras. The public recognizes that these camera systems not only help prevent the abuse of authority, but they also serve as a valuable tool to ensure the integrity of the agency. This creates trust between the community and their local police department, as citizens often believe that if their officers are being filmed, they will not hide anything.
(3) The location or locations where the surveillance technology may be used; The technology will be used wherever officers and their vehicles are deployed. The technology will also be used in police facilities and interview rooms. (4) Existing federal, state and local laws and regulations applicable to the surveillance technology and the information it captures; the potential impacts on civil liberties and privacy; and proposals to mitigate and manage any impacts;
The technology is subject to Palo Alto Police Department Policy 446 (“Field Based Video Policy”), which regulates the use of this equipment. In addition, use of the recordings is subject to Constitutional and state law limits when used in criminal and civil matters. The recordings are also subject to public disclosure in some cases pursuant to the California Public Records Act, as amended by SB 1421 and SB 16.
The Constitution, state laws, City policy, and professional standards balance the use of this technology in terms of civil liberties and privacy. The combination of the surveillance policy and established PAPD policy ensure that the technology is only used for legitimate law-enforcement 4 8
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purposes. Use of this technology is ultimately subject to the judicial system, which works to ensure that the technology is used according to law.
(5) The costs for the surveillance technology, including acquisition, maintenance, personnel and other costs, and current or potential sources of funding.
Without additional services, the ongoing cost of the service will total $1,074,000 or $214,900 annually. The contract will come at a total cost of $1,181,400, including the additional services, if required. The funding for the contract is from the Capital Budget Project PD-20000 - Police Video Recording Systems Replacement.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The current revenue and expense budget in the FY 2025 Adopted Capital Budget for the Police Video Recording Systems Replacement project (PD-20000) is $203,503 for FY 2025. $214,900 is expected to be the system cost every year (before any additional services). The Department will use the current proposed funding and make up the difference with the request to transfer $11,397 from the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (commonly referred to as COPS) fund balance to the FY 2025 Capital Budget to fund year one of PD-20000.
Funding for the subsequent years of the contract is already established in the Capital Improvement Budget for Department Technology Upgrades. This funding was established for the current system. With this new purchase, additional funds of less than $20,000 each year will be requested in upcoming budget cycles as needed. This purchase is subscription-based.
Implementation is expecting in Fall of 2024. Ongoing costs are built into the subscription.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
This contract was reviewed and coordinated with internal departments including legal, procurement, and financial functions to ensure alignment with City policies and procedures.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
These services do not constitute a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act under regulation 15601(b)(3).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Contract with LensLock, Inc. C24187724
Attachment B: Surveillance Use Policy
APPROVED BY:
Andrew Binder, Police Chief