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Agenda Report
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May 19, 2025
TO: hlonorable Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Finance Committee (May 12, 2025)
FROM: Police Department
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE GRANT RELATED
DOCUMENTS FOR THE EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE
ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARD AND AMEND THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT'S FISCAL YEAR 2025 OPERATING BUDGET BY
RECOGNIZING REVENUE AND APPROPRIATING $34,390 IN GRANT
FUNDS
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the project proposed herein is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15061 (b)(3), the "Common Sense" exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that may have an effect on the environment;
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all grant-related documents pertaining to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) award in the amount of $34,390; and
3. Amend the Police Department's Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Operating Budget by recognizing revenue and appropriating $34,390 in the General Fund (101) as detailed in the Fiscal Impact Section of this report.
BACKGROUND:
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), for FY 2025, was accepting solicitation offers for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) award for a maximum of $34,390.
I
MEETING OF5/19/2025AGENDA ITEM NO.10
Recognition and Appropriation of Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Funds May 19,2025
Named after Edward "Eddie" R. Byrne, an officer in the New York City Police Department who was murdered while protecting a witness in a drug case, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program is the leading federal source of criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. Administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the JAG Program provides states, territories, tribes, and local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of programs. Some of these programs include, but are not limited to, crime prevention and programs that aid in investigations.
On October 22, 2024, the Pasadena Police Department (PPD) submitted an application requesting grant funding for $34,390 to lease automated license plate reader cameras (ALPR). It is a priority for the PPD to keep our residents safe. The intent is to use this equipment for crime prevention, crime deterrence, and assisting with investigations. It should be noted that this technology has been used by the City of Pasadena for approximately five years. These grant funds will be used to add additional ALPR cameras. PPD Criminal Investigations Division detectives requested adding ALPR cameras at the three following intersections based on the following factors: traffic flow, ingress and egress to the City, and crime statistics.
1) San Gabriel Blvd. / Colorado Blvd.
2) Los Robles Ave. / Orange Grove Blvd.
3) Altadena Blvd. / Foothill Blvd.
These cameras will be installed onto existing traffic light poles, and they will not be portable. These cameras will photograph the rear of vehicles as they are driving away from an intersection. These photographs will not be used for traffic enforcement and facial recognition. All data will be securely stored and not connected to registration data or 3rd party vendors (DMV, Transportation, Parking Enforcement). The PPD has a policy (#462) in place for the use ofALPR cameras and any new cameras installed and used with these grant funds will comply with the policy.
The PPD will utilize the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funds to lease ALPR cameras. Depending on the size of the intersection and the number of lanes in each direction would determine how many cameras are needed for each intersection.
Anywhere from 2 to 12 cameras are needed for an intersection to adequately cover all lanes of travel. The ALPR cameras have proven to be a valuable investigative tool and a great crime deterrent for the City of Pasadena. With the use of these grant funds, PPD hopes to lease 10 ALPR cameras.
PPD has received the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant on three prior occasions. In 2023, this grant was received in the amount of $43,334 to purchase a portable Simunitions structure for de-escalation training. This portable structure was purchased and received on April 1, 2025 and has not been used as of yet.
Recognition and Appropriation of Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Funds May 19,2025
In 2023, the Pasadena Police Department received the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant in the amount of $40,233. With this grant, concealable audio recording devices were purchased for the Robbery Homicide Division. Additionally, a device known as a Throw phone' was purchased for the Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT). This equipment can be deployed by CNT during barricaded suspect situations to establish communication with the suspect. This device was received approximately a year ago and has not been used as of yet.
In 2022, the Pasadena Police Department received the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant in the amount of $43,434. These funds were used to purchase an x- ray machine to search for narcotics in hidden compartments of vehicles. This machine has been used approximately 12 times and enabled the seizure of $221,601 in drug proceeds. The x-ray machine was also deployed for a homicide to search for a gun in a hidden compartment. 19 Fentanyl test kits were also purchased from these grant proceeds.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
The proposed action is consistent with the City Council's Strategic Plan Goals to ensure public safety. The Bureau of Justice Assistance ("BJA") recognizes that many state and local criminal justice systems currently face challenging fiscal environments. A cost- effective way to relieve those pressures is to share or leverage resources through cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The proposed execution of grant documents has been determined to be exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section15061 (b)(3), the "Common Sense" exemption that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.
Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Such is the case with the proposed grant from the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant.
Recognition and Appropriation of Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Funds May 19,2025
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will amend the Police Department's FY 2025 Operating Budget by recognizing revenue and appropriating $34,390 in the General Fund (101). Funding from the Department of Justice will be used to lease 10ALPR cameras. There are no anticipated indirect or support costs such as maintenance and IT support. The lease of these cameras will include all installation and other indirect costs.
Respectfully Submitted,
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EU&ENE HARRfS
Chief of Police I
Prepared by:
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'Sam De S^lva
Lieutenant
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Approved by:
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MIGUEHVIARQUEZ
City Manager