November 28, 2023
Police Department
DATE: November 28, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Bisa French, Chief of Police
Subject:
Proposed Contract with International Business
Information Technologies, Inc., d.b.a. LEFTA Systems.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed expenditure of $8,000 is budgeted in the Police Department’s approved budget for Fiscal Year
2023-2024 and staff will budget appropriately in the
subsequent budget periods – account string 01191021-
400209.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
n/a
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Richmond Police Department (RPD) staff must submit
training files and records to the Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) to ensure officers meet minimum
standards. Maintaining paper records and mailing in
submissions can be problematic if lost or misplaced. RPD staff is seeking approval of a contract to allow for an electronic file storage and submission service.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a three-year contract with International
Business Information Technologies, Inc., d.b.a. LEFTA
Systems, in an amount not to exceed $25,000, including
a $1,000 contingency, for software that will store, track, and submit paperwork to Police Officer Standards and
Training (POST), for the contract term November 28,
2023 through November 27, 2026 – Police Department
(Chief Bisa French 510-621-1802).
AGENDA
REPORT
November 28, 2023
DISCUSSION:
Officers throughout California are required to complete training in order to comply with the State of California Commission on Police Officer’s Standards and Training (POST).
In order to comply officers must complete their training on time and submit the required paperwork prior to POST. Police Department staff have relied on paper files and a physical filing system to track all sworn, and some non-sworn (i.e., dispatch, records) positions. Additionally, tracking is very difficult and on a user basis varies between excel, paper checklists, and various other documents and styles – there is no central repository available to collect all the information in a clean and concise manner. In the current process, training requests, files, and certificates of completion can get lost.
Richmond Police Department staff issued a Request for Proposals on July 27, 2023, to solicit bids for software that will maintain electronic filing and submission to Police Officer Standards and Training (POST). The bidding process closed August 10, 2023, with four qualified bidders: 3AM, International Business Information Technologies, Inc., d.b.a. LEFTA Systems, Benchmark Analytics, and Treinetic. Scoring was based upon vendor background and cost, weighted 70 percent and 30 percent, respectively.
International Business Information Technologies, Inc., d.b.a. LEFTA Systems was the highest scoring choice for both items and will meet the needs of staff and the requirements of POST.
The Field Training Officer (FTO) and Managing Employee Training Records (METR) software by International Business Information Technologies, Inc., d.b.a. LEFTA Systems, “LEFTA”, will eliminate the need for department staff to store paper files and will be able to automate and accurately store all training files. LEFTA will create a central electronic repository of training information for more accurate tracking and reporting. In addition, LEFTA can electronically track a trainee’s field training process so the training notes can be viewed by all necessary training officers and the Personnel and Training Unit. Currently, the Training Officer must fill out an evaluation form that has to be emailed, which is not very efficient and can lead to problems tracking the changes.
Department staff believes LEFTA will improve operational efficiency, support officer well-being, reduce liability for officers and the department, improve public safety, build trust and transparency, will allow department staff to stay ahead of Federal reform. In addition, department staff also believes that LEFTA’s electronic training will save thousands of dollars in paper, printing, and mailing expenses during the contract term.
In an effort to reduce errors, add automated features such as training reminders, due dates, etc., and cut back on overall expenses related to filing, printing, and submission, department staff is requesting a contract approval for an annual expense of $8,000 per year, plus a $1,000 contingency to accommodate any necessary changes, for a total contract amount of $25,000 over the three-year period.
November 28, 2023
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Standard Contract
Attachment 2 – Request For Proposals
Attachment 3 – Approved IT Authorization