CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: May 21, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Bill Gallardo, Interim City Manager;
Darren Goodman, Chief of Police
Department: Police
Subject: Adopt Resolution No. 2025-296 Authorizing the
Acceptance, Obligation, and Expenditure of Allocated
Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) Funds in the
Amount of $678,501.23 (All Wards)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2025-296:
1. Authorizing the acceptance of the full FY 2024/25 Citizens' Option for Public Safety (COPS) funds in the amount of $678,501.23, authorizing the Director of Finance and Management Services to amend the FY 2024/25 Operating Budget accordingly; and
2. Authorizing the Police Department to encumber and expend the allocated Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) funds for FY 2024/25.
Executive Summary
The Police Department requests obligation and expenditure of FY 2024/25 Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) funds to purchase police fleet vehicles, vehicle upfitting equipment and equipment for the Department‘s Real-Time Information Center (RTIC). The Department will follow all established purchasing procedures and return to the Council for approval as required.
Background
The Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) program (AB 3229) provides funding exclusively to support front-line law enforcement. The money must supplement existing services and be used in accordance with written request by the Chief of Police or Chief Administrator of the law enforcement agency that provides services for the City. The City originally anticipated $630,000 of COPS funding for fiscal year 24/25, as included in the adopted budget. The actual allocation for the fiscal year is $678,501.23. The funds must be expended or encumbered by June 30, 2025.
Discussion
After assessing operational needs, the Department believes investing the grant funds into the police fleet will provide the greatest benefit to front-line law enforcement services.
The majority of the funds will be utilized to purchase both marked and unmarked police vehicles. Having a fully functional fleet is critical for day-to-day call response.
As staffing numbers increase, so does the number of vehicles needed to be at the ready to respond to calls. The current police fleet consists of approximately 100 marked units. At any given time, however, approximately 25-35% may be unavailable for use due to regular maintenance or repair. The remaining number of cars are sufficient for daily use by patrol staff, but increasing the total number of available cars and/or replacing older vehicles would ensure adequate resources are available during large scale deployments or emergency situations. In addition, many unmarked vehicles used by department personnel for utility or non-emergency response are nearing the end of their duty cycles and may need to be replaced if their repair costs exceed the value of the vehicle.
The equipment necessary to upfit the vehicles will also be purchased with these grant funds. After vehicles are purchased from the dealer, they must be retrofitted by an approved vendor for official use. Marked patrol units require radios and computers be installed in addition to the light and siren package. Unmarked vehicles are upfitted with covert light and siren systems before being customized for their specific use.
These customizations may include but are not limited to hydraulic tailgates for lifting heavy loads, armor reinforced body panels, additional batteries, all-terrain tires, winches, specialty lighting equipment and toolboxes.
In addition to the fleet purchases and upfitting costs, a portion of the grant funds will also be allocated toward supporting the Department’s Real-Time Information Center (RTIC). The RTIC plays a critical role in assisting frontline officers by providing real- time data analysis, intelligence gathering, and situational awareness during critical incidents and daily operations. Enhancing this center will improve the Department’s ability to coordinate resources, monitor emerging threats, and deliver timely information to officers in the field, ultimately strengthening public safety and response capabilities.
The Department will follow the appropriate purchasing procedures. All items that require further authorization will be returned to the council for approval. 2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
The request to encumber the COPS funds aligns with Key Target No. 2b: Focused Aligned Leadership & Unified Community — by investing in resources, technology, and tools to continually improve operational efficiency and effectiveness, and 3c:
Improved Quality of Life - enhance the quality of public safety services.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund. Revenues and expenditures will be amended in the FY 2024/25 Operating Budget by $48,501.23.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2025-296:
1. Authorizing the acceptance of the full FY 2024/25 Citizens' Option for Public Safety (COPS) funds in the amount of $678,501.23, authorizing the Director of Finance and Management Services to amend the FY 2024/25 Operating Budget accordingly; and
2. Authorizing the Police Department to encumber and expend the allocated Citizens’ Option for Public Safety (COPS) funds for FY 2024/25.
Attachments
Attachment 1 - Resolution No. 2025-296
Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
June 26, 2024Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution 2024-142 approving the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Operating Budget including projected COPS funds.
June 5, 2024Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution 2024-134 accepting and allocating COPS 23/24 funds.
June 21, 2023 Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution 2023-080 approving the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Operating Budget including projected COPS funds.