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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 11c - Budget Appropriation for the Purchase of Police Safety EquipmentDATE: October 18, 2022 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Roy Nakamura, Chief of Police By: Amber Abeyta, Management Analyst SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7466 AMENDING FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 GENERAL FUND, AUTHORIZING A BUDGET APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF RIFLE RATED BALLISTIC SHIELDS AND KINETIC BREACHING TOOL KITS IN THE AMOUNT OF $57,750, OFFSET BY A REDUCTION IN THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE; AND APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF THE KINETIC BREACHING TOOL KITS THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES' CALIFORNIA 1122 PROGRAM IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $32,490 Recommendation: Adopt and Approve SUMMARY In response to learning lessons from an after-action analysis and report stemming from a recent officer-involved shooting incident, the Police Department is requesting to purchase equipment for safer responses to similar incidents in the future. It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7466 amending Fiscal Year 2022-23 General Fund, authorizing a budget appropriation for the purchase of rifle rated ballistic shields and kinetic breaching tool kits in the amount of $57,750, offset by a reduction in the General Fund Reserve; and approving the purchase of the kinetic breaching tool kits through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services’ California 1122 Program in an amount not to exceed $32,490. BACKGROUND The Police Department recently experienced an active shooter incident that resulted in the injury of a Police Officer and civilians. This incident and the increase of gun violence nationwide prompted the Department to evaluate certain safety equipment for possible upgrades. It was determined that, although the Department’s safety equipment meets the basic industry standards of protection, there is better-quality safety equipment available that will provide Officers and citizens with enhanced protection and safety. Safety Equipment Purchase October 18, 2022 Page 2 of 4 The safety equipment evaluated included ballistic shields. Ballistic shields are most frequently deployed on calls involving building searches, shots-fired investigations, armed subjects, and other patrol calls. Making ballistic shields available to patrol officers creates a much safer working environment for those Officers and civilians. The Department’s current ballistic shields that are used at the patrol level provide the basic level of protection. However, there are some safety concerns with the current ballistic shields. For example, the level of ballistic protection will not stop a rifle round from piercing through the shield. In addition, the current ballistic shields provide limited coverage above the neckline; however, the are other ballistic shields that provide fuller coverage. The other safety equipment evaluated was breaching equipment. Breaching equipment tools are designed to provide law enforcement with rapid entry into a building or through a secured doorway. These tools may be mechanical in nature (a battering ram), ballistic (slugs), or explosive. Currently, the Department utilizes two breaching tools: a pry tool (“pick”) and a battering ram (“ram”). This has been the standard breaching equipment for many years. This equipment is effective; however, it can be time consuming if Officers encounter a heavily fortified door. Furthermore, a standard pick and ram are inadequate when dealing with metal commercial doors, the same type Officers commonly encounter in school settings. DISCUSSION The Police Department researched the type of safety equipment that is utilized by other law enforcement agencies to determine what options are available to provide essential protection for Officers and the public. The Los Angeles Police Department (“LAPD”) and the Santa Ana Police Department (“SAPD”) in Orange County were considered for ballistic shields. These agencies were chosen because of their size and frequent use of ballistic shields in patrol settings. It was discovered that these agencies use rifle caliber ammunition rated shields. These shields are deployed in patrol settings to ensure officers have the highest level of protection possible. However, in some situations these shields are not being deployed in every patrol unit, but in supervisor vehicles due to the cost of the shield. The best shield currently being offered is the Paracelete/Point Blank Vanguard Level III Shield with a ballistic viewport. Some of the benefits of this shield are as follows:  Offers super ballistic protection for the Officer holding the shield  Measures 20” wide by 30” long and weighs only 16.1 pounds, making it comfortable for Officers smaller in stature  Viewport allows the Officer holding the shield to keep their head behind cover while still being able to see where they are navigating In addition, LAPD recently purchased 150 of these shields and SAPD purchased shields to deploy in their supervisor’s vehicles. Based on this information, the Department would like to purchase three Parcelete/Point Blank Vanguard Level III Shields with a ballistic viewport. One shield will be provided to the Department’s SWAT Team and the other two Safety Equipment Purchase October 18, 2022 Page 3 of 4 shields will be outfitted in two supervisor patrol vehicles. The total cost including sales tax for all three shields is $25,243.94. Since the total cost is under $30,000 the purchase only requires a Small/Informal Bid process and does not require City Council’s approval. Next, the Department researched upgrading breaching equipment. The breaching equipment that is being considered is the Kinetic Breaching Tool (“KBT”). This tool provides a piece of breaching equipment that greatly speeds up the breaching process and can be utilized on almost any type of door or door frame. This tool is deployed with agencies throughout the nation. Locally, the Glendale Police Department has these tools stored in various vehicles for use by patrol officers. Having a tool like this accessible to officers and supervisors that arrive first on scene to a dynamic situation can make a huge difference in ensuring the safety of citizens. Some of the benefits of this tool are as follows:  Can be faster and safer than traditional breaching methods  No explosive team or complicated breaching set-up required  Is operated by just one Officer  Fits tight quarters – the KBT is 36” with no backswing required  Ergonomic design enables Officers to maintain tight formation behind cover during the breaching process  High impact – delivers up to 1,000 ft./lbs. of force  Control breaching technique with customizable loads and rams  Rapid cartridge reload enables multiple assaults Furthermore, the Department’s SWAT team witnessed a demonstration involving this tool and can attest to its effectiveness and functionality. The Department would like to purchase three KBT kits. Two of the tools will be placed in the Field Supervisor’s patrol units and one will be given to the SWAT Team. The total cost for the three KBT kits is $32,487.38, which includes $570 for freight and $2,967.38 for sales tax. The Department would like to purchase the KBT kits through the California 1122 Public Safety Procurement Program (“1122 Program”), which is led by Cal OES. This is the program that was recently utilized to purchase the Armored Rescue Vehicle. This program provides the authority for State and local government entities to purchase equipment from specific Federal sources, resulting in significant cost savings estimated to be 50-85%. The 1122 Program establishes sources for non-IT commodities that have been competitively assessed, negotiated, or bid by the Federal General Services Administration (“GSA”). The advantage of utilizing the 1122 Program is it provides the City access to the Federal Government’s large purchasing power, which generally means bigger discounts than otherwise would be available to the City. In addition, the Department is certified to participate in the 1122 Program. For the purchase of the KBT kit, the Police Department has inquired with Aardvark, a 1122 Program vendor and the sole source distributor for Kinetic Breaching Technology, Safety Equipment Purchase October 18, 2022 Page 4 of 4 LLC who manufactures the KBT kits. In addition, Aardvark is authorized through the GSA schedule to represent and quote KBT kits and on behalf of Kinetic Breaching Technology, LLC. Therefore, the Department would like to purchase the KBT kits from Aardvark utilizing the 1122 Program which will satisfy the City’s purchasing requirement. It should be noted that the purchase of the Kinetic Breaching equipment is also made in compliance with City Ordinance No. 2387, Military Equipment Use Policy adopted pursuant to Assembly Bill 481. The KBT kits will be added to the Military Equipment Use Policy inventory list, which is published on the City’s website. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), based on Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, as it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA. FISCAL IMPACT The one-time expenditure of approximately $57,750 was not budgeted as part of the General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23; therefore, a budget appropriation from the General Fund Reserve balance in the amount of $57,750 is requested for the purchase of the three-rifle rated ballistic shields and three-Kinetic Breaching Tool kits. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a project and is, therefore, exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and adopt Resolution No. 7466 amending Fiscal Year 2022-23 General Fund, authorizing a budget appropriation for the purchase of rifle rated ballistic shields and Kinetic Breaching Tool kits in the amount of $57,750, offset by a reduction in the General Fund Reserve; and approving the purchase of the Kinetic Breaching Tool kits through the Governor's Office of Emergency Services' California 1122 Program in an amount not to exceed $32,490. Attachment: Resolution No. 7466