Title
Appropriation of Unobligated Fund Balance of the Gainesville Police Department’s State Law Enforcement Contraband Forfeiture Trust Fund (NB)
This item requests that the City Commission approve the appropriation of $30,000.00 of unobligated fund balance in the Gainesville Police Department’s Florida Law Enforcement Contraband Forfeiture Trust Fund for use of authorized crime prevention programs, or for other law enforcement purposes providing additional equipment.
Explanation
The City of Gainesville/Alachua County Drug Task Force receives Federal and State forfeiture funds through seizures while conducting undercover narcotic details or while working overtime detail on the Problem Oriented Policing (POP) grant. Seizures received while funded under the POP grant are considered Project Generated Income (PGI) and once cleared through the Courts must also meet the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Financial Guide requirements. Both Federal and State Law Enforcement Contraband Forfeiture Trust requirements and the Problem Oriented Policing grant (POP) set specific guidelines as to the spending of the Federal and State Forfeiture funds.
To further increase homeland security and officer safety, certain projects/programs, equipment and training funded through federal or state forfeiture funds should have more conservative disclosure requirements. Therefore, the process for how forfeiture funds are appropriated should continue as in the past to request a lump sum without a specific detailed budget.
Once the proceeds are deposited in a State or Federal Law Enforcement Trust fund established by the City Commission they are appropriated over to the Police Department. At the discretion of the Chief of Police, proceeds and interest earned may be used for school resource officer, crime prevention, safe neighborhood, drug abuse education and prevention programs, or for other law enforcement purposes, which include defraying the cost of protracted or complex investigations, providing additional equipment or expertise, purchasing automated external defibrillators for use in law enforcement vehicles, and providing matching funds to obtain federal grants. The proceeds and interest may not be used to meet normal operating expenses of the law enforcement agency.
Fiscal Note
The Gainesville Police Department requests the City Commission appropriate $30,000.00 from State Law Enforcement Contraband Forfeiture Trust Fund for funding for the categories of Law Enforcement Equipment, Training, Travel and Transportation, Investigations and Special Programs. The funds for this project are available in the State Law Enforcement Contraband Forfeiture Trust Fund and are allowable for purchases under the categories listed above and found in the U.S. Department of Justice "A Guide to Equitable Sharing for State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies and under Florida Statutes 932.7055 (5)(a) Disposition of liens and forfeited property. Based on the Comparative Balance Sheet dated July 18, 2017, the available balance of this account is $108,036.00.
Recommendation
The City Commission approve the appropriation of $30,000 from the State Law Enforcement Contraband Forfeiture Trust Fund for future expenditures of crime prevention programs, or for other law enforcement purposes providing additional equipment.