The Chief of Police for the Houston Police Department (HPD) recommends that City Council approve an ordinance authorizing an electronic application and acceptance of grant funds through the Office of the Governor Criminal Justice Division (CJD) for the FY2023 Houston Hazardous Clandestine Laboratory Response Equipment Grant. If awarded, the grant begins October 1, 2022, and ends on September 30, 2023, in the amount of $125,000.00 in grant funding. This will be the city's second award under this program.
The purpose of the FY2023 Houston Hazardous Clandestine Laboratory Response Equipment Grant is to provide funding to purchase equipment to safely dismantle any clandestine lab or high-risk drug packaging site, remove and secure any evidence while also protecting the integrity of the investigation and maintaining the chain of custody of any and all evidence. This equipment will carefully decontaminate personnel, equipment, and all evidence that is removed from the scene of the investigation.
The Houston Police Department also requests City Council to authorize the Chief of Police or his designee to act as the City’s representative in the application process with the authority to apply for, accept and expend the grant funds as awarded, and apply for, accept and expend all subsequent awards, if any, to extend the budget period, and to authorize the Mayor to execute all related agreements with the approval of the City Attorney in connection with the grant not to exceed five years.
Fiscal Note:
No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.
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Troy Finner
Chief of Police