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 FY2024 Violent Crime Program Grant. The grant period becomes effective October 1, 2023, and ends on September 30, 2024. CJD will provide $125,000.00 in grant funding. No cash-match or in-kind contribution is required. This will be the city's first award under this program. HPD presented this item on April 20, 2023 to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
HPD will utilize the grant funds for overtime to track and surveil violent offenders with a primary focus on the Northeast area of Houston, within the Northeast Patrol Station jurisdictions and follow throughout Harris County when possible. We will employ officers working in a plain clothes capacity, and crime analyst intelligence to address these violent offenders. We will also work with multiple agencies both local and federal such as Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for prosecution, and have their operational support.
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