ORDINANCE approving and authorizing grant between the City of Houston and the OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY for the FY2016 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program Grant; declaring the City’s eligibility for such grant; authorizing the acting Chief of the Houston Police Department to act as the City’s representative in the application process; to accept such grant funds, if awarded, to manage and expend the grant funds as awarded and to apply for and accept all subsequent awards, if any, pertaining to the program

The Acting Chief of Police for the Houston Police Department (HPD) recommends that City Council approve an ordinance to apply for the FY 2016 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program grant in the amount of $3,219,752 from the Office of National Drug Control Policy.  This will represent the 26^th year of funding for the department. The HIDTA initiatives will reduce drug trafficking and production in the Houston area.  HPD intends to use the funding for investigative and support staff overtime, supplies, lease vehicles, investigative travel and training.

HPD also requests City Council to authorize the Acting Chief of Police or her designee to act as the City’s representative with the authority to sign the original award, accept and expend all subsequent supplemental awards and to extend the term not to exceed five years of any subsequent awards with approval of the City Attorney.  The project timeline for the HIDTA Program will be from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2021.

This grant does not require a cash or in-kind match.