Title
Supporting the request for federal funds to purchase 600 portable radios for sworn officers who respond to Saint Paul and mutual-aid community public safety needs.
Body
WHEREAS, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies is accepting community project funding requests in the COPS Technology and Equipment account; and
WHEREAS, in order to provide public safety and service to the residents of Saint Paul, the City depends on 1,974 radios which were first procured in 2003 and have been out of manufactures support since 2018 and have reached their end of life; and
WHEREAS, full replacement would cost nearly $10M; and
WHEREAS, the police department operates 1,215 radios to maintain interoperability and perform its role in the City’s Community First Public Safety strategy, and of these, 600 portable (handheld) radios directly support sworn officers in responding to Saint Paul and mutual-aid community public safety needs; and
WHEREAS, Replacing 600 end-of-life portable radios would meet the most critical need in Saint Paul and allow the City to partner additional funding to sustain the interoperable communications necessary to investigate, respond to, and prevent crime in the City; and
WHEREAS, this project would directly fund the most critical element necessary to sustain interoperable communication within the police department, across mutual aid agencies at the city, county, state, and federal level, and throughout the non-profit organizations collaborating on community-oriented policing services in Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance and Saint Paul Downtown Improvement District are in support of this project; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul supports the City’s request for federal funding to purchase replacements for 600 portable radios for emergency responders who respond to Saint Paul and mutual-aid community public safety needs.