From
Fred Bates, Jr.
Title
Resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for a grant from the Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office - Criminal Justice Division's Internet Crimes Against Children Grant Program to purchase forensic examination equipment and cover additional related expenses for investigating internet crimes against children in the amount of $17,793
Presenter
Steve Dye, Chief of Police / Deputy City Manager, and Ronnie Morris / Assistant Chief of Police, Investigative Services Bureau
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
The City of Grand Prairie, Texas, is a diverse community of over 200,000 residents located in the center of the rapidly growing Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The Grand Prairie Police Department is tasked with providing the fair and impartial administration of justice to an increasingly diverse socio-economic, ethnic, and racially diverse group of citizens and visitors within its jurisdiction. While the Department has taken a leading position within this region in demonstrating and modeling a culture of progressive and innovative policing, it also recognizes the need to lead in the area of technology and process development for efficiency in preventing, solving and assisting in the prosecution of criminal enterprises.
The pervasiveness of the crime of sexual exploitation of children led to the creation of a specialized unit within the Department’s Criminal Investigations Division. The Internet Crimes Against Children’s (ICAC) Unit is currently staffed by a detective who is a certified computer forensic examiner and a cellular phone examiner. The Grand Prairie Police Department’s ICAC functions as a part of the North Texas ICAC Task Force and a part of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. These essential collaborative partnerships extend the organizational and staff capabilities and qualifications to carry out these unique and difficult investigations.
As communication technologies such as computers and cellular phones continue to evolve and become the norm in business and social settings, law enforcement agencies are finding that nefarious criminal enterprises are evolving in the use of these technologies with the same tenacity. One such nefarious enterprise is internet crimes against children. Adolescents now consider technology, including text messaging and social media engagement to be an essential part of their social life. This has created an opportunity for child predators to seek to initiate sexual encounters with children using these ever evolving tools. The Grand Prairie Police Department’s Criminal Investigative Division, particularly the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit is seeking to uniquely and systematically address this exponentially growing problem by utilizing the latest technology and training available.
With the rising popularity of Apple products and devices, the ICAC Unit has identified the forensic examination of Mac products as essential to conducting investigations of these cases involving child exploitation and sexual solicitation. The ICAC Unit is seeking to purchase the RECON lab Forensic Suite, an “Apple iMac Pro,” and to participate in a vital Apple Mac forensic training and best practices course that will enable investigators to overcome the difficulty in conducting the necessary forensic examinations of these devices.
The Public Safety, Health and Environmental Committee members were able to individually review this item prior to the full City Council meeting.
Financial Consideration
None
Body
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, IN SUPPORT OF AN OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE - CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION’S INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE GRAND PRAIRIE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN UNIT TO CONDUCT SPECIALIZED FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $17,973.00 TO BECOME EFFECTIVE UPON ITS PASSAGE AND APPROVAL
WHEREAS, the Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office - Criminal Justice Division is accepting grant applications for the Internet Crimes Against Children Program.
Whereas, the Grand Prairie Police Department wishes to apply for the funding opportunity to purchase forensic examination equipment to investigate and deter internet crimes against children;
Whereas, there is no cash match or in-kind match;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas that:
Section 1. The City Council of the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, does hereby authorize the City Manager to apply for a grant in the amount $17,973.00 to conduct specialized forensic investigations related to internet crimes against children;
SECTION 2. The City Manager of the City of Grand Prairie is empowered to accept, reject, alter or terminate this grant on behalf of the City Council;
SECTION 3. In the event of loss or misuse of CJD funds, the City Council of the City of Grand Prairie assures that the funds will be returned to the CJD in full;
Section 4. this Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval in accordance with the Charter of the City of Grand Prairie and it is accordingly so resolved.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, ON THIS THE 16th DAY OF JULY, 2019.