Agenda

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C. 37

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	David O. Livingston, Sheriff-Coroner
Date:	July 13, 2021

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Applying for and Accepting the FY 2021 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program Grant

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 07/13/2021

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Chrystine Robbins, 925-655-0008

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: July 13, 2021
Monica Nino, County Administrator

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Resolution 2021/211 authorizing the Sheriff-Coroner, or designee to apply for and accept a grant from the US Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs FY 2021 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program to Support Law Enforcement Agencies Grant in an initial amount of $1,400,000 for the Office of the Sheriff to purchase 700 body worn cameras for deployment by all sworn staff of the agency, for the period of October 1, 2021 through the end of the grant period.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Initial revenue of $1,400,000, 100% Federal funds. Requires a match of $1,400,000 by the County, which will be provided in kind over the following four years in costs related to storage of the video footage recorded by personnel.

BACKGROUND:

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff seeks funding for outfitting its sworn staff with body worn cameras. There are 700 sworn staff (field/patrol and custody Deputy Sheriff) positions requiring body worn camera deployment. A department-wide body worn camera infrastructure is one of the best systems to implement in order to help bridge community-to-law enforcement relations and build and maintain trust with the citizens to whom we serve.
As outlined in the Police Executive Research Forum, “Body-worn cameras can help improve the high-quality public service expected of police officers and promote the perceived legitimacy and sense of procedural justice that communities have about their police departments. Furthermore, departments that are already deploying body-worn cameras tell us that the presence of cameras often improves the performance of officers as well as the conduct of the community members who are recorded. This is an important advance in policing. And when officers or members of the public break the law or behave badly, body-worn cameras can create a public record that allows the entire community to see what really happened.”
It is requested that body worn cameras for sworn staff of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff be funded through this Federal grant. It is our hope that this grant will be considered and ultimately approved by the Department of Justice for funding. There is little question that the implementation of a department-wide body worn camera system for our staff promotes best practices and is an obvious step toward continuing the efforts to promote trust between law enforcement and the community.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Failure to secure Federal grant funding for this project would result in the County having to find alternate funding sources for body worn camera implementation.

CLERK'S ADDENDUM

Speakers: Elsa Stevens; Abbey; Catherine Walley; Gigi Crowder; Harry; Claudia Jimenez; Raul Velasquez.

Written commentary received from: