Title
Sheriff’s Office recommending the Board:
1) Approve and authorize:
a) The purchase of 300 V300 Body Worn Cameras from WatchGuard, Inc. for a not to exceed amount of $675,000, including the following:
b) The purchase of computer servers from Thinkmate to store data captured by the body worn cameras for a not to exceed amount of $90,000;
2) Waive the formal bid process for the Body Worn Cameras (1a. above), in accordance with Section 3.12.160, Exemptions from the Competitive Process, Section D of the El Dorado County Ordinance Code.;
3) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to utilize the Sourcewell Contract 010720 with WatchGuard, Inc;
4) Make findings that, in accordance with Section 3.12.160, Exemptions from the Competitive Process for Thinkmate storage (1b. above), Section C of the El Dorado County Ordinance Code that competitive bidding is precluded as it would not produce an economic benefit;
5) Authorize Sheriff’s Office staff to digitally accept the Certified Standard Assurances for the acceptance of a body worn camera grant in the amount of $438,000;
6) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute a purchase agreement contingent upon County Counsel and Risk approval for the above items;
7) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to increase each agreement if funding is available in the Sheriff’s Office budget and that appropriate agreements are still in applicable; and
8) Approve the above items to the FY 2021-22 Fixed Asset List.
FUNDING: General fund and federal grant funds.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On May 11, 2021, the Sheriff’s Office gave the Board a presentation on the benefits and challenges involved in the implementation of body worn cameras (BWCs). Since that time, Sheriff’s Office staff has further researched various systems and met with allied agencies who have also implemented programs. Additionally, Sheriff’s Office staff sought Federal funding so that both sworn and correctional staff can be outfitted with body worn cameras.
Cameras
As discussed last May, the Sheriff’s Office is electing to move forward with the Watchguard equipment purchase through WatchGuard, Inc. (now owned by Motorola). Pursuant to the provisions in El Dorado County Procurement Ordinance 3.12.160 "Exemptions from the Competitive Process (D)", all the following requirements are met with respect to the item: 1) The items may be procured from a vendor that has a contract with another public agency of this state, an alliance of this state and other states, or a alliance of local public agencies within the state for the purchase of the item and 2) The contract was awarded utilizing a competitive bidding process substantially the same as that utilized by the County and 3) The items and terms of the transaction are the same, or substantially the same. EDSO will be utilizing the Sourcewell Contract #010720 to purchase Watchguard cameras, El Dorado County Procurement and Contracts concurs with this approach and County Counsel has reviewed the contract and has approved the use of the agreement.
This equipment will seamlessly integrate in the current In-Car Video (ICV) system utilized by the Sheriff’s Office, allowing for a single incident to be captured concurrently from both the ICV and BWC systems. Equipping both sworn and correctional staff with the same product allows for streamlined integration and more efficient training of the system. The cost to purchase 300 BWCs is approximately $675,000. EDSO has a over 65 Watchguard units installed in deployed vehicles, the Watchguard Body cameras will seamlessly sync with the ICV system.
Servers
The amount of data associated with BWCs is immeasurable; a single BWC activated periodically throughout a 12-hour shift results in a massive amount of data that requires considerable processing and storage. Therefore, the purchase of additional servers to be hours onsite at the Sheriff’s Office specifically for data captured by BWCs will be necessary. These servers are anticipated to hold enough data for the next five (5) years at which point they will need to be replaced/upgraged. The cost associated with the server expansion is approximately $90,000. In accordance with Section 3.12.160. of the El Dorado County Ordinance Code, that competitive budding would produce no economic benefit to the county as the storage is purchased directly from the manufacturer. This storage solution is compatible with existing Aberdeen (Thinkmate acquired Aberdeen) storage products purchased in the past and if we were to install storage equipment in the existing array, the Body Worn Camera file storage project support would be jeopardized, therefore product consistency and support is critical for this project. El Dorado County Procurement and Contracts concurs with EDSO's Sole Source approach for product consistency in regards to this project.
Body Worn Camera Grant
In July 2021, Sheriff’s Office staff applied for a Body Worn Camera grant through the Department of Justice. The grant allows for an agency cost of $2,000 per camera purchased with a 50% match. The costs covered by the grant include but are not limited to: equipment, personnel to support the program, the cost of developing training on BWC use, and related technology costs such as infrastructure enhancements, redaction, and storage costs.
Since there is now additional funding available through this program, the Sheriff is including the purchase of cameras for correctional staff. The Sheriff’s Custody Division engages inmates in various settings, and this will provide additional transparency, increased civility, supporting evidence of incidents that occur in both County Jails, and provide real-life training opportunities to staff.
The Sheriff’s Office is requesting The Board authorize Sheriff’s Office staff to digitally accept and sign the Certified Standard Assurances for the Body Worn Camera Grant so that additional cameras can be purchased. The performance period is October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2024, however, the Sheriff’s Office received notice of the award on December 20,2021, causing the approval to be retroactive. It should be noted, however, that although the grant period is retroactive, the Sheriff's Office has not made any purchases under the grant.
FY 2021/22 FIXED ASSET LIST
The servers being used for the storage of Body Worn Camera footage need to be added to EDSO's FY 2021-22 FIXED ASSET LIST, which requires Board of Supervisor's approval.
ALTERNATIVES
If these purchases are not approved the Sheriff’s Office cannot proceed with purchasing BWCs and if the grant is not accepted correctional staff will not receive BWCs.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
On May 11, 2021 The Board received a BWC presentation, Legistar file ID 21-0707.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel, Procurement and Contracts
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FISCIAL IMPACT
Sufficient appropriations are included in the Sheriff’s Office budget. The Department of Justice grant funding will reduce the department's Net County Cost by up to $438,000.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Providing enhanced services and transparency to the community increases public safety.
CONTACT
Undersheriff Bryan Golmitz