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Consent-Law & Justice Services # 17.
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| Board of Supervisors |
Sheriff-Coroner/Public Administrator |
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| Subject |
| Authorize the use of Yolo County Cannabis Task Force funding to purchase an airplane-mounted camera system and adopt budget resolution increasing Sheriff's Office appropriations for 2017-18 by $110,000. (No general fund impact) (4/5 vote required) (Prieto) |
| Recommended Action |
- Authorize the use of Yolo County Cannabis Task Force funding to purchase an airplane-mounted camera system to be installed on the Sheriff's Office plane operated by the Yolo County Sheriff's Office Aerosquadron; and
- Adopt budget resolution increasing the Sheriff's appropriations for 2017-18 by $110,000.
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| Strategic Plan Goal(s) |
Operational Excellence
Safe Communities
Sustainable Environment
Flourishing Agriculture |
| Reason for Recommended Action/Background |
The Yolo County Sheriff's Aerosquadron has historically performed aerial surveillance on behalf of the Sheriff's Office, passing this information on to the Yolo County Narcotics Enforcement Team in order to augment their investigations into illegal cannabis cultivation. Now that the cultivation of cannabis has been legalized under a regulatory framework, the Sheriff's Office wishes to continue monitoring legal growing sites to determine they are operating under the requirements imposed by their permits. Aerial observation can confirm compliance through proper placement of plants, adequate fencing, and can ensure that the growing operation has not expanded beyond what is allowed. Monitoring via airplane also allows for a greater area to be viewed in a shorter amount of time when compared to a ground patrol. Information collected during surveillance activities will be shared with the Cannabis Task Force.
The Aerosquadron currently utilizes a handheld camera when photographing during aerial operations. Because of it's location on the inside of the plane, pictures can be visually compromised by the wheels, struts, and plexiglass windows of the plane. The current camera does not allow for video storage, night time photography, or extended zoom range, which can hinder the discretion of operations. In addition, Federal Aviation Administration regulations require a minimum flight altitude which can severely limit the quality of information that can be collected without an extended zoom range on the camera. The Sheriff's Office is now requesting board authority to purchase a new Epsilon 140 camera system, mounted directly onto the airplane, with the capability for night vision, high definition video recording, and image stabilization. Another benefit of this system is it's real-time capability: images and video can be broadcast in real time to deputies and investigators on the ground. This would allow the Aerosquadron to operate overhead during an operation and stream real time video to the teams on the ground, dispatch, and the command staff in the office. This would allow for the dissemination of valuable information; improving situational awareness and officer safety. |
| Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies) |
The Yolo County Cannabis Task Force includes staff from the Sheriff's Office, District Attorney, Agriculture, Environmental Health, County Counsel, and Community Services Departments. This ensures multi-department knowledge is available as the relatively new field of legal cannabis regulation is navigated.
Purchasing will assist with the procurement of the fixed asset, and County Counsel has approved the Resolution to form. |
| Competitive Bid Process |
| A competitive bid process was not applied when sourcing pricing for the Epsilon 140. Although there are similar camera systems available, the Epsilon 140 is the only system that can provide a required Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). The STC is a certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration stating a modification to the original design of the airplane will not cause a safety hazard in flight. In this case the camera will be mounted to the outside of the Aerosquadron's Cessna 172, which qualifies as a design modification. The closest vendor of this camera system to the area is SkyIMD located in Richmond, California. The Sheriff's Office has been in contact with them and will be purchasing once the BOS has given approval. |
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| Fiscal Impact |
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| Source of Funds for this Expenditure |
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Explanation (Expenditure and/or Revenue) |
| Further explanation as needed: |
| Total cost of the camera system, including installation, is $110,000. Funding for the purchase of the system will come from funds already appropriated as part of the Cannabis Task Force operating funds for Fiscal Year 2017-18. No County general or public safety funds are involved for fiscal year 2017-18. |
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