Agenda Item 8BAGENDA ITEM # 813
STAFF REPORT AUGUST 27, 2oi2
AGENDA ITEM: Forfeiture Funds
City of Atlantic Beach
Commission Meeting
DATE: August 17, 2012
SUBMITTED BY: Michael D. Classe , Chief of Police
BACKGROUND:
Forfeiture funds are money or other valuables seized by the Police Department, generally from drug
cases. Florida State Statute (FSS) 932.7055 (5) (a) and (b) governs the requirements for expending
those funds and requires approval from the governing body. Specifically, it states that the proceeds
may not be used to meet normal operating expenses of the agency. A few of the permissible uses
would be training, memberships and providing additional equipment.
Under the terms of our Justice Assistance Grant for the Crime Suppression Unit (CSU), Program
Generated Income (PGI) is money seized during a CSU investigation. PGI is a specific type of
forfeiture funds. That money is even more restricted then regular Forfeiture Funds in that it has to be
put back into the CSU program and has to be approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
(FDLE). There is currently over $8,000 of PGI which must be expended.
Staff has identified equipment to purchase with a portion of the PGI funds that will increase the
effectiveness of CSU. The equipment is an enhancement, to the covert camera system, that creates
remote real time viewing of the event which dramatically increases safety for the Under Cover Officer
or Confidential Informant. It also creates a redundant system of voice recording which currently does
not exist. The cost of this equipment is $3,000. The remaining $5,000 will be retained as a fund
balance to be utilized at a later time.
The forfeiture statute requires a request to expend the funds be made to the governing body of the
municipality. It also requires a written certification that the request complies with the provisions of the
statute.
I do certify that these requests comply with the provisions of FSS 932.7055 (5) (b).
BUDGET: $3,000
RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends the approval to expend $3,000 of forfeiture funds for
the equipment purchase as described above.
ATTACHMENTS: FSS 932.7055
REVIEWED BY CITY
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