The Schertz Police Department applied for and received approval for the FY 25 and FY 26 Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority Grant.  These grants awarded the City of Schertz funding for 41 Flock Automated License Plate Recognition Cameras (presently 23 of the cameras have been installed) and a Skywatch Tower (arrived first week of April 2026).  We have received grant funding for approximately $524,526 of crime prevention equipment and our matching fee has been an estimated $86,805 (16.6%).

The goal of this resolution is to approve the application of this grant.  The grant would supply continued funding for our current 41 ALPR (automated license plate recognition) cameras and funds for a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program.

The community of Schertz would benefit from the continued funding of ALPR cameras by giving the police department additional investigative tools for motor vehicle theft investigations and catalytic converter theft investigations.  As crime is not centrally located in Schertz, the Schertz Police Department would become a greater asset to the Motor Vehicle Theft Investigative Task Force by being able to assist other departments in locating stolen property and vehicles.  Drone as First Responder programs enhance law enforcement by providing immediate, real-time aerial intelligence, often arriving at scenes in under 90 seconds.  Key benefits include improved officer safety, faster incident resolution, reduced unnecessary dispatches, estimated to be by 25%, improved community trust, and cost-effective, high quality evidence gathering.

The Schertz Police Department recommends approving this resolution.

The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority grant requires a 20% cash match for the awarded grant.  As of submission, the cost of the required 20% match is $62,000.  This amount may change if requested items are adjusted or removed from the grant application. The Police Department plans to use funding from their current FY 2025-26 budget.

Approve Resolution 26-R-058.