TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR CONTACT(S):
Police
Darrell Lowe
425-556-2521
DEPARTMENT STAFF:
Police
Brian Coats
Captain
TITLE:
title
Acceptance of Grant Award of $50,000 from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority for STARCHASE Pursuit Alternative
OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
recommendation
Police department staff is requesting council approval to accept funding from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority grant.
In mid-June 2022, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) announced the availability of grant funding from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WATPA) to purchase and deploy STARCHASE LLC's vehicle-mounted GPS tag and track system. This technology is designed to deter and apprehend auto theft suspects and recover stolen property without the need of a high-speed pursuit.
Fueled by a very restrictive pursuit law and lower priority of prosecuting property crimes, criminals have become more brazen. Drivers refusing to stop for the police is becoming a common occurrence. In one single day alone this Spring, three different vehicles refused to stop for Redmond officers and fled. It is generally not known at the time why drivers choose to flee but most of the time it involves a stolen car.
Auto theft is up across the region, including Redmond. From January 1, 2021, to June 28, 2021, the City had 58 reported auto thefts. During the same timeframe this year, the City had 120 reported auto thefts: a 107% increase.
Only a few select agencies were offered the opportunity to apply for this grant for pilot testing prior to WASPC's recommendation for broader use throughout the State. Police staff applied for the grant on June 15th, 2022, and on June 23rd learned the city was approved for funding in the amount of $50,000. This grant funding will be used to purchase equipment, a GPS live tracking subscription, and on-site training. The grant award becam...
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