INTRADEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE April 6, 2011 1.10 TO: The Honorable Board of Police Commissioners FROM: Chief of Police SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF DONATION RECOMMENDED ACTION 1. That the Board of Police Commissioners ACCEPT and TRANSMIT to the Mayor and City Council a donation of 250 digital voice recorders from the Los Angeles Police Foundation to the Los Angeles Police Department's Office of Operations. DONOR INFORMATION: ITEMS: AMOUNT/VALUE: Los Angeles Police Foundation (#19-11) Ms. Cecilia Glassman, President 515 South Flower Street, Suite 1680 Los Angeles, California 90071 (213) 489-4636 250 Digital Voice $15,375.00 Recorders DISCUSSION The donation is for the benefit of Area patrol, traffic divisions, vice, and detective supervisors to conduct personnel and Use of Force investigations. The bureaus will disseminate the devices to their respective Areas/divisions. Any number of personnel and/or Use of Force investigations can occur concurrently in an area and complex investigation may require that a supervisor maintain continued use of a recorder for a long period of time. As a result, it requires that there be a pool of equipment accessible at all times to supervisory personnel. Scientific Investigation Division no longer provides microcassette tapes for investigations due to poor product and audio quality. As a result, supervisors are lacking the necessary equipment to perform essential job functions and the Department must obtain alternate equipment to provide the expected level of service to the citizens of the City of Los Angeles as well as Department personnel. See attachment for additional information. Administrative Services Bureau has reviewed the donation and determined that it has been submitted in accordance with Section 5.467 et seq. of the Los Angeles Administrative Code, which provides for the receipt and acceptance of donations to the Police Department.
The Honorable Board of Police Commissioners Page 2 1.10 If you have any questions, please contact Commander Jorge Villegas, Assistant to the Director, Office of Operations, at (213) 486-0100. Respectfully, CHARLIE BECK Chief of Police Attachments
INTRADEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE March 16, 2011 11.2 TO: Commanding Officer, Administrative Services Bureau FROM: Director, Office of Operations SUBJECT: REQUEST TO ACCEPT DONATION It is requested that Administrative Services Bureau approve and forward correspondence to the Board of Police Commissioners to accept the solicited donation of digital voice recorders in the amount of $15,375 from the Los Angeles Police Foundation on January 24, 2011. The donation is for the benefit of Area patrol, traffic divisions, vice, and detective supervisors to conduct personnel and Use of Force investigations; the bureaus will disseminate the devices to their respective Areas/divisions. Any number of personnel and/or Use of Force investigations can occur concurrently in an Area and complex investigation may require that a supervisor maintain continued use of a recorder for a period of time. As a result, it requires that there be a pool of equipment accessible at all times to supervisory personnel. Scientific Investigation Division no longer provides microcassette tapes for investigations due to poor product and audio quality. As a result, supervisors are lacking the necessary equipment to perform essential job functions; it necessitates that the Department obtain alternate equipment to provide the expected level of service to the citizens of the City of Los Angeles, as well as Department personnel. The items to be donated are (250) digital voice recorders detailed below: Olympus WS-600S, 2 GB, MP-3/WMA audio files, with USB direct connection. Donor Information: Los Angeles Police Foundation / Contact: Tracy Szpeinski 515 S. Flower Street, Suite 1680 Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213) 489-4636 All possible conflicts of interest have been researched. Officer Catherine Guel, Community Policing Unit, Office of Operations, corresponded with Senior Management Analyst (SMA) II Wade Nakamura, Information and Technology Bureau, relative to Department standards. On February 22, 2011, SMA II Nakamura advised that the Information Technology Division does not handle digital recorders; however, he solicited a review by the Scientific Investigation Division (SID). Police Surveillance Specialist I Eric Wahlberg, Electronics Unit, SID, advised that the specifications do meet Department standards.
Commanding Officer, Administrative Services Bureau Page 2 11.2 There is no maintenance or administrative costs associated with this donation; the first year maintenance will be covered by the manufacturer's warranty. After the warranty period expires, the devices will not be serviced or repaired; the repair costs would potentially be more than the original purchase cost of the device. If you have an ions, please contact Commander Jorge Villegas, Assistant to the Director, Offic f Ope at (213) 48.-0100. EARL C. PA ER, ssistant Chief Director, OfØce ofoper. ns Attachment
tos angetes POLICE FOUNDATION 2010 GRANT APPLICATION Grant Number - (office use only) Date: August 17, 2010 Amount Requested: $ 21,960.00 Contact Name(s): Lieutenant Tim Torsney Department/Unit: Office of Operations/ Evaluation Administration Section Mailing Address 100 W. 1st Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Mailstop: 400 Phone Number: 213-486-6055 Fax Number: 213-486-0638 E-mail Address: 25383@lapd.lacity.org Name of Program/Equipment requesting funding for: Digital Voice Recorders Provide a brief description and the need for the program/equipment (use additional paper if needed): Department Area supervisors are required to handle Use of Force and personnel investigations, etc. Those investigations require that supervision conduct interviews of personnel, arrestees, victims and witnesses. Scientific Investigation Division (SID) no longer provides microcassette tapes due to poor audio quality and equipment maintenance issues. As a result, supervisors are lacking the necessary equipment to perform essential job functions; it necessitates that the Department obtain alternate equipment to provide the expected level of service to the citizens of the City of Los Angeles, as well as Department personnel. The Department cannot mandate that a supervisor purchase their own equipment to perform a requisite function of his/her essential job duties. When a personnel complaint is received at the Area front desk, supervisors immediately conduct and record a preliminary interview of the complaining party. This necessitates immediate access to recorders to provide the best level of service to the public in addition to mitigating Department liability. Patrol divisions and other entities within the Office of Operations handle approximately 3,700 personnel and Use of Force investigations annually. Each Area has between 15 and 58 supervisors that potentially can be assigned an investigation. Any number of personnel and/or Use of Force investigations can occur concurrently in an Area and complex investigations may require that a supervisor maintain continued use of a recorder for a prolonged period of time. As a result, it requires that there be a pool of equipment accessible at all times to supervisory personnel; they will be available to be checked-out on an as needed basis. Scientific Investigation Division (SID) requires specific digital audio file formats for archiving purposes; the Olympus WS-600S Digital Voice Recorder utilizes MP3/WAV files which can be supported by SD. Has this program/equipment previously been requested through the city budget? LII YES If yes, please list the most recent date of submission and the result. NO 515 S. Flower Street, Suite 1680 Los Angeles, CA 90071 213.489.4636
If no, please explain the reason why it was not submitted. The problem was only recently identified and the immediate need for equipment cannot be deferred until the next annual budget request. If a request for funds in the annual budget were approved, the monies would be for a subsequent fiscal year. What objectives will be accomplished if the funding is granted? Department will be able to provide supervisors with the vital equipment needed in order to conduct interviews for administrative investigations and comply with Department policies relative to recording employee interviews. How can the foundation evaluate success if the funding is granted? (# of people served, objectives reached, surveys, etc.) The Department can provide receipts on how the recorders were distributed within the entities under the Office of Operations and craft Department policy on the use of the digital recorders. In addition, the Department can provide the number of investigations handled in the subsequent year of receiving the devices. Please list or attach an itemized list for expenses or a quote from equipment manufacturer on vendor's letterhead. Product requested is the Olympus WS-600S, 2 GB, MP-3/WMA audio files, with USB Direct connection. Vendor # of Units Brand Model Cost Subtotal Shipping TOTAL Olympus 250 Olympus WS-600S $ 79.99 $ 19,997.50 $1,962.50 $ 21,960.00 Allied Computer 250 Olympus WS-600S $ 61.50 $ 15,375.00 0.00 $ 15,375.00 Dream Hardware * 250 Olympus WS-600S $ 62.50 $ 15,650.00 0.00 $ 15,650.00 * Price quote for Dream Hardware (aka Micro Express International) is valid for 15 days; market price at time of order may reflect a different amount. Has your commanding officer approved this request? YES NO Name of commanding officer: Commander Jorge Villegas, Office of Operations Signature of commanding officer: Send completed grant application form by fax (213) 489-4697 or email bryan@lapolicefoundation.org or call Beth Ryan at (213) 489-4636 with any questions, comments or concerns. 515 S. Flower Street, Suite 1680 Los Angeles, CA 90071 213.489.4636
WS-600S Specs Page 1 of 1 WS-600S Specifications Recording Format Recording Media Recording Time PC Interface Folders Messages Overall Frequency Response Practical Maximum Output Speaker Microphone Jack Earphone Jack Power Supply Battery Life Size Weight MP3 and WMA Built-in 2GB flash memory MP3 192kbps: Approximately 22 hours MP3 128kbps: Approximately 34 hours ST XQ mode: Approximately 33 hours ST HQ mode Approximately 67 hours ST SP mode Approximately 135 hours HQ mode: Approximately 135 hours SP mode: Approximately 266 hours LP mode: Approximately 529 hours USB port 5 / 200 per folder MP3 192kbps: 40Hz-19 khz MP3 128 kbps: 40Hz-17 khz ST XQ mode: 40Hz-19 khz ST HQ mode: 40Hz-16 khz ST SP mode: 40Hz-9 khz HQ mode: 40Hz-13kHz SP mode: 40Hz-8kHz LP mode: 40Hz-3kHz 80mW 18 mm round dynamic speaker 3.5 mm, impedance 2k ohms 3.5 mm, impedance 8 ohms AAA alkaline (LRO3 or R03) battery or AAA NiMH rechargeable bat Alkaline: Approximately 25 hours (LP mode) 3.9 x 1.6 x 0.4 inches (98.5 x 40 x 11 mm) 1.8 oz. (51 g), including batteries Specifications and design are subject to change without notice. WS-600S Package Contents WS-600S Digital Voice Recorder AAA Alkaline Battery x 1 Instruction Manual Warranty Card http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product = 1514&page = specs2/16/2011