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CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS, POLICE DEPARTMENT <br />AND <br />LAMAR COUNTY, TEXAS, SHERIFF'S OFFICE <br />EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT 2012 <br />2012-H 1559-TX-DJ <br />Program Narrative <br />As all government entities are faced with cuts to operating budgets, assistance in providing <br />equipment for effective and safe law enforcement is needed. <br />This year's application for grant funding through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice <br />Assistance grant program for the city of Paris Police Department and the Lamar County <br />SherifPs office will address equipment replacement and new equipment. <br />Officers in the field are always at the disadvantage when dealing with low-light situations <br />or during daytime operations in heavily wooded or brush covered areas. Even though the <br />city of Paris is a town of 25,000, we still have areas in town that are wooded and brush <br />covered which presents hazards to officers when looking for suspects who have fled into <br />that area. <br />Even if the suspect is not in a wooded area, officers are at a disadvantage at night when <br />investigating crimes with suspects still on scene. Officers immediately announce their <br />position by using any light source to illuminate the area while the suspect takes advantage <br />of the darkness. <br />This grant proposal will purchase one handheld 'FLIR' (Forward looking infrared) unit <br />which will be assigned to a field patrol car for accessibility to the officers in the field. This <br />particular unit is especially designed for law enforcement and can be deployed <br />immediately instead of slow panning units mounted on the patrol car or kept in the police <br />station. <br />Plainclothes officers are issued personal body armor. During times in which the officers <br />identity needs to be known, we are faced with two options. Purchase vests that readily <br />identify the wearer as a police officer and are designed to be worn over clothing, or a less <br />expensive manner in purchasing vest carriers which identify the wearer as a police officer <br />and is designed to be worn over clothing. The officer is required to take the ballistic panels <br />out of his body armor and insert into this carrier and wear it over instead of under his plain <br />clothing. The carrier is 1/10th the cost of a new vest. We intend to purchase six of these <br />units. <br />The sheriff's portion of funding addresses equipment issues as well. For many years, law <br />enforcement agencies have had access to video recording equipment which provides a <br />basis for recording deputy's actions while interacting with the public. This piece of <br />equipment has become as important as almost any other piece of equipment in the patrol <br />vehicle. Video evidence is collected and officer actions recorded. These videos have aided <br />t~~,64 A <br />- - 1 n.Q <br />