FY23 Warwick JAG

The Warwick Police Department will use a portion of the funding provided by the 2023 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) to purchase a communication app which will improve information sharing throughout the department as well as aid in communications during large scale operations. A one-year subscription for 175 officers to the Evertel public safety communications app is the goal for the allocated funds. This system is equipped with the ability to conduct daily briefings, leave voice messages, provide training reminders, distribute policy changes, map out tactical plans, post crime trends, debriefs, send out BOLO’s, construct an Incident Command Center system and disseminate real-time information related to active threats.

Our department currently utilizes email to relay non-emergency information, which is not accessible to officers while on patrol.  Mobile Data Terminals in the cruisers may be used to relay information during the course of a shift, but is only useful when an officer is in their patrol vehicle, causing them to miss time sensitive messages.

The Evertel app would be accessible on the officer’s cell phone or any other device, anywhere within or outside our city, on and off duty. This app would also act as a reliable back-up system if our radio system were to malfunction. This app is compliant with all CJIS mandates nationally and is equipped with military-grade encryption to ensure all law enforcement sensitive material is safe to share. The implementation of this app would greatly increase the productivity and the safety of all of our officers, in turn benefiting the community that we serve.

The Warwick Police Department will use a portion of the funding provided by the 2023 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) to purchase (4) four Bola Wrap 150 restraint devices. Created by WRAP Technologies’, BolaWrap is a handheld restraint tool that fires a lasso-like, 8-foot Kevlar tether with hooks on each end that wraps around a subject’s arms or legs, preventing them from fleeing, punching or kicking. The BolaWRAP has a range of 10 to 25 feet and fires the cord at 513 feet per second. The tether is fired from a cartridge, which can be reloaded. This tool is primarily intended for uncooperative subjects in a mental health crisis or displaying violent behavior.

With this tool, officers have would have an opportunity to remotely secure a subject in the wrap from up to 25 feet away, minimizing the probability of using any force at all. Especially responding to calls with weapons involved, this would greatly decrease the risk of bodily injury and/or death to our officers as well as members of the community we serve when responded to high risk calls for service. Purchasing four of these tools would equip one officer in each district of our city with the capabilities to quickly de-escalate situations involving weapons and various self-harm situations.

Due to budgetary constraints, the Warwick Police Department would be unable to purchase these necessary tools without supplemental assistance. Thank you very much for your consideration.