FY 2024 JAG Grant

The City of Bradenton is located along the west-central coast of Florida. The Bradenton Police Department has an authorized police force of 132 officers dedicated to serving a community of approximately 60,000 residents, with an average of more than 3 million visitors to the Bradenton area each year.        

The Bradenton Police Department proposes using the FY 2024 Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funds to purchase (1) forensic data extraction software license and eight (8) Rapid-ID systems.

The Bradenton Police Department continues confronting crime and violence within the city. Purchasing and deploying new technologies will greatly enhance our ability to conduct thorough investigations. To strengthen our investigative capacity and improve our ability to solve complex digital crimes, we are applying for Byrne JAG funding to purchase specialized software that enables the extraction and recovery of deleted data from computers and mobile devices.

In today’s digital age, criminals increasingly rely on sophisticated methods to conceal their activities, including intentionally deleting incriminating information. This advanced software will allow us to retrieve vital evidence that would otherwise remain hidden, significantly enhancing our ability to investigate cases involving fraud, cybercrimes, human trafficking, drug-related offenses, and other serious criminal activities. This tool will be invaluable in bringing justice to victims and holding offenders accountable.

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance public safety and streamline law enforcement operations, we also seek Byrne JAG funding to purchase eight (8) Rapid ID fingerprint units. These devices will allow our officers to quickly and accurately identify individuals in the field by scanning fingerprints and cross-referencing them with local, state, and national databases.

The ability to instantly verify a person's identity is crucial during routine traffic stops, arrests, and investigations, particularly when dealing with individuals who lack proper identification or attempt to provide false information. By using Rapid ID technology, our agency will be able to improve the efficiency of our operations, enabling officers to make informed decisions faster and more effectively while in the field.

The need for these devices is especially critical in high-crime areas where swift identification can prevent escalating situations and assist in apprehending individuals with outstanding warrants or criminal backgrounds. Rapid ID units will also enhance officer safety by providing real-time information, ensuring they are fully aware of the risks posed by individuals they encounter.

Furthermore, these units can expedite the identification process for individuals who may be victims of human trafficking, missing persons, or those in need of urgent assistance. By equipping our officers with these advanced fingerprint identification units, we will be better positioned to serve our community, improve response times, and increase the overall effectiveness of our law enforcement efforts.

Florida and the City of Bradenton have seen the population grow, and the department must possess the necessary resources to leverage emerging technology to direct such resources efficiently and effectively. The equipment listed in this proposal is essential to enhance the ability to identify deleted digital evidence and lead to successful prosecutions. Additionally, this technology will allow officers to quickly identify individuals in the field who may not possess identification or are attempting to conceal themselves from law enforcement.    

This technology will augment our ability to conduct criminal investigations and positively identify individuals they encounter. The Bradenton Police Department will continue to work collaboratively with our community partners to strengthen community policing, reduce the fear and incidence of crime, and develop safe communities for our residents. The purchase and implementation of the forensic data extraction software and Rapid ID units will afford the police department the ability to analyze and recover hidden or deleted data, provide evidence for prosecution, identify individuals in the field, and expand our ability to locate wanted persons.

This grant proposal aims to meet the JAG requirements by providing equipment to enhance law enforcement programs and aid in the successful prosecution of criminals. After the program, data will be summarized, compared, and reported as required by the Department of Justice. The Bradenton Police Department is confident that we can fulfill this proposal as we seek to reduce crime and raise the quality of life for our stakeholders.