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Council approves MOU for police to take part in grant program with Operation Underground Railroad
Summary
Navasota approved a memorandum of understanding allowing the police department to accept a grant and pilot cell-phone forensic technology from Operation Underground Railroad; the grant covers initial equipment costs and the first year of service, with an estimated $3,000 annual fee thereafter.
The Navasota City Council approved a memorandum of understanding enabling the police department to accept a grant through Operation Underground Railroad to fund equipment and the first year of a digital-forensics program.
Chief of Police Mike Myers said the program will allow investigators to download and analyze data from cell phones and electronic devices using a portable and in-house system. Myers told councilors the grant will cover the upfront equipment cost (he cited an approximate initial cost of $7,000) and the first year of the program; after the grant period the program carries an estimated annual fee of roughly $3,000. Myers said the vendor will provide a trial period extending until October so the department can evaluate whether to continue the service.
City legal counsel (Carrie) reviewed the MOU and reported it required only minimal city commitments: the police department must confirm use for the stated purposes and provide anonymized counts of cases, not protected or confidential materials. She told the council she had no legal concerns.
Myers said local investigators already used the system in several recent cases and that the county does not currently have the same capability; he said the department can assist other agencies by making the portable system available for on-scene downloads. Mr. Holt moved to approve the MOU; Mr. Forbes seconded and the motion passed with all ayes.
The police department will accept the grant on terms in the MOU, begin the trial period and report back to council on program use and costs before committing to the recurring annual fee.
