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Council approves $81,481 purchase of FARO 3-D scanner and workstation for police crime-scene work
Summary
The council approved use of district funds and supplemental law enforcement account money to buy a FARO Focus 3-D scanner and a Dell workstation for the police department to document homicide, fatal-collision and major-crime scenes more quickly and reduce reliance on outside agencies.
The Cathedral City City Council on Jan. 8 approved a grant-expenditure plan to buy a FARO Focus 3-D scanner and a Dell computer workstation for the police department, using a mix of council district funds and Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Account (SLESF) funds from fiscal year 2021–22.
Commander Enos presented the request and said the FARO Focus scanner is the regional industry standard for public-safety scene documentation. He said the scanner can build a three-dimensional rendering of a scene quickly and that a smartphone companion app can streamline on-scene work so investigators can perform other tasks while the scanner captures the environment. Enos said the package includes the scanner, a Pano 360 camera, a carbon-fiber tripod, batteries, software and operator training.
Cost and funding: the scanner unit quote is $72,966.82; a specially configured Dell workstation to run the required software was quoted at $8,513.93, bringing the combined total to $81,480.75. The vendor offered a 5% discount if purchased within 30 days. Councilmember Carnivale pledged $40,000 from his district funds and Councilmember Gutierrez pledged $10,000 from hers; the department proposed to use $31,480.75 from the city’s FY 2021–22 SLESF allocation for the remainder. Commander Enos said the equipment carries a three-year warranty and that regional agencies use the same make and model.
Why this matters: staff said owning the scanner will reduce dependence on outside agencies for 3-D scene capture, shorten investigator on-scene time for homicides, fatal collisions and similar incidents, and streamline evidence presentation (including jury visualization) with 3-D reconstructions and video renderings. The council approved the expenditure on a motion by Councilmember Carnivale with a second by Mayor Heather Ross; the motion carried with all ayes.
Implementation: staff will purchase the scanner and workstation, arrange vendor training and integrate the device into the department’s evidence documentation protocol. The purchase is part of a police strategic plan item to expand camera and technological tools for public safety.
