Round Rock approves application for $417,450 state grant to expand license-plate readers and pilot drone first-responder program

The Round Rock City Council authorized staff to submit an application to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for a Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority grant totaling $417,450, with a required 20% local match of $83,490 to be provided from the city's law enforcement fund.

Tom Sloan, criminal investigations division commander for the Round Rock Police Department, described the grant request and how the funds would be used. "The purpose of the grant money will be applied to motor vehicle crime prevention, enforcement for the police department, vehicle thefts, vehicle burglaries, and vehicle fraud," Sloan said. "It will include additional purchases of automatic license plate readers, 30 of them, the initial elements of a drone first responder program and some point tilt zoom cameras and some tracking devices." Sloan said the match would come from the city's law enforcement fund.

Council members moved and seconded the resolution on the record and the measure passed unanimously. Mayor Craig Morgan and council members thanked law enforcement for recent work in a separate matter and expressed support for technology-based approaches to reduce vehicle crime.

The grant would fund equipment purchases and start-up elements for new programs; council did not adopt an implementation timeline at the meeting. Sloan answered council questions on the record but did not present an operating budget beyond the specified 20% match source. No amendments or conditions were attached to the council's authorization to apply.

If the city receives the grant, purchases such as license-plate readers and cameras will be procured and deployed by the police department according to procurement rules and program requirements.