Pocomoke City council okays use of state police grant to buy Lexipol policy service and a demo patrol car

Pocomoke City council voted Monday to apply most of a $49,350 State Aid Police Protection (SAC) grant to a Lexipol law-enforcement policy and training service and to purchase a demo patrol vehicle.

Police Chief Hancock told the council the SAC program awards funds based on the number of Part I crimes and that this year the city received $49,350. He proposed using $13,406.64 from the grant for an initial, prorated Lexipol buy-in and recurring annual fees thereafter, and using roughly $35,006.36 to acquire a 2023 demo Dodge Charger available under state contract. Chief Hancock said that after those purchases the grant balance would be about $300 for incidental needs such as boots.

The purchase and policy-service plan drew questions about pricing and timing. Council members pressed staff to clarify the difference between a prorated April–June buy-in of $13,406.64 and the full July‑to‑June initial buy-in that would be roughly $21,700; Chief Hancock said the prorated buy-in saves the city about $8,000 for the current fiscal year and that annual recurring costs would be about $11,446 thereafter. He said the vehicle price offered to the city was $35,006.36 versus a $45,800 state-contract figure.

A motion to approve the plan was made and seconded and the council voted in favor; the meeting record shows the motion carried with all voting “aye.” The motion did not name a mover or record roll-call votes. The council did not adopt any additional restrictions or contingencies on the purchases during the vote.

Chief Hancock framed the Lexipol subscription as a way to keep department policies up to date with changes in law and to provide daily training content for staff. He also said the department has limited time to obligate the grant funds before the fiscal deadline and that purchasing during the prorated April–June window reduces the up-front buy-in cost.

No ordinance or state statute was cited during the discussion; Chief Hancock referred to the SAC grant by name and described how the award amount is calculated. The council’s approval authorizes staff to proceed as described at the meeting.

Votes at a glance: The council approved the staff recommendation to allocate the $49,350 SAC grant to pay approximately $13,406.64 for Lexipol initial costs and about $35,006.36 for a demo patrol vehicle; the motion passed on a voice vote with all recorded responses in favor.

For readers: Lexipol is a commercial provider of law‑enforcement policies and training content; the SAC (State Aid for Police Protection) program provides state funds that municipalities can use for law‑enforcement purposes.