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Council approves up to $45,000 in forfeiture funds for event barricades and trailer
Summary
The council approved use of up to $45,000 from federal equitable-sharing forfeiture funds to buy up to 35 water-filled traffic-safety barricades and a trailer for events; police chief said the barriers improve security and crowd control at public events.
The New Port Richey City Council on Feb. 4 approved a police request to use federal equitable-sharing forfeiture funds not to exceed $45,000 to purchase up to 35 water-filled traffic-safety barricades and a trailer for deployment at city events.
Chief Cochin told the council these barricades enhance public-safety protections at large gatherings and cited recent vehicle-ramming attacks in other cities as examples of why physical protections are prudent. "These barricades not only will help us with pedestrian traffic, but will also help safeguard our events," he said. The request included up to $20,000 for barricades and up to $25,000 for a trailer; the chief noted the oversight of forfeiture funds is subject to state and federal audits.
A councilmember asked a technical question about the itemized list (30 vs. 35 barricades); the chief acknowledged a typo and confirmed the request is for up to 35. Council approved the expenditures and an accompanying budget transfer to allocate the forfeiture funds into the police FY24-25 budget by voice vote.
