HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-01-16; Computer Aided Dispatch and in-car Video Contracts (Districts - All); Callander, MariaCouncil Memorandum
January 16, 2025
To:
From:
Via:
Re:
Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council
Maria Callander, IT Director
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Ma~a er Administrative Services
Geoff Patnoe, City Manager
Computer Aided Dispatch an in-car Video Contracts (Districts -All)
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2025005
This memorandum provides information about changes to contracts for the computer aided
dispatch system and in-car cameras used by the Police Department. The changes relate to the
scope of work, term and contract structure and do not require additional funding.
Background
The Police Department's computer-assisted dispatch system, commonly called a CAD system, is
21 years old. It still functions well and is supported by the vendor; however, it needs to be
replaced because it is at the end of its expected service life. On May 10, 2022, the City Council
approved a contract with Motorola to replace the CAD system and add a new in car video system
to be used in the city's fleet of police vehicles.
About CAD systems
CAD systems are used primarily to dispatch officers when someone makes a service call to the
Police Department, including emergency 9-1-1 calls. However, they come with many other
features and capabilities that greatly increase the efficiency of the dispatching process and
provide valuable data. Typically, a CAD system:
• Tracks incident locations and quickly finds the closest available officers.
• Uses Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to track officer locations on a map.
• Compiles all data related to calls and associated incidents, from start to finish, in one
place and in a format that can be used for analysis.
• Maps location of incidents and resources.
• Sends messages and updates directly to officers' in-car computers or hand held devices.
• Helps dispatchers prioritize critical incidents.
• Keeps track of which officers are on duty, busy or available for new assignments.
• Sends and receives information from other departments, like fire or ambulance services,
for coordinated responses.
• Allows dispatchers to look up details like addresses, past incidents or warnings about
potential dangers related to incident locations.
Administrative Services
Information Technology Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2450 t
Council Memo -Computer Aided Dispatch and in-car Video Contracts (Districts -All)
January 16, 2025
Page 2
• Monitors how quickly officers get to the scene of an incident and how long they stay
there.
• Links to third-party systems such as the Department of Motor Vehicles or state and
federal criminal records databases to provide officers with important background
information.
• Records all activity so it can be reviewed later for training, investigations or reports.
• May connect to public safety cameras for a better view of an incident either in advance or
during a response.
• Helps issue alerts like Amber Alerts or other public safety warnings quickly and efficiently.
Cloud vs. on-premises solutions
When considering a new technology solution, the City of Carlsbad has a long-standing preference
for cloud-based products. The key reasons for this are:
• Cloud-based systems store data and run applications on remote servers managed by a
third party, accessible via the internet. This eliminates the need for organizations to
maintain physical servers, handle backups and perform updates manually. Cloud-based
systems also tend to be updated more frequently to protect against cyber threats and
provide inherent disaster recovery.
• On-premises systems, on the other hand, require infrastructure to be located in city
offices and require staff resources to maintain.
Discussion
In 2019, the city issued a request for proposals from companies that provide CAD systems,
evaluated the proposals and selected Motorola Solutions as the replacement for the current
system.
On May 10, 2022, the City Council approved a contract with Motorola including the following:
CAD system
A cloud-based Motorola product, selected through a competitive bidding process, that
supports the city's transition away from technology that must be housed and managed on
site.
In car video
A new video system to be used in the city's fleet of 60 police vehicles. The purpose of the
in-car video system is to enhance officer safety and accountability, counter potential false
claims of mistreatment by detainees and expand the coverage area for the city's license
plate reader system.
Council Memo -Computer Aided Dispatch and in-car Video Contracts (Districts -All)
January 16, 2025
Page 3
Needed changes
Two changes came up following the approval of the contract.
1. During the early stages of the CAD implementation, Motorola informed the city that the
cloud product selected was being removed from the market and would no longer be
available.
2. The city added 34 vehicles to its police fleet. In August 2022, the City Council approved a
separate contract for additional in car video service for these vehicles.
Overview of new contract
Due to the decision by Motorola to remove the cloud product from the market before the
completion of the city's implementation, staff evaluated multiple alternatives to the original
cloud-based CAD system. Staff ultimately found it was in the best interest of the city to pursue a
new contract with Motorola. Therefore, staff renegotiated a new contract with Motorola for an
"on-premises" solution for the same cost of the original contract, not to exceed $1,856,620.
The Motorola on-premises system has a long track record of reliability, used by hundreds of
agencies across the United States, including major cities in California such as Oakland, San
Francisco, Los Angeles and Irvine. Additionally, by adding system maintenance and a cloud-
based disaster recovery component to the contract, city staff have addressed typical
disadvantages of an on-premises solution. As a result, the new contract achieves all of the city's
original requirements at no additional cost, even though the standard price of a new on-premises
CAD system with similar capabilities would typically be significantly higher.
The key elements of the new contract are to:
1. Extend the CAD agreement from six years to nine years to lock in favorable pricing.
2. Change the product from a cloud-based system to one that would be housed on site (on-
premises) in the Faraday data center.
3. Commit Motorola to provide full support and management of the on site system.
4. Add a cloud-based disaster recovery solution that would allow the city to continue
dispatching if the main system were temporarily inoperable due to a major emergency.
5. Combine the two contracts for in-car video into one, for a total of 94 vehicles, for a term
of five years. Consolidating the two in-car video contracts into one provides greater
implementation continuity and more efficient contract management.
Fiscal Analysis
Staff have negotiated an on-premises CAD system to be installed in 2025 for the same cost as the
2020 price of the cloud product.
• Due to the favorable pricing, staff has added three years to the contract for a total of nine
years of service. Most CAD systems last at least nine years.
Council Memo -Computer Aided Dispatch and in-car Video Contracts (Districts -All)
January 16, 2025
Page 4
• The original agreement was for six years for a total of $1,856,620.
• The renegotiated agreement for nine years is for a total of $2,452,420 -adding three
years of maintenance.
• The annual maintenance of $158,288 is already included in the IT Departments annual
Operating Budget.
Staff negotiated a more favorable agreement for the 94 in car camera systems maintained for
five years.
• Because cameras were put into service in 60 vehicles starting in 2022, those systems have
three years left on their five-year maintenance and software licensing agreement.
• Staff has added two additional years of maintenance for the cameras in the 60 vehicles,
so their contract ends at the same time as the 34 cars that were added to the Police
Department fleet and are just now going into service.
• The two original five-year agreements (one for 60 cars and one for 34 cars) totaled
$792,278.
• The new five-year agreement for 94 cars totals $572,548, after applying credits and
discounts negotiated by city staff.
• There have been two years of implementation and maintenance paid on the original
agreements in the amount of $262,148.
• The annual maintenance of $120,702 is already included in the IT Departments annual
Operating Budget.
• The new annual maintenance amount is just over $30,000 less than the original
agreements.
Next steps
The need to change the type of CAD system implementation has significantly delayed the project,
however, other factors have also contributed to the delay including:
• Staff evaluated multiple alternative CAD systems to replace the cloud-based CAD system
after Motorola discontinued and removed it from the market, putting any work with
Motorola on pause until this process was completed.
• Negotiation of a new agreement with Motorola has been a time consuming, iterative
process causing the bulk of the delay. Switching implementation methodologies from
cloud-based to on-premises is not a typical approach, and the process for doing so was
not initially well defined. Further, due to the circumstances and a desire to get the best
possible outcome for the city, staff focused on securing the most favorable contract
terms possible and protecting against any further changes, costs or delays.
Council Memo -Computer Aided Dispatch and in-car Video Contracts (Districts -All)
January 16, 2025
Page 5
The city's requirement, to provide all the functionality included in the original contract with no
additional cost, was ultimately met by Motorola. A new project manager was assigned, who will
oversee the remainder of this project.
CAD system implementation
Staff plan to bring the new contract to the City Council for consideration in February. If approved,
installation can be expedited, with an anticipated launch date of 18 months after project kick-off.
In-car video installation
The in-car video system has been installed in 63 police vehicles to date. The additional 31
installations were not installed due to a delay in vehicle delivery. Those vehicles have now
arrived, and installation of the remaining 31 cameras is being done concurrently with other
needed outfitting for the new vehicles and is proceeding according to schedule.
cc: Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Christie Calderwood, Police Chief
Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager