JPD seeking tech grant

JPD seeking tech grant Brian Smith Wed, 02/21/2024 - 7:23 am   Place 3 Alderman Greg Robinson, left and Mayor Craig Fenter listen to an explanation during the Monday, Feb. 12 meeting. Photo/Brian Smith The Jacksboro Police Department is seeking a grant to help them add another weapon to their arsenal to aid in protecting its citizens. Jacksboro Police Chief Bryan Corb told members of the Jacksboro City Council at their Monday, Feb. 12 meeting about Cellbrite digital forensic software. With the rise in data, criminals have gotten more savvy on how they hide data. Corb said just because an item is deleted off a phone or other computer doesn’t mean it’s gone. The new software will enable officers to go in and download anything off a phone even if it’s been deleted. Having something like this locally will save time as a JPD detective had to go to Arlington to receive information for a warrant, Corb said. There is a timeframe to receive data, Corb explained. The information received can then be shared with other agencies. The cost for the software, if the grant is received, would be just under $20,000 with an annual maintenance fee of $8,400. “This will definitely help us recover evidence,” Corb said. In other police related news, the city will be receiving funds through the Texas Department of Transportation’s STEP (Selective Traffic Enforcement Program) program for traffic enforcement. “(STEP) is a federally funded law enforcement grant program run by the Traffic Safety Division at the Texas Department of Transportation,” Tx-DOT’s website states. “The goal of the STEP program is for TxDOT to develop strategic partnerships with law enforcement to reduce crashes by creating safer driving environments on Texas roadways through high-visibility engagement.” Normally, the funds are provided to give departments funds during the holidays for enforcement. More than 25 hours each month will be paid for enforcement to keep the public safe, Corb said. Jacksboro City Manager Mike Smith spoke on JPD’s new automatic ticket writer which will cut down in data input for both the police department and municipal court, which has a new record management system. Now, when an officer writes a ticket, it is automatically sent to both departments instead of having to be manually typed in. Times for traffic stops have declined dramatically from 20 minutes down to about five. Corb said the department is now writing between 87-90 tickets a week now.