Item 21: Allocating $41,705 from State Seized Asset Funds to Purchase Equipment for the Crisis Negotiations Team

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COSM_Admin

Administrator
Staff member
Consider approval of Ordinance 2021-44, on the first of two readings, amending the City’s 2020-2021 fiscal year budget to allocate $41,705 from State Seized Asset Funds to provide funding for the purchase of equipment for the Crisis Negotiations Team, GPS trackers for CID personnel, and drone mapping software; and declaring an effective date.
 

MBaker

Council Member
How exactly are these funds obtained? Is this drug dealer's money that is found in their busts, or does this include small time seizures? Is this all the funds seized through asset forfeiture, or only specifically tied to narcotics? Historically, how much money does the City collect in this way each year?
 

COSM_Admin

Administrator
Staff member
State seizure funds are generated through investigations pursuant to Chapter 59 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. The District Attorney’s Office has (30) days to provide notice of intent to pursue seizure to the defendant. Seizures and forfeitures must be determined to be contraband by statute to be eligible for award. To say this is “drug dealer’s money” is an oversimplification of a very legal process. The statute also requires an annual audit of all funds that is provided to the Texas OAG. Historically the SMPD will seize or be awarded forfeitures in amounts ranging from $30K to $120K.
 
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