Miami Springs Police Department

The Miami Springs Police Department currently participates in a Federal task force headed by the US Customs Service, which targets illicit money laundering operations. The acronym for this operation is HIDTA, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The Department has one detective assigned full-time to the task force. Consequently the Department receives a share of each seizure in which it participates.

Seized funds are deposited into the Law Enforcement Trust Fund (LETF). Florida State Statutes mandate that these monies shall be used for school resource officer, crime prevention, safe neighborhood, drug abuse education and prevention programs, or for other law enforcement purposes which include the defraying of the cost of protracted or complex investigations, providing additional equipment or expertise and providing matching funds to obtain federal grants. The proceeds and interest may not be used to meet normal operating expenses of the law enforcement agency. (932.7055)

Some Uses of Law Enforcement Trust Funds:

	Police Boat
	Mobile Data Terminals (10)
	Renovations to First Floor: Communications/Patrol/Prisoner Processing Area
	Training
	Bikes for Bicycle Patrol Unit
	Anti-drug Public Service Announcements aired on cable television
	Crime Prevention videos aired on local access cable channel (Channel 77)
	Entire Community Policing Office Budget

This year the CPO obtained two grants. The first was to promote gun safety and involved free gun locks to be given to Miami Springs residents. This grant is ongoing, and has included gun locks given away and an education event with the children at the summer camp. Any resident wanting a gun lock can notify the Community Policing Office and will receive a lock(s) with no questions asked.

The second was the Byrne Grant that is funded by the Federal Government through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Miami-Dade County Department of Human Services. The categories for the use of funds are determined at the County level. This year’s monies were allocated in part for “Record Improvement”. Using this constraint, the CPO applied for and obtained funding to purchase two mobile data terminals and printers for the officers assigned to the CPO. These additional mobile data terminals will provide the following:

· CPO Officers will save time by having the ability to write and download reports from the satellite office.

· The CPO will be the back-up location in the event the main police station has to be evacuated.

All of these will work together to result in a more efficient and safe operation of the Police Department.