Mission PD adds 8 police officers, bulletproof vests

The Mission Police Department will soon be adding eight new police officers, purchasing 34 new bulletproof vests, and increasing city patrols throughout the city, thanks largely to grants totaling over $1.2 million.

At the Monday, Oct. 10 Mission City Council meeting, the council approved acceptance of the FY 2016 COPS Hiring Program Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that will fund 75 percent of the eight new officers’ salaries at a value of $1 million over the three-year grant period. The city would be responsible for a 25 percent match that would amount to $358,069. Those funds will come from the federal drug forfeiture funds the police department receives. The city is required to maintain the positions for one additional year at 100 percent expense to the city.

The city council also granted authorization to accept the FY 2016 Bulletproof Vest Partnership from the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance.  The $13,633 grant requires matching funds of $13,633 for a total of $27,266.  Mission Police Chief Robert Dominguez said the matching funds would come from the Police Federal Sharing Account.  It will allow purchase of 34 new bulletproof vests for Mission police officers.

The Police Department was also awarded a $205,000 FY 2017 Local Border Security Program grant from the Office of the Governors’ Homeland Security Grant Division. The money will provide overtime funds to Mission police officers for the purpose of increasing police patrols throughout the city and assisting with criminal investigations.

The Police Department was also granted authorization to enter into a maintenance agreement with Tyler Technologies for maintenance of the police departments’ electronic ticket writers, ticket printers and traffic accident eCrash module was approved. The cost of the agreement was $12,294. These devices are used on a daily basis by Mission patrol officers to issue electronic traffic citations and to write traffic accident reports that are electronically sent to the Texas Department of Transportation in Austin.

Sale of 10 used police vehicles via GovDeals online auction was approved. These cars have exceeded their years of service and are being declared surplus. The vehicles going to auction include a 2005, white Ford Crown Victoria; two each 2009, white Crown Victorias; 2008, gray Dodge Charger; 2002, white Chevy Trailblazer; 2002, orange Jeep Liberty; 2007 white, Ford Crown Victoria; 2003, tan Chevy Silverado; 2004, gray Jeep Liberty; and a 2000, tan Jeep Cherokee. Most of these vehicles have over 150,000 miles on them.    

A contact with Mary Ann Peralez a sole source vendor for technical supervisor for alcohol breath test services was approved in the amount of $11,000 at Dominguez’s request.

At the end of Chief Dominguez’s presentation Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas commended him on the number of grants he has been able to bring into the city to enhance police operations.

City council approved extending the current contract with First Vehicle Services for the second and final one-year renewal option of the contract, which was initially signed in 2012 as a three-year contract with two one-year options to extend. City records put the estimated cost at $841,344 for the contract term of Nov. 1, 2016 through Oct. 31, 2017. A letter from the vendor states they are not increasing the non-target/contract labor rate of $49 per hour, nor the non-target/contract parts and services mark-up of FVS cost plus 10 percent. The contract provides fleet repair, maintenance and preventive service for the city’s fleet of about 445 units (as of 2012).

A city proclamation named October 16 as “National Cat Day.”  Yvonne Perez told the council there are approximately 70 million feral cats in the country that need to be spayed or neutered.  These are stray cats, usually alley cats or cats dumped in the country, that do not make good pets. They run wild and add to the cat population, creating havoc in some areas. She said there is a need to control them. She urged residents to collect these cats and have them fixed to control the cat population in the Valley.

Following executive session the council voted to consider a mediated settlement with J.W. Arnold  et. al.

Legal consultation regarding a Cross-Border Economic Development Service agreement was approved.

The city was told to deliberate damages at 2210 Marble in Mission.

Deliberation will also be done regarding the Eco-Site, Inc. ground lease on land adjacent to Astroland Park.

And a deed correction on a 2.65-acre tract of land adjacent to Lot 262, John H. Shary subdivision was approved.