Title
Consideration of and action on a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) between Deer Park, La Porte and Pasadena to provide assistance during periods of civil unrest.
Body
Summary:
The United States has experienced several incidents of civil unrest during its history, which began with the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783. The protests/riots were usually isolated to one or two a year until the Race Riots of the 1960’s but by 1972 temperament had calmed and frequency diminished. Fast-forward to 2016-17 when the United States is again experiencing Race Riots at levels nearing the 1960’s. Police Departments across the nation have scrambled to staff, equip, and train their forces to deal with these incidents, which can last several days and incur costs into the millions. Due to these challenges the Deer Park Police Department is seeking approval of the MOU which will serve as an agreement signifying the belief and commitment of La Porte, Deer Park and Pasadena to assist each other during periods of civil unrest. The Deer Park Police Department and La Porte Police Department have each agreed to staff, equip and train 10 officers who can be called upon for this purpose. The Pasadena Police Department has agreed to staff, equip and train 30 officers. Currently DPPD trains quarterly with PPD to ensure seamless integration of the two interties. La Porte should begin the quarterly trainings soon. Also, all three teams operate under the principals and training established by Houston Police Department which means they could integrate into a larger regional team should the situation demand additional resources.
DPPD will soon be purchasing the necessary equipment from allocated CPPD funds.
Fiscal/Budgetary Impact:
Budgetary impact will be dependent on the activation of the MOU.
Recommended action
Approve the Memorandum of Understanding.