Update - 7/11/2018 - The 100% reimbursement period for the grant has ended. Any gear purchased prior to 6/30/2018 is still eligible for 100% reimbursement as long as the application is submitted prior to December 31, 2018. Any body worn cameras, first time purchase of in-car video, servers/storage, and related accessories purchased between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019 will be eligible for 50% reimbursement. Other grants may be available to cover the remaining 50%. We will be happy to assist departments in their effort to find grant opportunities they might be eligible for.

On July 10^th, Governor Malloy signed a bill which will help Connecticut police departments acquire funding towards mobile video.

The bill, H.B. 7308, does a couple of things to make Body Worn Cameras and In-car video more accessible for Connecticut police departments.

Previously, the grant offered by the Office of Policy and Management allowed for 100% reimbursement of Body Worn Cameras purchased in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017. Unfortunately, not a lot of departments were able to take advantage of this grant prior to this deadline. In the original bill, equipment purchased in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2018 would only be eligible for a 50% reimbursement.

The new bill, signed on July 10, 2017, extends the 100% reimbursement period through the fiscal year ending on June 30^th, 2018. This provides another year for departments to acquire equipment and still be reimbursed in full.

Furthermore, the bill has also been expanded to include the first-time purchase of dashboard cameras. This means that departments which have been struggling to implement any mobile video in the first place can now receive assistance getting their mobile video program off the ground.

Reimbursement through the grant program is limited by availability of funds. Only a handful of departments have taken advantage of this grant, but we suggest moving quickly to ensure departments don’t miss out on this opportunity. Currently there is approximately $7.3 remaining in the OPM grant fund.

Information about the bill and grant can be found here: http://www.ct.gov/opm/cwp/view.asp?a=4825&Q=576280&PM=1&opmNav=%7C

Call Telrepco today for more information and to discuss your options regarding body camera and in-car video solutions.

Justin Ruotolo
jruotolo@telrepco.com
Toll Free: 800-537-0509 ext 276
Direct: 203-284-5276