The majority of the money, $1.33 million, is earmarked for a Glendale Fire Department terrorism liaison officer, urban search and rescue training and a police force protection team preparation for chemical, radioactive and biological warfare.
The grant also pays for portable video downlink receivers, personal protective equipment, a helicopter mounted video downlink and a robot video platform for the Special Weapons and Tactics team.
It will also pay for more roof-mounted license plate readers, like the one attached to Police Agent Louie Mazadiego’s patrol car. The device photographs vehicle license plates and runs them through law enforcement databases to find felons and stolen cars.
On any given day, the reader can get five license plate and vehicle hits, which can lead to arrests or recovery of stolen cars, Mazadiego said.
“It’s like a godsend,” he said.
When detectives got a partial vehicle description for suspects connected to the shooting death of a North Hollywood man on July 22, they examined photos taken from Mazadiego and other license plate reader patrol cars to see if cameras got a picture of the getaway car.
“It might help solve a case,” Mazadiego said.
Another $401,917 will pay for Hazardous Material Team training in addition to medical shelter operations, decontamination and medical rescue equipment for the Fire Department, emergency signs and an aircraft refueling trailer for the police helicopter.
The Police Department got $39,191 for crime analysis equipment and $1 million to build a foothill-area DNA lab within its facility.
The lab funding will go toward the purchase of DNA assessment equipment and pay for staff for its crime lab so it can conduct DNA analysis and investigate crime and cold case evidence.
The Police Department also got funding to pay for psychological services, De Pompa.
The staff psychologist position was cut two years ago.
“It will be well-needed,” he said.
