TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Eve R. Irvine, Chief of Police
Bruce Moe, Finance Director
Julie Dahlgren, Senior Management Analyst
Gwen Eng, Purchasing Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Waive Formal Bidding and Authorize the Purchase of 45 Electronic Control Devices (Tasers) and Cartridges from ProForce Law Enforcement in the amount of $48,417.53 (Finance Director Moe).
APPROVE
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council: a) waive formal bidding per Municipal Code Section 2.36.140 (waivers); and b) authorize the purchase of 45 Electronic Control Devices (Tasers) and cartridges from ProForce Law Enforcement in the amount of $48,417.53.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Funds totaling $44,464 are included in the fiscal year 2014-2015 Police Department budget. Sufficient funds are available in the Police Department's budget to offset the budget shortfall of $3,954 and complete the purchase.
DISCUSSION:
Electronic Control Devices (ECD), also known as Tasers, are an essential less lethal alternative to other uses of force to neutralize dangerous, combative, or high-risk subjects who pose a threat to law enforcement officers, innocent citizens, or themselves. These devices deliver a high-voltage electrical charge that temporarily incapacitates suspects. ECDs are used by over 11,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide and have greatly reduced injuries to both suspects and officers.
The Manhattan Beach Police Department has used several ECD makes and models over the past 22 years. Currently, the department has 45 Model X26 Tasers which were purchased in 2007 and are beyond the recommended useful life of 5 years. This purchase is for the updated unit, X26P. Each uniformed officer is issued an ECD.
Taser International is the industry leader in ECDs used by police officers and the US Military. The manufacturer distributes this product through exclusive regional authorized dealers or directly from the factory. In either case, the pricing of the ECD units is set by the manufacturer; therefore, requesting bids will not result in lower pricing. As a result, staff recommends that the City Council waive formal bidding and award an order to ProForce Law Enforcement, the exclusive law enforcement dealer for California, in the amount of $48,417.53. If this purchase is approved, the new equipment will arrive in approximately 4-6 weeks and the older models will be used for training purposes.