WATCH: City Council Approves Grant Application for New Vehicles for Gang Suppression

SAN ANGELO, TX – The San Angelo City Council held a virtual meeting Tuesday to conduct regular business. Due to COVID-19 they met on a video conference. 

The meeting began with a welcome by all of the council followed by a prayer from the Police Department Chaplin Pastor Ralph Dawkins. 

The council then passed the consent agenda expect for item F. This item was for the council to consider a resolution authorizing the submission of the Department of Justice Assistance Grant application to the Office of the Governor for the purchase of new vehicles for the San Angelo Police Department Gang Suppression Unit. 

Single member of District six councilwoman Billie DeWitt called for the item to be discussed due to the number of questions she had. The main question asked was if the city would have to match any money for the units that would cost $132,000. 

City Attorney Theresa James assured the council that the city would not have to match any amount of money. James and DeWitt came to a conclusion that the wording in the grant application was boilerplate language. 

The grant the SAPD applied for was a Justice Assistance Grant. With this grant the department plans to add two additional officers to the gang suppression unit as well as add three new vehicles. The 2021 Ford Interceptor SUVs will be outfitted with internal light bars in the front, grill lighting, rear lighting,decals, console and computer mount, front prisoner partition, rear prisoner partition, prisoner seat with belts, rear cargo storage box, wiring harness and related components, siren, and speakers. The cost to outfit will be $8,500. 

The SAPD's gang unit currently consists of three officers. As gang activity in San Angelo continuing to rise the police force is looking to add three new officers. 

Since the regular patrol units cannot be interchangeable with the gang unit vehicle the department  is applying for the grant to purchase the vehicles.The current vehicle for the gang unit has over 90,000 miles on it and is expensive to maintain in running condition. 

The city council approved this item 7-0. 

For the full meeting visit the City of San Angelo's Youtube Channel.