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$100K grant hunt targets drones, crime scene tools
BASTROP — High-tech upgrades could soon enhance local police work, as the Bastrop Police Department seeks more than $100,000 in grant funding to upgrade its equipment.
At last week’s City Council meeting, Bastrop PD received approval to apply for technology grants to meet the community’s growing needs.
“We are always looking to improve the technology we are using and keep up with our community’s demands. Funds are limited so we do look for grants and other funding to help us offset these costs,” said Daniel McManus, who oversees the grant writing process in the department’s support services division.
During the Feb. 25 meeting, the council discussed the police department’s fiscal 2024-25 budget update, which shows a 36% increase over the previous year, bringing the total budget to just under $6 million.
Chief Vicky Steffanic
attributed the rise primarily to additional vehicles, equipment, personnel and higher dispatch service fees.
Several grant applications are in the works, according to Mc-Manus.
One Department of Justice application seeks $10,361 for an aerial drone that would cover its full cost with no matching funds required. The new drone, equipped with a zoom camera, radiometric thermal sensor and wide-angle lens, would provide longer flight times than the department’s current, older model drone. McManus said enhanced drone capabilities would improve crash scene reconstruction and bolster search and rescue operations.
A Department of Homeland Security grant request for $30,700 would fund a law enforcement surveillance trailer outfitted with telescopic arms to support the department’s existing cameras. The mobile unit is described in the grant as essential for deterring potential threats, including terrorism. “As a small department during some of the bigger parades we do not have the personnel to keep an eye on the crowds throughout the routes. The telescopic arms will allow us to have a better understanding of what is going on throughout the parade instead of just from the officers at their intersections,” McManus said.
The department is also seeking $18,384 from the Lower Colorado River Authority for a rescue boat and trailer — though, if approved, the city would contribute $3,677 in matching funds.
In 2024, according to city documents, Bastrop PD responded to about five water- related deaths in and around its jurisdiction. Officers investigated a homicide that required river dredging and frequently receive calls for bone identification in the water. The city also has several special events that incorporate river activity.
McManus said the city collaborates with other agencies when a rescue boat is needed, but it can often take some time for one to become available, and having its own apparatus would make the PD more self-sufficient.
“This is a rugged inflatable boat like you’ve seen on search and rescue videos. It’s a little more stable and sits on the water higher. The Colorado is a pretty shallow river so we were looking for a boat that would be maneuverable in shallow water,” he said.
The largest request, for $72,072 from the Department of Justice, would fund a FARO Focus Core 3-D crime scene scanner. The scanner comes with a camera that can take 360-degree photographs, show evidence placement, bullet trajectories and help with blood pattern analysis — complementing drone imagery, it can also be used to map and scale crash sites, according to the department.
“Pictures alone can’t really grasp the details that a 3-D image would, and pictures alone are really limited insofar as showing the scene in relation to other items. What could take our detectives hours to photograph and hand scale at a scene will take only minutes for the scanner,” Mc-Manus added.
Earlier this month, Bastrop PD received $26,267 from a state grant to purchase 10 personal- sized ballistic shields for patrol officers.
As Bastrop PD coordinates its grant applications through the Capitol Area Council of Governments, the success of these proposals may ultimately depend on the broader needs across the 10 counties it serves, according to the department.
McManus said the department expects to hear in October whether it will receive the funding.
