TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: AARON FATE, POLICE CHIEF
DATE: JUNE 25, 2024
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH SUN RIDGE SYSTEMS, INC., FOR THE PURCHASE OF A RECORD INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE (CAD/RMS) FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT (FUNDING SOURCE: AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUND)
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SUMMARY
Since 1997, the Police Department has contracted with Pulsiam, formerly Hitech Systems Inc., to provide its proprietary software applications for Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS), and Mobile Data Communications (MDC). The annual maintenance cost of approximately $87,000 was included in the operating budget of the Police Department.
The Pulsiam CAD/RMS system no longer meets the Department’s needs. Its functionality and operational capabilities cannot provide the services the Department needs to perform at the highest possible standards. Therefore, the replacement of the system is critical, as it will be used to dispatch Claremont Police Officers to calls for service and manage critical data.
Furthermore, the current system provider has failed to offer upgrades to its antiquated system, and improvements appear to have stagnated due to a lack of innovation. Without incorporating new technologies and features, Pulsiam cannot meet specific Police Department needs, as the system has become outdated and unable to meet the evolving needs of the community.
Due to the issues related to the Pulsiam CAD/RMS system, Police Department staff began looking into alternatives for new CAD/RMS providers. Staff attended a police technology conference in 2022, which showcased many of the CAD/RMS products on the market. Based on the information obtained during the conference, Sun Ridge Systems, Inc., along with two other CAD/RMS providers were invited to present their products to staff at the Police Department. Sun Ridge Systems, Inc., provided a thorough and in-depth overview of their product.
Based on the initial review of RIMS, Police Department staff participated in the RIMSCON conference in 2023, which provided valuable insight into the RIMS program. Attendance at the conference allowed for staff to network with numerous individuals from a variety of law enforcement agencies from throughout California and learn firsthand how comprehensive the RIMS software program is.
Additionally, Police Department staff also visited several local law enforcement agencies that currently utilize the RIMS software program. These visits allowed staff to gain valuable insight into how RIMS was implemented to provide support and streamline the daily workload of the employees at those agencies. Based on the extensive information received during the research of RIMS, Police Department staff determined that the Sun Ridge Systems, Inc., RIMS software is the best solution for the Claremont Police Department.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council:
A. Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement for $499,734 to purchase, implement, and provide one year of support for the Sun Ridge Systems, Inc., Record Information Management System (RIMS) Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management System, including an additional Mobile Data Communication module;
B. Appropriate $499,734 from the American Rescue Plan Act Fund to fully fund the purchase, implementation, and one year of support of the RIMS system; and
C. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a one-year agreement in the amount of $87,461.57 for continued Pulsiam CAD/RMS/MDC maintenance and support during the transition.
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Reject the staff recommendation.
B. Delay the staff recommendation and request additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The funding for the Sun Ridge Systems RIMS Public Safety Software purchase and first year of annual maintenance will be funded with the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Fund. The initial software purchase with annual support and updates costs $499,734. The subsequent four years of annual support and updates will be included in future budgets. These costs are well below the annual support and maintenance fee charged by Pulsiam (currently $87,461.57). The Sun Ridge Systems RIMS Public Safety Software annual support costs are as follows:
Year 2 $47,625
Year 3 $50,010
Year 4 $52,510
Year 5 $55,135
This agreement is for sole-source proprietary computer software. It falls under Claremont Municipal Code 3.15.090, which allows for alternative purchasing procedures that result in a negotiated contract, force account, purchase order, or any other procedure determined by the authorized contracting party to be in the best interests of the City and in compliance with the City’s policies and procedures. Specifically, as it relates to the purchase of computer software (3.15.090 Section C).
The $87,461.57 for the current Pulsiam system maintenance is already budgeted for 2024-25 and will be used for one year of continued support during the transition, and to ensure the retention of archival data.
The staff cost to prepare this report and administer this contract is estimated at $1,778 and is included in the operating budget of the Police Department.
ANALYSIS
Since 1997, the Police Department has contracted with Pulsiam to provide and maintain its suite of “SafetyNet” Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS), and Mobile Data Communications (MDC) proprietary software applications.
Unfortunately, the Pulsiam system has failed to upgrade its antiquated system, which appears to have stagnated due to a lack of innovation. Without incorporating new technologies and features, the system has become outdated and unable to meet users' evolving needs.
Additionally, the system's architecture is archaic and poorly designed, making it challenging to implement upgrades without reengineering and significant additional costs. The system is not user-friendly and continues to have issues, such as being unable to dispatch two units on a single call. This issue has not been resolved after several years of submitting service desk tickets with Pulsiam. Furthermore, many of the reports mandated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) cannot be exported easily, causing delays and/or requiring much-needed resources to address erroneous information.
The Claremont Police Department desires to replace the underperforming Pulsiam system with an updated system that better meets the needs of the Claremont community in terms of access, reporting, and analysis. The Department is in need of a system that will more effectively enable the Department to comply with new and emerging data collection and reporting requirements, such as the Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA), the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), and the California Incident Based Reporting System (CIBRS).
The CAD/RMS system is one of the most critical software systems used by any law enforcement agency. Accurate records and data retrieval are essential for effective police duties and management. Reporting accurate crime data is a fundamental expectation of the community, and the Claremont Police Department wants to continue meeting that expectation with the most effective available technology. The time it takes to prepare RIPA, NIBRS, and CIBRS reports for the DOJ submissions will be significantly reduced as Sun Ridge Systems is a California-based agency. They automatically create any DOJ-mandated items without incurring additional contract costs or requiring a full-time employee to submit them.
The Department seeks an integrated CAD/RMS solution that can comply with existing and upcoming mandates, capture ongoing statistical data, accurately measure performance, better equip first responders with relevant information, reduce report writing time, free up resources, enhance internal cross-training, and be technologically progressive. A key to this procurement is obtaining one fully integrated solution from a single vendor.
Sun Ridge Systems has provided CAD/RMS service to law enforcement agencies throughout the state for almost forty years under the product name RIMS. Currently, RIMS is used by 223 agencies in California, which is four times more than any other product. RIMS has a proven track record of being an efficient and effective system, and every agency contacted that uses RIMS provided positive reviews. The Claremont Police Department has evaluated RIMS and has determined that this product meets all current and anticipated future needs of the Department. Unlike Pulsiam, which provides a subscription service, RIMS is licensed software that the City will own.
Sun Ridge has presented a contract that breaks down the purchase price of the RIMS CAD/RMS software and first-year annual support and updates for $499,734. This price does not include converting existing data contained in the Pulsiam system. The challenges of transferring over 27 years of data from an antiquated system stem from the cumulative impact of errors, duplications, and the complex nature of the data itself.
To retain the institutional data contained within the Pulsiam system, the Police Department proposes to pay for an additional year of service with Pulsiam. This will allow the archival data contained in the Pulsiam system to be accessed and utilized when transitioning to the Sun Ridge Systems RIMS software. This cost has already been allocated in the current Police Department budget. Once the RIMS configuration and setup begin, implementing the RIMS system is expected to take 23 days. The current contract with Pulsiam will expire on 7/31/25.
Additionally, the current hardware supporting the Pulsiam CAD/RMS needs to be replaced as it is end-of-life due to its age. The RIMS CAD/RMS platform can be installed on the already purchased VXRail server node that supports the Police Department. The additional cost for hardware and maintenance can be absorbed into the VXRail support in the future, yielding significant savings for the city.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds that it applies to the following: Council Priorities, General Plan, 2024-26 Budget, and the Youth and Family Master Plan.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Aaron Fate Robert Ewing
Police Chief Police Lieutenant