CCPD awarded grant funds to enhance public safety

Published on March 21, 2025

The Commerce City Police Department (CCPD) was awarded $28,395 from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Fiscal Year 2024 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. This funding will be used to expand the FLOCK Safety System, which serves as the city’s gunshot detection system, as well as purchase an additional ballistic shield for use in tactical situations. Both of these initiatives improve resident and officer safety. Grant funds were officially recognized by City Council at the March 3 regular meeting.

View the grant application here for more information

Proposal Narrative: Commerce City Police Department Project

Overview: Statement of Issue & Project Overview

The Commerce City Police Department (CCPD) has implemented a gunshot detection system, Flock RAVEN, that since June 1, 2024, has detected 192 instances of gun fire. However, a triangle-shaped area in Commerce City ranging from 72nd Street to the north, 66th Street to the south, Highway 2 to the east and Highway 85 to the west is not included in the covered region, but experiences high levels of gun fire activity. Additionally, this area includes a popular city park, residential neighborhoods, churches and local businesses, and would significantly benefit from inclusion in the city’s oader gunshot detection system. Not only does this system allow for a quicker and more efficient officer response to gun violence but would greatly assist CCPD in responding to gun violence faster and more effectively, gathering more accurate data, being alerted even when there is no emergency services call, and enhancing investigations. Furthermore, the data collected by the system will allow CCPD and city leadership to have a better understanding of levels of violent crime and where additional resources may need to be focused.

In addition to expanding the gunshot detection system, CCPD has a long-term goal to equip every officer vehicle with a level III ballistic shield. These shields are critical to protecting officers from bullets, thrown objects and other threats by providing a physical barrier in a variety of situations, including tactical operations, building searches, crowd control, rescue operations, and when facing armed individuals. Providing CCPD officers with the necessary safety tools is critical, so that they can protect themselves while serving the Commerce City community.

Project Alignment

This project aligns with Commerce City’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan adopted by the City Council in November 2023, specifically one of six goals focused on Public Health and Safety which emphasizes investing in the police department and preventing crime. The expansion of the gunshot detection system aligns with crime prevention, and the purchase of a ballistic shield aligns with investing in the department. This project also aligns with the JAG Statutory Program Area of law enforcement programs, and the JAG Area of Emphasis focused on violent crime reduction to improve community safety.

Proposed Timeline

This gunshot detection system will be expanded within the first year of the grant program and continue to be funded through the entirety of year two. The annual cost to expand the system to the identified region is $12,000 per year. Utilizing the data provided by the system will allow leadership to request funding to continue covering the identified region after the grant term. Finally, the level III ballistic shield will be purchased and added to a vehicle for officer use within the first year.

For any questions about this grant, please email grants@c3gov.com.