Law enforcement professionals leverage a wide array of mobile technology solutions to support their day-to-day responsibilities, as well as more innovative approaches to policing. To keep pace with public safety trends, grant funders now recognize that smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and other mobile devices can be essential to public safety projects.
Most grant funders support mobility initiatives as part of a larger approach to solving a particular problem — such as improving response times of first responders, stepping up enforcement in high-crime areas or protecting crowds in large gathering places. It’s up to the applicant to determine how they will use technology to more effectively meet their goals. In these instances, mobile technology solutions become essential project enablers that empower agencies to pursue broader project objectives across their entire workforce.
A challenge stands before the grant writer to connect the dots between the proposed technology and the community improvement that the grantmaker is looking to effect with its funding.
Writing mobility solutions into a grant proposal
Mobility solutions are best supported by grants when they’re positioned as key components of a broader project that advances the specific objectives of a funding opportunity.
So how can your agency connect technology acquisition to a grant funder’s mission in your own community? The key questions you must ask are: “Why do we need this particular mobility solution?” and “How will this technology advance the objectives of the grant program?” Framing your request in this way will show the funder that your team has a legitimate need for the equipment — while also ensuring your agency is prepared to accomplish the project’s specific objectives.
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The Samsung and Grants Office teams collaborated to outline exactly how those public safety strategies might appear in a grant proposal. In these example projects, each approach leverages Samsung mobility solutions while also taking special care to outline a broader mission of the entire project.
Mobility grant proposal examples
1. Our project will outfit first responders with tools that enhance operational efficiencies, foster interoperability and support community resilience.
The proposed Samsung DeX in-vehicle solution will provide turn-by-turn navigation for each vehicle, which is anticipated to reduce travel time by 15 percent within the first year of implementation. Additional software tools loaded into the mobile device solution will provide fire and EMS personnel with on-site access to enhanced 911 dispatch, maps and digital site plans of two dozen industrial and commercial buildings in our jurisdiction. These tools will significantly boost operational efficiency, as our agency will make better decisions based on data and analytics available on-scene, in real time.
2. Our project will deploy inventive technology solutions to address a precipitous increase in sexual violence within our community.
Cases of sexual assault and domestic violence have increased by 10 percent since 2015. The proposed Samsung smartphone solution will improve investigative analytical capacity for the team of six law enforcement officers assigned to these cases. This unit will have access to cameras and audio recording equipment to gather video evidence and witness testimony while on-scene. Officers will also be able to immediately update databases shared with local, state and federal criminal justice agencies, which will improve their ability to communicate and collaborate with partner agencies. In total, the proposed smartphones are anticipated to serve as a vital instrument in our agency’s goal of stemming the flow of sexual violence cases within 48 months of full implementation.
3. Our project will enhance first responders’ ability to protect large crowds and other soft targets, particularly at the football stadium and two concert venues within our jurisdiction.
Combined, these spaces host an average of 120,000 attendees per month during peak seasons. The proposed Samsung smartphones and smartwatches will enhance our agency’s capabilities to prevent, protect and respond to acts of terrorism at these locations. The communication and camera functionality of the smartphones will provide more holistic coverage for law enforcement officers working during high traffic periods. Smartwatches will also provide real-time, mission-critical information in the event of an emergency, when seconds matter most. If these initiatives are successful, the agency plans to expand equipment deployment to officers in additional homeland security and emergency preparedness units.
Engaging with the Samsung grant support program
The preparation your agency puts into developing such a foundation for your next project will yield significant results in obtaining grant funds. By the same token, the process of proposal development — or the actual task of writing the grant application — will be more productive if you’ve thought through the specific outcomes of your project before ever putting pen to paper.
Finding the best way to align your technology needs with a grant program can be challenging — even for the most seasoned grant-seeking agency. Check out more detailed strategies outlined by the Samsung and Grants Office teams in our recent webcast on funding for mobility solutions.
If you’d prefer individual coaching on how to integrate mobility into an upcoming grant proposal, reach out to your Samsung representative. They can put you in touch with our team of experienced Grants Development Consultants from Grants Office. This assistance — provided totally free by Samsung — will guide your agency through the entire grant-seeking process, including a comprehensive inventory of grant opportunities that fit with your project, as well as one-on-one consultation that will help your agency navigate the landscape of technology-friendly public safety grant funding.
Contact your Samsung Representative to get started today. For more information, tune into this free webinar presented by the Grants Office on strategies and tools that can help you confidently develop grant applications for your next mobility project.
