County Jail operating beyond capacity Sheriff considers GPS monitoring

The Cuyahoga County Jail at the Justice Center will have 200 beds available for those who may be arrested at the Republican National Convention.

(Lynn Ischay, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County will keep 200 beds open at the County Jail for those who may be arrested during the Republican National Convention.

The county is also buying equipment for the RNC, including body cameras and detectors for radiation, chemicals and gas.

The county will be paid up to $250,000 by the city of Cleveland to house those arrested from July 16 through July 23, according to a proposal submitted to the county's Board of Control, which meets May 31.

"This agreement will allow Cuyahoga County to house 'fresh arrests' that are made by Cleveland Division of Police related to the RNC event," the county's department of public works wrote in its submission to the board, which approves contracts valued up to $500,000. "The County will guarantee the City the availability of up to 200 beds for use by the City. In order to accommodate this arrangement, the County will transfer 200 of its own inmates from downtown to Bedford Heights jail and lease for the week."

The jail is located in the Justice Center in downtown Cleveland.

Cuyahoga County Common Please Court and Cleveland Municipal Court, both in the Justice Center, will keep their dockets clear with the exception of arraignments for people charged with crimes during the convention, scheduled for July 18-21.

The county's board of control is also expected to approve the following purchases, with most cited as related to the RNC. The county will be reimbursed for purchases related to equipment needed for the convention.

Body cameras: The Sheriff's Department seeks an exemption to requesting proposals so it can spend $724,600 for a five-year contract with Taser International Inc. for 100 body cameras. Three companies made proposals but the purchase must be made now so they are available for the RNC. The cameras will be purchased with money from grants, the county and the county prosecutor's office.

"Full implementation of phase one and two would allow for 100 body cameras to be deployed and to allow agencies to manage and share digital evidence without local storage infrastructure or software needed," the department said.

Urban search and rescue response breaching equipment: Request to pay $24,575 to Hilti Inc. Such equipment could include handheld radios, toxicity testers, radiation meters and circular saws, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Replace Mass Casualty Incident Trailer supplies: From Nashville Medical & EMS Products, Inc. at a cost of $7,500.

Hand held radiation detection unit: From Laurus Systems Inc. at a cost of $22,965.

Chemical/Gas Detection Host Controller: From Premier Safety & Service at a cost of $20,345. Wireless host controllers are designed for quick assessment of gaseous and chemical threats.

Ground Resistance Tester: From Amerisochi, Inc. at a cost of $3,800. To test grounded electrical systems, so that in the event of a lightning strike or utility overvoltage, current will find a safe path to earth.