• Criminal Justice Grants
  • Forms
  • Resources
  • Training
  • Contact Us

Criminal Justice Grants

Electronic Surveillance Support Team (ESST)

The ESST program is a statutory program that provides reimbursement to local law enforcement agencies for participation in regional Electronic Surveillance Support Teams. Members of ESST may provide resources, equipment, and the personnel for operations in Florida upon request by any law enforcement agency within the state; however, program activities must be approved by the FDLE task force leaders. 

The assistance provided by ESST participants may include the following activities: covert camera placement and operation, vehicle tracking device installation and monitoring, video and audio surveillance operations, cellular locating and tracking, audio and video enhancement, and other similar technical support as requests. 

FDLE will reimburse up to $12,500 per task force member per year for overtime (with associated benefits), travel, training, and associated mileage. 

Funding Process

In order to participate in this program, local law enforcement agencies must have an Electronic Surveillance Support Team Multi-Agency Voluntary Cooperation Mutual Aid Agreement (MAA) executed between the respective FDLE Regional Operations Center Special Agent in Charge and the head of the local law enforcement agency (Sheriff, Police Chief, etc.). These MAA agreements can be obtained by reaching out to the respective Regional Operations Center for your jurisdiction. 

After the MAA is executed, interested parties need to prepare and execute an ESST Financial Assistance Agreement during each state new fiscal year. This agreement must be signed by the head of the local law enforcement agency (Sheriff, Police Chief, etc.) and sent to the respective Regional Operations Center for your jurisdiction to obtain the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) signature. Upon signature by the SAC, the agreement will be forwarded to Criminal Justice Grants (CJG) for Bureau Chief execution. 

Training and Travel Requirements

If a participating agency attends training in direct support of joint task force operations, certain requirements must be met PRIOR to attending the training. 

Each participating agency shall submit a pre-approval request, via email, through their local FDLE Task Force Leader that includes the following information: 

• Task Force member name
• Task Force member agency
• Name of training course
• Date of training
• Location of training
• Estimated costs of training, to include a breakout of registration, travel, and per diem expenses. 

The local FDLE Task Force Leader will coordinate the approval of the training even with FDLE's IFS Cyber High-Tech Crime Unit in Tallahassee.

Reimbursement Process

Upon execution of the MAA and the Financial Assistance Agreement, the participating agency is able to request reimbursement for eligible expenses. The steps for this process are described below: 

1. Recipient prepares an ESST Payment Request Form (Excel).
2. Recipient gathers all required supporting documentation by budget category.
   • Personnel/Fringe Benefits: (a) copy of timesheet that includes member name, date, and case worked; (b) pay stub reflecting the overtime and rate of pay that correlates to the submitted claim; and (c) if requesting benefits, the pay stub must reflect the amount of FICA/retirement (or other benefits) paid by the recipient organization, not the member deduction. 
   • Travel/Training: (a) documentation of prior approval from FDLE SAC; (b) copy of training agenda; (c) completed State of Florida travel voucher; and (d) receipts for hotel, parking, registration, airfare, rental car, etc. Food receipts are not required. Travel will be reimbursed in accordance with State of Florida Travel Guidelines in Section 112.061, Florida Statutes. 
   • Mileage: (a) printed map showing mileage between destinations 
3. Recipient submits request form and documentation to OCJGSFA@fdle.state.fl.us for review and approval.