West Memphis to get surveillance cameras

West Memphis to get surveillance cameras

Council OK’s budget amendment to fund purchase

news@theeveningtimes.com

A pair of eyes in the sky will soon be watching over West Memphis.

Last Thursday, the West Memphis City Council approved adding $20,000 to the Police Department budget for purchase of surveillance cameras. While the brand, supplier and final cost was not specified, the council voted unanimously to boost the budget for the police cameras.

The idea was originally discussed and approved in budget hearings last fall.

“It got lost in the shuffle,” Budget Chairman and Councilman Tracy Catt said ahead of the vote.

Councilman Marco Mc-Clendon had brought the issue before the council in three straight meetings. He finally prevailed on moving funds into the Police Department budget for the cameras and a computer monitoring system. The Councilman said he met with Police Chief Donald Oakes. The matter came with a renewed urgency following a recent altercation near Avalon and Jackson in which a city policeman was fired upon.

“This is the third time trying to talk to this council to get money approved for Sky Cops,” said McClen- don. “I met with the chief yesterday. I tried to get a specific number for the council but he explained there was a little more to go for details. He couldn’t say just how much the cameras would cost but he also needed monitors for the dispatch room. He continued to tell me $20,000 is what is needed.

“We had an incident in one of the proposed areas with and AK-47 being shot at one of our officers. If the camera would have been in it would have been a deterrent or would have recorded it. I am asking for $20,000 for the safety of our community and our officers. This just isn’t Marco, this is the police chief asking. We’ve been dropping the ball.”

Video of the incident was captured on two other cameras, neither of which provided a deterrent — one in a convenience store and one on the dashboard camera of the patrol vehicle.

City Council turned to a three-point discussion encompassing whether the city could afford the cameras, procedures to add the request to the agenda, and examining details of a proper the bidding process.

“Where is the money coming from?” asked Councilwoman Lorraine Robinson.

The city sales tax revenue has run behind budget this year to date. Catt pointed to the general fund surplus at the finish of 2016.

Councilman Wayne Croom expressed his desire for a competitive bidding process and felt it might be thrown out for emergency reasons after the shots fired incident.

“If we knew we were going to put up some cameras, we had a good amount of time for pricing quotes,” said Croom. “Now it has come down to this emergency stage where this has happened. I’m all for putting up cameras, but suggest anytime we have a situation that comes up similar to this we need to come up with quotes prior to an incident that forces us into it.”

Catt said the budget making oversight created the whole snafu.

This was discussed in the November or December time frame for the budget,” said Catt. “The cameras were $7,100 each at that time but there was an unknown component about what monitoring would cost. Would there be a hard line or a softer download?

Listening to what Marco said, the chief won’t know exactly what kind of camera and equipment he needs for support. He may not exceed the $20,000 and look at three or four different brands.”

“Bidding things is a good way to do business,” said Croom.

Mayor Bill Johnson and City Attorney David Peeples zeroed in on the $20,000 as a threshold for higher standards required by the legislative audit.

Following legal procedures means the police won’t be able to put cameras on poles overnight.

“As a point of clarity the $20,000 figure is the exact number that determines whether you take bids or take quotes,” said Johnson. “If it is over $20,000 you must take bids on it. If it is under $20,000 you may take quotes.”

“Over or under will make a difference in the procedure,”

said Peeples.

By John Rech