OWENSVILLE — Owensville Police Chief Scott Griffith approached the Board of Aldermen at Monday’s meeting to enter into a contract with Axon for tasers, body cams and in-car cameras.
…
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
|
OWENSVILLE — Owensville Police Chief Scott Griffith approached the Board of Aldermen at Monday’s meeting to enter into a contract with Axon for tasers, body cams and in-car cameras.
Two quotes were provided to the board: $90,551.65 for 10 tasers and eight body cameras and $55,341 for five in-car cameras for the patrol vehicles.
The purchase of tasers and body cameras will help the Owensville Police Department (OPD) to be compliant with the city’s insurance provider, MIRMA, according to Griffith.
Additionally, the department has applied for a grant through MIRMA to cover the purchase of one taser and two body cameras, if awarded.
The five-year payment plan will include training cartridges each year, upgrades to the body cameras every 2-3 years, new body cameras at the end of five years and warranties on all equipment for the length of the agreement.
Annually, the cost will be $18,110.33.
The department has also applied for a $3,375 MIRMA grant to assist with the costs of the in-car cameras, which are also a MIRMA requirement.
Griffith recommended only putting a camera in the Tahoe, the department’s prisoner transport vehicle.
“We could then install cameras in each patrol car over the next five years,” he said.
He is still receiving quotes for in-car computers which will be needed for the cameras to function properly.
Since they are only purchasing one camera and discounts were included in the case of purchasing all five, the quote of $2,213.64 per year is only an estimate.
This purchase will be paid from the county sheriff’s law enforcement sales tax fund, with five municipalities including the city of Owensville dividing up 25 percent of taxes collected, and would take care of some of the department’s current equipment needs.
This fund has approximately $135,000 in it currently, according to Randy Blaske, Owensville’s city administrator.
“As for video equipment and tasers, this would be the best equipment the PD could obtain,” Griffith advised the board.
The motion to approve the recommendation and enter into the contract with Axon was made by Ward 1 Alderman Dan Breeden, seconded by Ward 2 Alderman Matt Kramme and passed unanimously.
