Crossville Police Chief Jessie Brooks wants a new body camera and police car camera system for the department after a product approved for purchase in September failed to meet expectations.
“It actually never worked 10 minutes,” Crossville City Manager Greg Wood told council during its Oct. 4 business session.
Brooks said the previously approved cameras restarted three times in the span of 30 minutes. That’s not acceptable for cameras that are increasingly important in criminal prosecutions and civil litigation, Brooks said.
“I can’t tell you how important it is to have everything documented,” City Attorney Randy York said. “If it’s on a videotape, the court can watch it and see. It doesn’t matter what others say. It’s so important to capture those moments.
York added: “You can’t have a system that reboots every 10 minutes.
In addition to liability payments, the lawsuits could also result in an order to pay attorneys’ fees, which can easily amount to several hundred thousand dollars.
Brooks said, “I promised the board I wouldn’t buy it if it didn’t work out.”
The city received a grant of $42,000. Brooks said the company submitting the lowest bid provided body cameras and car cameras for testing. The body cameras worked really well, Brooks said. The car cameras did not work and the company did not respond to calls from the city’s information technology department.
Brooks also explained why he was not in favor of the next lowest bids, citing concerns about the company’s longevity or past negative experiences.
He recommended the city buy a system from Axon, with a bid of $365,407.
“It’s one of the best systems,” Brooks said, adding that it’s also used by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Nashville Metro Police and London Police.
The price of the system is over the $200,000 budgeted for the police cameras, but Brooks worked with the company on a financing deal. The city will pay $200,000 this year and, starting next year, will pay $40,000 a year for four years. There will be no additional costs for maintenance during the five years of the financing arrangement and the city will not be charged any financing costs.
Wood said the town of Cookeville uses the same system, and officers in Crossville have tested and used this equipment.
The board unanimously approved the purchase at its October 11 meeting.
In other matters, the board approved the following:
• second reading of a $295,625 budget amendment to various parts of the 2022-23 city budget
• second reading of a $1.9 million budget amendment for the relocation of utilities along the Northwest Connector road project
• approval of the purchase of a leaf vacuum for street service at a cost of $55,086 and first reading of a budget amendment of $10,000 to finance the purchase compared to what was budgeted
• offer from Stubbs Construction Services, LLC to construct a half-timbered building for street service storage at a cost of $115,250, and a budget amendment of $50,000 to finance the purchase over what was planned
• Awarding of a bid to Bridge Brothers Inc. for $81,636.50 for the construction of a pedestrian bridge at Meadow Park Lake, and a budget amendment of $82,000
• authorization to release $100,000 budgeted as a donation to Roane State Community College for the construction of a nursing laboratory
•Purchase of two Ford Police Interceptor utility vehicles for $96,359. This is a budgeted expense
• purchase of right-of-way mowing equipment from Dickson County Equipment Company Inc. for $146,964.24. This is a budgeted expense
•Purchase of a two-way brushcutter for $14,950 from Mountain Farm International. This is a budgeted expense
•purchased an 84-inch grapple rake for $5,391 from Mountain Farm International. This is a budgeted expense
• repair of the flocculator pumps at the Meadow Park Lake water treatment plant at a cost of $16,300
•gap to allow Hilltoppers Inc. to place a directional sign at the corner of boul. Industrial. and Duer CT. on city property
• acceptance of a $24,977.20 alcohol control grant from the Tennessee Department of Safety
• contract with Flynn Sign Co. for advertising on various digital signs for $900 per month
• replacement of streetlights on the highway. 127 from Neecham St. to Interstate 40 with LED lights at a cost of $71,166 and purchase of 36 lights from Volunteer Energy Cooperative at a cost of $7,668
• contract for the removal of trees on the flight path to Crossville Memorial Airport
• contract with Atkins to design, tender and build the terminal building renovations, with a $649,980 grant and $32,000 local matching
• disposal of a 2009 Dodge Ram 550 utility vehicle with a current value of $18,000 and disposal of a road sweeper, a 2006 Ford truck and a 1997 Chevrolet vehicle used by the street service. Items will be auctioned
• Street closures on November 5 for the 2022 Crossville Veterans Parade
• Street closures on January 1 for the Race for Hope 5K to benefit Cumberland County Habitat for Humanity
The board also heard a complaint from local food truck vendor Tee Chambers who said Wood was not following the city’s policy on food trucks for vendors at the annual Crossville Airport Open House. Memorial.
A policy approved in 2020 establishes a reservation system for food trucks and trailers operating in designated areas of city parks. Reservations under the policy are first come, first served and can be made at least 24 hours in advance from vendors who have a valid city and council business license and appropriate insurance and certifications to serve. food.
She suggested requiring that food truck operators interested in participating in special events like the fly-in be required to register in person at City Hall two weeks before an event.
Wood said the host committee oversees securing vendors for the event. He did not address any other complaints about the email communication.
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