Elgin council approves application for thermal-imaging grant to target vehicle crimes

The Elgin City Council voted May 20 to approve an application to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles' Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority for funding to buy high-resolution thermal imaging cameras for the Elgin Police Department.

Chief Noble, Elgin Police Department, described the equipment as “night vision” that would let officers monitor parking lots and detect people moving around vehicles and said the request is tied to the catalytic-converter-theft program administered through the authority. He said the department’s ask is about $54,000 and that the grant requires a local match: “And again, this is just to apply for the grant…there is a 20% match to the grant,” he said. During discussion the chief added, “as I said last time, it's not a, 20% match. It's an 80% discount.”

Council members asked about how many cameras could be purchased and how they would be deployed; the chief said the request would fund nine cameras with wiring harnesses and allow interchangeable units to outfit two vehicles per shift with a spare. The council did not commit to a specific deployment plan at the meeting; staff said deployment details and baseline performance data would be established if the grant is awarded.

The motion to approve applying for the grant passed on a voice/roll call vote. Council members registered affirmative votes during the action sequence recorded: Swain, Love, Saint Pierre, Prem, McShane, Kosnovsky and Gibson.

No funding appropriation beyond authorization to apply was approved at the meeting. City staff noted that any award would require the city to provide the stated match and that the grant is competitive; the council’s vote authorized staff to pursue the application and accept the terms if the award is made.