The Lapeer County Board of Commissioners approved annual renewals on the county’s Motorola body‑camera licensing for 55 deputy cameras and the prosecutor’s case‑management software during a regular meeting.

County officials said the Motorola renewal covers tech support and related services for the 55 cameras used by deputies. Under Sheriff Odette told commissioners the department routinely uses body‑camera footage to confirm report details and to investigate complaints: “We easily utilize them, when writing reports, especially on long instances so they can refer back to make sure that the documentation that they make are exact to the actual events,” Odette said.

Prosecuting Attorney staff described the case‑management system renewal and explained a rise in hosting and storage costs. The prosecutor said additional storage fees — which the invoice shows as the largest variable line — are driven in part by retaining multiple body‑camera and dash‑camera recordings in multi‑officer scenes. “That additional storage fee…a huge portion of that is body cam,” the prosecutor said. The prosecutor also said the invoice’s hosting and storage charges will be paid through the county’s millage fund.

Both renewals were moved, supported and approved by voice vote (all in favor). No roll‑call vote tally was recorded in the meeting minutes.

Why it matters: The renewals affect evidence retention, disclosure to defense counsel and the county’s IT and budget planning. Prosecutor’s office staff described retention schedules meant to limit long‑term storage for routine cases, while retaining evidence for major cases as required for litigation.

Commissioners asked about the cameras’ usefulness and footage quality; Odette offered to arrange a demonstration of the system for commissioners. The prosecutor described internal retention policies and said the office is exploring private server options to manage long‑term storage costs.

Ending: County staff said they will continue annual reviews of storage use and costs and that routine renewals will be paid from established millage accounts.