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Fayetteville police seek $10,000 overtime grant and 60-day trial of FLOCK vehicle-camera system
Summary
Police requested permission to apply for a $10,000 Tennessee Highway Safety Office overtime grant and to trial a cloud-based vehicle camera system (FLOCK) for 60 days; officials flagged budget timing, TDOT permissions and data-storage questions.
The Fayetteville Police Department asked the board for permission to apply for two items: a $10,000 Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) reimbursable overtime grant and a 60-day free trial of the FLOCK vehicle-camera system.
The THSO grant, Chief Eugene said, is reimbursable and is intended to fund high-visibility traffic enforcement; the department proposed a $50-per-hour overtime rate for officers and noted that the grant requires at least $2,000 be used for overtime, with the remaining funds allowable for equipment purchases if overtime needs are met.
On the FLOCK system, Eugene described the product as a camera network that photographs license plates and (in some configurations) vehicle interiors in one direction. He said the county plans corresponding cameras on roads outside town and that the city would host seven cameras to cover downtown approaches and key intersections. The hardware and integrated cloud service cost $3,000 per camera if purchased, he said, with $21,000 being the total purchase price for seven cameras. The department proposed a 60-day free trial; if the city declines purchase after the trial the vendor will remove the cameras.
Board members asked where data would be stored and who could access it. Eugene said images are stored in the vendor’s cloud and accessed only by subscribing law-enforcement agencies; he said the department is vetting privacy and security and planned to return with more details. Members also raised budget-timing concerns and the need for TDOT approval to place devices on state right-of-way; Eugene said the trial could begin after July 1 to accommodate the city’s budget cycle and TDOT permissions.
Police also reported staffing shortages (one patrolman and one lieutenant vacancy) and routine event permits (Rife Ashton School Tiger Tracks, Junior Fishing Rodeo) that the department had approved. The board did not authorize purchase at the meeting; staff said they would return with a plan, specifics on recurring costs and privacy safeguards before seeking final approval.
