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Watertown council authorizes five-year contract to launch body-worn camera program
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously to let the city manager sign a five-year contract with Motorola to provide and maintain body-worn cameras and related records/dispatch systems; the five-year deal totals about $1.6 million with $234,000 in state grant funds for year one.
The Watertown City Council on Jan. 28 unanimously authorized the city manager to sign a five-year contract to initiate and maintain a body-worn camera program and related records/dispatch systems, the manager told the council.
City Manager said the plan moves the effort from a one-time capital purchase to a long-term contract with Motorola, which will supply, maintain and upgrade cameras and integrate them with the city’s records and dispatch systems. "This is not a cheap endeavor. It's a $1,600,000 endeavor over the course of the 5 years," the manager said.
The manager and police leadership described the contract approach as providing continuous technical support and replacement service: "If a camera breaks, they replace the camera. If a camera needs repair, they repair the camera. When a camera needs upgrades, they upgrade the camera," the manager said. He added that the program is in bargaining agreement with the police union but that several policies remain to be finalized.
Councilor Gannon praised the move while stressing the human element: "This item is not all about just equipment. It's about people," he said, commending the police unions and the department for supporting transparency. Councilor Feltner asked how the council would learn about use and retention policies; the manager said those issues are a union negotiation item and that he will share the final policies with the council when available.
Funding and implementation details in the presentation included a year-one cost to the city of about $250,000 offset by a $234,000 state grant; the city expects years two through five to be budgeted as operating costs in the police department. The manager said training for officers and staff will be required and that Chief Hanrahan and Captain Unsworth are working on that plan.
Formal action: a motion to authorize the manager to initiate and sign a five-year contract was moved and seconded; the council voted "Aye" and the motion passed.
The council did not adopt final policy language at the meeting. The manager said he would provide the completed union agreement and the department’s training plan to the council when they are finalized.
