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Council member presses DDOT on bus camera coverage as committee advances a DOT settlement
Summary
Following a committee discussion of a small DOT settlement, Council member Angela Whitfield Callaway asked DDOT whether all buses are equipped with operational cameras; DDOT confirmed buses have cameras but the agency could not say in committee whether every camera was operational.
Council member Angela Whitfield Callaway asked the Detroit Department of Transportation on Monday whether every DDOT vehicle in the fleet is equipped with functioning cameras after the committee advanced a $9,500 settlement request tied to a DOT matter.
Callaway said she would send a written request to the DDOT director asking: "Are all of the DDOT buses, 100% of the fleet equipped with cameras? If so, are they all operational as of today?" Council member Angela Whitfield Callaway's question was prompted while the committee discussed line item 6.2, a $9,500 settlement involving AS Medical Group, PLC.
Stephanie Davis, government affairs liaison for the Detroit Department of Transportation, told the committee, "there are bus cameras on DDOT buses." Davis said the safety department and law department work with Detroit Police Department to acquire video. Rakeba Dismuke, DDOT HR manager, said she could not speak to the cameras' software or retention schedule. Committee members asked DDOT for a written memorandum confirming how many buses are equipped with cameras and whether the cameras are operational.
Why it matters: Council members said operational bus cameras could provide evidence to challenge or reduce some first-party claims against the city. Member Callaway argued that if camera footage were available and reliable the city might be able to contest some routine settlements and reduce payouts.
Davis urged the committee to direct vehicle maintenance or DDOT safety to confirm operational status; Callaway's office said it would send a formal memo requesting the information. Attorney Graham Anderson, Law Department, noted during the meeting that first-party matters are difficult to defeat even with footage unless there is evidence of fraud or other dispositive facts.
The committee sent line item 6.2 to formal with a recommendation to approve and requested that DDOT and the law department return a written response regarding camera coverage and operational status.
Member Callaway also raised broader concerns about local firms that repeatedly bring claims against the city and said stronger evidence collection could reduce repetitive settlements. The committee did not change the settlement recommendation during its session; follow-up memos were requested.
