Council approves police radios, vehicles and camera contracts; chief describes backup recording and vendor upgrades

Council members approved a budget amendment and two vendor contracts on equipment and infrastructure intended to strengthen public‑safety technology, including replacement radios, two patrol vehicles and the next phase of the city’s camera network.

Police leaders told the council the cameras and radio system include backup recording and vendor support that should preserve footage even during Internet outages, and that a recent equipment swap to new cloud‑based cameras did not cost the city.

The measures were presented as part of a package of items the council moved and voted on after a public hearing. Council materials and the chief’s statements connected three agenda items: a special ordinance to amend the budget to replace New Iberia Police Department radios and purchase two additional vehicles; a contract award for crime‑camera infrastructure phase 2 to Ultimate Technologies; and an ordinance awarding a communications and equipment contract to Motorola Solutions. Each measure was opened for a public hearing, discussed briefly by council, and put to the council for votes.

Police Chief: system design, backup recording and vendor support

The police chief described how the camera system is designed to preserve footage locally on each camera when Internet service is disrupted. “The footage is good for 30 days without Internet connection,” the chief told the council, explaining that each camera has onboard backup storage and that recorded data remains available to investigators even when remote access is interrupted.

The chief said Motorola and its local partner handled a technology upgrade that replaced earlier units with newer cloud‑capable devices that integrate with Motorola’s AVA system, and that the swap “didn’t cost us any money.” He said that change removes the need for a previously planned third‑party video aggregation service (Fusus), saving the city recurring costs the department had anticipated.

On radios, the chief described the city’s choice of a Motorola P25‑based system with “smart connect” capability that can tie into Wi‑Fi when tower coverage is restricted. He said the system includes seven‑year maintenance and support agreements designed to provide prompt service and on‑site repairs rather than lengthy manufacturer returns. Council members had asked repeatedly at prior meetings about post‑sale support; the chief urged councilors to contact him directly with technical questions and offered tours of the real‑time crime center so members can see the system in operation.

Council questions and vendor confidence

Several council members said they wanted assurance that contracts include adequate post‑sale support. One council member said, during the discussion, “it is extremely important that when we sign a contract with a company, that we look at the support after the sale.” The chief and staff pointed to the maintenance terms in the contracts and said Motorola and the selected integrators have performed upgrades and on‑site fixes since system deployment.

Council and staff also discussed camera siting. The chief said about 84% of the planned 125 camera sites are installed and that staff are still coordinating the remaining placements, prioritizing hotspots and requests submitted by residents.

What passed

- Special ordinance to amend the budget to replace New Iberia Police Department radios and purchase two additional vehicles (title presented on the agenda). Motion and public hearing held; council voted to approve the ordinance. Vote tallies were not specified on the record.

- Contract award to Ultimate Technologies for the crime camera infrastructure project, phase 2, with authorization for the mayor to execute associated documents. Motion and public hearing held; council voted to approve the contract award. Vote tallies were not specified on the record.

- Ordinance awarding contract to Motorola Solutions for equipment and communications services for the New Iberia Police Department and authorizing the mayor to execute documentation related to that contract. Motion and public hearing held; council voted to approve the ordinance. Vote tallies were not specified on the record.

Why it matters

Council members framed the investments as part of a multi‑year effort to provide investigative tools that help identify suspects, deter crime and support prosecutions. Police leaders said the combination of cameras, cloud‑recording features and a maintained radio backbone is intended to sustain operations in outages and to give detectives access to evidence quickly.

Next steps

Contracts will be finalized and executed by the mayor’s office; staff said installers and vendors have already been on site and that additional camera placements will continue once purchase orders and site work are completed. The chief invited council members to visit the police department’s real‑time crime center to review how the system operates and how footage is used in investigations.