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Georgetown Council approves expanded intersection cameras, license‑plate readers
Summary
The council approved a municipal order to expand fixed intersection cameras and license‑plate readers, and to add pan‑tilt‑zoom cameras for critical crossings and downtown; police said data retention follows state schedules and local policy.
The Georgetown City Council on Sept. 22 approved a municipal order to expand the city’s network of license‑plate readers and install 12 fixed intersection cameras plus three pan‑tilt‑zoom cameras in locations the city identified as “high crash” or high‑incident, officials said.
City officials and police said the system will be used for real‑time monitoring by dispatch and for collision and incident investigations. The council voted unanimously to authorize the purchase and deployment, and staff said the project came in roughly $500 under the budgeted amount.
Supporters said the pan‑tilt‑zoom cameras will give first responders visual information in time‑sensitive situations. “If dispatch doesn’t know whether there’s a train across that particular roadway, it can add many, many minutes to their response time,” a city public safety presenter told the council, citing the planned camera at the Rogers Gap railroad crossing.
Councilman Crisp asked about how long camera recordings are retained and who sets retention rules. A police department representative told the council that the department’s policy deletes routine footage after 30 days unless it is kept for evidentiary purposes. City staff added that retention is also driven by the state retention schedule administered through the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.
City staff said the equipment purchase used an OMNIA cooperative contract and that the final cost came in under what was budgeted. The council authorized the municipal order by voice vote.
The expansion will allow law enforcement and emergency services to view selected camera feeds in real time, officials said, and recorded footage will be available for collision investigation and other law enforcement purposes. City staff said they will follow state retention schedules and department policy on access and deletion.
The council did not set a public timeline for when the new cameras will begin operation; staff said deployment will follow procurement and installation schedules.
