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Committee forwards $55,553 Project Safe Neighborhoods grant to buy police surveillance cameras
Summary
The Jonesboro Finance Administration Council Committee voted to forward a resolution authorizing acceptance of a $55,553.52 Project Safe Neighborhoods grant to buy camera surveillance equipment for the Jonesboro Police Department; committee members questioned license-plate-reader costs and camera placement.
The Jonesboro Finance Administration Council Committee on Tuesday voted to forward to full council Resolution 25-031, authorizing the city to accept a $55,553.52 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grant from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to buy camera surveillance equipment for the Jonesboro Police Department.
The resolution, if approved by the full council, authorizes the mayor and city clerk to execute documents necessary to accept the grant and directs the grants and community development department to submit required paperwork.
The matter drew questions about how the new cameras would integrate with the department's existing systems and whether license-plate-reader (LPR) functionality could be enabled. The police chief said the department's current camera system already includes LPR technology but that activating the LPR function for patrol vehicles would cost about $80,000 per year. "Our current camera system does have license plate reader technology built in. But it's about $80,000 to turn that technology on per year," the police chief said.
Committee members asked where cameras would be placed; the chief said the department seeks to prioritize major intersections, high-accident and high-crime areas, and that some cameras can be relocated as needs change. He estimated the PSN award would buy "four or five at best," depending on whether enclosures and more visible deterrent hardware are chosen.
Committee Chair asked members to record their votes; the committee moved the resolution forward to the full council. The transcript did not include a recorded roll-call tally in the committee meeting.
The discussion focused on how the limited PSN funds would supplement ongoing camera deployments and on the recurring cost of enabling LPR on patrol vehicles. No final purchase decisions were made at the committee level; the item will return to council if the full body accepts the grant.
Votes at the committee were to forward Resolution 25-031 to full council for final consideration; the committee did not post a recorded tally in the provided transcript.
The full council will consider whether to accept the grant and whether to proceed with purchases and any additional recurring costs for LPR activation.
