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City says HSIP grant award will fund streetlight, HAWK crossing and bike-lane improvements; police report body-worn cameras ready pending network setup
Summary
City staff told the Ridgecrest City Council the city received a HSIP grant to replace street lights, install a HAWK crossing at Los Forest School and improve bike lanes; the police chief said body-worn camera hardware is ready but deployment awaits IT network work.
City staff reported that Ridgecrest received a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant award that will fund several street-safety projects, and the police chief reported that body-worn cameras are staged and ready for deployment once IT completes a secure network setup.
The City Manager briefed the council that the HSIP award covers multiple projects under consideration: replacement of Lehigh (Lehi) street lights and signal heads, installation of a HAWK (High-Intensity Activated crossWalK) pedestrian signal at Los Forest School, and significant bicycle-lane improvements. The city manager said the total award amount had not been finalized and asked that the public works director give a fuller presentation at a future council meeting.
When council members asked about police body-worn cameras, the police chief said the hardware was in the chief’s conference room and that the remaining step was a purchase and configuration to provide Wi‑Fi capability in the rear parking lot to facilitate secure video downloads as officers begin and end shifts. “As soon as the IT stuff is squared away, we’re ready with all the hardware,” the chief said. Deployment depends on completing the secure network and related IT work.
Council members asked clarifying questions about the HAWK signal and pedestrian safety; a staff member explained the HAWK is an on-demand pedestrian signal that stops traffic when activated to allow safer crossings near schools. No formal action or vote occurred on the HSIP or camera deployment at the meeting; staff will return with further project details, including costs and schedule.
