Pryor Creek council approves $72,018 body‑camera purchase; half to be reimbursed by federal grant

The Pryor Creek City Council approved a purchase of body‑worn cameras, docking stations and related equipment for the police department on Dec. 10, voting to encumber $72,018.75 for equipment and licensing. The purchase covers 43 Motorola v700 cameras, mounts, batteries, in‑car docking stations, transfer stations and software support. The city expects to be reimbursed approximately $36,159.40 by a small rural Body‑Worn Camera matching grant administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

Police officials told the council the department’s existing camera fleet is “10 plus years old” and many devices are out of service. A police representative said the newer cameras have swappable batteries and will sync with in‑car systems, which the department expects will reduce failures and simplify evidence handling. “Cameras are huge, and … it clears things up easily,” the official said.

Council members asked where the purchase would be charged and how the grant reimbursement would be handled. City staff said the purchase will come from Police Capital Outlay account 444‑445‑5418, with $71,384.85 allocated to that account and $933.95 covered from account 444‑445‑5424; the BJA grant will be deposited back into the capital outlay account upon reimbursement. The council discussed whether cloud storage would be used; staff said current video will remain on an on‑premises server and cloud hosting was more expensive.

Councilors also discussed serviceability and battery life. Staff noted the new cameras include replaceable batteries, which reduces downtime compared to the existing devices that must be shipped for repairs.

The vote to approve the purchase carried with a majority of council members voting yes.