Ossipee Selectmen debate $240,000 police camera and taser package; defer decision amid budget concerns
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The police chief asked the board to place a combined body-camera and taser procurement package on a warrant article (about $240,000 over five years). Several selectmen said the cost is prohibitive this year and asked staff to propose cheaper alternatives for future consideration.
The Ossipee police chief asked the Board of Selectmen to consider a warrant article to buy tasers and a body-camera system for the department; he said the five-year cost would be "roughly $240,000 over 5 years." Speaker 3 characterized the equipment as useful for officer safety and investigations but acknowledged the price components (equipment, data storage and management) raised fiscal questions.
Several selectmen, including Speaker 2, said town finances and inflation made this year a poor time to add another warrant that would raise property taxes. "I just think, in my opinion, skip this year and talk that next budget cycle," Speaker 2 said. Speaker 9 disagreed and urged putting the measure on the warrant, saying cameras could have immediate operational benefits. The board did not vote to place the matter on the warrant at this meeting.
Discussion included alternatives to vendor-hosted storage: Speaker 5 recommended buying cameras on the open market, creating a local cloud or server account, and managing policies locally to reduce ongoing service costs. The chief and other members agreed the town would accept proposals and that the department could return with a lower-cost plan.
Next steps: the chief was invited to research cheaper options and return with a proposal; the board said it remains open to adding the warrant in a future budget cycle rather than this year.