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Council approves police technology contracts and a traffic-enforcement grant amid public objections
Summary
Council approved a $323,537 purchase to the Pinellas Regional Information Management Enterprise, acceptance of a $75,000 FDOT speeding grant, and a five-year Axon equipment agreement totaling $96,760.80; public commenters raised concerns about surveillance and policing practices.
The Clearwater City Council unanimously approved three public-safety-related items on Nov. 20: (1) a $323,537 purchase order to the Pinellas Regional Information Management Enterprise for the Scribe/Hexagon project, (2) acceptance of a $75,000 Florida Department of Transportation grant for overtime and education for speeding and aggressive driving enforcement, and (3) a five-year single-source agreement with Axon Incorporated for Sky Hero drone packages totaling $96,760.80.
Deputy Chief Mike Wallach described the Scribe/Hexagon payment and explained reimbursement: "Prime will reimburse the city of Clearwater $246,320.40 for our CAD legacy system," leaving a net cost of roughly $77,216.60, Wallach said.
Wallach also presented the FDOT grant and noted it includes an education and public engagement component in addition to overtime funding.
Lieutenant Justin Howard described the Axon Sky Hero package as replacement equipment for end-of-life hardware and said it includes drones, robots, pole cameras, accessories, warranty and training. "The package consists of interior drones, robots, and pole cameras... It comes with a full warranty for 5 years with built in replacements and upgrades during the term," Howard said.
During public comment, resident Mister Haluba strongly objected to the interlocal arrangement and to expanded surveillance capabilities, asserting the interlocal agreement was "a joke" and warning the equipment could enable intrusive data collection; Haluba urged council to vote against the items. Council members proceeded to move and approve each item unanimously.
The items were presented as operational needs by police leadership and approved to maintain dispatch, enforcement and equipment capability; public concerns about surveillance and policing practices were raised but did not change the council votes.
