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Torrington council tables $4.05M police camera purchase pending public-safety review

Torrington City Council and Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) · March 3, 2026

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Summary

The Torrington City Council tabled a $4,045,027.69 procurement for police exterior cameras from Mammoth Security Inc., citing questions about vetting and use of an out-of-state consortium contract. Staff said the police system is proprietary; the council asked the Board of Public Safety to review the purchase before it returns.

The Torrington City Council on March 2 voted to table consideration of a $4,045,027.69 purchase of exterior cameras and remote antennas for the Torrington Police Department after members said they needed answers about the procurement process.

The proposal, presented as an MHEC (Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium) contract (MC15-E05) with Mammoth Security Inc., would pay for purchase, installation and maintenance of cameras and converters pending approval from the Board of Public Safety. Council members pressed staff on why the contract reached the council before the board had vetted it.

The facilities manager (identified in the meeting as Jamie) told the council the police department’s camera system is proprietary and was installed originally by the vendor now seeking the work. "I can't imagine giving this work to anybody else," Jamie said, arguing the vendor has unique access and expertise for the existing Avigilon system and that some cameras have simply reached end-of-life.

Several council members said they were not disputing the department’s need for functioning cameras but were uncomfortable moving forward without the Board of Public Safety's input. "I just don't want to take action on something that they may not support," one council member said, asking for procedural reassurance before approval.

With the police chief absent, the council amended a motion and voted to table the item so the Board of Public Safety can review it at its Wednesday meeting and report back to the council.

Why it matters: The purchase would be paid from the police repairs and maintenance capital account and totals just over $4 million. Council members said they support the department’s operational needs but want a formal public-safety review to confirm procurement routing and pricing under the consortium contract before committing taxpayer funds.

Next steps: Council members said the item will return to a future meeting after the Board of Public Safety reviews the contract and answers questions about vendor selection and the use of MHEC pricing.