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Procurement lapse left cameras unactivated; council plans Dec. 30 funding item
Summary
Council and staff said a process error left a recent camera purchase unfinalized and funding not reserved; staff proposed a Dec. 30 agenda item to identify funding and correct procurement steps so cameras already delivered can be programmed and activated.
Members reviewed the city’s real-time command center and camera program, expressing broad support for expanding the network and increasing business participation.
Council members and staff acknowledged momentum on ‘‘virtual policing’’ and encouraged businesses to connect to the system. One member said Hinds County and other partners have purchased cameras and urged consistent integration. Several members emphasized lower-cost options for small businesses and noted that linking a camera to the command center can cost as little as a few hundred dollars.
Staff reported a procurement process error and funding shortfall that left an order for cameras delivered but not fully processed. The police assistant chief explained cameras had been physically delivered and stored but were not programmed, signed for, or uploaded to the cloud because the required purchase order and procurement steps were not completed. The CAO and CFO said internal controls had caught the error and the administration has reimplemented monthly fiscal staff meetings to avoid recurrence.
Given the time-sensitive nature, staff proposed placing an agenda item on Dec. 30 to identify a funding source, secure the required purchase order, and ratify purchases as needed so cameras can be processed and brought online. "Place an agenda item for December 30 that identifies a funding source... and make sure the purchase is done correctly," a staff member said. Council members who supported the cameras asked staff to avoid any further deliveries before procurement and funding are finalized.
Separately, staff confirmed $270,000 is available in the budget for park lighting parts (a separate line from Grove Park upgrades), and that Battlefield Park is among the sites under consideration for new lighting to support evening programming.
