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Police grant to replace lidar and proposed body‑worn camera redaction fee advance to consent with requested refinements
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Summary
Chief Lowe told the committee a $3,000 Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) grant will replace an existing lidar unit and that staff proposes adding a body‑worn camera redaction fee to the user‑fee schedule to recover costs; council asked staff to refine exemption language (journalists, researchers, defined advocacy groups) and confirm statutory treatment in a revised memo before consent.
Chief Lowe told the Public Safety and Human Services Committee on March 17 that the Redmond Police Department seeks acceptance of a $3,000 grant from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to replace one lidar speed‑enforcement device.
“It’s still lidar,” Lowe said, describing the purchase as a modernization of existing speed‑enforcement equipment rather than new functionality. He said the replaced unit will be decommissioned and disposed of according to electronic‑waste procedures.
Lowe remained at the table to present a related proposal: a resolution amending the city’s user‑fee schedule to add a body‑worn camera (BWC) video redaction fee for public‑records requests where videos are not associated with an active case. Lowe said the fee’s purpose is to “recover the cost associated with the redaction of body worn camera videos for individuals not directly involved with said video or said case.” Staff included a revised memo addressing past questions about request volume, fee caps and how fee revenue would be used.
Several council members pressed for explicit exemptions and operational details. Council member Parsey asked whether journalists, researchers or advocacy groups with verifiable public interest could be exempted. Lowe replied that public‑records law constrains what the city can limit by purpose, but said that when a requester identifies as a journalist or researcher the city typically provides the records without charge and that staff will document requester affiliation in the request process.
Council president Stewart and others asked staff to refine language that would exempt clearly defined media and research requests while preserving the city’s cost‑recovery goals. Lowe said there is already a tracking mechanism (weekly reports on public‑records requests) and that staff will note any statutory exemptions in a revised memo. The committee indicated it would consider the revised language and, if concerns are addressed, place the resolution on the April 7 consent agenda.
