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Lancaster council approves new camera network and police equipment amid privacy questions
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Summary
Council approved purchases for a standardized Verkada camera system for the Midtown Recreation Center and additional Axon body/vehicle cameras and tasers for police. Officials and residents pressed for timelines, retention limits and more community input on policy.
Lancaster City Council approved purchases to expand the city’s facility and police surveillance systems and to equip officers with additional body and vehicle cameras and tasers.
Staff recommended buying 33 interior and exterior Verkada cameras, nine door controllers and one video intercom for the new Midtown Recreation Center, plus licensing, installation and materials. The city later moved to approve related equipment purchases for police — including Axon body cameras, vehicle cameras and tasers — and authorized the city manager to negotiate and finalize contracts with legal review.
City staff told the council the Verkada system is the city standard and already serves locations including Sky Tower Park, General Mills Park and the Lancaster Community Center. A staff speaker said the full system build-out across facilities is being phased facility-by-facility and that an exact completion date is not yet available. At the council’s request, staff agreed to provide a more detailed timeline.
The mayor and several council members sought clarity about data retention and privacy. Staff said the city’s current policy keeps recordings for 365 days plus one, and another staff member stated that retention period is mandated by state law. The mayor asked staff to return with a formal policy describing when footage will be deleted.
Council members asked for community involvement in setting operational policy and expressed support for deploying less-lethal tools alongside body cameras. Staff described Axon features that auto-trigger recordings when vehicles are in code-3 response or when an officer draws a firearm or taser.
A motion to approve the two consent items authorizing the purchases was moved and seconded and passed on the council floor. No dollar figures for the contracts were provided during the presentation.
The council directed staff to return with more precise timelines and to engage community input on privacy and retention policies. The purchase authorizations allow the city manager to negotiate and finalize agreements subject to city-attorney review.
