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South Amherst council approves subscription purchase of 10 body cameras and 10 Tasers
Summary
Council approved a subscription-based package for 10 body cameras ($7,649.60/year) and 10 Tasers ($10,407.96/year), to be assigned to individual officers; cost will be charged to the General Fund and allocated to the police budget.
The Village of South Amherst council voted Feb. 23 to purchase an integrated package of 10 police body cameras and 10 Tasers under a subscription plan that includes external evidence storage and device replacement or servicing.
Fiscal Officer Michelle Henke said the contract covers 10 units of each device and carries annual costs of $7,649.60 for the body-camera portion and $10,407.96 for Tasers. Henke said the packages are tied to individual user credentials and that each device must remain assigned to a specific officer. She told council the expense will be paid from the General Fund and will be allocated to the police budget; she will prepare appropriation adjustments at a subsequent meeting.
Council members said the equipment is “long overdue” given the value of recorded footage in documenting incidents and assisting in court proceedings. The motion to purchase, moved by Councilmember Jeanne Maschari and seconded by Councilmember Anthony Savage, passed unanimously.
The council did not provide additional operational details such as retention periods for footage beyond the vendor subscription, or whether policy changes (for example, regarding activation or public release of footage) will accompany the purchase.
