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Southaven approves $375,000 police drone system and several departmental purchases
Summary
The Southaven mayor and board approved a three-year, $375,000 contract with Flock for an autonomous police drone system, plus a sole‑source asset‑tracking software purchase and multiple police surplus resolutions, all by unanimous vote.
Southaven’s mayor and board unanimously approved a three‑year contract with Flock to provide an autonomous drone system for the police department, city staff said at the meeting. City staff described the package as hardware plus specialized software that must be configured to the city’s existing systems; the cost was stated as $375,000 over three years. The board moved the contract for the police chief’s signature and voted to approve it.
The board also approved several related police department items. Members carried a resolution to surplus a firearm and present it to recently retired officer Ben Bynum, a move the mayor described as honoring his career with the department. The board later approved a separate resolution to surplus additional police assets in accordance with "code 17-17-25," as cited in the meeting record.
City staff presented a sole‑source purchase for an asset‑tracking and inventory software package for the police department, described as the only vendor able to meet the requested specifications. The record lists the initial authorization amount as $13,200; meeting discussion included questions about whether the software integrates with the city’s finance system (Munis) and whether it is cloud‑based. Council members were told there is a one‑time installation charge and recurring annual fees; the precise annual figure in the spoken record was unclear.
Public‑works and procurement items tied to police operations moved with little debate and passed by roll call. The mayor and council asked limited technical questions of staff and the chief and recorded unanimous "yes" votes from those present before moving on to other business.
The board’s approvals now allow staff to finalize contracts and authorizations for the police chief’s signature and to proceed with the stated procurements.
