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Farmington seeks state help for camera upgrades and ballistic helmets for public-safety staff
Summary
Farmington requested $175,000 to update an aging 24/7 camera system and $50,000 to buy rifle-rated ballistic helmets and plates for its public-safety officers; the public-safety director told the committee helmets are the priority after a nearby shooting left officers under-protected.
Representative Hoskins presented two public-safety requests from the city of Farmington: $175,000 to replace and update an aging 24/7 camera system that was expanded in 2023, and $50,000 for rifle-rated ballistic helmets and plates for officers.
Farmington's public-safety director said the city's current camera system has been invaluable for preventing and solving crimes and for monitoring downtown festivals and parks, but the hardware and infrastructure are aging and need updating. He said the department would implement upgrades immediately if funded.
Following a recent mass shooting in West Bloomfield, the director said four officers responding to that scene were not fully protected with helmets and ballistic plates. "So we are in dire need of that protective equipment," he told the committee, and he identified the helmets as the higher priority if only one of the two projects can be funded.
Committee members asked about other funding sources; presenters said prior camera funding came from a RAP grant through MMRMA and that other grants are competitive. No vote or appropriation was taken during the hearing.
