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Police chief details body-camera options and hiring setback after NYPD lateral transfer changes
Summary
Mount Hope police chief outlined options for replacing body-worn cameras — an Axon plan (originally ~$90,000, negotiated down to ~ $60,000) or an Axis system quoted at just under $21,000 — and reported civil service stopped accepting NYPD lateral transfers after a change in NYPD qualifications, delaying a planned hire.
The police chief told the Mount Hope board the department is nearing the end of a five-year body-camera program this September and presented procurement options: an initial five-year Axon quote of about $90,000 that was later reduced under a new program to roughly $60,000, and an alternative Axis camera system quoted at just under $21,000.
"The original quote came in at like 90,000 for the next five years. We played around with it and they had this new program that got it down to like 60 something. But there's another camera called Axis... the total was just under 21,000," the police chief said in giving the board a range of costs and asking the board to consider financing options.
The chief also requested authorization to attend the police chiefs conference in Denver (Oct. 17–22) with registration, lodging and flight costs that will exceed $2,500.
On hiring, the chief told the board that civil service has stopped accepting lateral transfers from the New York City Police Department after the NYPD lowered its qualification standards in April. Because the NYPD changed its standards, a candidate the department had pursued is now ineligible, the chief said, which he described as “very disappointing” and a setback to hiring plans.
Why it matters: The board will need to decide between a higher-cost, long-term Axon program and a materially lower-cost Axis option and identify a financing approach if it chooses the more expensive system. The hiring restriction narrows the candidate pool and could extend recruitment timelines for the department.
What’s next: The chief said he will pursue further pricing/financing discussions and return with recommendations; the board did not take a formal procurement vote during this meeting.
