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Sterling authorizes application for body-worn camera micro-grant for police
Summary
The commission authorized applying for the Bureau of Justice Assistance Small, Rural, and Tribal (SRT) BWC micro-grant to fund six new Digital Ally FirstVu PRO cameras; if awarded, the city expects a roughly $9,288 match from its General Fund.
The Sterling City Commission on Feb. 16 authorized the Sterling Police Department to apply for the Small, Rural, and Tribal Body-Worn Camera (BWC) micro-grant, which is administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance and run by Justice & Security Strategies, Inc.
Chief of Police James Smith and City Manager Ian Hutcheson said SPD solicited a Digital Ally quote for six FirstVu PRO cameras, charging kits and cloud-based storage. The total quoted cost is $18,577 spread over five years (first-year cost $4,623; years two through five $3,488 annually). The micro-grant provides a 1:1 match with a $2,000 cap per unit; with the quoted per-camera price after discounts at $581, city matching funds would total roughly $9,288 if the full quote is covered by the grant. Hutcheson said that matching funds would be an unbudgeted expense to the SPD General Fund if awarded.
Smith noted the program is competitive (awards in 48 states, only 112 recipients). Commissioners discussed the need to replace aging cameras whether or not the grant is secured and authorized the application by unanimous vote.
