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County approves prepayment for 72 in‑car cameras after public privacy questions
Summary
Guadalupe County commissioners approved a prepayment to buy 72 in‑car camera units for a 365 Labs project after a resident raised concerns about audio recording, recurring subscription costs and data security. Officials said officer safety, prosecution needs and planned safeguards justified the purchase.
Guadalupe County commissioners on Aug. 13 authorized a prepayment for 72 in‑car camera units for a 365 Labs project after a resident asked the court to explain recurring costs and privacy safeguards.
Eugene Rhodes, a Precinct 2 resident who spoke during the citizens‑to‑be‑heard period, said he was concerned about how widely the cameras would record and how long footage would be retained. "If they're recording audio... I would surely hope not. I mean, that seems like a great invasion of privacy," Rhodes said. He also cited a subscription fee he read as about $38,322 per year for the 72 units and asked how the county would secure the data.
The judge and other court members answered that the county has budgeted for recurring operational costs and is planning storage and security measures. "I think it's almost you almost can't operate without that type of technology nowadays," the Judge said, emphasizing officer safety, liability and the need for evidence in prosecutions. The court noted the cameras and related work were included in budget planning and that options exist for cloud or on‑site storage with security safeguards.
The motion to authorize prepayment passed without opposition after the item was pulled from the consent agenda so Rhodes' comments could be heard and addressed. The court recorded the purchase in a consent‑related prepayment: Absolute Communications for cameras at the Justice Center and IT prepayment for the 72 in‑car cameras for the 365 Labs project were both on the consent listing.
Next steps: purchasing will proceed under the authorized prepayment and county staff said they will provide details about ongoing costs and storage options if requested by the court.
