Council discusses police camera service invoice; law enforcement says cameras helped locate robbery suspect

Council members and staff spent substantial time discussing street and security cameras after a law-enforcement speaker said the city had five cameras installed but had not kept current with the vendor's service payments. "It's $16,000 that they need to get us going again," the officer said, urging the council to consider paying to restore service from vendor Flock.

The officer described a recent instance where a camera provided a face that helped locate a robbery suspect and said staff had forwarded evidence to the prosecutor. Staff clarified that while the cameras were installed under a prior grant, the recurring subscription/service is an ongoing cost. A staff member described the current recurring cost as approximately $3,000 per camera per year plus an administration fee and confirmed the service had lapsed because the invoice had not been paid; the council discussed locating the outstanding bill and placing payment on an upcoming agenda to restore functionality.

Council members and staff also discussed that camera installations can be shared across departments (for example, neighboring agencies can view feeds) and that grant funding often covers initial acquisition but not long-term subscription costs. No formal vote was recorded on funding at this meeting; staff said they would follow up to resolve the outstanding payment so the cameras could be made operational.