Police request radios, license‑plate readers and AED replacements; council presses on privacy

Chief Kim Ferber presented the police department’s 2025 supplementals and capital priorities and asked for several items intended to align Aspen with regional first‑responder capabilities. "I am requesting an additional $100,000 for Aspen's allocation to the Pitkin County Regional Communication Center," Ferber said, citing software cost increases and a new regional public‑safety analyst. She also recommended replacing in‑car and portable radios in 2025 because the vendor will stop supporting existing components.

Ferber described a request to purchase two automated license‑plate readers to retrofit existing inventory, saying the technology had been "extremely instrumental in helping us solve several crimes." Councilors raised privacy and retention concerns: one asked whether LPRs might be used for parking enforcement and another voiced Fourth Amendment worries. Ferber responded that parking and police applications differ and that officers would not access LPR data except for criminal investigations or missing‑person searches; she said staff will develop a retention and use policy likely mirroring Pitkin County's existing practice.

On equipment, Ferber requested a full replacement of 22 AEDs so Aspen's devices align with ambulance and fire equipment, which she said is important for patient transfers. She also proposed a lobby renovation to restore a second interview room that would provide a secure space for redaction and body‑worn camera processing. Councilors asked for more detail on the lobby estimate and for written policy language on LPR retention and access before authorizing purchase decisions.

No formal action was taken. Staff said some items are grant‑neutral (net zero) and others will return in the supplemental process with cost and policy details.