JAMESTOWN – Jamestown Police could soon be seeing an upgrade in technology if everything goes according to plan.
Members of the Jamestown City Council discussed multiple upgrades Monday evening during its Work Session that weren’t tabled, meaning they’ll likely be voted on during its April Voting Session. Body cameras was one of the topics of conversation.
Mark Dean, Director of Information Technology and Communications, addressed the council during the meeting. Dean says that he is requesting the City purchase 63 body cameras for all officers and detectives.
Dean explains that the body cameras that the police currently use are approximately three years old and are often failing. As a result, Dean says officers are often sharing cameras and evidence and case trials are being affected.
Dean and the Mayor are requesting the City pay $70,120.16 to Axon annually for five years. This includes replacement and shipping for cameras that stop functioning. Two of the cameras will be kept as spares if a camera needs to be replaced or fixed.
Another resolution discussed involved the upgrade of technology for electronic fingerprint processing.
The resolution explains that Chautauqua County Executive P.J. Wendel and Chautauqua County Sheriff Jim Quattrone are administering a grant from the Division of Criminal Justice Services, which provides funding for the Sheriff’s Department and the Jamestown Police Department to purchase Livescan fingerprinting equipment to upgrade or replace their current systems.
The Jamestown Police Department would be required to match 25% of the cost (estimated to be $7,100.00), according to the resolution.
The Council also discussed a request from Jamestown Police Chief/Director of Public Safety to enter into a purchase agreement with Dave Warren Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for a 2021 Dodge Durango in an amount not to exceed ($33, 363).
According to the resolution, the request comes in an effort to replace a patrol vehicle that was totaled in an accident in 2020.
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