Webster Crafts Policies For Police Body Cam Videos
Posted
Deb McAuliffe Sprong-
NORTH WEBSTER – The North Webster Town Council approved a fee of $150 to get a copy of video from police body cameras, but videos are not available to the general public.
Police Chief Greg Church says the fee will not apply to the prosecutor’s office for video needed for criminal cases, but to insurance companies, lawyers working on lawsuits and other such situations.
The cost is necessary, Church said, because “it’s time-consuming and expensive making copies, because we have to go through and blur things.”
Requests for bodycam video should go to town attorney Jack Birch, Church said.
Though members of the public are not allowed to purchase video, Church said people who have been filmed by a police bodycam may view their own video twice, but no more.
Church is also checking into the cost of speeding signs to use by the motel and the school. He said the solar signs he prefers are “quite expensive,” but signs with permanent power to them are preferable to those that are battery-operated.
Council members agreed that the motel and school are good locations for the signs.
In other business, the council gave Church permission to purchase a new police radio for $3,200.
Church said a model available for $2,200 would work on either the VHF or the 800 public safety band, but the more expensive model would work on both.
The town’s current radios are only VHF compliant, Church said. He said all the surrounding areas use the 800 band.
“We do face some deadly situations, and I want to be sure the guys are equipped when they need it,” he said.
Church said the town would eventually need to purchase three more radios.
Also during the meeting:
• Mark Hubbs from the Parks Department reported they put new stone in near the Dixie “and it looks a thousand times better.” He said they fixed a lot of planks along the pier and will have new sand in the playground area as soon as it is weeded. He also said he wants to come up with one-, three- and five-year plans for the park, and he was encouraged by clerk-treasurer Betsy Luce. “If you ever want to get grant money, you have to have a five-year plan,” she said.
• Council approved spending $7,427 with Intrasect Technology to replace the town’s computers, which Luce said are eight to 10 years old. The cost will cover five Dell computers and seven monitors, along with one HP laptop, because HP’s have better battery life, Luce said.
• Jayne Alger of the Utilities Department reported Washington Street will be closed for work beginning Wednesday afternoon.
• Councilman Dan Thystrup said he’s been asked a few times about a possible sinkhole by the festival grounds. Alger said perhaps it would be possible to build it up.
• The council set its budget workshop for 4 p.m. July 9 in the town hall.
The next council meeting was moved from July 16 to 6 p.m. July 23.
