Sacramento police dashcams ‘failing more frequently.’ City to buy new ones for $2.3M
The Sacramento Police Department’s dashboard camera system is “failing more frequently,” and repair costs are rising, according to a new staff report.
The city will spend up to $2.36 million to purchase new dash cameras for 240 vehicles, the City Council decided Tuesday.
Sacramento will buy the new cameras from Arizona-based Axon Enterprise Inc., the same company that supplied the department with its body cameras, the staff report said. The new cameras will replace dashcams that are 7 years old and do not sync with the police body cameras, the report said.
“The existing (in car camera) system is nearing the end of life, and coupled with a scarcity of readily available equipment, creates an immediate need for a new system,” the staff report said.
The new dashcams will provide high resolution videos, faster review of critical incidents and equipment that’s under warranty, unlike the current system, the staff report said.
The cameras will be rolled out in stages through 2024, funded mostly from the city’s Capital Improvement Program budget, the staff report said.
Normally, city contracts worth more than $1 million must be made available to the public at least 10 days ahead of the vote, according to city code. The council waived that requirement when it voted to approve the camera purchase. The agenda for the Tuesday meeting, including the camera item, was posted online Thursday.
The council also approved several other police items Tuesday, including:
▪ Spending $496,513 to continue operating ShotSpotter gunshot monitoring systems in north, south and East Sacramento, bringing the new contract amount with the company to up to $1.78 million through June 2020, the staff report said.
▪ Spending $198,660 for “gang violence suppression,” along with receiving a grant for $403,660, the staff report said. The Sacramento County District’s Attorney’s Office; Sacramento County Probation; Another Choice, Another Chance; La Familia Counseling Center; and Sacramento City Unified School District are also a part of the effort, while the Neighborhood Wellness Foundation is being added.
