.jpg)
Police officers in Ely may eventually be equipped with body cameras.
City officials took a key step in that direction Tuesday, when council members asked city staff to investigate costs and come up with a plan for equipping officers with body cameras, and to put cameras in police squad cars.
Police Chief Chad Houde said he believes a mandate for those items “will be coming in the future” and that action gives the city a leg up to explore options.
“I am in favor of getting both, but I will say it’s going to be a big chunk of money that the city will be contributing and I do think at this point that we pick one,” said Houde.
Houde said that body cameras for officers would be his preference at the moment.
“In our community a body camera would be a better situation because we spend a lot more time out of our vehicles,” said Houde. “We’re not like the highway patrol. We’re not doing continuous traffic where we need cameras in the squad, although they do help officers a lot for transparency.”
Houde said after the meeting that the city received a cost estimate of $36,000 for body cameras for up to eight officers, with the cost of equipment and data storage included in the plan.
Law enforcement personnel have come under more scrutiny in recent years, particularly since the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
Officers in many departments across the state and nation wear body cameras and Houde said he believes it will eventually be universal.
“There’s not a mandate but it will be coming in the future,” said Houde.
A move to body cameras in Ely would come with other steps including a public hearing and the city establishing procedures for how the equipment would be used.
Some funds from a $143,000 public safety grant received by the city remain and could be used to help with the cost, and council members also asked this week about grant programs to equip rural departments.
Houde said the department would look into grant options but cautioned that “sometimes grant money comes with a catch. If somebody is handing out money we still want to make sure it’s good for the city.”
The recommendation evolved from discussion by the council’s budget committee and member Paul Kess said “we’re clarifying that (body cameras) have priority over squad car cameras.”
“The motion is to develop a plan as to what the city would like to do,” said Forsman. “We’re looking into the program, what’s available and what we want to achieve. We want to make sure we’re heading down the right direction. We’re asking staff to come up with a plan to put forth and basically getting the ball rolling. We’re feeling that this is a direction we want to go and knowing eventually it will be a mandate and we’ll have to go that route anyway.”
The proposal passed without objection and with an endorsement form mayor Heidi Omerza.
“I think it’s an additional layer of safety not just for our police officers but the public,” said Omerza.
In other business, the council:
• Approved a grant submission for Department of Employment and Economic Development funding for the renovation of the old depot (Wilderness Outfitters) building.
• Authorized $3,386 in spending for the purchase of barricades.
• Directed city staff to meet with organizers of the Little League and area softball leagues to come up with expectations regarding maintenance and use of city owned fields.
• Entered into an agreement with Keller Williams Classic Realty for the sale of property in the East Spaulding addition.
• Approved a temporary liquor license for the Ely Fire Relief Association for Whiteside Park for the Rock the Park events on June 29 and July 6, and Blueberry/Art Festival July 26-28.
• Set a June 18 public hearing for the Water Intake and Burntside Water Main Replacement Project.
• Approved purchases of $22,401, $6,433 and $3,073 for computer equipment and other items to outfit the new police squad car.
• Authorized a purchase of $168,897 for parts quoted to outfit a new dump truck.
