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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br />COUNCIL MEETINQ <br />SEP I 3 1999 <br />DATE: September 10,1999 <br />ITEM NO: 0 <br />1 <br />Department Approval: <br />Name RonMoorse <br />THIe City Administrator <br />Administrator Reviewed:Agenda Section: <br />City Administrator's <br />Rq>ort <br />Item Description: Matching of Private Donations for the Purchase of Police Squad Video Cameras <br />The North Tonka Crime Prevention Coalition has recently received donations in the amount of <br />$10,000 for the purchase of two in-squad video cameras for the Police Department. Chief Cheswick <br />has indicated these are high priority items, but are beyond the level of funding provided in the <br />normal budget process. <br />The video cameras are activated when the officer makes a traffic stop or other contact. The cameras <br />record the officer's interaction with the person(s) during the contact. As such, they are useful in <br />providing evidence in cases such as a DWl arrest. The existence of this evidence often discourages <br />the person from appealing the arrest in court. The cameras are also useful in disproving false <br />allegations of improper conduct by police officers. <br />The Council has discussed using the General Fund year-end surplus for special projects or <br />expenditures such as this. If the amount of the donation was matched with General Fund surplus <br />funds, an additional two cameras could be purchased. This would provide a video camera in each <br />of the Department's 24 hour squads. An additional $5,000 would provide a fifth video camera for <br />the power car, which is a 40 hour per week squad. <br />COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED: <br />Motion regarding the authorization of the use of General Fund surplus funds for the purchase of in­ <br />squad video cameras. <br />\ <br />1