New Madrid city council purchases body cameras for police

NEW MADRID, Mo. - Members of the New Madrid Police Department will soon be wearing body cameras again.

At the Feb. 8 city council meeting, approval was given to pay $27,773.60 to Wolf Company of Pasadena, Calif., to purchase body cameras.

According to City Administrator Richard McGill, while local police officers previously wore body cameras, dealing with the on-site storage of the videos became a problem.

“But the technology has changed,” he said. “We decided it was time to get back in the game.”

McGill said the police staff did extensive research on what was needed.

The Wolf Company bid will allow the videos to be stored remotely “in the cloud,” he explained. Also after three years into the five-year contract, the company will provide new body cameras for the officers.

“In this day and age it is important for officers to have body cameras,” said McGill. “I think residents want (officers to have them) to make sure we are doing things fairly. At same time our guys want them. When something might come up in case (body cameras) can often provide better evidence.”

Also approved was a resolution authorizing the purchase of two 2020 Ford K8A Police Interceptors for $74,084 from the dealership of Lou Fusz of Chesterfield, Mo.

The city administrator said the car company, which has the state contract for police vehicles, has two vehicles currently on the lot for purchase. One of the vehicles already is partially fitted with needed police equipment and the second will need police equipment added, McGill said.

Approval was given to a resolution authorizing an agreement where the city will continue to operate the Emergency 911 telephone system in New Madrid County. The one-year contract sets monthly payments by the county at $41,667 for the operation of the 911 services from the dispatch center.

The purchase of a 2021 Ford F-550 bucket truck for $102,005 from Drake-Scruggs Equipment Inc. of Springfield, Ill., for use by the electric department was authorized. Also approved was the purchase of a 2020 JD6105E cab tractor from Greenway Equipment of Malden for $37,500 for the street department to use primarily for mowing the levees.

In the city administrator’s report to the council, he advised the process of determining which streets will be repaved during 2021 has begun. McGill said he and Street Superintendent Sam Barnett are preparing an initial list and will take recommendations from the mayor and city council before making final list of needed street projects.