Last Thursday night, the Mountain Home City Council voted 5-3 to approve the purchase of a new public safety camera system, but not before a number of citizens spoke out against the system. The council also voted 5-3 to move the ordinance to its third and final reading so it could be voted on that night.
One of the council members to vote against the measure was Paige Evans. She says it was about the procedure, not the cameras themselves, that led to her no vote.
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Evans, who was the wife of a law enforcement officer for 23 years, says it was hard to vote against something that could help police.
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One of the council members to vote in favor of the cameras was Carry Manuel. He says he heard from constituents prior to the meeting, both for and against the proposal.
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Manuel, the former chief of police in Mountain Home, says he understands citizens wanting to protect their privacy, but he doesn’t believe it applies to the cameras.
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Police Chief Eddie Griffin explained at the meeting how the system, which can identify vehicles and read license plates, can be beneficial to law enforcement in situations such as an Amber Alert or a criminal investigation.
It will be monitored by dispatch and designated personnel will be able to review the video in certain circumstances.
The council did not pass the ordinance with an emergency clause, meaning the police department will not be able to make the $65,000 purchase for 30 days until the ordinance goes into effect.
Griffin says the company has informed him it will take about 30 days to get the system in once it has been ordered. The police chief says they hope to have the cameras operational before the end of the year.
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