Lincoln Park Police Chief Ray Watters
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
LINCOLN PARK – The City Council waived the bidding process and approved the purchase of two Focus H1 in-car camera systems, for $14,617, from SF Mobile-Vision, the sole supplier.
Police Chief Ray Watters said in a May 25 memo that the purchase is budgeted in the Police Department’s computer equipment account.
He said the department has two new patrol vehicles that need in-car cameras for when they are on patrol.
The cameras in each vehicle include a front-facing HD low profile color camera, and a backseat wide angle IR camera with a built-in covert microphone.
Councilmember Larry Kelsey asked what would happen if the sole supplier ever went out of business.
Watters said that companies are occasionally acquired by other entities, but still continue to supply and support the camera and data collection system.
“We have had this same company from when they started to grow, and Coban Mobile-Vision bought them out,” he said.
Watters said that while it is inevitable that tech company acquisitions will occur, it is admittedly easier when one can deal with the same representative over time.