WM Councilman wants to know: ‘Where’s our Sky Cop?’

WM Councilman wants to know: ‘Where’s our Sky Cop?’

City’s plans to buy surveillance camera get lost in

budget shuffle

news@theeveningtimes.com

One thing Marco McClendon wanted to know before the first city council meeting in May adjourned — where is our sky cop camera? Not on the agenda and not discussed in the city council work session 30 minutes earlier, McClendon interrupted the call to adjourn to broach the question.

The councilman said the surveillance camera had been approved as an amendment to the 2017 police department budget during the budget hearings last year. Now nearly halfway through the year, he had not heard a whisper about plans to deploy the surveillance during summer vacation time for students.

“I’d really like to find out where the money is at,” said McClendon.

The alderman told council the cameras cost between $12,000 to $15,000. With summer coming McClendon pressed the urgency.

“Mayor, when we did budgeting for the police department, we talked about getting a Sky Cop,” said McClendon. “We moved to approve one and added it in, but I talked to the chief yesterday and he said the money wasn’t there. He said he’d really like to start with one.”

With summer coming the Ward 4 representative pressed the urgency.

“We’ve been talking about this for years and we definitely need the Sky Cop,” said McClendon.

City Treasurer Frank Martin and Budget Chairman Tracy Catt both confirmed remembering the amendment to add funding for camera surveillance and promised to either hunt up the line item or return with a budget amendment at the next city council meeting to make good on the camera.

“The chief said his budget had not changed from the previous year,” said Mc-Clendon.

“I definitely remember the conversation during the hearings,” said Catt. “I’ll have to look into it. If it was not put in there I’ll get a budget amendment together and yes, I’ll bring it back at the next city council meeting.”

“I don’t know if it is in there,” said Martin.

Catt indicated it may have been fumbled on the way from committee to the whole council for final vote.

“I remember putting it on a wish list,” said Catt. “I don’t know when we approved the budget on the council floor if it was in there. I’ll find out.”

By John Rech