PD to monitor clerk’s office

PD to monitor clerk’s office

Posted

A video feed from the Municipal Court office at City Hall will be monitored at the Police Department next door following a controversy.

A broken camera system was part of a dispute among the mayor and aldermen over the status of a clerk who has since been re-hired. 

When aldermen asked to look at the camera in the office months ago, they learned it had been broken for several months.

“There was an accusation of someone cutting it off and we had it checked out,” said Mayor James A. Young. “He found lightning had struck it. That’s what they said. We tried to cover all of the ground.”

After debates about vetoes and other issues, the clerk was officially reinstated in October on a 2-2 vote with Mayor Young casting the deciding vote.

During the dispute, aldermen voted unanimously that: 1) the camera system should be repaired and upgraded with audio included. It is to be monitored at the police station and 2) should the camera system ever go down again, it is to be reported and repaired immediately.

“We are getting ready to fix it,” Mayor Young said. “They wanted some audio in there. We talked to our insurance carrier and they advised against audio.

“There is a liability with the audio because Social Security cards, birth dates and IDs and that sort of thing are part of the business in that office. Our insurance carrier advised to just go with the video.”

Young said this was to have been discussed during Tuesday’s board meeting. The contractor is ready to start, he said.

In addition, a new camera will be set up at the front doors of City Hall to improve security of the building.

Stokes Technology LTD is slated to do the work. Their quote for the job was $1,375. The system will be connected to the Police Department by C Spire.






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