by Geoff Fox

Town officials are looking at the proper way to fund new body cameras for the Hancock police department, continuing the conversation from a previous town meeting.

Last month, Sgt. Shawn Faith of the Hancock Police Department told town officials the department’s current cameras have been having issues and that a meeting had taken place between himself, the town manager, mayor, and two camera companies.

The town, right now, would only need seven new cameras.

During the April town meeting, Town Attorney Ed Kuczynski told town officials that the contract between the two companies – Axon and Panasonic – would have to be put out to bid unless the cameras they’re interested in are part of a state procured bid package or with another county in Maryland.

Kuczynski told town officials to check with the City of Hagerstown as well. If Maryland State Police is using the same cameras the town is looking to buy, that could be a route to get a contract as well.

But if not, the town would then have to put the contract for the cameras out to bid.

“Just make sure you get it to the company or companies you’re interested in,” he said.

Chuckie Johnson, who is running for Washington County Sheriff and had introduced himself to town officials earlier in the meeting, gave a little insight into Washington County’s cameras.

Johnson said the county recently signed a contract with Axon for tasers and cameras and the City of Hagerstown is currently negotiating and finalizing their deal for body cameras and other Axon programs.

Kuczynski told town officials if they can figure out if the county has a procurement that can be extended, and he’s sure Axon would extend it to Hancock.

“That would be great,” he said. Otherwise, the town would have to otherwise get specs and bid package from the city to put the contract out to bid.

Town Manager Mike Faith said he and Sgt. Faith would get the contract and look it over to see if they could piggyback on it.

Councilman David Kerns asked if they can go ahead and vote to order the cameras as the town is at the point where the cameras are failing mid-stream during an arrest.

“We cannot have that,” he said. “It’s something we got to do like yesterday.”

Town Manager Faith said there is a quote but officials will have to decide what the town wants exactly based on the funds currently available. The town has $144,000 of RedSpeed money from town speed camera ticket revenue and a few grants.

The quote he had from Axon is $141,000 that would include a camera for each police vehicle, AI technology to assist in writing reports, and assist in translation if needed for both the officer to the suspect and for officer safety.

Kuczynski said he sees where Kerns is coming from, bet said the town isn’t in an emergency situation, just has bad equipment.

Kerns said he was asking to approve the body cameras as long as the town can piggyback off another agency and get the body cameras to Hancock officers.

“The rest of it, we can take some time to get, but the body cameras you cannot,” he said. “You have them fail midstream of an arrest, that’s bad for everybody.”

Kuczynski said it’s putting the cart before the horse, but the town can work out the details and have a special meeting to determine buying the body cameras and other equipment.

He added they couldn’t make the decision that night because of the many unknowns.

Town officials did not make a decision or any moves on the cameras during the meeting.