Brewster police to get new body cameras

BREWSTER – The Brewster Police Department is getting new and more versatile body cameras for its five-man force, per a report Chief Marcos Ruiz delivered at the Sept. 21 city council meeting.

The department’s existing body cameras acquired in 2017 are being phased out under a five-year contract that ended in 2022.

Ruiz said the new system will include a portal that will allow the public to upload video and photos of incidents in progress and share with law enforcement.

“The 4G connectivity will allow real time GPS for officer safety,” Ruiz added. “We will be able to see where the officer’s at and if he sends an alert, a supervisor can watch live on the phone and talk to the officer.”

Ruiz said the $40,000 price tag is a large purchase but that the system will relieve substantial liability for the city helping determine what actually happened in a specific police incident.

Having the capability to review footage of what really happened will be helpful, Ruiz said.

Other news
• New rates: The rate the city contributes to the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force (NCWNTF) is going up. In 2013, the NCWNTF rate was $2,000, in 2015 it was $3,000, and the last increase moved the rate to $3,300 in 2017.

The new increase for every city in the county will be $6,600. The city has approved the new rate.

Sunrise Disposal’s rate request for a 5 percent cost-of-living adjustment and fuel increase won council approval on Mayor Art Smyth’s recommendation.

• Good work: The mayor gave a shout-out to Finance Director Misty Ruiz that he read to the council from the state auditor’s office:

“We would like to thank Misty Ruiz for a very timely response, professionalism, and overall helpfulness during the audit. The city has a strong control in the areas that were examined and resulting in no audit recommendations.”

• Taxi lane: Director of Public Works Lee Webster reported on a Anderson Airport change order for the east-west taxi lane. Excavators discovered that the existing conduit that runs across both lanes was buried too shallow to allow the proper lane grade, so the conduit had to be removed.

“Somebody messed up,” said Smyth of the oversight.

Council member John Housden urged better quality control from the city engineers on future projects. The city approved the change order.

Life Flight Network is partnering with the city to cover half the cost of work on its new easement road. The work included grading and gravel with additional slope and swales to solve excess water runoff issues next spring.

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483. michael@ward.media