1. How much did the pilot program cost and why is the mayor opposed to it even though the public and Metro Council has support it?
A: Metro police estimated the cameras used in the pilot cost over $3,000 apiece, with an estimated 117 cameras, or a total of $351,000 for cameras. We asked Metro Police repeatedly for an estimated cost of a permanent program and they won’t provide that since they’re in the procurement process AND even if they had the records, they claim they’re confidential, which is absurd, it owes an estimate to the public.
For comparison, Las Vegas Metro PD, which covers a larger population, spent $1.3 million on 331 cameras for its full program, not a pilot.
Since then, council approved a permanent program but progress has stalled under Mayor Freddie O’Connell. He has given vague answers about what he’s waiting for, as this station has reported, saying things like “We are working to get the policy right.”
Last week there was a council resolution sponsored to ask the mayor to work with Metro PD to finish the LPR process but it was withdrawn at the last second.
There’s a new poll from Vanderbilt University of over 1,000 people in Davidson County that shows 83% want Metro PD to use these cameras, as long as they have strict limitations on use and data protection.
2. How common is it to use these cameras around the country?
A: They’re all over Tennessee — the Washington County, Shelby County and Monroe County Sheriffs Offices use them.
Dozens of police departments all over the state use them, including Memphis and Belle Meade PD.
In cities with populations of 100,000 or more, 75 percent of police departments use these systems.
Austin just voted last week to extend its pilot program for license plate readers.