GENTRY - City council members, on July 1, approved a bid to place dash cams in Gentry’s police cars.

Council members approved the bid of Martel Electronics for 10 dash cams at a bid price of $4,194 each. Also included in the purchase is a WiFi collection computer at a bid price of $999 which will automatically download and store video recordings when the patrol cars are parked at the police station.

Of six companies involved in the bid process, one submitted no bid. Another submitted a lower bid than Martel but did not offer the same type of equipment and features and did not return calls when contacted. The other three bidders were more than $10,000 higher in the total bid cost and outside of the money the city had budgeted for the purchase - $44,000.

The council approved the purchase from Martel, subject to terms proposed by Gentry Police Chief Keith Smith that the company be asked for a demonstration model so the department can be sure the equipment will meet the needs of the department.

“Trust me,” Smith said, “If the (equipment) is not good, we’re not going to get it. We want to be sure that, if we’re spending that much money, it does what we need it to do.”

The council’s approval of the purchase also included the stipulation that the purchase not exceed the $44,000 budgeted for the purchase.

According to the bid received from Martel Electronics, the bid includes a color camera, a wireless microphone and receiver, rear seat night vision cameras and microphones, a collection computer and full installation of the equipment. Options not purchased at this time, but which may be able to be added later included a driver’s license scanner and a GPS module.

The department has been seeking to purchase dash cameras for a number of years because of their usefulness in prosecuting cases involving traffic stops and in defending against law suits and false charges of rights violations.

In other action, the council received a plot of land - 159,468.5 square feet - into the city by annexation petition. The newly-annexed land includes a city lift station along Pine Avenue for the sewer system. The annexed land, approved by the county court, was approved by ordinance on three readings with a single vote and with an emergency clause attached.

Approved on a first reading was a lot split ordinance for Lot 24, owned by Lyndon Winn, in the Hornbeck Heights addition to the city. The lot split ordinance will come before the council for its second reading in August.

News, Pages 1 on 07/10/2013