Canton Police Motorcycles to Get Cameras

The motorcycle patrol will be recording more than license plate numbers and vehicle speed this year, thanks to new windshield-mounted video cameras approved by the Board of Trustees.

“We’ve wanted to do this for awhile, but we had to wait for the technology to catch up,” said Public Safety Director Patrick Nemecek.

The board agreed to pay for the cameras during Tuesday night's regular meeting. The video equipment accounts for $20,000 of a $125,000 request from the public safety department. The remaining $105,000 will be spent on three new Ford Crown Victoria police cars, one Ford Taurus for the detective bureau and one new Crown Victoria for the fire department.

Nemecek said cameras used in police patrol cars record video used as evidence in lawsuits, court cases and citizen complaint investigations.

The Canton Police motorcycle unit operates eight months out of the year and account for about 10 percent of the police force. During the warmer months, these Harley Davidson-riding Special Enforcement Unit officers have more than 20% of the department’s total traffic contacts.

Nemecek said the care replace vehicles whose odometers are hittng 100,000 miles, deemed unsafe for rigorous public safety use. The older cars can be used by different departments or sold, he said.

Funds for the purchases were budgeted, said Supervisor Phil LaJoy, adding that the cost of the police motorcycle cameras will be offset by drunk-driving ticket income.

The trustess also agreed to:

• buy 1,000 recycling bins for $6,550. These bins will be available for resident purchase for $10 each.
•  parcel out about $34,000 of federal community development block grant funds to help rehabilitate four homes and one mobile home it the township. The program pays for major and minor repairs to owner-occupied single family homes, as long as the owners meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development income requirements.

The board meets again at 7 p.m. Feb. 15, to study the community development block grant program. The federal government, which funds the program, requires communities to evaluate how the money is being used. community development block grants are intended to fix blighted areas, low-to-moderate income housing or address an immediate need. In Canton, the money has been spent to assist senior living, parks, housing and advocacy groups such as Growth Works, a substance abuse center that is based in Plymouth and Canton.

In July, the township hired ASK Development Solutions for $33,830 to conduct the five-year study for the township. Rick Eva Jr., the township finance and budget director, said Canton has $379,836 for the program current term, July 1, 2010 to  June 30, 2011.

An ASK Development representative will attend at the Feb. 15 meeting, where residents' questions are encouraged. Township officials are working with ASK Development to survey residents about programs and needs. The surveys are here.

The consultants are supposed to use the surveys to draft a strategic plan, which will be presented to the board. The deadline for the final plan is May 11.

Canton Waste Recycling officials are scheduled to make a presentation on refuse and recycling collection services during the Feb. 15 meeting.