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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIf the money survives the budget process, Lakeland will become the third city in Polk County to equip its officers with body cameras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lakeland commissioners were deeply divided, voting 4-3 to set aside more than $1.4 million in the fiscal year 2022 budget to purchase body cameras and various related equipment without raising the city’s tax rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mayor Bill Mutz spearheaded the effort to fund body cameras from the city’s general fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This is a human need and departmental protection that I think would be critical. It would be very, very bad for us to miss providing,” Mutz said. “We need some unanimity on this, despite the large expense.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mayor previously stated that body cameras for Lakeland’s officers were one universal desire he heard expressed by many groups in the Lift Lakeland conversations on diversity and race relations following the summer protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mutz said he believes body cameras are the latest technology in modern policing that not only provide accountability for officers but can exonerate those who face accusations of misconduct. The mayor said he believes younger officers expect to be equipped with body cameras, where older personnel may be slightly more resistant to adopting technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commissioner Phillip Walker backed Mutz’s motion to add body cameras to the city’s budget, whether immediately or in a gradual, phased-in approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I think it’s prudent to make sure we do it and capitalize on what we know we have been asked by certain segments of our population,” he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walker stressed that he does not believe Lakeland police have some of the use-of-force and inequality issues raised on a national level, such as in the killing of George Floyd by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. However, Walker said he sees it as innovative technology whose use can help send positive feedback to the community showing how the city’s officers operate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commissioners Chad McLeod and Sara Roberts McCarley approved of implementing body cams, as long as the city can do it without raising taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Lakeland does decide to fund body cameras, it will follow Lake Wales and Winter Haven. Lake Wales approved body cameras for its police department earlier this year and officers are already training for their deployment. Winter Haven has budgeted funds to purchase the equipment next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘No need’ for body cams<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commissioner Bill Read, who voted against funding body cameras, called out Lakeland Police Chief Ruben Garcia on Thursday afternoon to clarify his opinion on whether the equipment was necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“As I’ve said several times, we do not necessarily have an operational need for body cameras where we see that 99-point-something (percentage) of calls we run have no complaints,” Police Chief Ruben Garcia said. “To say we need them operationally would be a stretch.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The department responded to 102,011 calls for service last year, according to its annual 2020 Office of Professional Standards report. There were 55 complaints filed by citizens, of which 15 were formally investigated by the department. Based on these numbers, 99.93% of police interactions were handled without any complaints or issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The police chief acknowledged that certain parts of the city’s population have expressed an overwhelming desired to have officers equipped with body cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Therefore, it would be a political decision, not an operational decision,” Garcia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Official objections<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read said he voted against providing funds for body cameras in next year’s budget because he has significant concerns about the future stability of the city’s economy and financial position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the past year, Polk County Property Appraiser’s office provided an estimate to city officials that property values have increased by about 11%. This is significantly higher than usual, according to City Manager Shawn Sherrouse, as over the past eight years the average increase has been close to 7%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read, a licensed real estate broker specializing in commercial acquisitions said he doesn’t expect the economic boom to continue into 2022. He said federal supports, such as the foreclosure and eviction moratorium, have propped up the market. And he said he fears the post-pandemic recovery bubble may pop, possibly creating economic conditions similar to 2008 that saw property values take a plunge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read said his goal would have been to roll back the city’s millage rate from its current 5.4644 to 5.4324 for the fiscal year 2022. This would save\u00a0a homeowner with an assessed property value of $100,000 after homestead exemptions about $3.20 a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commissioner Stephanie Madden voted against the inclusion of body cameras in the city’s next budget for fear of the ongoing financial obligation. The commission had initially agreed it wanted to keep the tax rate flat and have an estimated 60 days’ cash on hand for daily operations at the end of 2024. If so, this would have given officials about $700,000 in discretionary funds to spend on city projects and initiatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’m confused to think we have $700,000 to spend and it could jump to $1.4 million,” she said. “That gives me great pause.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Madden said she’s against raising the city’s millage rate. She would have liked to see money go toward infrastructure projects such as another parking garage for downtown Lakeland or new roads to improve traffic flow given the growing population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The newest commissioner, Mike Musick, did not vote in favor of body cameras but was quiet during the discussion held Thursday. Musick clearly stated he was opposed to body cameras when running for office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What’s the cost again? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Garcia told city officials that the latest estimate to equip Lakeland officers with body cameras stands at about $1.4 million per year, not including startup costs of more than $200,000. This is nearly 60% more than the initial estimate of about $9 million the chief provided to commissioners in March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Garcia said the higher costs reflected the price to purchase body cameras, new in-vehicle dashboard cameras, and teasers from the same manufacturer. The estimate also included required cloud data storage to back up the videos and two additional personnel to oversee the implementation and management of the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chief said that there have been no official bids taken or any negotiations with any vendor for body cameras yet. The estimates provided to the City Commission have been based on Axon’s manufactured list prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We will not enter a formal bid process and solicit official bids until a decision is made by the City Commission to move forward with the purchase of Body Cameras,” LPD spokeswoman Robin Tillett said by email. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next step<\/p>\n\n\n\n
City commissioners have called for another budget workshop to discuss the fiscal year 2022 budget at 8 a.m. Aug. 10.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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