KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — If Knoxville City Council gets and can approve a contract to purchase police body cameras by late July, plans call for all patrol officers to be wearing them by January 2021, according to the city.
Negotiations with a vendor are underway, according to the city. The process is confidential at the moment.
Mayor Indya Kincannon said last week the process to get bids and review them has proved to take more time than expected.
Knoxville City Council in September asked the Knoxville Police Department to explore acquiring and maintaining the cams during calls and investigations. Officers already have in-car cameras.
Kincannon, who took office in December, supports outfitting police with the equipment.
Recent unrest in some parts of Tennessee and the nation also have spurred more cities to consider installing the equipment as a way to be transparent and aid officers in the field.
City Council last month approved spending $746,400 for the equipment as part of Kincannon's first budget. Plans call for the city to buy 350 cameras.
According to the city, $1.3 million is being budgeted for both in-car cameras and bodycams. That includes money in the current budget as well as money that'll be set aside in the 2020-21 city budget.
The city of Knoxville also is trying to get federal grants of $300,000, according to spokesman Eric Vreeland.
Money now set aside and budgeted should cover "Year One installation and operational costs," according to Vreeland.
When the city has the system operating, it'll decide if it needs more personnel to help process the data.
Past KPD leadership resisted installing body cameras for officers, arguing they were expensive and potentially legally troublesome.
Knox County Sheriff's Office patrol units wear them.