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LORDSTOWN -- Village council has approved purchasing body cameras, stun guns and in-cruiser dashboard cameras for the police department.
Police Chief Brent Milhoan will seek grants to cover costs for the body cameras.
Council on Monday passed under emergency the purchase of body cameras and stun guns from Axon Enterprise Inc. of Scottsdale, Arizona, at $172,290. Also approved were in-car dashboard cameras, including hardware and software, at $122,208, also from Axon.
Milhoan previously said the department would like to purchase 13 body cameras and 13 stun weapons for the officers, and 10 dashboard cameras for the department's cruisers.
Solicitor Matt Ries said the grant for the body cameras could be used to cover payments for the cameras over five years.
Ries said to receive the grant for the body cameras, the village police department would need to become a certified agency through the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board. The grant is awarded through the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Milhoan said the department is in the process of becoming certified, which likely will be done by the end of the year.
Ries said the village will not be eligible for the grant this year, but possibly next year.
Milhoan said a recent incident had a police officer apprehending a person fleeing at a traffic stop. Milhoan said the officer was able to get to his portable radio to reach a dispatcher to get another unit to assist.
He said if the body cameras were available, the dispatcher would have been able to see what was going on as the officer tried to stop the individual.
"I realize this is a lot of money, but I think when it comes to officers' safety, these tools in today's world are highly needed," Milhoan said.
Milhoan said two vehicles have no recording system, but other cars have them. He said it may take nine to 10 months to get the dashboard cameras but the body cameras and the stun guns should arrive sooner.
"We do not pay until the cameras are installed in the cruiser," Milhoan said.
He said grants are not available for stun guns.
Council President Ron Radtka said council members at a finance meeting reviewed if the village can afford the purchases.
Milhoan, who has been chief for 20 years, said if the items are purchased together now, the village would see a savings of about $10,000.
Milhoan said dashboard cameras are used by police in Boardman, Canfield, Austintown and Warren.
Councilman Terry Campbell, a retired police officer, said the body cameras are important for the officers to have.
"Times have changed. Today we have police officers being shot and killed on a daily basis. We need to get this to protect our officers," Campbell said.
Milhoan said body cameras protect the village as well as the officers.