By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend Police Department will receive new vehicle and body-worn cameras after the Great Bend City Council approved a $187,846 purchase from Digital Ally.
Great Bend Police has deployed in-car cameras since 2006 and body-worn cameras since 2014. The current cameras are becoming obsolete and are nearing their end of life. Police Chief Steve Haulmark received bids from Digital Ally and Axon, with the Digital Ally bid coming in nearly $70,000 cheaper.
"These two companies, and Motorola, are the three big companies being utilized," said Haulmark. "We have spoken to different agencies that use both of the two systems. There's pros and cons to both sides. Overall, folks are happy with Digital Ally and we've been happy with their customer service for the past 10 years."
The bid is for a five-year contract with the company based out of Lenexa, Kansas. The Police Department has $65,000 funded for cameras through fiscal year 2025 and were approved an additional $35,000 per budget year through 2029.