The Jacksonville police department is getting an upgrade in its patrol and investigate divisions cameras.
The Jacksonville city council voted tonight to spend $1-point-1 million with Axon for new body, in car and interview room cameras. The department is also getting tasers.
Jacksonville police chief Doug Thompson says his department was running into all kinds of problems keeping up with storage and keeping the system operative to satisfy FOIA, or Freedom of Information requests.
Thompson says the department will now go to a cloud based storage system.
Thompson says his department had to buy external storage for the information 3 times in the last three months. The equipment will arrive in January, and be installed for use in February.
In other action last night, the council agreed with the plan commission recommendation, and rejected a rezoning request that would have allowed apartments in a former day care building on West Lafayette, across from the former EMI offices.
Aldermen said yes to rezoning that would allow a possible Air B and B at 620 Westwinds, a repair garage at 438 Ebey, and the expansion of Calvary Cemetery on South Lincoln.
The council is ready to apply for another Illinois transportation enhancement grant. The city has used the grants to improve street scapes around the square. This grant could be used to approve West State and West College, including the JHS Bowl.
And, Jacksonville mayor Andy Ezard says he will look into a suggestion to paint a pedestrian and bicycle lane on Westgate to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital.