The Hartselle City Council approved the purchase of new dashboard and body cameras for the Hartselle Police Department at last week’s regular meeting.

Hartselle Police Chief Ron Puckett said the additional equipment will add another level of security for his department and the community his officers serve.

The new equipment, Puckett added, will be in sync between the two systems, whereas the current one operates separately with two different video feeds.

“It’s a lot cleaner, and we just thought that’s where we need to be headed instead of trying to Band-Aid what we have now,” Puckett said.

The equipment, which in total will cost $157,790, includes in-car and body-worn cameras for the 20 HPD patrol officers, four investigators and two school resource officers.

Puckett said the equipment the department uses now has been an asset since 2008, and he believes the upgrade will continue to be helpful.

“It helps with integrity with our officers, it helps in court … We should be able to document all our interactions with citizens,” he said. “It’s going to add just a little more evidence, just a little more integrity and a little more transparency outside of the car camera’s vision.”

In other business, the council also:

– Approved an ordinance that allows the Hartselle Fire Department to designate a fire marshal.

While there is no further compensation for this appointed position, city attorney Larry Madison said the fire marshal will assist with arson investigations and code enforcement.

• Approved a resolution requesting funding for the William Bradford Huie Library from the Morgan County Commission. The city requested $4,500.
• Approved a resolution requesting funding for Hartselle airport from the Morgan County Commission. The city requested $9,000.
• Approved various requests from the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce for exemptions to the food truck ordinance and the alcohol ordinance, as well as road closures, for upcoming events including the Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off, Depot Days and Christmas Open House.
• Approved a budget transfer of $2,700 for the Public Works Department to cover the expense of the landfill permit application through the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. Other adjustments included budget transfers for the Public Works Department to cover the cost of drainage issues and various issues.