Police to replace bodycams

MARENGO — Marengo police will get new body cameras to replace the ones they’ve been using the past six years.

The cameras lasted longer than Police Chief Ben Gray expected, he told the Marengo City Council this month. He’d like to replace body cameras every five years.

The Council approved the purchase of Getac video body cameras for $11,022 from Racom during its Oct. 22 meeting. The price includes cameras, accessories and installation and will use the current Getac Cloud service.

Gray said the police department had money left in its vehicle budget that it could use to pay for the cameras. The department didn’t spend the entire $60,000 budgeted for the last vehicle it purchased, he said.

Gray said he’ll try to sell the old body cameras.