Thunder Bay's police are weighing the merits against the cost of acquiring some new equipment.
They were taking a hard look at acquiring video cameras for their cruisers or an electronic ticketing system Tuesday morning at the police board's monthly meeting.
Chief Bob Herman explained the relative advantages of installing cameras in cruisers, saying they could record activity inside the car and outside that would help gather evidence, could reduce complaints against police officers and address community concerns over racial profiling.
But the cameras come with a big price-tag, between $6,000 and $10,000 each and Herman notes they are not mandatory yet, but they soon may be.
''One of my concerns is that, I just don't want to see this legislated by the government, and the cost being passed on to the municipalities, the local taxpayers. I think, if you've initiated a project, then you need to step up to the plate and help fund it.
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Electronic ticketing was also on the agenda and discussed at the meeting. These units scan a driver's licence to eliminate errors on tickets and speeds up the process for the officer and the motorist. The first unit would cost about $10,000 and additional units would be slightly less expensive.
Herman says although both initiatives would be advantageous, he feels the video cameras are more of a priority right now.
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