The first time Tampa priced surveillance cameras for next year's Republican National Convention, officials got sticker shock when the bids approached $5 million.So now the city has trimmed its plans from more than 200 cameras down to about 60. It set a top price of $2 million. And it cut high-tech novelties like helmet cams and unmanned drones from its wish list."All that stuff is very expensive, and we're on a budget, so we're going to have to be more prudent," Tampa police Assistant Chief Marc Hamlin said. "We thought $5 million was way too much to spend, so that's why we had to scale it down and tighten it up."
The city issued its latest request for proposals earlier this month. Responses are due Jan. 18, and the cameras must be in place by July 1.That's because police expect 10,000 to 15,000 demonstrators to converge when the convention meets Aug. 27-30 at the St. Pete Times Forum.In St. Paul, Minn., the site of the 2008 GOP convention, local officials told Tampa police the cameras not only helped them monitor the event but also created a visual record that was useful in the criminal prosecutions and lawsuits afterward.
The Real Secret of Secret Covert Spy Cameras.Money for the cameras will come from $50 million in federal funds that Tampa will get to provide convention security. An estimated two-thirds of that money will pay for the 3,000 to 4,000 law enforcement officers that officials think the event will require.But price and scope are just two of the differences in the city's latest request for surveillance camera proposals.In its first request, the city asked for prices for both buying and leasing the cameras.
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