Police Chief Joseph Daughtry is asking Columbus City Council to help the department gear up.
During Thursday morning’s work session, Daughtry asked the council for about $71,822 to buy equipment, ranging from computers to holsters.
None of those expenses is currently included in the department’s budget.
Daughtry started out asking for computers and mounts for patrol cars, so officers could file reports from the field without having to come back to CPD headquarters.
“We want to get the officers away from the PD more and more,” Daughtry said.
Daughtry said he and Chief Financial Officer Jim Brigham had found some refurbished computers that cost about $1,490 each, versus $5,000 for new machines. Daughtry asked for 15, at a cost of around $22,350, as well as mounts for the vehicles, which totaled $12,725.
The chief also asked for holsters for the department’s new weapons.
Last month the council approved swapping out CPD’s old Glock 23 handguns for Glock 45s. Now the department needs holsters for its new shooting irons, as well as for CID and SWAT weapons. According to figures provided by Brigham, the request is for about 80 holsters at a total cost of around $10,917.
“It’s going to take about 120 days for the new (firearms) to get here, and I don’t want to wait for the last minute,” Daughtry said.
Finally, Daughtry asked for new uniforms at a cost of around $25,830.
Mayor Keith Gaskin asked about security measures for firearms carried in the department’s vehicles.
In 2022 an assault rifle, a handgun, 500 rounds of ammunition and two bulletproof vests were stolen from the trunk of an unmarked vehicle parked at an officer’s home.
Daughtry said his request didn’t include improved security measures, but he would get some numbers together and bring them before the council Tuesday.
“What we would do is have a locked (box) in each car where the rifles are locked inside,” Daughtry said. “(The officer) would have to push a concealed button to release the lock and retrieve it.”
The cost for all that gear could be covered with interest from the city’s bank accounts, Brigham told The Dispatch after the meeting.
“We budgeted for $250,000 in interest, and about five months into our budget year we’ve received about $181,000,” Brigham said.
Regal Hall renovations
Trotter Convention Center Director Rogena Bonner asked the council to approve an approximately $49,000 bid to do exterior repair work at Regal Hall, located on Fourth Street North behind the old Varsity Theater.
Architect Bill Whittle of JBHM said the work would include repainting the exterior of the building, as well as replacing rotten windows and doors.
Bostick Construction submitted the low bid, Whittle said.
Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens asked why JBHM was brought in on a “minor” project. Bonner explained that the city is working with Neel-Schaffer, who brought JBHM in to do the architectural side of the work.
Mickens repeated his question, asking why Bonner couldn’t do the work herself.
“I don’t know any other way to do (a project like this),” Bonner said.
City Attorney Jeff Turnage attempted to give some perspective.
“(Whittle) is the architect, and he’s been retained to design the exterior improvements,” Turnage said. “He bid it out, and now he’s bringing in the bids for us to approve.”
“This is not the first time it’s happened this way,” Gaskin chimed in. “We always do it this way.”
Mickens relented.
“It’s just a small project,” Mickens said. “That’s where I’m coming from. It’s a $49,000 project, not a $1 million. I’m through.”
Crosswalks
Main Street Columbus Director Barbara Bigelow asked the council to approve painting two downtown crosswalks at no cost to the city.
The first is located on the south side of Second Avenue North and Sixth Street North, at the Frank Phillips YMCA, Bigelow said. The crosswalk would be painted and allowed to dry, and then children from the Y’s spring break camp would decorate it with painted handprints.
The second is located on the north side of Third Street North and Second Avenue North, between Munson and Brothers and the Hitching Lot Farmer’s Market.
Main Street will cover the costs with a $1,500 grant, Bigelow said.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 29 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
