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iRecord Gets $27K Contract with Holland, Mich., Police

Holland, Mich., is investing in a new digital video recording system for interviews with funds approved by the city council, replacing a current audio and video equipment system that is no longer fully functioning.

(TNS) — Audio and video equipment used in criminal investigations at the Holland, Mich., Department of Public Safety Services is no longer fully functioning.

The equipment is getting replaced for $26,935 by Indianapolis-based company iRecord, which provides digital video recording and management systems for law-enforcement interview rooms. The Holland City Council approved the bid as a consent agenda motion at its May 1 meeting. The funds will come from the fiscal year 2019 Municipal Capital Improvement Fund.

"These are critical, I can't emphasize that enough," said Assistant City Manager Matt VanDyken at the study session before council voted.

The current system is a mix of parts that were installed when the building was constructed, and pieces that have been replaced over the years are becoming obsolete, VanDyken said. The audio and video clarity is critical for trial, he said.

"It's important that the video be high-quality, but also allows us to efficiently manage those interviews," explained Capt. Rick Walters, of the Holland Department of Public Safety.

The equipment was ordered after council gave the go-ahead, Walters said, and should arrive in two or three months.

"The existing system is 15 years old, and has not really been upgraded since we moved into our facility in 2004," Walters said. "We've had some minor issues that I think we've been able to address, but we are using technology that is now out of date."

The new system is supposed to be more efficient, easier to work with, and provide better recording quality, Walters said.

"It is technology that is used frequently and captures a critical part of an investigation," he said.

The expense is not budgeted, but fits with what the municipal capital improvement plan should fund, said City Manager Keith Van Beek.

"Every once in a while something like this will come up that we weren't expecting," he said.

©2019 Holland Sentinel, Mich. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.