Freetown Select Board Approves Body Cameras, GPS Tracking for Town Fleet

FREETOWN — November 4, 2024 — Freetown Select Board votes to advance police body cameras and GPS fleet tracking. The board voted unanimously Monday to move forward with a body camera program for all 25 sworn Freetown Police officers, contingent on a grant announcement expected by month's end that would cover a program the chief said totals more than $200,000, including cameras at roughly $700 each and a $13,000 in-house server. Chief Rose told the board that "a majority of the officers want to have the system" and outlined a six-to-eight-month adjustment period before any discipline tied solely to camera operation. The board also unanimously approved Geotab GPS units — available on the state bid list at $20.50 per vehicle per month — for 13 town fleet vehicles spanning the Highway, Board of Health, Building, Council on Aging, Water, and Animal Control departments. Separately, Town Administrator Deb informed the board she would use the remaining $220,000 in federal ARPA funds, which must be obligated by December 31, to purchase a new front-end loader for the Highway Department, trading in an existing loader facing an estimated $50,000 in repairs.