Memphis SkyCop
Background:
One of the key purposes of our Neighborhood association is to maintain, protect, and enhance the Association’s Area, and to promote a sense of community pride and safety. In support of that objective, the association decided several years ago to hire Security One. The arrangement with Security One is for them to make a daily patrol of the neighborhood and to report any issues to the Association’s Vice President. During the Holiday season we have elected to increase the patrol to twice per day. The cost for the service in the 2015-16 Fiscal Year was $5325.40. The patrol has served us well, but new camera technology has recently been introduced that may provide us with a superior safety approach.
The Proposal:
The Memphis Police Department has for several years had a relationship with a company called SkyCop. Earlier in 2016, several neighborhood associations such as ours acquired surveillance cameras similar to those already in use by MPD. In conjunction with the deployment of neighborhood cameras, the Memphis City Council passed an ordinance that will allow for the private purchase of those units and subsequent support by the city. The approach is for the neighborhood to raise sufficient funding to purchase the cameras, provide for installation on MLGW facilities and one year of communication services. Once the funds are available, the neighborhood would donate them to the Memphis and Shelby County Law Enforcement Foundation. Once donated the Memphis Police Department, via the Real Time Crime Center, will complete the installation and have access to them. They will become part of the MPD surveillance camera network and the City will assume all future support including the communication expense after the first year.
The Board Recommendation:
After careful consideration, the KSANA Board of Directors has determined that replacing our current arrangement with Security One with a Neighborhood Camera system is in the best interest of the association membership. The initial purchase would involve acquiring six (6) camera units. We propose installing them at the six entrance points to the neighborhood:
1) Kingham & Wytham
2) Greenmill & Wytham
3) Stout & Kirby
4) Stout & McVay
5) Kirby & Moorquake/Langdale
6) McVay & Wittenham CV (approx.)
The cost for the initial deployment would be approximately $36,000. Our approach is to ask each of our neighbors for a one-time contribution of $250. It is important to note that this amount will be fully deductible on your Federal Income Tax as a charitable contribution to the Shelby County Law Enforcement Foundation. The funds will be kept in a special escrow account until sufficient to purchase all four cameras. If after the end of October 2017 we have not received enough funding to proceed with the project, the funds will be returned, or with the concurrence of the association members, continue to another approved date.
Respectively Submitted,
Your KSANA Board of Directors