The Cheltenham Township board of commissioners approved last week a $35,000 contract with Packetalk, a New Jersey-based technology company, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The contract includes five years of maintenance for “artificial intelligence-enabled camera technology with motion detection and software that allows police to both review live feeds and search recorded footage for license plate numbers and vehicle characteristics”, The Inquirer wrote.
The story notes that Cheltenham police will use the AI-enabled cameras to deter crime at the La Mott Community Center construction site “and may use them in the future for crime hot spots and community events”. Several Cheltenham commissioners said the contract will help protect the $8 million investment.
The township initially planned to order two surveillance trailers. From the Finance Committee’s September 3 agenda:
This request began with a review of site security and perimeter monitoring needs for the La Mott Community Center renovation. Because the Community Center will not be connected to electricity and will be undergoing major structural work, camera equipment cannot be mounted to the building. We considered temporary utility poles, trenching conduit, and fixed cameras; however, the cost and disruption to the staging area made those options impractical. A self-contained, solar-powered mobile trailer is the most practical and flexible solution.
After comparing equipment and pricing from several vendors, we selected Packetalk. Pacetalk equipment has performed reliably at Wall Park, with no vendor support issues. Packetalk’s price was approximately $10,000 to $15,000 lower than comparable systems. The $35,000 per-unit price includes delivery, initial setup, and five years of maintenance and support. Packetalk also agreed to cover vandalism repairs under the support agreement, protecting the Township from unexpected repair costs.
In August, Abington Township’s Board of Commissioners voted to replace Flock Safety surveillance cameras due to data safety and privacy concerns. The three-camera system’s replacement, Axon Outpost TAP Plan, was approved for a five-year contract, though Flock Safety’s current contract with the township runs through 2028.
Unlike Flock cameras, Packetalk’s data will be stored by Cheltenham and only township officials will have access, Police Chief Richard Schaffer said.
The technology will be paid for via Cheltenham’s capital fund, The Inquirer said.
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Photo: Packetalk