7am News, Sports and Obits
Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Abingdon Purchases Cameras for Squad Cars
Two Abingdon Police Department squad cars will soon be equipped with digital video cameras.

The city council Monday night agreed with a 7-0 vote to purchase the cameras after hearing from police chief Fred Andrews and police committee chair Diane Johnson. Both Johnson and Andrews approached aldermen about the cameras earlier this month.

Johnson says they're necessary because of an increase in the number of criminal and traffic offenses the police department is handling. "The police need them in their cars," Johnson said. "The drugs that's going on, the DUI's are going up...for the police protection as wel as the citizens, I think we need to get 'em."

Andrews told the city council during the September 8th meeting that the cameras are a must for the safety of police officers and the public, and for the integrity of the city's police department.

Johnson says the cost is $8,200 - an amount that is in the department's budget.

The city council also voted 7-0 to decline adopting an ordinance that would've allowed the Knox County Sheriff's Department to write tickets for various offenses in Abingdon and collect all of the money when the fines are paid. Andrews says the sheriff's department is asking communities in the county where deputies patrol to either approve of decline the ordinance, which is a way for the department to generate more revenue.
09 22 09 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.