MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong revealed this week that police body cameras, dash cams and GPS will hopefully begin delivery August 26 of this year.
“We have contracted out with Mission Critical. Mission Critical has moved this project along,” Armstrong told a City Council Committee Tuesday.
WREG was told Mission Critical is the consulting firm helping MPD select the equipment.
The targeted delivery date comes almost exactly three years after the mayor requested GPS in police cars, following a deadly crash involving an officer.
We are told the money for the technology has not been used in a year and a half.
There has been an increasing interest in police cameras, following several events nabbing national headlines.
Armstrong made it clear the August date is merely a target date, and it is not set in stone.
Paul Garner with Memphis United at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center said he hopes to see the process move along.
“We think that that’s a really important tool for holding our law enforcement officials accountable, and I think it also protects them from frivolous complaints as well,” Garner said.
Memphis City Council member Wanda Halbert said she does not think the process has been slow, but she is relieved to see a calendar goal.
“He gave a specific month that we could expect to have them in place. I think that clearly says that it’s happening now,” Halbert said.
MPD provided WREG with the full timeline.
The next targeted date is April 15th for “response to vendor questions.”
Armstrong was not available to interview on this topic.
Mission Critical did not respond to WREG’s request for an interview Thursday. 
