Committee repurposes appropriations and approves $20,499 fingerprint system for police

Committee members approved repurposing existing appropriations and purchasing a new fingerprint system for the police department after staff presented two vendor quotes.

Staff said the town’s existing fingerprint machine is about 10 years old and at end of life, and that fingerprinting is mandated by the state for firearms licensing, peddlers’ permits and similar uses. Two quotes were shown: an IDEMIA unit around $31,942 and an HID system priced at about $20,499.61; staff recommended the HID option as both are on the state list and HID offered lower upfront cost and lower annual service fees. The committee voted to rescind a prior $212,539 appropriation for school IT switches, repurpose $15,015.82 from a repeater appropriation, and then approve the $20,499.61 purchase for the HID fingerprint system.

Committee members discussed whether the fingerprint machine’s annual service/maintenance fee should be covered by IT or by the police operating budget; staff said historically the service agreement had been paid from IT funds. The motion to purchase passed on a voice vote.