Taxes pay for police Department's television set

Set was bought far below retail

DURHAM -- In the executive conference room on the top floor of Durham's police headquarters, steps from the offices of the chief and the deputy chief, sits the department's new high-definition, big-screen television.

The Mitsubishi set has a 52-inch theater-ratio widescreen that features a resolution among the highest available. Promotional material for the product boasts that its advanced video processor is designed to provide a home-theater experience for "stunning cinematic entertainment ... [with] crisp, vivid images that will keep you riveted."

In response to a public information request, the department disclosed that it bought the big screen June 1 for $2,099.98 -- a figure hundreds below the retail price listed for the same set at a local electronics chain. The money was drawn from the department's general fund, which relies on local property taxes.

Deputy Police Chief Ron Hodge approved the purchase after an older $800 TV in the conference room died. The new HDTV is needed, he said, so that police commanders can monitor current events and track potential emergencies, such as hurricanes. It is also available for use watching training videos, he said.

Asked why a cheaper set of similar size but lower resolution wouldn't have been sufficient for those duties, Hodge said he didn't really concern himself with such details when he ordered a subordinate to buy a new television.

At the time it was bought, the City Council was in the midst of budget deliberations that would lead to a 2-cent tax increase. Durham has the highest taxes and fees of any of North Carolina's large cities, but officials said there was not enough money available this year to hire more police officers.

Hodge said he wasn't concerned about the potential symbolism of making such a purchase at the same time local homeowners are facing a tax increase.

"That didn't have anything to do with it," Hodge said during an interview in the conference room, near the TV. "I just said to find some money and get a new television. I needed a television. Let's get real. There are just some things you need to go out and get."

A City Council member told about the expensive set disagreed.

"As a taxpayer, I think that's outrageous," said Thomas Stith. "Unfortunately, it is indicative of our administration that in a budget of hundreds of millions, a few thousand dollars here a few thousand dollars there don't matter. That's ridiculous."

(Staff writer Samiha Khanna contributed to this article.)