Hamilton County commissioners this morning agreed to delay a vote on purchasing telephone surveillance equipment for the sheriff's office.
The postponement is for 30 days.
Despite assurances from Chief Deputy Allen Branum that the equipment would be used under strict guidelines and would require a court order to operate, commissioners expressed concerns that it could be abused.
At the meeting, several commissioners said they planned to vote against buying the equipment, but County Mayor Claude Ramsey suggested they hold off until they could receive more information on how the equipment will be used.
The system would cost $134,424.
For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.