Sandy Springs police officers may soon be equipped with body cameras. The City Council has selected a vendor to provide 70 of the recording devices.

The city received five responses to its request for proposals, and an evaluation committee – working with six officers who tested the units – gave the highest score to Taser International Inc., according to a staff report to the Council. The estimated cost of $179,275 covers first-year starting expenses and a second year of data storage, a Sandy Springs spokeswoman said.

Under a resolution passed recently by the Council, Taser will provide body camera equipment, accessories and services for the Sandy Springs Police Department. The city manager and city attorney were authorized to negotiate and execute a contract with the vendor.

The cameras would produce video and audio recordings that could be archived and retrieved. The city’s objectives, according to a staff evaluation memo, “are to ensure the highest degree of safety for its employees and citizens and to operate a safe and effective body camera system while protecting both its officers and citizens.”