Deposition sheds light on camera program

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The company of a man with ties to New Orleans’ former technology chief Greg Meffert and the city’s troubled crime camera program paid at least partly for a Hawaiian vacation taken by the families of Meffert and Mayor Ray Nagin, according to a Meffert deposition.
Excerpts of the deposition were released with other documents Monday in a lawsuit by Southern Electronics Inc. and subcontractor Active Solutions LLC., which worked on the initial crime camera system.
The lawsuit alleges Meffert and people he brought in while Nagin’s technology director used their positions at City Hall to “misappropriate” the system developed by the two companies. It also alleges they “conspired” with Dell Inc., to sell the system to this city and others.
Meffert, in court filings, cited problems like the cost of the cameras, pace of their installation and pressures from the administration and the public for beginning to look at options besides Southern Electronic and Active Solutions.
Meffert and Nagin, who is also listed among the defendants, have denied any wrongdoing and have sought to have the claims against them dismissed. Dell has also disputed the allegations.
Nagin hired Meffert to help bring City Hall into the 21st Century after Nagin was elected to his first term in 2002. A major project on Meffert’s watch was the implementation of a crime camera system Nagin hoped would deter crime.
The program has fallen well short of the 1,000 cameras Nagin once envisioned; there are 252 currently in place, according to the interim technology chief.
According to the deposition excerpt, Meffert said he took a trip to Hawaii that was arranged by Mark St. Pierre.