The crime-fighting camera system in Fort Dodge will be expanded by action of the City Council tonight.

The council is expected to approve the use of federal grant money to buy more cameras and related equipment.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S.

In 2021, a camera system was installed downtown. The next year, more cameras were placed in the area of Sixth Avenue North and 22nd Street.

“It is widely known within law enforcement and the general public that the presence of cameras anywhere is a huge deterrent to committing a crime,” Police Chief Dennis Quinn wrote in a report to the council. “That’s why our banks have them. That’s why stores and private businesses have them. Cameras have become such a part of our lives that even our homes now have them.”

The city has received a $180,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to pay for more cameras to be put in place.

The council will consider awarding a contract to Iowa Fire Control, of Fort Dodge, for the installation of additional cameras.

Also tonight, the council will consider the final reading of a measure establishing fees for connecting to a water main on the city’s northwest side.