Mar. 13—HENDERSON — The city council approved a resolution for the Henderson Police Department on Monday night that created a new information technology specialist position.

Like a river, the council diverted funding from a vacant parking enforcement and one officer position to create the new role, which might see a pay grade from $63,915 to $95,871.

That’s the strategy Police Chief Marcus Barrow has been using — utilizing existing, unused resources to new ends.

The new employee will troubleshoot and fix computers and police equipment like card readers — all things tech. The department has a focus on technological advancement, utilizing systems like the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network to identify shell casings like blueprints and Flock cameras to identify cars.

That’s a lot of identifying — speaking of which, the council also approved a request to buy three three-year licenses for Clearview AI, a facial recognition software. Officers had previously tried the system out by uploading 162 photos of faces — leading to five cases solved. One of those included Romanian nationals.

On its website, the software bills itself as a way for law enforcement to solve cases with fewer resources. Officers upload photos, which are then compared against a massive database of 40 billion other photos.

The department will be purchasing those with $13,000 in North Carolina State Treasury civil asset forfeiture funds — “drug dealer money,” as Barrow puts it. Those funds come from property seized during arrests. Using that cash means the HPD doesn’t charge the taxpayer a dime.

There’s still another $165,000 or so in that account, and $53,000 in the HPD’s federal account. The council approved yet another resolution to use $10,000 of the latter to buy a computer and other essential tools for the new tech specialist position.

In other news, the city amended the minimum housing code by requiring county building permits for certain projects, in response to around half a dozen fires in the past few months.

Mostly, those projects would be cases where somebody replaces an appliance with one that has higher capabilities, like a ceiling fan with higher voltage or amperage. Contractors would not be required to get a permit.

The change is a way of giving the city the tools to get better quality housing, Development Services Director Corey Williams explained.

They added another amendment to the ordinances defining recreational fires as those three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height. They don’t require open burning permits, can’t be used to burn rubbish and must be kept away from combustible materials. Bonfires are not considered recreational.

Council members passed some new attendance guidelines for themselves, in the interest of keeping themselves accountable, the mayor said. Any member that misses four or more meetings, including special called meetings, is subject to removal by majority vote.

Some absences are excused, in the case of medical emergencies or deaths in the family, for example. In some cases, representatives can tune in, or even vote, via Zoom.

Sidenote, that will be a lot easier with the council chamber’s revamped microphones.

Councilwoman Sara Coffey said she felt the policy was targeting her, specifically — she has missed several meetings as of late, due to her undergoing medical procedures or subsequently recovering.

Lamont Noel wondered whether something could be added to allow work as an excused absence, especially when special called meetings are scheduled during normal business hours.

Elliott said the policy was targeted at no one and was meant to hold council members accountable.

A version of the resolution without any verbiage on special called meetings passed 6-2, with Coffey and Noel voting nay.

The city recognized Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. From dawn till sunset, starting on the night of a crescent moon, Muslims abstain from all food or drink — even water. Once it gets dark, however, they break their fasts with iftar — a veritable feast.

Nearly two billion people worldwide partake in fasting — including some locals, like attorney Safwan Ali. He’s a product of Henderson, he said, having attended E.M. Rollins Elementary School and Vance-Granville Community College.

Abdulrahman Saleh, an imam at Al Rahma Mosque, Pasem Hauter a local business owner, spoke alongside Ali. The holiday is meant to teach them self-control, explained Ali, and empathy for those less fortunate.

The exact start date changes year-by-year, but always begins the day of a crescent moon. Monday was the first day of Ramadan, what with the thin crescent that hung high overhead that night.

Council members voted unanimously to pass the resolution. The mayor said the city believes in “diversity, equity and inclusion” and that the resolution was meant to show as much — not to endorse any one religion.