Ex-New Orleans Tech Chief, Wife, Vendor Indicted

The camera program was envisioned as a way to help police deal with high-crime neighborhoods where drug crimes and killings are widespread. But it has been troubled since its inception.

Only about a quarter of the 1,000 cameras originally envisioned have been deployed. Officials have acknowledged operational problems within the system.

A city inspector general's report found the program lacked a "realistic budget" from the start, with the $2.6 million price estimated by the technology office for 240 cameras ballooning to more than $6.6 million.

After leaving city government, saying he had burned out in the position, Meffert formed his own company, Logistix. Records in the civil trial showed Logistix received more than $640,000 from Net Methods for consulting work.

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Associated Press Writer Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report.

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