HUTCHINSON — AT&T has chosen Hutchinson to be the first city in the nation to beta test a federally-backed smart city system.

Hutchinson Police Chief Jeffrey Hooper presented a proposal to the Hutchinson City Council. The city must present AT&T with a letter of commitment to move forward.

Chief Hooper explained the concept and how it would work. Hooper said the technology would help law enforcement by allowing officers to access a phone that has called authorities. Officers could start recording the crime and authorities would be able to tap into the system and see the crime as it’s happening.

Hooper also talked about AT&T strengthening its towers in Hutchinson. That includes putting cameras on certain intersections for first responders to access. In an emergency situation, lights and sirens would trip the lights to red and allow emergency vehicles to pass through more safely.

“It would also have sensors on that intersection where we could see the traffic flow, traffic pattern where we could see congestion at that intersection, such as a stalled vehicle or an accident, something like that,” Chief Hooper said.

Hutchinson was chosen because Kansas is the nation’s leader for the 911 dispatch communications system. There are 98 communications centers connected to the statewide system.

Drones could also be connected to the system for major events — such as flooding or wildfires. There is some concern regarding the drones since they are not allowed in certain areas, including the Hutchinson Airport. There are also some privacy concerns with drones. Those issues will be addressed and worked out before the drones are used.

There would be no upfront cost to the city, however, there would be a service fee if the city chooses to stay on the system. Hooper also says there will be some staff time commitments across the city.

Any final decision will come before the city council at a later time.