New Berlin looking for alternative funds for public surveillance system
NEW BERLIN – In late January, the Village and Town of New Berlin received word it wasn’t getting a state grant that would’ve paid for installation of surveillance cameras out in public.
Currently the village has four inactive digital cameras installed in the area of Main and Genesee streets. The devices are in place to record the road and nearby parking areas, but are off-line pending further investment by the municipality, said Mayor Wade Schrag. He said the village is still looking for a more affordable way to activate the cameras and that any decision to hire a contractor will first need board approval.
Schrag said the cameras would be placed along the main roadways, parking lots, public parks and at important facilities, such as the wastewater treatment plant.
“Their purpose is safety and security. To make law enforcement’s job easier in prosecuting offenses and deterring crime,” he said.
On Jan. 3, the New Berlin Liquor Store was robbed and its owner assaulted in a daytime attack. The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and the New Berlin PD are still investigating the incident and no arrests have been made.
New Berlin officer-in-charge Dominick Commesso said the town and village were looking into the possibility of purchasing surveillance systems long before the robbery. “That incident didn’t have anything to do with our efforts to get the cameras, but it’s a good example of how they might have helped,” he said.
Town Supervisor Ross Iannello said the town is interested in posting surveillance systems at the wastewater treatment plant and the swimming area at Milbrook Reservoir. He estimated the total cost of the project will be around $25,000.
Commesso said a break-in at one of the treatment facilities a few years back required the plant to flush all its stored water at the time.
“It appeared someone entered the building and had access to areas they shouldn’t. Was it a high school kid or someone pulling a prank? Probably, but we can’t know for sure if they affected anything,” he said. Commesso said the incident was among those that originally motivated discussions of installing surveillance equipment.
“We’re not a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week police department, but the cameras would serve as 24-hour, seven-day-a-week deterrents and as an extra set of eyes for officers to use in investigations.” Commesso said. Police would not scan the videos to detect any non-reported crimes or traffic offense, he said, but would refer to them in the course of an in-progress investigation.
“They are not meant to be periodically checked to make sure people are following the traffic laws or things like that. We’re not looking to invade people’s privacy; we want to deter criminals,” he said.
Currently the village has four inactive digital cameras installed in the area of Main and Genesee streets. The devices are in place to record the road and nearby parking areas, but are off-line pending further investment by the municipality, said Mayor Wade Schrag. He said the village is still looking for a more affordable way to activate the cameras and that any decision to hire a contractor will first need board approval.
Schrag said the cameras would be placed along the main roadways, parking lots, public parks and at important facilities, such as the wastewater treatment plant.
“Their purpose is safety and security. To make law enforcement’s job easier in prosecuting offenses and deterring crime,” he said.
On Jan. 3, the New Berlin Liquor Store was robbed and its owner assaulted in a daytime attack. The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and the New Berlin PD are still investigating the incident and no arrests have been made.
New Berlin officer-in-charge Dominick Commesso said the town and village were looking into the possibility of purchasing surveillance systems long before the robbery. “That incident didn’t have anything to do with our efforts to get the cameras, but it’s a good example of how they might have helped,” he said.
Town Supervisor Ross Iannello said the town is interested in posting surveillance systems at the wastewater treatment plant and the swimming area at Milbrook Reservoir. He estimated the total cost of the project will be around $25,000.
Commesso said a break-in at one of the treatment facilities a few years back required the plant to flush all its stored water at the time.
“It appeared someone entered the building and had access to areas they shouldn’t. Was it a high school kid or someone pulling a prank? Probably, but we can’t know for sure if they affected anything,” he said. Commesso said the incident was among those that originally motivated discussions of installing surveillance equipment.
“We’re not a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week police department, but the cameras would serve as 24-hour, seven-day-a-week deterrents and as an extra set of eyes for officers to use in investigations.” Commesso said. Police would not scan the videos to detect any non-reported crimes or traffic offense, he said, but would refer to them in the course of an in-progress investigation.
“They are not meant to be periodically checked to make sure people are following the traffic laws or things like that. We’re not looking to invade people’s privacy; we want to deter criminals,” he said.
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