Local police will soon have downtown Chatham under constant video surveillance.
On Monday night, council voted in favour of implementing Phase 1 of the Chatham-Kent Police Services' Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Project.
Phase 1 will include the installation of six cameras in downtown Chatham; one at the corner of King and Third Street, one at King and Fourth Street, one at Wellington Street and Fourth Street, one at King and Fifth Street, one at King and Sixth Street, and one at the corner of King and William Street. Each camera will have four lenses pointing in all four compass directions and connect to Chatham-Kent police headquarters using fibre and WiFi.
The next step will be entering into a request for proposal process to select a supplier. According to Chief of Police Gary Conn, the approximate cost of the project will range between $60,000 – $80,000 including labour, installation, and taxes.
The goal of the CCTV program is to provide an investigative tool for police and assist in the deterrence of crime. According to Conn, there has been an increase in the number of calls for service in the downtown core area in the last few years, with the most common service calls being for a suspicious person, a property-related issue, an unwanted person, and drug offences.
"A safe, secure and vibrant downtown will provide a canvas for economic development," said Conn. "Installation of CCTVs is but one element in a variety of factors that will provide that positive and safe atmosphere."
Pending approval and available funding, Phase 2 of the project would begin after one full year of completion of Phase 1 and consist of an analysis and review of data. Phase 3 would be the expansion of CCTV to other parts of the municipality.