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JAMESTOWN – Lawmakers in Jamestown will discuss installing surveillance cameras in city parks during their Monday evening meeting.
The idea was brought to the forefront following a rash of vandalism at parks citywide, and most specifically, the defacing of two historical statues in Jamestown’s Dow Park.
The consensus solution seems to be installing new security cameras in parks that could catch culprits in the act, or at least act as a deterrent for those considering defacing city property.
“I’m all for some type of surveillance,” said Jamestown City Councilwoman Regina Brackman speaking at a rally against white supremacy Saturday. “I still think it’s something that’s needed to prevent further vandalism and theft.”
“I’d say the most important thing is that city council gets a camera in this park,” remarked Jamestown Justice Coalition Organizer Justin Hubbard. “We need a camera in this park as soon as possible.”
There is growing momentum across the City of Jamestown to rollout security cameras at city parks in the wake of racist vandalism of two Underground Railroad Statues.
During Monday night’s city council meeting, the group of local lawmakers will address specifically how the process could get underway, according to Jamestown City Council President Tony Dolce.
“We just want the community to know that this is not something we take lightly; it’s a very serious situation, not only financially but socially as well. We don’t want to see this, we want to try to do whatever we can to stop it, we don’t want to tolerate it,” commented Dolce. “We want the message out there that we take these acts very seriously and that we are going to do all we can to alleviate it and stop it.”
There are concerns about how the city will fund the project however, with Dolce saying he feels that it will be beneficial over time to have video of the parks, and therefore thinks that spending now is a necessary evil.
“In the short term, yeah, it’s going to cost money to invest in the equipment, but hopefully in the long term, either by catching the perpetrators or making it so it’s not so desirable to [commit acts of vandalism]… we can save money by not having to replaced damaged equipment and damaged property,” explained Dolce.
The Council’s meeting is slated to take place at 7:30 p.m. at city hall, with residents able to join in person or watch the meeting streamed online at jamestownny.gov/live.
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