Gilmore looks to add “live-feed� cameras to parks and street intersections using federal grant

Hamilton, NJ  “I am determined to keep Hamilton one of the safest communities in the nation,� Hamilton Mayor Glen D. Gilmore said, today, as he announced plans to use federal grant monies to install “live-feed� cameras in several of the Township’s parks and roadway intersections.  (Last year, CNN and Money Magazine recognized Hamilton as the “10 Safest City in America,� based on a seven-year evaluation of FBI crime statistics.)

Gilmore said that, “These cameras will provide emergency responders with live feed and real-time digital images of various park and street intersection locations.� Using approximately $155,000 in federal grants available through the federal Community Development Block Grant, Gilmore said that he hopes to create a “Community Safety and Security Network that lets our emergency responders keep an eye on many places at once.

�Gilmore said that he is proposing the network after a year-long test pilot of a single, adjustable live-feed camera, in Connecticut Park, off of Greenwood Avenue, in the Bromley section of the Township.According to Hamilton Chief of Police James Collins, “The camera has dramatically deterred loitering and vandalism in the park.�

 Gilmore said that he had a first-hand example of the cameras effectiveness when he went on an unannounced, evening tour of the Township with a police officer.  “No sooner did we stop at Connecticut Park and begin to enter it when a call came in over the officer’s radio saying that two people were seen entering the park,� said Gilmore.  Gilmore said that he chose Connecticut Park after receiving citizen complaints of loitering after hours and constant vandalism.  “The loitering and vandalism plummeted the moment the camera was installed even though we never made an announcement about its installation,� said Gilmore.Gilmore explained that the some of the cameras being installed will have an ability to be remotely adjusted and even provide good nighttime images. 

 Said Gilmore, “the benefit of these cameras is that they have a deterrent effect as well as a crime-solving advantage.  Most of the bad guys seem to know they’re there and decide to get out of town.�  He added, “Those who commit crimes in the presence of these cameras give us the ability to review their actions at a crime scene days, weeks, and even months after a crime has been committed.  It’ll make it easier for us to deter the bad guys or, if need be, identify and arrest them.�At roadway intersections, Gilmore said that the cameras will help police assess and respond to roadway conditions and to also deter car thefts and other criminal activities along the Township’s roadways.

  “These cameras will also give our dispatchers an ability to inform our emergency responders about what they can expect when the get to the scene of an accident or a crime.  They’ll help us to better prepare and protect our emergency responders,� said Gilmore.Gilmore said that he hopes to eventually have cameras installed at all of the Township’s “busiest intersections and parks.�  Noting that some may object to the presence of outdoor cameras, Gilmore said, “All of us miss a simpler time in our past, but I believe that most would prefer to know that when they are in public places, emergency responders will have a ready ability to protect them and their loved ones by keeping an eye out for criminal activity or public dangers.�  Gilmore said that he is also “working on a plan that will let us use ‘wi-fi’ technology to install cameras at a lower cost.�  He explained, “This technology would even allow an emergency responder to see the scene of an accident or disaster in real time before their arrival at the scene.  It would help them better determine their route and their actions once they got there.�Gilmore said that he is “trying to put technology to work to make public safety smarter and more effective.�  He pointed to his introduction of “bait cars,� cars that are equipped with satellite sensors, cameras, and engine cut-off switches as another example of putting technology to work.