Surveillance cameras could be coming to Chatham's downtown core.
Chief of Police Gary Conn will be making a presentation at Monday's council meeting, requesting that council approve Phase 1 of a new closed-circuit television program (CCTV) in Chatham-Kent and approve entering into a request for proposal process to select a supplier.
Phase 1 would 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 would have four lenses pointing in all four compass directions. The cameras would be connected to Chatham-Kent police headquarters using fibre and WiFi.
According to the report coming to council Monday night, the approximate cost of the project would range between $60,000 - $80,000 including labour, installation, and taxes.
Chatham-Kent police said a CCTV system would help promote a safer and more secure environment in the municipality.
"The Chatham-Kent Police Service - CCTV Program is a proactive, local solution modelled on successful networks in other municipalities to enhance community well-being and assist the Chatham-Kent Police Service with solving crimes and complex social disorders," stated the report.
Currently, when a crime occurs Chatham-Kent police officers have to canvas downtown businesses in person to determine if there are cameras that captured the incident and can act as evidence.
"It can be a time-consuming process when expedience is critical in an investigation," the report stated. "The Chatham-Kent Police [Service] has investigated a number of incidents in the downtown core where CCTV would have aided in identifying the suspects involved. In addition, this equipment will be effective as an investigative tool for police and assist in the deterrence of crime."
According to the report, other options were considered including increasing the number of zones and police cars in the downtown area or increasing the number of officers on foot patrolling downtown.
However, both options would require the hiring of additional officers, which would require more training as well as additional equipment and come with a heftier price tag.
"The estimated cost associated with one additional officer, including labour burden is approximately $130,000. The Chatham-Kent Police Service uses a four platoon model, subsequently to implement either of these programs Chatham-Kent Police Service would have to hire a minimum of four officers (one per platoon), resulting in an additional cost of approximately $520,000," read the report. "As a result, neither of the aforementioned two options would be fiscally responsible for the Chatham-Kent Police Service or the taxpayers of CK."
The report also details the strict protocols that would be put in place to comply with provincial privacy protection guidelines. This includes restricting how personal information is used once it's collected and limiting the number of employees who have access to the images.
"Our video surveillance system will include the ability to remove or redact information from the video footage to protect exempted information by using tools and techniques such as blacking out or blurring images of individuals, removing the sound of voices, [and] limiting the camera view to exclude areas of private residences."
In addition, if the camera system is approved, Chatham-Kent police officers would go through training on their roles and responsibilities with the cameras and complete annual audits to ensure that they comply with the policies and procedures. An advisory committee would also be created to provide advice on camera operations.
If Phase 1 is approved and is successful, Chatham-Kent police services would request council to consider funding to assist with additional phases of the program. Phase 2 would be the completion of a statistical crime and calls for service analysis and Phase 3 would be to expand the CCTV system to further areas in Chatham-Kent.
