As of Friday, September 2, 2011
© Copyright 2013
Rockdale Citizen
CONYERS -- The city of Conyers may soon be watching out for criminals.
Major Scott Freeman of Conyers Police Department presented a plan to install a city-wide camera system for police use at the Conyers City Council retreat Thursday at Stone Mountain Park.
"This will be a force multiplier, which is a fancy term for we'll have more eyes on the community," Freeman said.
The cameras will be placed in areas identified by the level of incidents, but the cameras will not be in residential areas.
The system will be operated by the 911 dispatch.
"The way we envision this taking place is we will utilize the existing personnel in 911 dispatch," Freeman said. "There will be training for the dispatch workers."
The projected start-up costs for the system include $299,543.37 for the cameras (including installation, maintenance and operation), $10,350.66 for hardware for the 911 center and $6,234 for a server and storage.
Freeman said these were preliminary costs and with the council's permission the police department would work with finance to determine numbers.
The system will be an overt system, meaning it will not be hidden.
"One of the important aspects is having an overt system -- we want the public to know we're watching," Freeman said.
The council was also presented with a status report for the 2004 SPLOST and a list of projects for the 2011 SPLOST.
Projects on the list include resurfacing roads, street upgrades, the addition of sidewalks to areas, intersection improvements as well as other projects.
Projects discussed include purchasing and converting a property for 150 spaces of parking in Olde Town and an east-west connection from West Avenue to Green Street. The city may apply for LCI funding for the east-west connection.
The proposed route would require the city to purchase several properties.
"If you want to give good access to Olde Town, you need a route," said Brad Sutton, director of public works for the city.
The city has until Sept. 23 to decide if they want to apply for LCI funding.
More like this story
- Conyers to install security cameras in retail areas, banks ( January 19, 2012 )
- City officials set strategy at retreat ( August 17, 2010 )
- Police grant offers on-the-spot ID of fingerprints ( August 18, 2011 )
- Police grant offers quick ID of fingerprints ( August 19, 2011 )
- County to set SPLOST oversight ( June 18, 2010 )
Comments
Clark 1 year, 9 months ago
ABSOLUTELY NOT! This is NOT 1984 and we are NOT the UK! We most assuredly DO NOT need the police sitting there watching what we're doing with fancy schmancy cameras. An officer's own two eyes are infinitely better than some pixelated image on a screen. If you want the police to be more proactive, fine, hire more WELL-TRAINED officers and make sure they actually get out and patrol.
MeanMrMustard 1 year, 9 months ago
Wow, Clark! I would have have imagined that you and the other citizens of this fair city would be more concerned about the COST of the system, and not just the initial cost, but the reoccurring budget costs from year to year. Because, you have to have a support plan that covers the warranty of the equipment, replacement of bad parts, support for the software, etc... and as you may know, it ain't CHEAP! Now, if this money is coming from free money like drug funds, OK, but are there other things that might be needed more. Otherwise, that's a huge chunk of change out of the PD's budget. Instead, you're more concerned with your privacy, I guess? Sounds like you may have something to hide? It wouldn't bother me, being watched...
Sundance 1 year, 9 months ago
It will be good. If businesses have a safe environment, then more money will be made here and it will be less of a ghetto environment. ANd to Clark: these mean folks that have moved here do not act right unless someone is watching. They have been raises to get away with whatever they can instead of always doing right. Someone has to make them stop robbing banks and fighting each other over stupid reasons. That is another thing that has changed here. These new people like fighting. Being nice, compromising, and getting along is not something that they teach their kids. It's more animalistic.
Clark 1 year, 9 months ago
And so the solution is to watch innocent people? No matter what you think , these "bad people" that are moving in aren't completely brainless. They'll know where the cameras are, and just go to another area and possibly increase the "bad things" in the new area. Maybe the solution is to stop useless projects like section 8 housing and that phoenix house homeless shelter. Get rid of attractants, and the problem will go away.
Sundance 1 year, 9 months ago
I agree with getting rid of the attractants too. We should do both. Then once crime chills out, drop the cameras. But removing attractants is much more difficult because the people who encourage and allow crime can vote. And they will almost always vote against anyone who wants to clean the town of low-lifes.
xandermac 1 year, 8 months ago
Shouldn't the Banks themselves be responsible for their security? Why should we have to be forced to pay for it?
Police Cameras are ineffective, as ineffective as the reactionary CPD. Look at the UK and you'll see that cameras have no correleation to crime rates.
RickyBobby 1 year, 8 months ago
The ongoing cost of an average CPD officer, just say $32K, plus overtime here and there, plus health, dental, vision, etc...not to mention if he's actually a good officer, he'll get at least a 5% raise each year. Shall we get into vehicle gas/insurance/maintenance too? The camera start up price is high, yes, but the yearly maintenance fees are still less than a patrol officer and his equipment. I say wise choice, and if you aren't committing a crime, you aren't worrying about who's watching!
xandermac 1 year, 8 months ago
This will lead to less police on the streets, delayed response times and you can at least double that maintenance cost due to vandalism.
If the CPD were serious about "policing" they would get bodies on the street. When was the last time you saw a CPD officer doing anything other than traffic duty?
London has 10000 camera yet 80% of crimes go unsolved. Its not worth the cost & merely leads to lazy policing.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23412867-tens-of-thousands-of-cctv-cameras-yet-80-of-crime-unsolved.do
RickyBobby 1 year, 8 months ago
Interesting arguement! Did not know that about London! I could see the problem with the cameras...but as far as the comment about traffic duty...traffic stops are the main way perps get caught...dope runners, child molesters, wanted felons....they all have to get from A to B, and stopping them for a minor traffic violation is the only way the officers can find out who they are dealing with! The ticket isn't the real reason for the stop for the officer...it's the chance of meeting the biggest scum in the city!
CitizenPat 1 year, 8 months ago
After the cameras the next "suggestion" is we allow tickets to be mailed to traffic violaters. Sounds like a way to generate revenue yes?? Wrong, the $$ amount spent on the number of lawsuits that have been filed in other counties far exceeds the cost of the system including maintenance! Someone needs to start looking outside their narrow view and look at the ripple effect.
Also, every citizen has the right to privacy; even if it's just to scratch something or blow their own nose. If we are going to spend this money do it on hiring detectives or equipment to help identify suspects; in other words, to solve crimes not record 99% of stuff you won't see on reality TV.
ClaytonBigsby 1 year, 8 months ago
"Traffic duty" equals "bodies on the street". I love seeing it because it makes the police highly visible, and you just never know who they might run across. Much better than just a plain patrol; patrol AND give tickets to lawbreakers. It would suit me to see someone pulled over every time I ventured out. I DO think CPD and RCSO are a bit too reactionary, but they've got a fine line to walk. Aggressive policing brings forth the loud wrath of those who have reason to fear the police; wrath better known as the plaintive wail of "profiling". Puke.
keltec2000 1 year, 5 months ago
Those who give up liberty for security neserve neither.
Frizzlefry 1 year, 5 months ago
Hey, why doesn't the CPD just put a camera out side The Pointe & Celtic Tavern, that way they don't have to sit out front every weekend pretending to look busy while sniffing out DUI's.
Then the two overweight officers could actually be patrolling around instead.
Nahhh makes too much sense. Nevermind.
johndoemo_ 1 year, 5 months ago
I am glad they are out there. ANd if people are drinking and driving , I hope they get them and put them under the jail. We have enough problems without drunks on the road. There are unsupervised teenagers around there at the ice rink too and we probably need the cops there to control that issue as well like we do at the movie theater.
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