Locust to install cameras at park

By Tiffany Thompson, Staff Writer

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 May 14, 2008 09:34 am

— Locust City Council voted Thursday night to install video surveillance cameras at Jeff Shelton Memorial Park due to increased crime in the area.
Assistant Police Chief Frank Hartsell presented the council with a slideshow detailing the types and locations of the crime in the park.
“Monday through Sunday the park is full to the point you can’t find a parking space. And on Saturdays and Sundays there could easily be 200-300 people in the park,” Hartsell said.
The main problem areas at this time are along Jeff Shelton Drive, which is where several vehicle break-ins and property damage reports have originated.
Hartsell said there were seven break-ins, five damage reports and a suspicious person report within a three-month span.
One of the break-ins resulted in $4,000 of fraudulent checks being cashed in three states.
Because of this, Hartsell does not believe the increased crime is the fault of local residents. He believes many of the suspects originate in Charlotte.
Hartsell proposed to the council about purchasing $10,780 worth of equipment from Diamond Electronics, which includes four cameras and the poles to place them on as well as to bury the cables so they can not be sabotaged.
“We would place two cameras in the playground area and two in the parking area. These cameras will not only have a DVR system in the park building, but we will also be able to remote access them from our vehicles,” Hartsell said.
The digital recording system would allow the officers to review the recordings as well as enhance them to show features, which in the long run could provide better identity of any perpetrators.
“A similar problem occurred at the other end of the park complex by the ball fields where we experienced several car break-ins and vandalism. We spent about $7,000 at the time to install cameras to monitor the ball fields, and we haven’t had a problem since,” said City Administrator James Inman.
“With a little advertising, these cameras could be a huge crime deterrent.”
The council unanimously voted to install the cameras, which Inman said should be operational by Friday.

Contact Tiffany Thompson at (704) 982-2121 ext. 24 or snaponline24@carolina.rr.com.