SILVER CREEK - After spending over $9,000 on security cameras for the park, the village board could say it was money well spent.
Police Chief Timothy Roche was able to report at a recent village board meeting that the cameras were installed and the first day led to the arrest of a individual for vandalism.
"We initially made an arrest for criminal mischief through a combination of good police work and use of the cameras," Roche said in a phone interview.
He said the department is very happy with the new tool and is still discovering more ways in which it can be used to enhance police work.
"We are very happy with the system, it has exceeded our expectations. We are still learning all of its capabilities. For example we can use it for many different things like monitoring crowds during Laurel Run, the Festival of Grapes and Christmas in the park," he explained.
The project which cost the village $9,231 with a donation of $8,000 from Petri's Baking Products was installed recently by Fire Security Communication of Jamestown and covers the village park and gazebo. This money came from the police budget as well as $3,000 from the contingency fund when the price unexpectedly increased due to advancements in technology.
The village opted for the installation of the grid, computer storage and cameras after repeated vandalism to village property went unpunished.
The next village board meeting will be held Monday immediately following the workshop at 7 p.m.
In other business:
The village board decided to table the matter of switching from village garbage bags to garbage stickers until a concrete cost savings could be determined.
The village authorized the transfer of the USDA Revolving Loan Fund to Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. pending approval from the USDA and acceptance by COI. This transfer comes at the request of the USDA.
