Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Surveillance cameras sought for West Side

By Bryan Price and Nick Stutzman
BengalNews Reporters
            Increased crime on the West Side has forced the Buffalo Police department to determine if new camera surveillance will help keep the area safe.
The City of Buffalo will be putting up three cameras on the West Side and four others will be placed elsewhere in the city.
According to Anthony Barba, chief  of Buffalo Police for the D District, determining the most important locations for each camera is vital because the cameras are $25,000 each.
Barba said that the department has been getting complaints from the public that more cameras need to be in place.
            “We have to look at crime stats and the complaints from citizens to determine where these cameras should be put up,” Barba said. “Reported crime has spiked in this area, so we need to weigh all factors from analytics to the cost.”
            The D District  has been trying to cut back on crime in surrounding neighborhoods as an . extra witness in crimes across the City of Buffalo. This will add to the current cameras Mayor Byron Brown has installed across the city, mainly on street corners, that have helped catch suspects and determine outcomes of crimes.
Along with the Buffalo Police, the West Side Youth Development Coalition is helping to get information out to the community about these cameras. According to Jon   Lindner, project coordinator with the coalition, his department receives information via the police, alerts his crime prevention coalition and  sub-committees, which then  get information out via social media.