Installation of an extensive network of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in White Rock’s waterfront and uptown areas will likely hinge on cost and effectiveness.
That’s the main take-away from a discussion at council’s Nov. 27 meeting, in which a report from chief information officer Chris Zota laid out pros and cons for establishing a full security camera system in the city.
A CCTV camera was installed at Five Corners in 2018 following acts of vandalism to the city’s rainbow crosswalk there.
Council ultimately endorsed Zota’s two-part recommendation – directing staff to “engage the RCMP Detachment and identify critical areas where CCTV cameras could be installed in public areas, yet not monitored live, to deter violent crime and anti-social behavior, and collect evidence to help solve violent crime,” as well as issuing a request-for-proposals from contractors to determine how much the project will cost initially and over the life of the equipment.
Discussion indicated a distinct division among council over the issue, however.
Couns. Christopher Trevelyan, Ernie Klassen and David Chesney all expressed support for the concept, while Mayor Megan Knight and Coun. Michele Partridge questioned the value of installing cameras.
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Trevelyan, like Klassen, said he was “looking forward to what the police have to say, and if council wants to go ahead with it once they get the report in the future.
“I’m supportive of it,” he said.
“I think public safety is terribly important in any community, including our own, and I think we want to get ahead of the curve on this one. If it can help the RCMP – I don’t think anyone’s talking about a full-time monitoring situation. We’re talking about using it as evidence when crimes have been committed…making it very clear that White Rock is not a good place to do crime.”
But Knight took an opposing position.
“I’m not supportive of it,” she said.
“I don’t think it’s part of our strategic priorities. We’d have to hire more staff. I’m sure the RCMP would like it, but I always find you see on the news that they have a tape of someone doing something, like smashing a window or stealing something from a store – nothing comes of it. To spend this kind of money – I’m not in favour of it at all.”
Chesney expressed cautious support of the idea.
“I tend to support it, but I think I’d like to see the costs before we proceed on this.”
Further to Trevelyan’s comments, Chesney sought clarification from Zota about the extent the community would be monitored.
“This is not monitored 24/7, this is not Big Brother watching you, (but) only in the event we have some kind of incident we can go back and review the tape – correct?”
“It’s really up to the city to decide (whether to install cameras), and how we operate it,” Zota said.
“It’s not up to technology, per se, or up to me. Once you have the technology you can use it in different ways.”
Partridge noted a passage in Zota’s report in which he said “the effectiveness of CCTV cameras is not absolute; they are not a panacea for crime and may shift criminal activity to less-monitored areas.”
“Do these criminals actually get caught?” she questioned. “I would hate to waste taxpayers’ money on something that makes you feel good at night, but doesn’t actually do the job that we all hoped it would do.”
Coun. Bill Lawrence’s motion to endorse Zota’s recommendations was passed with Knight and Coun. Elaine Cheung voting in opposition.