Sentinel staff report–
Rusch Park in Citrus Heights will soon have several high-definition cameras installed to help deter criminal activity in the park, as well as enable police dispatchers to remotely view the park with a live-stream feed sent directly to the police department.
The Citrus Heights City Council unanimously approved funding for the cameras on Thursday, authorizing a total of $15,918 to be spent on the wiring and installation of three security cameras in the park, which covers the cost of about $4,300 per camera and an additional $1,000 to cover electrical hookups for each camera.
A phone call to the parks district on Friday was referred to Police Lt. Dave Gutierrez, who told The Sentinel that the police department had recommended the installation of cameras to enhance monitoring of the area and record criminal activity, something he said police recommend to both private and public entities to enhance crime prevention and assist with investigations. Gutierrez said the cameras will be equipped with night vision capability and will also have recording capability to retrieve footage, if needed.
Placement of the cameras will be based on several factors, including what areas provide the most optimal viewing and coverage area, where people typically congregate in larger numbers, and “where we’ve had problems in the park in the past,” the lieutenant said.
According to a staff report from the June 14 council meeting, the Sunrise Recreation and Parks District has had an agreement with the city since 2013 to provide enhanced police presence and services in the parks, “with the goal of minimizing crime and traffic-related incidents.” The city has similar agreements with the Sunrise Mall and Stones Casino, to provide enhanced services that go “above and beyond” what is typically provided by the police department, Gutierrez said.
The new cameras at Rush Park will help augment the services provided by the existing agreement and “will provide live-stream video into the Citrus Heights Police Dispatch Center in order to facilitate immediate observation and dispatched services upon viewing criminal activity,” the staff report said.
Funding for the cameras comes from a Park Facilities Impact Fee, which was adopted by the city council in 1999 and imposes a fee on new commercial and residential projects of 5,000 square feet or more.
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