By JEFF LIPTON
Surveillance cameras are expected to be installed at the Long Island Rail Road station — as well as on two blocks in the downtown area near Village Hall on Long Beach Road — as a deterrent against crime, said Island Park Mayor Jim Ruzicka. Village officials, who have been talking about the security cameras for about a year, received the final go-ahead on June 18, when the Long Island Power Authority gave them permission to mount the three cameras on its utility poles, Ruzicka said. The use of surveillance cameras had previously been approved by the village Board of Trustees.
The cameras were purchased and will be installed with a $15,000 grant secured by County Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside). Ruzicka explained that the village will pay a one-time fee to LIPA, and a yearly fee for the system’s upkeep. The cameras were purchased last month from ADT security.
“People coming off the train are a little nervous,” said Ruzicka. “It’s more of a crime deterrent than anything else.”
Toback discussed the security cameras with village officials in the wake of a July 5, 2007, murder that began as a brawl at a corner bar downtown and spilled into neighboring streets, where the victim was shot and killed. Then, about six months ago, a man was coming off a train at the LIRR station when he was beaten by four men.
Ruzicka said that the area has also been marred by drug activity, although not so much lately, as well as other quality-of-life issues. “There’s just more trouble on Long Beach Road,” he said. “It’s just an area where a lot of people hang out and there are drug deals going on, even though there now have been less.
“Things have been pretty good lately,” he added. “But during the summer months there’s always an influx of problems in our downtown.”
The areas will be monitored on the Internet, Ruzicka said, but it was not clear whether police or village officials will do the monitoring. The surveillance tapes will be stored, in case they may help solve a crime, he added. “They could be very helpful to the police,” Ruzicka said.
Toback and village officials met with dozens of residents after last July’s murder to discuss crime concerns. “I’m happy I could help them find a solution to this problem,” said Toback. “Public safety is always a top priority. I’m really interested to get the data to see if it makes a difference.”
Dr. Tara Keenan-Thomson, executive director of the Nassau County chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said that recent studies have shown that video surveillance does not lead to a reduction in crime. “Does the surveillance deter crime? We just don’t know that,” Keenan-Thomson said.
Keeping citizens safe and protecting their privacy is a tough balancing act, she added. “We need public input, outside oversight and privacy protection,” Keenan-Thomson said. “The main question is, who has access to the records and where are the surveillance tapes being stored?”
She said that in some other areas of the country, officials were using surveillance tapes as a form of “video voyeurism.” “We are concerned about keeping the crime rate down, but we are equally concerned about protecting people’s fundamental civil liberties,” Keenan-Thomson said. “[Security cameras are] becoming a popular device for politicians to appear tough on crime.”
Ruzicka said he has gotten only positive feedback on the cameras.
Island Park resident Chris Fabris applauded the mayor and the village “for keeping up with the times. It’s not only a necessity, it’s a priority in this day and age,” Fabris said.
As for those critical of the move, Fabris said, “They should find another tree to bark up on.” He called Ruzicka “a progressive thinker,” adding that “people should be commending him for it.”
Inspector Paul Clark, commanding officer of the 4th Precinct, said, “The 4th Precinct has a good relationship with the village, and we look forward to working with them. Island Park is a safe community, and the mayor and Board of Trustees are mainly concerned with quality-of-life issues.”
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
