Union will donate up to 10 public surveillance cameras to help deter crime in the surrounding neighborhood under a partnership with the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office and the city of Schenectady, officials announced at a press conference Wednesday.
Three cameras were recently installed along Nott Street; the others will be added in the coming months.
“We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our students, employees and staff, and these cameras will greatly assist our efforts,” said President Stephen C. Ainlay. “They create a buffer on our perimeter and provide law enforcement with an extra set of eyes to watch for criminal activity.”
The College is contributing more than $81,000 to pay for the cameras, part of a project launched by District Attorney Robert Carney. Since 2004, dozens of cameras have been installed on public streets and parking lots throughout the city. Attached to light poles, they can be controlled remotely and have the ability to pan, zoom and tilt to observe activity on the street. The live footage is monitored by trained individuals, including retired police officers, at police headquarters.
“We thank Union College for joining with us in expanding our public safety camera project to its current size of 40 cameras and to committing funding to do more,” Carney said. “Evidence captured by network cameras has helped police solve crimes and district attorneys convict offenders. In some locations our cameras have had measurable impacts in deterring crime, and we hope these cameras will make the Union campus a safer place.”
Last month, the first three cameras became operational along Nott Street at Seward Place and at Van Vranken and Foster avenues. More cameras are planned for Seward Place (at Roger Hull Place, Union Street and South Avenue); Union Avenue (at University Place and Union Street) and the South Avenue/Park Place and Lenox Road/Nott Street intersections.
In other measures to address campus safety, the College added a second off-duty Schenectady police officer to bolster security patrols at night.
“We are grateful for the continued partnership with Union College to improve the safety and vitality of the community we share,” said Schenectady Mayor Brian U. Stratton.
Recent surveys have shown that cameras can be an effective deterrent against crime, and many colleges across the country have added them on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods. Union has 30 strategically placed campus cameras that are monitored regularly by the Campus Safety Department.
Campus Safety Director William Sickinger stressed that any information obtained through video monitoring is used exclusively for security and law enforcement purposes.