Council to vote on accepting funding for pole cameras Sept. 14

LACONIA — Councilors will vote on accepting an $86,500 grant from the Department of Homeland Security for city police to purchase solar pole cameras following a public hearing Sept. 14, they decided at their last meeting.

Ward 6 resident Ken McKinney spoke in opposition of installing pole cameras at the meeting on Aug. 24.

“It doesn't matter whether they're internal cameras or run by a particular company. The crime statistics for the City of Laconia don't justify a permanent video presence in any part of Laconia,” McKinney said. “A temporary presence, perhaps on Weirs Beach during Bike Week and through the summer where there is a vast spike in property crimes, very specifically property crimes, and only in particularly that area.”

McKinney lived in Massachusetts the majority of his life, specifically in Salem. Especially leading up to and during Halloween, police there would deploy camera trailers to observe streets with increased traffic, and then remove them.

McKinney pointed out the money is from a grant, which comes with no guarantee of ongoing payment.

“What are the ongoing maintenance costs of these cameras? What are they looking at? Where are they being deployed? Are they looking at specific businesses? Are they looking at targeted areas? These are all questions that I haven’t been able to find answers to.

“Before anybody accepts any sort of money and starts deploying these cameras, I think the residents of Laconia want to know why there's overwatch in their daily lives, and what they're doing, and where they're going.”

Councilor Eric Hoffman (Ward 3) was also skeptical about maintenance costs.

“I had asked a previous time, when one of these things came up, that it would be nice when we get these, if under fiscal impact, there was an assessment or an estimate of what the ongoing costs for these would be. Because without knowing that, we're not making an informed decision.”

Hoffman voiced concerns about data collection.

“I'd also like to voice my concern about mass surveillance and data collection on citizens that haven’t committed a crime, or haven't been accused of committing a crime. I understand the police department wants every tool in their arsenal to do their job, and I appreciate that, but I think there's a fine line between that and sacrificing liberty for security. I think we need to stay on the right side of that line. So, I guess I'd want more information about the data we're collecting.”

Police Capt. Allan Graton answered questions about the pole cameras.

Graton said these new cameras are intended to replace the department’s deteriorating cameras, which are about a decade old. The department currently has eight active cameras deployed, and two outdated ones. Graton said maintenance costs would only be updating the drives in the cameras.

“We have another set that we purchased probably five years ago, no issues with them at all. This is going to be the same company as well," Graton said. “So, they probably got at least a five- if not a 10-year shelf life, as far as before they need maintenance. They may need some updates to their software and stuff, but that's all included in the funding for this grant.”

The cameras are fully portable, and because they are solar-powered, can be deployed in areas without electricity, such as the WOW Trail.

Currently, one of the cameras is at Davis Place. Sue Higgins, who lives in Ward 2, spoke to the homeowner of a six-unit apartment building abutting city property referred to as “Bum Beach.” The homeowner spoke to Higgins about homeless encampments and drug use. Higgins contacted Police Chief Matt Canfield, who she said responded to these concerns immediately. He said city staff would post no trespassing signs, and the public works team was looking to remove vegetation, minimizing areas to hide. Canfield also suggested placing cameras on the property.

“Cameras are now in place since Friday. He reports that whenever trespassing has occurred, the police department has responded. DPW has returned to the property several times since our walkthrough,” Higgins said. “For perhaps the first time in a long time, this homeowner owner feels that his concerns are being taken seriously, and he is extremely grateful for the response.”

Higgins relayed a message about the cameras from the homeowner.

“They have been invaluable. They are already making a meaningful difference in his day-to-day life. And in his words, please buy more.”

“I think that anything the police department can have to help keep our city safe is warranted. I know that there's a lot of maintenance and such, but with a grant, we can at least try and see where they will be best used,” said Doreen Richards, who lives in Ward 1.

Graton told the council the department will only access the recordings if there is a crime reported, and they do not go back and review footage.

“These cameras can be used overtly or covertly. We use it overtly. We put a patch on the side of it. There's a blue light that we can turn on top of the camera. Everybody knows when it's installed, where it's installed. We're not trying to hide these cameras from anybody,” Graton said.

Graton said most of the storage is in the cameras themselves. The department has a server at the station specifically for pole camera footage. Unless there is a criminal case, the data is not shared.

Graton said, eventually, this grant would make it possible for cameras to directly stream into the Fusus, a real-time crime center platform.

Council voted to schedule a public hearing and will vote on the matter on Monday, Sept. 14.