Picture Butte approves security cameras

By Nikki Jamieson
Sunny South News

Picture Butte will be installing a couple of security cameras around town.

During their regular Sept. 28 meeting, Picture Butte town council was presented with proposed camera locations and costs for security camera placement.

The cameras would be placed around town property to help monitor activity in the area.

Previously, during their April 8, 2019, meeting, council had passed a motion to direct administration to look into some different options of security cameras that the town could set up at the new Lion’s Park building, and at their April 23, 2019, meeting, council had received a resident’s letter stating concerns with activity at the gazebo and campground by 4th Street N, and they discussed the potential of security cameras there then.

In February this year, the bathrooms at the Lions Park were vandalized. During the council meeting, CAO Keith Davis reported a number of fires having taken place at the 4th Street gazebo, and when asked if the the area where the uptown gazebo was experienced a lot of vandalism, Davis said it wasn’t to the same degree, although they have had cases where flowers were pulled from the fountain.

“Not to the extent to someone lighting a fire,” said Frank West, director of emergency services for the town. “It’s an open space, you can’t go 20 minutes at least without a vehicle driving by.”

However, inside structures, people feel that they aren’t being watched and will do more damage.

Councillors discussed potential placement and number of cameras. Coun. Henry de Kok voiced support to placing cameras at different locations.

West suggested that they also install some dummy-cameras as well, noting that once word gets out that the town has a camera system, no one will be able to tell which ones are real, and they will act as a deterrent.

The system can also be expanded upon in the future.

Council passed a motion to to authorize administration to purchase and install two security cameras with a limit of $10,000 to be funded out of Operating Reserves.

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