The Town of Secaucus is investing $500,000 on security cameras with license plate reading capabilities, allocating the expenditure into this year’s budget, officials said.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The town council approved a plan on January 23rd supporting the installation of state-of-the-art cameras at all entrances/exits in Secaucus.
The cameras will be monitored solely by the police department and will provide alerts under certain conditions, such as a reported stolen vehicle entering or leaving the town.
“Despite the fact that our town has one of the lowest levels of crime in Hudson County, we are continually looking for ways to enhance public safety,” Mayor Michael Gonnelli said in a statement.
“We ensure the highest quality of training and tools are available to our Police Department so they can deter crime and enhance the safety of the Town. I have no doubt the installation of cameras will benefit the police department as well as our residents and business community.”
The project will go through the purchasing process, followed by equipment delivery, installation, training, and activation.
“While the installation of cameras with license plate reader capability at every point of ingress and egress will not totally eliminate crime, these cameras will be used as a tool to assist the Secaucus Police Department in identifying vehicles wanted for their involvement in criminal activity,” Chief Dennis Miller added.
“I can assure town residents the cameras will not be utilized to monitor their travels, rather they will be used to assist the Police Department in its fight to suppress the ongoing auto-theft problem plaguing New Jersey communities. The use of license plate reader technology to encircle the entire town to support our crime fighting efforts is a major proactive measure by Mayor Gonnelli and his Town Council to safeguard Secaucus residents and their property.”
Gonnelli added that while this is a top priority for the town, they currently do not have a timeline on when the cameras will be fully operational.
