Lawrence to add more than 100 cameras as part of newly approved comprehensive outdoor surveillance camera system
The surveillance camera resolution was proposed at the February 19 Board of Trustees meeting and unanimously approved.
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More than 100 new, high-tech cameras are coming to one Nassau County community in response to what local leaders have called "an increase in aggressive events."
Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias told News 12 there has been an increase in vehicle thefts, harassments, personal property thefts, and instances of individuals trespassing onto private property over the last two years.
Nahmias pointed to the village's location, on the border with Queens, as a reason for this push.
"We are fortunate to be served by the Nassau County Police Department, which we consider to be among the finest in the country," he told News 12. "This camera initiative is intended to serve as a partnership, providing law enforcement with additional tools and real-time intelligence to further deter and combat crime, and to help ensure the continued safety and security of our residents."
The Lawrence village board of trustees unanimously approved the new system, which they said is the first of its kind among villages in Nassau County.
The comprehensive outdoor surveillance cameras will include advanced license plate readers.
The system will be linked directly back to the Nassau County Police Department Command Center and also monitored locally at village hall, officials said. The network will operate on a secure intranet system rather than a cellular platform, allowing for faster, more reliable and real-time data transmission.
“We take safety and security very seriously here," Nahmias said. "These cameras and their integration ensure rapid coordination with law enforcement to deter crime and assist in identifying and apprehending perpetrators."
Over the next several days, the Village will select a vendor through a sealed bid process and plans to move forward with the project after that.
Nahmias did not get into specifics of which intersections will get the cameras, only saying that 800 light fixtures were recently upgraded as part of an infrastructure improvement initiative to enhance lighting and public safety, and the cameras will go on those poles.
The project cost $250,000 and a majority is funded through previously awarded grants from Nassau County.
