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Cleveland Heights council OKs $1.1 million security camera expansion

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- City Council on Monday (June 5) approved a $1.1 million overhaul and expansion of the city’s security camera network, much of which will be funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

That includes a $500,000 ARPA[1] grant from Cuyahoga County going toward upgrading 190 existing but outdated low-resolution surveillance cameras in seven current business districts. The grant would add 52 more, expanding into five parks, City Hall and along South Taylor Road between Blanche and Superior roads.

In a May 30 meeting[2] with council’s Public Safety and Health Committee, City IT Director Ryan Prosser said that “historically, we would pay for replacement of these cameras district by district. But because of this funding opportunity, I think it’s in our best interest to replace the whole system at once.”

New high-resolution fiber line paths will also be installed along Noble and Monticello roads into Denison Park.

Council Vice President Craig Cobb noted that Noble and South Taylor will likely qualify for the city’s own ARPA[3] funding, with final decisions still pending.

“Our ‘Flock’ camera system has been tremendous in what we have now with those unfortunate traffic accident deaths[4] up on Lee Road and helping us to locate those people and get them prosecuted,” Police Chief Christopher Britton said.

Flock Safety[5] cameras are part of a separate network that reads license plates, including that of the fleeing driver who allegedly killed resident David Eisler, 66, as he was crossing Lee at the Heights Main Library Jan. 19.

Then, on Feb. 5, new resident Sophia Villanueva, 22, was struck and killed in a four-car chain reaction collision when she was walking home from work and crossing at Cedar and Lee as one driver ran a red light.

There was some concern at that time over whether the city’s regular surveillance cameras at the scene were working -- they are part of the system that will now be replaced.

The current issue the city faces is the age of that system, with about half of the components rendered obsolete, Prosser told council.

“The cameras themselves are lacking the capabilities that are available today,” he said. “They’re also failing and just running out of life. The infrastructure is based on a wireless network and those antennas are failing.

“We’re having pieces of equipment that are going down, and sections of the system aren’t available when an incident happens and police need them,” Prosser added.

Britton also noted that during his 27 years[6] with the Cleveland Heights police, he’s seen “a definite increase in gun violence,” adding that he’s spoken at length with Mayor and City Safety Director Kahlil Seren “about what locations to start with -- our ‘hot spots,’ if you will.”

“These new cameras will provide extra eyes and ears where we can’t be all the time,” Britton added.

Prosser cited a non-fatal shooting[7] last year on the Cain Park basketball courts, noting that the only security cameras there right now are set up at the splash pad.

Cumberland Park and pool will be getting cameras as well, along with Forest Hill Park and the Cleveland Heights Community Center.

The installation also coincides with the Cain Park Village-Taylor Tudors[8] economic development project, Prosser added.

The work by Technology Install Partners[9] will likely begin over the summer and wrap up in 2024, possibly sooner, depending on supply chain issues, noted CEO Ryan Temple, whose company has already contracted with the cities of Cleveland and Painesville, among others.

“This will be a living, breathing, state-of-the-art network of expandable coverage,” in terms of adding features related to traffic control, pedestrian sensors and air quality monitoring, Prosser told council.

Councilwoman Janine Boyd, who chairs the Public Safety and Health Committee, thanked city administration and staff for the amount of time already put in on the project since the request for proposals (RFP) was issued in the fall of 2022.

New ambulance

In other June 5 action, council also approved the $362,505 purchase of a 2024 Freightliner crew cab ambulance for the fire department using city ARPA funds.

The acquisition[10] was approved for this year’s budget and obtained through the state cooperative purchasing program to replace an aging ambulance used by firefighters and medics throughout the thick of the pandemic.

“The Cleveland Heights Fire/EMS Department thanks you for your continued support in our mission,” firefighters stated in a memo to Seren, council and city Finance Director Andrew Unetic.

References

  1. ^ ARPA (www.cleveland.com)
  2. ^ May 30 meeting (www.youtube.com)
  3. ^ city’s own ARPA (www.cleveland.com)
  4. ^ traffic accident deaths (www.cleveland.com)
  5. ^ Flock Safety (www.cleveland.com)
  6. ^ 27 years (www.cleveland.com)
  7. ^ non-fatal shooting (www.cleveland.com)
  8. ^ Taylor Tudors (www.cleveland.com)
  9. ^ Technology Install Partners (www.clevelandheights.gov)
  10. ^ acquisition (www.clevelandheights.gov)
  11. ^ Sun Press (www.cleveland.com)

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