Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer
Last week, someone asked in a Glens Falls community Facebook group, “What is the new ‘monitoring station’ at Crandall Park?”
A city official told The Chronicle that the so-called ‘monitoring station’ at Crandall Park is a multi-camera security unit, one of 18 installed in city parks. Each unit can contain up to four cameras.
The official said there are cameras in all city parks, but not all are multi-camera; there are also single mounted ones. The total number of installations is 47.
The multi-camera units are at Crandall Park, East Field and Murray Street Playground.
The system is intended to contribute to safety in the parks and deter vandalism and illegal dumping, the city official said.
Glens Falls Police Chief Jarred Smith said, “We have been very pleased with the security camera system. It has been reliable and very valuable to us.
“Video captured by the system has already contributed to several cases. It is a great asset for the city and I hope to add some more cameras in the future.”
Most of the comments on Facebook were in favor of the security measure. “About time they put them up, thank you Glens Falls,” one person wrote.
But one commenter countered, “Waste of resources. I’d prefer less potholes around town, thanks.”
The locations were chosen after a contractor surveyed the sites. City Police and Public Works departments advised.
Since being installed, some of the cameras have been shifted and/or re-aimed on the advice of those departments.
The cameras cost approximately $98,000. The Common Council approved them last August. They were paid for using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies received by the city of Glens Falls.
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