Security Forum Held on September 27, 2016
A Security Forum was held on Tuesday, September 27th to consider the installation of security cameras at all village exists and entrances. There were approximately 40 people in attendance. The meeting also included Mayor Michael Koblenz, Deputy Mayor Manny Zuckerman, and Trustees Clara Pomerantz, Brian Meyerson, and Stacey Siegel. Deputy Mayor Manny Zuckerman moderated the forum and made a brief statement that we live in a very safe community, with one of the lowest, if not the lowest, crime rates on Long Island. The purpose of installing cameras is to create another level of protection to deterrence against burglaries and robberies. The Village would continue to be proactive rather than reactive. The Mayor and the Board thanked the co chairs Steve Mussman and Mark Spector, and members of our Security Committee for all the time, hard work and diligence they gave to explore some very innovative suggestions. Co-chair, Steve Mussman, spoke about all the ideas the committee explored to make our Village safer. A few of the suggestions examined included new car stickers to identify resident vehicles, street lighting, safety kits, license plate readers and private police force. Mr. Mussman’s comments were followed by a presentation made by A+ Technologies of Bay Shore for a proposed camera system costing $320,000. The company is one of the most prominent in security cameras and provided services to many local municipalities. The company said It proposes placing ninety-nine cameras at entrances throughout the Village. There cameras would record license plates as they enter and exit the community. After A+ presented their proposals, they entertained questions from the residents. The main concerns raised included cost to taxpayers, privacy and durability. The Mayor firmly stated that we would not move forward if the system had any significant impact on taxes. “We have not increased our taxes in 6 years, and we want to continue that record if we can” Mayor Koblenz said, He said he would try to get grants and similar sources to fund a portion of the cost as we did with the generator for Village Hall after hurricane Sandy. Deputy Mayor Zuckerman, who has led security efforts since its beginning, said privacy would be maintained for all homes covered by the cameras. “Homes adjoining the entrances will be blocked out” the Deputy Mayor emphasized. “In addition, the data will be available for approximately 90 days and then the system will record over the old information. The sole information retained, will be photos taken when an incident has occurred in an area and which is part of a police investigation,” Mr. Zuckerman said. During the forum, the speakers said the system proposed would be capable of withstanding heat, cold, hurricanes and even blizzards. It was noted that the only drawback is if we have a power outage for an extended period of time (approximately 8 hours or longer). In that event, the Village would have to resort to our current system of adding on additional Public Safety cars and requesting a more visible presence from Nassau County PD, It appeared that overall, the majority of the residents seemed to be in favor of cameras, but only if it made economic sense, providing they can deliver the performance promised.
