Additional video surveillance cameras could be coming to downtown areas across Chatham-Kent to deter crime and assist with police investigations.
A report from Chatham-Kent Police Service Chief Gary Conn will be presented to CK Council on Monday, recommending the expansion of a Closed-Circuit Television System (CCTV) pilot project, which was initially implemented in 2020.
There are currently four CCTV cameras in place in downtown Chatham as part of project “Birds Eye View”.
In his report to council, Conn said the key benefit of CCTV is the ability to quickly source identifiable information that can assist in investigations.
“The Community Safety CCTV system will allow CKPS to gather evidence, observe and analyze activity in specific areas downtown to deal with quality-of-life and complex social problems such as public intoxication, vandalism, drug trafficking, mischief to property, metal health and homelessness, in addition to the more serious crimes of assault, robbery and homicides,” he said.
Conn provided multiple examples of how the existing cameras have assisted with investigations by identifying suspects involved in a bank robbery, a weapons call involving a firearm, an arson, and several collisions.
Should council approve the expansion, 35 fixed cameras would be deployed at core locations in downtown Chatham, Wallaceburg, Blenheim, Ridgetown and Tilbury at a cost of $684,000 plus HST. The price includes capital costs of $273,735 and annual operating costs of $84,461 for five years. The funds would be allocated from the municipality’s Strategic Reserve and addressed as part of council’s 2025 annual budget update.
The new CCTV cameras would all have built-in AI capabilities that would proactively alert on-duty officers of potential criminal activities and suspicious behaviour, allowing them to respond proactively. The cameras would also be equipped with Automatic License Plate Reader technology, which can assist with vehicle identification.
