Jersey City Expands CCTV Camera System, Effective Resource Proven Instrumental in Apprehending Suspects and Closing Court Cases
JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop and Public Safety Director James Shea have continued the expansion of the Closed Caption Television (CCTV) camera system in Jersey City with the addition of 58 new cameras, bringing the total to 214 cameras citywide. These new high definition 5-megapixel cameras not only serve as a deterrent against crime across the City, but also allow for sharper images that are clear enough to identify and track suspects, becoming admissible evidence in court.
“It is without question that the CCTV system has made our crime fighting initiatives that much more successful,” said Mayor Fulop. “Working with the community, over the last three years we have completely revamped the previously outdated and unusable system with high quality technology in strategic locations to advance our ultimate goal of maximizing public safety efforts citywide.”
The new CCTV cameras are equipped with a significantly higher resolution compared to the archaic 1-megapixel system this administration inherited, which was comprised of less than 50 working cameras. The locations for the new HD cameras are based on community feedback and crime data that identify areas with historically higher crime rates.
“Upgrading our CCTV system has already proven useful in numerous cases,” said Public Safety Director James Shea. “One example occurred just last month, when our officers were able to pursue a fleeing suspect. They used the cameras to follow his car, then trail the actor on foot. Despite multiple attempts to elude the police - changing his clothing, and even joining an active basketball game - police officers were still able to track and apprehend the suspect using the cameras. Without this advanced system, this criminal and many others may still be on the loose.”
With each phase, the City also continues to upgrade the technology’s software and extend fiber lines to new and future locations. Because the new software allows multiple users on the system without video delays, the CCTVs can also be used for emergency or evacuation scenarios.
Phase I, II and III of the CCTV project included 6 parks and 32 street locations. The first three phases cost nearly $1.4 million, in a combination of Department of Homeland Security Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) funds and capital budget funds. Phase 4 consisted of $500,00 from the State Law Enforcement Trust Fund and $40,000 from the capital budget.
The CCTV installations will continue with Phase 5 scheduled for 2020. The next phase is expected to include 300 existing cameras at housing sites citywide that are currently managed by the Jersey City Housing Authority, all at no additional cost to the Department of Public Safety.
The cameras are one of the key components to the overall crime fighting strategies this administration continues to build upon which also includes the hiring of hundreds of officers, maintaining historic staffing levels with over 960 officers department-wide, strategic planning and deployment of officers, more efficient use of intel, community policing, among other initiatives.
The 16 new locations included in Phase 4 are:
1. Wegman Parkway and MLK Drive (5 Cameras)
2. Bramhall Ave and MLK Drive (4 Cameras)
3. Grant Ave and Bergen Ave (4 Cameras)
4. Fairview Ave and Bergen Ave (5 Cameras)
5. Jewett Ave and Bergen Ave (4 Cameras)
6. New Street and Ocean Ave (3 Cameras)
7. Rutgers Ave and McAdoo Ave (3 Cameras)
8. Union Ave and Bergen Ave (4 Cameras)
9. Storm Ave and Monticello Ave (4 Cameras)
10. Ocean Ave and Bidwell Ave (3 Cameras)
11. Winfield Ave and Ocean Ave (3 Cameras)
12. Bostwick Ave and Bergen Ave (3 Cameras)
13. Fairmount Ave and Bergen Ave (3 Cameras)
14. Reed Street and Bergen Ave (3 Cameras)
15. Van Nostrand Ave and MLK Drive (4 Cameras)
16. Randolph Ave and Harmon Street (4 Cameras)