Mayor Michael Gonnelli and the Town Council announced a major public safety initiative, which will help the police proactively deter and solve crime in town. The governing body approved a plan supporting the installation of state-of-the-art cameras at all entrances/exits in Secaucus. The cameras will be monitored solely by the police department and will provide alerts under certain conditions, such as a reported stolen vehicle entering or leaving the town. The cost of this proactive public safety project is estimated to be about $500,000.00, which will be paid through funds in the current budget.
“Despite the fact that our town has one of the lowest levels of crime in Hudson County, we are continually looking for ways to enhance public safety. We ensure the highest quality of training and tools are available to our Police Department so they can deter crime and enhance the safety of the Town. I have no doubt the installation of cameras will benefit the police department as well as our residents and business community” said Mayor Gonnelli as he announced the plan.
“While the installation of cameras with license plate reader capability at every point of ingress and egress will not totally eliminate crime, these cameras will be used as a tool to assist the Secaucus Police Department in identifying vehicles wanted for their involvement in criminal activity,” Chief Dennis Miller said. “I can assure Town residents the cameras will not be utilized to monitor their travels, rather they will be used to assist the Police Department in its fight to suppress the ongoing auto-theft problem plaguing New Jersey communities. The use of license plate reader technology to encircle the entire Town to support our crime fighting efforts is a major proactive measure by Mayor Gonnelli and his Town Council to safeguard Secaucus residents and their property.”
The project will go through the purchasing process, followed by equipment delivery, installation, training, and activation, “Since we are only at the start of this process, the town cannot say at this time when the system will be online. However, we will work diligently on getting this done,” stated Mayor Gonnelli.
