Burr Ridge’s ad hoc Public Safety Committee gave the nod Monday to move forward with video surveillance network and camera plans.
Finance Director Jerry Sapp said after soliciting proposals for both the network and cameras, InVision Network not only had the lowest bid but provided the best solutionfor video surveillance.
That solution is Motorola Mesh Networking, a wireless network used in more than 60 villages and cities across the country. Sapp said this multi-network mesh system has four networks in one that can be used for public safety functions, data networking, communications, and municipal and public operations. InVision also allowed for the best configuration — one that can support up to 64 cameras.
Although the overall cost comes to $882,000, Sapp said the whole village should not be deployed at once. Therefore, the village would pay $108,000 for the backbone and licensing, $16,300 for the server and another $2,000 for the software. These upfront costs would provide a signal that can be distributed to various points throughout the village. Individual communities would then be responsible for buying the cameras, routers and access point.
“The investment should not just be seen as a video camera investment but a villagewide investment in wireless communications,” Sapp said.
The committee has received interest from eight communities in the village and is hopeful more communities will want to participate, Village Administrator Steve Stricker said.
“While the initial objective of the program is to provide better evidence gathering potential and deterrence, especially against burglaries, this wireless system will also add to our ability to have patrolman accomplish more police work while in their vehicles and thus expand their patrol and visibility time,” Mayor Gary Grasso said.
Although the committee agreed to move forward and will seek commitment from the entire board at next Monday’s board meeting, there are some issues that need to be addressed. Most notably, how to handle those residents who cannot afford it and those that want it but live on individual streets without a homeowner association.
“I’m all about public safety and security in my neighborhood, I have children and I’d like to see things like this implemented in my neighborhood, but if there’s no mechanism to get it I would have some issues and I think we need to address this,” said committee member and village Trustee Dwight DeClouette.
Grasso said addressing those citizens is a work in progress, and agrees with Trustee Al Paveza that the system needs to be implemented in phases to see how it adapts.
“If you want it, we’re providing the infrastructure for it and you have to provide the rest,” Paveza said. “I think we have to take it with that approach to start it and then once we have some history for it then we can start approaching the streets and other subdivisions.”
