June 25, 2012
State of the Art Wireless Real time Video Surveillance Program Established to Deter Crime and Enhance Public Safety
(Albany, NY) – TheCapital District Transportation Authority (CDTA), the Schenectady County District Attorney’s office and the City of Schenectady today announced their latest efforts to enhance public safety through a collaborative street video surveillance program. A total of 12 wireless real time video cameras have been installed at BusPlus Station locations along State Street to monitor surrounding activities as part of the County’s Public Safety Camera Program (PSCP). This program further enhances safety at CDTA BusPlus stations with LED lighting and routine monitoring from supervisors. The cameras aid in protecting and reassuring customer safety by reducing vandalism and other potential criminal activity.
“We’re pleased to partner with Schenectady County District Attorney’s office and the City of Schenectady to expand on our comprehensive safety and security program to enhance safety measures and the quality of life for our community,” said CDTA Chief Executive Officer Carm Basile. “These surveillance tools integrate with our Safewatch program to improve the comfort of our customers and the public, while reinforcing our commitment to work closely with local law enforcement to keep our streets safe.”
“We are very pleased to partner with CDTA to enhance our very effective Public Safety Camera Project,” said Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney. “Cameras do not eliminate crime, but they help to secure public spaces and often provide investigative leads and actual evidence that can help police to solve crime and my office to hold offenders accountable. CDTA’s contributions to this project continue the collaboration between government and private enterprise that makes our initiative truly unique.”
More than 30% of CDTA’s regular route bus fleet is equipped with video surveillance cameras. Each retrofitted bus has eight strategically placed cameras with audio on board to cover various angles both inside and out of the vehicle. The plan is to have the entire fleet retrofitted as part of CDTA’s fleet replacement plan. Additionally, all of CDTA’s facilities, including the Rensselaer Rail Station and the Saratoga Springs Train Station, employ video surveillance systems to monitor public areas in support of Homeland Security’s “If you see something, say something” program.
The County’s Public Safety Camera Program is comprised of 109 wireless surveillance cameras operating in nine City neighborhoods. The cameras are used by various local, state, and federal agencies to assist in pending investigations, intelligence gathering and prosecution of offenders. CDTA and Schenectady County have a five-year agreement to implement and maintain a partnership to improve the safety and security of major CDTA bus stops on State Street and surrounding areas in Schenectady County in tandem with local law enforcement.
“The camera program is a welcome initiative for the City of Schenectady in many ways,” said Mayor Gary McCarthy. “Working together with CDTA and the County on this project will create a safer place to live, work and visit and help to foster economic growth to further revitalize our downtown and surrounding neighborhoods; attracting more people to the area.”
CDTA and Schenectady County work closely with the City of Schenectady Police to prevent criminal activity and help solve crimes. Security cameras and the communication system can provide a critical early information source for transit operations while enhancing the connection between transit agencies and emergency responders.
Each year, CDTA receives dozens of requests for video footage from local law enforcement ranging from accidents and crimes, unrelated to CDTA, to reveal the true timeline of events and to identify witnesses or suspects helping to solve crimes.
CDTA provides capital funding for the installation and maintenance of the cameras, while Schenectady County will operate and maintain the cameras as part of the PSCP system. The County monitors the activity of the system, provides status reports and will notify CDTA and local law enforcement of any suspicious activity within 48 hours of detection. Video is recorded and stored for at least 30 days and is available to CDTA and local law enforcement on request.
The $216,000 CDTA BusPlus Public Safety Camera Project is supported by a federal grant with 10% State match and 10% match from CDTA.
Safewatch is a cooperative effort between CDTA and local law enforcement to make the Capital Region an even safer place to live. CDTA employees are trained to be alert for potential problems and to inform authorities about criminal activity, roadside incidents or accidents.
For more information on CDTA’s Safewatch program, visit www.cdta.org and click on rider guide. To stay connected with the latest CDTA news, please visit facebook.com/CDTAiride or follow (@CDTA) on twitter.com.
