Long Island Boardwalk Destroyed by Superstorm Sandy Gets Security Upgrade
Video surveillance cameras and license plate readers will be installed at the Long Beach Boardwalk.
City officials say new security cameras and license plate readers are intended to deter crime on the boardwalk.
LONG BEACH, N.Y. – Police here in this Long Island community will soon begin surveilling the boardwalk with new security cameras.
The second phase of a citywide security program will commence this summer with cameras being installed on the boardwalk between Long Beach and National boulevards. The $260,000 project will include a license plate recognition application.
“I think people behave more responsibly when they’re being videotaped,” Long Beach Police Commissioner Michael Tangney said Tuesday.
Dogs, skateboards and rollerblades are not allowed on the boardwalk. The new surveillance cameras mounted overhead in lights and on poles will soon show police where the quality of life laws are being broken, CBS2 reports.
The video surveillance program will not result in police writing tickets for disobedience, CBS2 reports, but city officials say the presence of the cameras should serve as a deterrent. Video data from the boardwalk cameras and the license plate readers will be used internally and erased.
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The old wooden boardwalk in Long Beach was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy and rebuilt with concrete and new light poles, where the cameras will be mounted. The project calls for additional security cameras to be installed on the rest of the boardwalk next year.
The images collected by the cameras can be checked against a state motor vehicles department database of license plate numbers wanted for violations ranging from expired registrations, suspended licenses and uninsured drivers to more serious criminal acts, or to find stolen vehicles. Long Beach police also upload their data for wanted vehicles or cars under investigation.
The license plate readers will prioritize the most serious crimes for officers on patrol, who receive notifications such as a siren sound indicating a stolen vehicle or the sound of a crying baby for an Amber Alert.
“By expanding the use of this existing technology, the city will be able to more efficiently use our current police resources,” City Councilman Scott Mandel said in a statement.
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