Friday, August 6, 2010

Planners Ask More Info on $1 Million Request

Police officials asked the Planning Board Thursday to endorse a $1 million capital improvement plan to install gunshot detecting technology in the city, but board members sought more information and told them to come back in two weeks with answers.

Among the objections raised were the cost of ongoing maintenance once the system was installed, the cost of surveillance for cameras aligned with the gunshot detectors and greater proof of the efficacy of the system.

Board members said they only received the request that night, not even in packets sent out in advance of the meeting. Some were not pleased to have only a 1998 news clip on the program and asked for more recent information.

The program was recently highlighted in a July 28 Courier News article describing tests conducted at Rock Avenue ball fields. In addition, at a Plainfield town hall meeting Sunday, East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser claimed a 75 percent reduction in crime over the past five years since ShotSpotter sensors were installed.

But planners Thursday raised questions of how the technology would be implemented and who would pay the 15 percent ongoing maintenance cost.

Public Affairs & Safety Director/Police Director Martin Hellwig called the request “a priority project” due to a recent incidence of gunfire.

Hellwig and Captain Steven Soltys gave more reasons for quick approval and were backed up by Police Officer Leslie Knight and the mayor’s confidential aide, Barbara James, both Planning Board members.

Knight said she once had responded to a gunshot call and could not locate the victim, who died.

“You have to think about safety,” she said.

James said, “As far as safety and dollars go, it is a battle.”

But she said, “The need is urgent.”

But Councilman Cory Storch, the City Council liaison to the Planning Board, said the proposal had not come before the governing body and also questioned the surprise submission of the request to the Planning Board Thursday.

The issue will be taken up again at the Aug. 19 Planning Board meeting.

--Bernice Paglia

4 comments:

  1. Did anyone ever receive an answer about why the request information was submitted late?

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  2. Its a reactive technology. Not proactive. it help "after" the incident has occurred. a million dollars could be much better spent by our emergency services.

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  3. theres no ems. so even if the officer found the victim. who was gonna transport the victim? a mill $$ + annual maintenance costs is insane.
    wrong direction. knee jerk reaction.

    how many police salaries is a mill anyway... start there.

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  4. We have an EMS--it's called the Plainfield Rescue Squad. They have a joint services agreement with other towns, and area hospitals provide ambulances.

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