Susquehanna adopts camera policy

BY STACI WILSON

Susquehanna Borough’s camera system now has a policy in place that details how those will be used by police.

Council agreed to adopt the policy in April and formally accepted it at the Thursday, Sept. 13 meeting.

“It legitimizes the use of the cameras,” said council president Roy Williams. It also specifies borough personnel that can monitor and use the system.

The cameras will not be used as a “red-light” camera; and won’t be monitored 24/7, Williams added. They will allow police to review the recordings when an incident is reported that may have been captured on the video.

A fee schedule, for a member of the public requesting camera footage, was also adopted by the borough.

According to state law, video has to be stored for 65 days. Susquehanna Police Chief John Creamer Jr. said it is easy to search the system and to save images.

In addition to the camera system, the borough has also had in its possession cameras loaned from the Keep PA Beautiful organization to help with efforts to deter illegal dumping of trash in various areas around the town.

Keep PA Beautiful offered to sell those cameras to the borough if they wished to keep them or asked that they be returned.

In discussion, council members said the dumping had basically come to a stop, and the group opted to turn the cameras back in to the organization.

Council also discussed other cameras that could be used at the Ira Reynolds Riverfront Park in the future.

The borough is joining together with Oakland Borough and Oakland Township to explore the possibility of creating a regionalized police force in the three municipalities.

Williams said a letter of intent has been sent to the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services and a representative from that state agency will come and speak and provide an assessment of the possibility.

Williams said there has been no commitment to regionalize the police force beyond the request for the assessment.

It was noted by council members that Lanesboro was not interested in regionalization.

Council reminded residents that the park is still under construction and not open for use, as there are open ditches and trenches in the area.

The borough will be accepting bids for 1,400-feet of fencing at the park; with a pre-bid meeting scheduled to be held Sept. 25 at 9 a.m.

The borough is also looking to purchase materials for lighting at the park; and, it was noted, an electrician has volunteered services to the do the electrical work needed.