To the editor:
There has been an increase in violence in schools, public buildings, and public areas. As Town Supervisor, my primary concern is the health, safety and welfare of town employees, town residents and members of the public that may be on town property or using town facilities. The town has been steadily enhancing security systems across all properties.
Included in the town’s plan is to upgrade and replace the security systems at the library. A key reason for the change is that the town’s computer consultant could not certify that the existing cameras are compliant with current law.
Stratagem Systems President Basil Morales said, “All of the equipment used in the town video and security systems are now NDAA compliant. The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) prohibits the use of several Chinese-made video surveillance cameras and security systems by the US government. Purchasing NDAA compliant products is important for government entities and private organizations that receive federal funding for use by government facilities.”
Another key reason for the change is that the new system is state of the art and enhances the security of library personnel and the public by having a direct feed that can be monitored by the Town of Woodbury Police Department in real time and will give the police department advance information of the type of incident that may be occurring, so that they can respond appropriately.
The scope of the town camera and security systems includes key integrations. The network video system is comprised of fixed view cameras and PTZ (pan, tilt and zoom) cameras at various locations throughout the town and village. Those locations include town offices, parks, intersections, and the PD itself. The town also has security systems and stand-alone panic buttons at these locations. When triggered, they cause the cameras at those locations to pop up on monitors in the police department dispatch area and play an audible tone to alert the dispatcher that there’s an issue. This key integration allows the police to have eyes on the location to see what’s happening in real time.
In today’s environment this is an extremely important element of the department’s resources and adds to the safety of the town’s residents.
The upgraded camera system is designed to capture broad views within the library. We want all residents to know the system will not record what patrons are reading, their computer views or searches, and will not in any way record personally identifiable information concerning those individuals using the library. In addition, the Town Board and Town of Woodbury Police Department have explained and communicated this information at several public meetings.
We are pleased with the progress made and for having forged ahead keeping safety top of mind.
Tom Burke
Town of Woodbury Supervisor