To the Editor:
I am writing this letter because I am concerned about the safety and condition of our city parks. As a concerned parent, Bayonne resident, and taxpayer, I believe that all city parks should have surveillance cameras that go directly to Bayonne Police Headquarters.
In my area of downtown, we have a problem of youth going into the park at night after hours, breaking bottles, loud and lewd behavior, etc. Cameras can be an effective tool as a deterrent against this behavior, car prowls, vandalism and graffiti, particularly at our smaller community parks that are off city streets that don’t have as many passing eyes, like Cottage Street Park.
Images captured by the cameras could be viewed in real time or stored for later viewing. The cameras could also come with “voice deterrence” technology that broadcasts a message from the camera if a motion detector picks up movement at preprogrammed times.
Cameras recording and being monitored 24 hours a day would also curtail the possibility of pedophiles and kidnapping incidents. Our children’s safety is worth the extra expense.
Our children play in parks with broken glass, graffiti, litter, and other unsafe conditions because of the misbehavior of a few. Cameras would curtail this behavior in conjunction with increased Bayonne Police Department patrols.
I hope that the mayor, city council, and the municipal administration take this suggestion seriously.
CHRISTOPHER MUNOZ