Peachland is moving ahead with plans to install more surveillance cameras in public spaces in response to ongoing concerns about vandalism, loitering after hours, and damage to public facilities.
At its July 8 meeting, council approved a staff request to install new 24/7 exterior cameras at three locations: the Peachland Museum and nearby public washrooms, the Swim Bay Pavilion near 6th Street, and the public washrooms on Todd Road.
According to a staff report, all three sites have been repeatedly targeted by vandals over the past year. Parks and facilities crews have had to deal with everything from smashed fixtures to graffiti, sometimes resulting in temporary closures.
Despite regular patrols and calls for a greater RCMP presence, staff say more action is needed to protect public spaces.
Several councillors also suggested additional locations for future camera installations. Coun. Dave Collins raised concerns about illegal dumping near the public works yard.
鈥淲e have a major dumping problem in the forest, and just as soon as they got the last one cleaned up, here鈥檚 the latest pile, pretty much near where the other pile was,鈥� he said.
Coun. Randey Brophy suggested placing cameras at the intersections of Beach Avenue and 13th Street, as well as Beach and Princeton avenues.
鈥淵ou can see everybody that鈥檚 coming in late at night and going out,鈥� he said.
Chief Administrative Officer Joe Creron reminded council that expanding surveillance is not a quick fix.
鈥淭here are all kinds of rules and regulations,鈥� Creron said. 鈥淲hat we are talking about today is very specific. If you have some other things you want us to look at down the road, we will look at it. You can鈥檛 just put a camera in and observe.鈥�
Director of Corporate Services Jennifer Sawatzky explained that privacy assessments must be completed before new cameras can be installed. Assessments have been done for the three recommended sites.
鈥淲e鈥檝e shown that the benefits outweigh the privacy impact,鈥� Sawatzky said. 鈥淚t may seem desirable to put cameras everywhere, but we really need to weigh the good and bad of doing so and the impact on personal privacy.鈥�
The cameras will focus only on exterior, public-facing areas. There will be no monitoring of private spaces such as washroom interiors or change rooms. Signage will be posted at each location to let the public know cameras are in use.
Recordings will be securely stored and accessed only by senior staff or the RCMP if needed for investigations. All footage will be deleted after four weeks unless required for a specific reason.
The project is expected to cost under $5,000, which staff say will likely be recouped through lower maintenance and repair costs.
Peachland already has surveillance cameras at the municipal hall, public works yard, and 50+ Centre.
