Village May Look to Upgrade Surveillance Cameras

The Lynbrook village board is looking into the possibility of upgrading the village's camera surveillance system to help give the Lynbrook Police Department additional resources to do its job.

Officials from ADT, a security company, made a presentation of mexapixel camera technology to village trustees, Lynbrook police chief Joseph Neve, and police Lt. Ron Fleury. During the presentation, officials demonstrated the advantages of having a mexapixel camera system versus Lynbrook's current standard analog system, such as being able to zoom in and view images more clearly.

"If there's a burglary, maybe we catch a license plate number or a person's face," Neve said of the mexapixel technology.

If the village were to upgrade its technology, it would require the installation of at least three-mexapixel cameras per spot — the cameras are angled in a way to capture the maximum amount of space. It appears that the village would be able to keep its existing wiring and wireless mesh, and that only the cameras themselves would need to be replaced.

The village has surveillance cameras in several locations, including one on Atlantic Avenue and another watching Sunrise Highway near Broadway.

The highest estimate given to the village to install the new technology was $150,000. This includes $50,000 to establish a network capable of storing and processing large quantities of photo and video files and $100,000 for four cameras, one of them designed specifically for photographing license plates. However, ADT officials stressed that this was the high-end package, and that the village could certainly spend less for a quality surveillance system.

Nassau County Legis. Francis Becker, R-Lynbrook, recently secured $32,500 for surveillance camera upgrades in the village, funds which would be utilized if the village undertakes the project.
 
No decision has been made on whether the village will upgrade its system, but trustees requested that ADT set up a trial version of the cameras somewhere in Lynbrook so that village officials could see how the technology works. ADT officials said it was likely that they could oblige.

Said Neve, "Whatever we can do to make village residents safer, as well as commuters, we're gonna try to do it."