BOARDMAN Township police will get 2nd video surveillance unit

One camera already is in use.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- People who are planning to do bad things in the township should know that police may be watching you -- even if there are no officers around.
The township police department will be getting a second video surveillance system to be used in the investigation of various crimes. The department already bought one camera unit in the fall, but Capt. Jack Nichols said the unit is being used often enough to warrant a second camera.
Each unit cost about $4,000. Additional features, such as a transmitter and receiver, can be added to the units later for about $7,000.
Nichols said the department will see if the additions are necessary before making the purchase.
Nichols said the cameras run on either a regular house current or 12-volt battery. The department has outfitted a confiscated car with extra batteries to run the cameras, which can record continuously for up to 190 hours.
The undercover car will be left outside trouble spots and businesses that have experienced a high volume of theft or break-ins.
Many uses
"These cameras are real versatile and we can do a lot of things with them," said Nichols. "They obviously can't be everywhere all the time, but it will definitely help generate leads. There is just a multitude of crimes this can be used for."
Besides being used in the undercover car, the cameras, Nichols added, can be used in a number of ordinary-looking items such as an alarm clock, a fire sprinkler system or a pinhole in a wall. He said the additional uses will be good for seniors who are having small items stolen from them at home or in nursing care, or for people dealing with stalkers.
Should the department choose to buy the additional transmitter and receiver, officers will have the ability to watch an area from up to two miles away in real time, Nichols added.
jgoodwin@vindy.com