Camera will be placed in harbor area to ensure visitor safety
BUFFALO – Congressman Brian Higgins and Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced that the process has started to install a surveillance camera in the new Outer Harbor area in the City of Buffalo. Buffalo Police are currently going through several locations and options for the camera.
“With the newly opened Greenbelt pathway and the Outer Harbor Parkway currently under construction we are going to see an increased number of visitors along this stretch,” said Congressman Brian Higgins. “This camera provides added protection for residents looking to take in a safe and enjoyable waterfront experience. I commend Mayor Brown for his continuous efforts to make public safety a priority in the City of Buffalo.”
Congressman Higgins, in conjunction with Congresswoman Slaughter and Senators Schumer and Clinton, secured $376,000 in federal funding for the cameras in FY08.
“We are aware that several cars have been broken into in the area, as well as at the Erie Basin Marina,” said Mayor Brown. “We will not tolerate this type of quality of life crime which ruins the experience of the Buffalo Waterfront. We are installing these cameras to ensure the safety of the visitors to the waterfront, both at the Erie Basin Marina and the Outer Harbor.”
The Buffalo Outer Harbor area is in the midst of several important projects, such as the reconfiguration of Route 5—the Outer Harbor Parkway and continued brownfield remediation work. Since the Greenway Nature Trail area was opened last week to the public, many people from Buffalo and Western New York have been coming to the new walking and bike path to take advantage of the summer weather. The installation of the camera is expected in the near future.
Since Mayor Brown’s surveillance camera initiative was launched, 59 cameras have been installed in the City of Buffalo. Today the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority approved state efficiency grant money for an additional 40 cameras, which will bring the city-wide total to 105 cameras.
