The Dryden Police Service Board has received $70,000 in additional funding from the province to upgrade, enhance, and expand its CCTV camera coverage in areas where crime is prevalent.
The project will be in collaboration with The Dryden Police Service Board, the City of Dryden, the OPP Dryden Detachment, and the Kenora District Service Board.
Brittany Bembeneck, the OPP community engagement officer, said that the project is still in its early stages.
“At this time, no locations have been selected, nor have cameras been chosen to be upgraded. Our group has a lot of collaborative work to do in the coming months, and I look forward to working alongside the above groups as we all work to continue community safety in the City of Dryden,” Bembeneck said.
Dryden Chamber of Commerce manager Donna Parker expressed optimism about having a camera system in place.
"I think CCTV cameras will be successful deterrents for the bit of the crime, particularly in our downtown area, and for some of our smaller businesses out on the highways,” she said.
Parker acknowledged that some store owners have CCTV cameras already. However, those are privately-owned security systems that are not looked after by the OPP.
Parker said there is a bit of a lapse, without having a camera system available.
"There are no cameras, so unless there are witnesses, nothing can really be done about it," she said. "So, I think the CCTVs it would be pretty successful, but it also depends on where they are placed.
"If it’s only going to be a couple of cameras, is it going to make a difference? Not really.”
Parker also suggested that the downtown business district shouldn’t be the only place where CCTVs should be placed.
“There are different pockets where crime is pretty prevalent,” Parker said. “With the chamber, I also advocate it to go around my business members, but I need to recognize the fact that it’s not just the business areas that are getting hit with crime. It's happening all over the city. Fhe focus should be starting in one area and slowly expanding it.”
Parker suggests that the police services board should look at the main streets for business downtown, but also not to commit the funding to the downtown as the main focus for police services.
“Solely focusing on the downtown only creates a vibrant downtown, but what about our businesses that aren’t of downtown that are getting hit,” Parker said.
“You add two or three more cameras downtown, and then expand it out. You have so many different business areas. It’s just the way Dryden was built. Everything is just so far apart. It’s not like other cities of comparable sizes where everything is closer together. So, I would plop a couple of those cameras downtown and focus on those other areas where crime is happening."
Dryden city communication coordinator Scott Tocholke said the project is scheduled to be completed in August 2023, and more information will be provided to residents as it moves forward.
