SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
More eyes will be watching residents and city hall employees if proposed new surveillance equipment is approved by city council this month.
City aims to purchase new surveillance cameras at city hall, several of which would be installed inside client rooms set aside for staff and members of the public to have private discussions. - Svjetlana Mlinarevic/NNSL photo
Surveillance cameras in Yellowknife
Other levels of government have facilities well equipped with internal and exterior surveillance cameras in the city.
At the legislative assembly, six black and white VHS cameras were installed when it was built in 1991. Since that time, however, the number has increased to 24 cameras, according to sergeant-at-arms Brian Thagard, with the addition of 17 are internal cameras.
He declined to identify the location of the cameras, citing building security policy.
"To cover this building properly, I could probably use another five or six (cameras). Depending on what you're looking for and the level of security you want, they add up fast. We originally had a security firm come in and do an assessment, we didn't just start throwing cameras up and of that total number, we didn't even do that total number because of the expenses. But to do (video security) properly, you need a lot of them."
The commissionaire's office at the federal Greenstone Building refused to provide the number of interior and exterior cameras.
In 2001, former federal privacy commissioner George Radwanski intervened to stop Dave Beckwith and his security firm, Centurion Security, from erecting exterior cameras on the Sutherland's Drugs building downtown on Franklin Avenue. |
Council is still pouring over details of the budget and have yet to approve the purchase of cameras and municipal vehicle tracking devices.
According to the city, there are currently eight cameras at city hall with 13 new ones being proposed to for installation in unspecified areas inside the building. This will include cameras in new client rooms, which are being built as part of city hall renovations in the coming years. According to the budget, additional new cameras at city hall will be part of establishing the $200,000 "one-stop-shopping" project, which aims to improve customer services for people paying tickets and building permits.
In total, this will give the city 21 security cameras at city hall.
When asked if the public should be concerned about privacy issues when coming into city hall, Mayor Mark Heyck said no.
"Well, we already have signage that there are video cameras on the premises. We also vet these types of projects with our legal services manager to ensure we are adhering to privacy legislation."
Coun. Niels Konge, however, questioned the need for security cameras in the client rooms, and whether there should be client rooms at all.
"Privacy issues are a very real thing," he said. There are things that I do at city hall where I go to pay parking tickets or my taxes or get building permits. I understand why at the Department of Transportation why they do it. These are people's drivers licenses.
"Personally I don't see why we need to have (cameras in the client rooms). Or even have clients rooms."
The city is also budgeting $60,000 over three years for security cameras at the Fieldhouse, Multiplex, city garage, library and baling facility at the landfill. Some of this money is also going toward the city hall cameras.
The city also plans to install cameras at two street intersections per year at a cost of $75,000 per year over three years to monitor traffic counts and vehicle speeds. According to the budget, the cameras are not to be used for speed enforcement. The city is also planning to spend $150,000 on new key fobs for city hall doors.
Heyck said some of these "significant investments" have to do with deterring thefts and property damage that have occurred at city hall in the past, especially stemming back to 2005 or 2006 when a video camera used to televise city meetings, went missing.
"In years past when we have had a new facility, for example, we will put security cameras in to ensure the property is protected," Heyck said. "In this instance (more cameras are) geared toward the one-stop -shopping strategy. We are looking at renovations at city hall to improve customer service and as part of that overall project."
The city is not proposing exterior cameras around the building at this time. During the 2010 budget, there had been discussions about installing cameras at Somba K'e Park, however council disposed of that idea after the drafting process.
"My view will be similar to that in the past council when it was advocated that we put cameras up in our parks," said Coun. Cory Vanthuyne, who has not taken a position on cameras, but is concerned about operation and maintenance costs surrounding information technology investments.
"Council didn't approve of (the cameras) then and I would suspect we will have some similar discussions around what is the need for these cameras and what benefit they really provide."
Heyck said the city is vetting all privacy issues with the the legal services lawyer and signs are already erected at city hall indicating there are cameras on site.
Automatic vehicle location
Other surveillance items have already drawn interest from council. Last week, Konge raised other concerns about the proposed automatic vehicle location devices, a $325,000 budget item that will install GPS and on-board engine monitors in every city vehicle. This will allow the city to keep track of where the vehicles are at all times, while providing engine diagnostics and help determine whether vehicles are being driven safely.
"I'm flagging that item as one where I want administration to explain more to me," said Konge, adding a huge part of his concerns have to do with the expected annual operation and maintenance costs of 20 per cent.
Heyck said the vehicle devices "kind of jumped out at me as well."
While Heyck said he is seeking further information, added there could be some potential benefits to purchasing the devices.
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"We might, for example, get a sense of how staff are going around to city parks to empty garbage cans in parks in the summer," he said. "We can potentially review that data to see if there is a faster, more efficient way to do that work."
