Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BOUNTIFUL — Bountiful City will be rolling out a new surveillance network in hopes of thwarting vandals, thieves and drug users.
The surveillance network will cover the Bountiful Cemetery, hopefully preventing theft, which has been a big problem. The surveillance cameras will also look over several city parks and a trail head on the Bountiful bench.
The city maintains something has to be done because vandals and thieves are costing the city tens of thousands of dollars.
"It's getting into the thousands and thousands of dollars in expense, and we figured if the surveillance would help us curtail some of that, then it would be a good thing," said Bountiful's park director Jerry Wilson.
Wilson said the city has had to replace a slide four times because vandals have taken metal and poked holes through it, even sliced it right down the middle. He said the public restrooms are even worse.
It's getting into the thousands and thousands of dollars in expense, and we figured if the surveillance would help us curtail some of that, then it would be a good thing.
–Jerry Wilson
Vandals have ripped sinks and toilets from the walls and have tagged the restrooms with graffiti. Last month, someone attempted to set one of the restrooms on fire.
"If people know that there's surveillance cameras there, then oftentimes they're less likely to commit crimes, thinking people are watching them," said Lt. Ed Beeler of the Bountiful Police who is spearheading the project. "And another aspect is once we do have crimes that take place, we have an avenue to be able to go back and look at surveillance video to track those people down."
The surveillance network will cost the city a little more than $35,000. The cameras are planned to be placed at 4th North Park, the cemetery, North Canyon Park, Bountiful Ridge Golf Course, the city landfill and Hidden Lake trail head.
The city council approved the surveillance network Tuesday night, and the work to install the cameras will take place in the coming months. The city hopes to have the network up and running in the next couple of months before spring.
