CCTV launches in New Brunswick’s capital city

Fredericton's community cameras will be used to monitor traffic, pedestrian and active transportation routes, as well as river flood levels.

The public safety cameras will give the police oversight of incidents, and evidence obtained by video cameras can be used in police investigations.

"They all have access to it, but there's not somebody sitting, watching the cameras all the time. The idea is the cameras with the appropriate signage is a preventative measure,” said Deputy Chief Scott Patterson, with the Fredericton Police Force.

“But if we needed to see something, if a crime occurred in an area where we know there was a camera, we can go back and look and see if there's any investigative leads,” Patterson said.

A total of $90,000 was budgeted for the plan. The business community chipped in $56,000, paying for eight cameras to be monitored by police.

Altogether, 12 cameras can be found throughout the downtown, on the south side as well as the north side of the capital.

"I think they're wonderful. They're a great thing, and if it prevents crime and helps to aid the police in helping to stop crime, I'm all for it,” said Fredericton resident Katherine Greer-Hulme.

Frederictonians gave the initiative a positive review.

"It's a little funny. I suppose it's a change, but probably for the better to keep an eye on things. If something were to happen, then they can go back and see what happened,” said Jeremy Burrill while out for a walk with his dog in the downtown.

"When you're driving and walking around, there have been times that there have been some close calls with people going across the crosswalks and being nearly almost hit by a car, so I think that's probably a good thing, same for cyclists too.” Mary Evans, who lives in the capital.

Businesses in the area supported the safety measure.

"There's a lot of drugs and mental health issues in our downtown, not just in Fredericton but across the province, it's a real issue. I talk about being clean and safe and that has a huge impact on being clean and safe,” said Bruce McCormack, general manager of Downtown Fredericton, on the current state of downtown deterrents.

Cameras have also been installed on Fredericton Transit buses.

“We saw other policing partners have had good success. In Charlottetown, they saw about a 40 per cent drop in crime,” Patterson said.