Waterbury to install downtown surveillance cameras

WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — Surveillance cameras will be keeping an eye on downtown Waterbury by July as officials hope to deter and quickly solve quality of life crimes like car break-ins and littering.

The city's Board of Aldermen on Monday approved a $190,000 contract to install 11 wireless and tamper-proof cameras that will monitor the downtown area 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mayor Neil O'Leary says Waterbury will join cities across the country that monitor their downtowns with cameras. He says the cameras also will be good for homeland security purposes.

Police expect the cameras to help decrease the occasional car burglaries, littering and aggressive panhandling that occur downtown.

The contract with Tyco Integrated Security will be paid for by grants and assets seized from criminal investigations, not taxpayer money.