TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo City Council members are considering an investment of $150,000 to buy security cameras for 15 of the city's parks.
The proposal is an effort between the Toledo Police Department, city administrators and city council to keep parks safer after crimes, including homicide, have happened on park grounds.
The average camera will cost just under $1,000. Some of the mobile camera trailers are as high as $7,000.
With more than 15 city parks in the area, councilwoman Theresa Morris, who represents district six, asked how TPD determined which 15 parks would get the cameras.
TPD said it comes down to crime data. Willys Park in west Toledo saw the homicide of Aaron Williams-Gaston on Sept. 10 and was one of the parks designated to receive cameras.
The other 14 are, as listed by council:
- Navarre Park, east Toledo
- Collins Park, east Toledo
- Cullen Park, Point Place
- Detwiler Park, Point Place
- Jamie Farr Park, north Toledo
- Woodrow Wilson Park, north Toledo
- Jermain Park, west Toledo
- Trilby Park, west Toledo
- Ottawa Park, west Toledo
- Smith Park, central Toledo
- Honorable Judge Myron Duhart Park, central Toledo
- Highland Park, south Toledo
- Walbridge Park, south Toledo
- Danny Thomas Park, south Toledo
Council Member Theresa Gaddus, who represents district three, said she had issues with where the cameras were being placed. She said Collins park has seen shootings by the basketball courts, but the cameras are being placed by the golf course.
Council President Matt Cherry, who represents district two, said council will continue to work with TPD to iron out the details and placements. He also said the cameras will be an effective tool in the tool kit for TPD moving forward.
"(It will) help deter things that may happen, or even get an eye on things when they do happen," Cherry said. "It's been really a three-legged stool of working together to finally get where we're at and our Director of Parks (Joe Fausnaugh) has said this would be a good thing. And hopefully, not only with this legislation today that we're going to be discussing, but also maybe we'll see more in the future."
While there was no vote at Tuesday's council meeting, the proposal was approved for voting on Oct. 11.