Police investigate a shooting on Ansonia's north end in December 2021.
ANSONIA – Members of the Board of Aldermen formed a subcommittee earlier this month to explore what type of surveillance system the city could buy to prevent crime and catch criminals.
At a previous meeting in December (the discussion is included in the video below), a consultant outlined a $1 million scenario that would result in a sophisticated surveillance system being installed in the city’s north end – the area off North Main Street where residents have been complaining about drug sales and the occasional shooting.
In addition to cameras, the system would have modern surveillance features such as license-plate readers and ‘shot spotter technology:’ microphones in the cameras that can recognize the sound of gunfire and instantly alert police.
The surveillance system would allow police to monitor streets and collect data in real time, according to Rich Sobczak, a consultant who previously worked on a surveillance system for the City of Bridgeport. Sobczak is being paid $2,250 for his work.
He outlined a scenario where a suspect vehicle could be tracked from cameras in Ansonia and elsewhere.
John Marini, the city’s corporation counsel, said the $1 million price tag Sobczak discussed would be “phase one” of any surveillance program, should it move forward.
Officials said it’s not as easy as putting a camera on a utility pole and pressing the record button. The city would need to upgrade its fiber optic infrastructure in order to accommodate the increased bandwidth needed to make the system a reality.
The discussion in front of the Alderman didn’t delve into details such as how many cameras are in the works.
The officials in December were concerned about sharing security info with the public, though state and federal laws governing say that documents can be released to the public with any necessary redactions.
Marini said the public discussion could proceed without naming specific locations. Officials have repeatedly said they want the surveillance system in the north end of Ansonia.
Sobczak said a company named OmniData is used by governments with surveillance systems in place in Bridgeport and Milford.
The Aldermen at their January meeting didn’t commit to anything, but formed a subcommittee to delve deeper into the issue.
The subcommittee includes Aldermanic President Josh Shuart, along with Alderwoman Bobbi Tar, Alderman Joe Jaumann and Alderman Chicago Rivers, along with Marini and Jared Heon, the city’s emergency management director.
The idea for a surveillance system first came up in December 2021, after two reports of shots fired in the north end, and a third incident in which a 32-year-old Bridgeport man was shot and left in critical condition.
A 20-year-old Stratford man died in April 2022 after being shot in the same area.
During a livestream interview with The Valley Indy on Jan. 12, Mayor David Cassetti said city officials have been working to research the issue, first by determining what type of technology the police department currently has.
As it stands, the city doesn’t have the infrastructure needed to support the surveillance tech, so it’s a complicated discussion, Cassetti said.
“We want to make sure we have the best camera system there is; we don’t want to get a Home Depot camera. We want cameras put up on our north end, on our westside, our eastside, sophisticated cameras that will clue in on what’s happening,” he said.
Click this link to hear more from the mayor.
Part of the research will also involve funding: the city will be researching whether there are grants available, and whether elected state and federal officials can secure money for a surveillance system.
Any system will need the support of the Aldermen, the chief of police, and the city’s police commission, Marini said.
Ansonia Police Chief Wayne Williams supports the use of surveillance systems to help investigations.
