This Google map shows the building that houses the Derby school district's central office and the city's parks and recreation department.
DERBY — Mayor Joseph DiMartino’s office wants to install more security cameras around the building shared by the board of education and the recreation department.
The building in question is at the corner of Olivia and Fifth streets. Part of the building houses the school district’s central administrative staff, including the superintendent. The other part of the building has a basketball court, a parks and recreation office, a weight room, and a swimming pool.
To access the parks and recreation part of the building, people have to walk down concrete steps from Fifth Street. An issue is that the parks and recreation entrance can be intimidating because the physical layout creates blindspots for people walking in and out. That’s not ideal, especially at night, officials said.
That’s why Linda Fusco, Mayor DiMartino’s chief of staff, spoke to the Derby Capital Planning Commission on Aug. 27 to request $14,000 be spent on installing six additional cameras there.
The capital planning commission is a group appointed by the mayor. They take requests from various city departments for expensive items and attempt to make a prioritized list. The actual funding for projects is done through the annual budget process, which is the jurisdiction of the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation, an elected body.
The capital planning commission only met a handful of times in the past six years, so its newly-appointed members have a long list of requests totaling $35.7 million over five fiscal years.
Click here to read the complete list of requests.
Fusco told the commissioners she spoke about the need for more cameras at the rec/BOE building with Derby Deputy Police Chief Brian Grogan and Dennis O’Connell, the Derby Parks and Recreation Director.
“There’s been some issues with the store next to the building,” Fusco said, referring to a convenience store where people sometimes hang out in the parking lot.
Fusco said many senior citizens use the parks and recreation building, and some senior citizens work there. In addition, Fusco said the city’s swimming lesson program lost 30 percent of its participants.
“They felt it was for safety reasons,” Fusco said. She said adding six cameras would improve safety. “I think it’s a necessity,” she said.
The commission didn’t take action on the request but it could come up for discussion again later this month.
