Highlands Today
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Lake Placid Chief 'Hires' Electronic Police
Kathy Waters/Highlands Today
Lake Placid Police Sgt.James Fansler shows a mobile camera system that the department is installing in locations that have a higher crime probability. Chief Phil Williams said the electronics are an economical way to do stakeouts and avoid manpower cost.
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Published: July 25, 2008
Updated:
LAKE PLACID - The town's newest crime fighters don't wear badges and work around the clock, but don't charge for working overtime.
In light of tighter town budgeting, Police Chief Phil Williams said electronics will replace some of the work typically done by police officers.
On Wednesday, the chief displayed Lake Placid's newest addition to the force - a pair of battery operated security alarms that cost little more than $100 each.
When set off, the motion detection sensors activate a silent alarm and an officer in a patrol car is notified by cell phone that an alarm was tripped.
Times are changing, said Williams. A recent increase of "small time or petty burglaries" in The Town of Murals, and a pending decision to not fill the position left open with the retirement of Capt. John Honeywell, led to some department belt tightening.
"To the people who own the businesses, it's quite serious," said Williams. "But we don't have the manpower to do stakeouts, since overtime is limited. We could sit there all night, but (a motion detector or camera) does the same thing for less."
Williams said that many Lake Placid businesses are cutting back on security when police patrols are down.
"Stopping crimes is not just the police department and law enforcement; it has to be a team effort between law enforcement and business owners.
"I'm not in the alarm business, but $129 motion detectors are better than nothing."
Almost every hurdle has been cleared to add another type of electronic law enforcement tool.
Williams favors, and the town council voted several times, to install cameras at the Interlake Boulevard and U.S. 27 intersection to thwart red light violators. No start up date was announced, and while installation of cameras is likely, it has not yet been fully approved.
Several hidden cameras are working in Lake Placid non-stop to curb crime.
"The pinhole cameras are so small that you'd never in the world know they are there," said Williams. "You can't tell if a camera is installed."
Six fulltime police officers and one code enforcement officer patrol town streets.
In Florida, there are 2.88 police officers for every 1,000 residents. With just less than 2,000 residents, there are about three officers in Lake Placid for each 1,000 residents.
"In an economy that's hurting, I don't object to becoming part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. It's a team effort and we don't want to become gluttons."
Cuts in the number of officers doesn't have to hurt a police department.
"It's almost better having fewer, well equipped officers who are well paid, rather than officers scraping the barrel.
"And whenever you have officers in a vehicle with 100,000 miles in a high speed pursuit, and the tires could fall off, you also realize you have to keep the equipment up to date."
Bill Rettew Jr. may be contacted at 386-5857 or wrettew@highlandstoday.com
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