St. Charles Installs Video Cameras on Main Street

St. Charles has installed three security cameras on the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau on Main Street and has plans to install two more on North Main Street this spring.

The cameras are part of the city's plan to address crime in the historic downtown area. 

Two cameras are installed on the front of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, one facing north and one facing south. A third camera is mounted on the back of the building and can pick up activity in the park. The cameras cost $5,000 and have been in place since the end of January.

The cameras aren't being monitored but if there's an issue on Main Street, St. Charles Police can go back and view video. The cameras can caputure about a block in each direction. 

These cameras are a test case for future plans to have additional cameras installed on Main Street, Knoll said. 

The city and the Special Business District plan to contribute $5,000 each to purchase two cameras which will be installed on the collonade overpass between Main Street and the city parking garage and by the bathrooms across the street. 

Additional cameras could be added in the future, Knoll said. 

"We're going to start on North Main and work our way down to South Main," he said. "South Main poses a lot of problems because ther are no electrical poles." 

Private Grant Program Nixed

The city will purchase these cameras instead of offering grants to Main Street business owners to purchase their own cameras. Mayor Sally Faith announced the grant program in September 2012. 

"The grant program didn't work out," Knoll said. "As we investigated it a little further, if we were allowing grants to have people put cameras on their buildings... if the business decided to move, there goes the grant." 

In addition, business owners would likely prefer to have the cameras trained on their businesses instead of facing the street, which would be more helpful for the city. 

The Special Business District receives funding from the city's tourism tax and uses it to improve Main Street. 

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