BY JESSICA STEELEY
Clarkston News Staff Writer

New security cameras are soon going to be seen throughout Independence Township after the Board of Trustees voted unanimously for them, Nov. 16.

“We installed security cameras here at town hall and those have really worked out well,” said Treasurer Paul Brown at the meeting. “We have, from time to time, residents who are boisterous because they have concerns in one
department or another, it’s nice to have those things captured the way they’re being captured for the protection of both the residents and the employees.”
The cameras will be purchased from CTS Companies for a price not to exceed $26,743.

Brown said there are plans to put cameras up at Brady Lodge and Bay Court Park.

“We all know how much money we spent there [Brady Lodge] and we know the problems we had there with vandalism over the years, we certainly want to protect the investment that we’ve made,” Brown said.

Some board members walked around Bay Court Park to figure out the best places to put cameras, Brown said, and they decided to install them around the Lakeview Multi-Purpose Room and the parking lot, with cameras pointed at the park and beach area.

We need to be able to protect the assets of the community,” Trustee Andrea Schroder said in favor of installing the cameras.

Brown also spoke with Lt. Dirk Feneley, of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Independence Township Substation, to install security cameras at the substation because custody exchanges and online sale transactions from Craigslist and eBay often take place in the parking lot.

“Having three cameras over there to capture what’s happening in that parking lot, the lieutenant thought was a really great idea for when these things happen, because otherwise you have no way of knowing what happened,”
Brown said.

More security cameras at the township are also being prioritized. Brown explained there was a theft at the offices over a month ago and the air conditioners were stolen. There are no cameras on that side of the building, so they
weren’t able to capture the thieves.

“That’s the kind of thing you need cameras for, to help prevent or let you catch the people that do those type of things,” Brown said. “So, there’s a couple more cameras that will go in here at the township, we do want to get a little
bit better capture of the parking lot again for protection of employees vehicles and residents vehicles when they come in.”