Crime & Safety

Madison Considering Placing Security Cameras To Protect Downtown

The costs for the project is less than $80,000 local officials said.

(Jack Kramer)

UPDATE/CORRECTION: Patch reported in error that the project would cost $4 million and Police Chief Jack Drumm said the actual cost is $79,000. Patch regrets the error and has updated the story.

From Madison Police :

"Good afternoon readers, I would like to clarify what was posted in the"Patch" today ... The Madison Police Department discussion in regards to the placement of cameras within the Downtown Area would be an approximate cost of $79,000 dollars for (4) four cameras to be added to the system that we currently have in use..."

Find out what's happening in Madisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


MADISON, CT - Installing security cameras to monitor the downtown area in Madison was talked about at one of the recent meetings of the Board of Police Commissioners.

While everyone in attendance seem to agree it was a good idea, there was one problem that kept coming up: who would cover the multi-million cost of the project.

Find out what's happening in Madisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police Chief Jack Drumm said some of the banks might be willing to assist to fund. The chief said the goal of such an auspicious project would be “trying to protect the people who work here.”

Drumm added that when/if a camera system was installed downtown it would likely be supplemented by an enhanced speeding sign system to deter drivers from breaking the speed limit.

He and others noted that cameras provided incredible footage from the big fire downtown several years ago.

Selectman Al Goldberg said there’s never been a policy discussion about cameras; it’s probably time to do so.

Chairman Ed Dowling feels it is appropriate to have the discussion to enable the chief to translate technology into effectiveness.

Commissioner Steve Shaw added everyone is on board with the concept.

Again, it just comes back to how to pay for it.

Making changes with the downtown area - and the dozens of businesses that line the property - is not a new topic.

For a number of years, police and town officials also have been talking about the idea of installing at least one crosswalk in the middle of the busy road, in part because pedestrians often cut across the road anyway.

But that issue hasn’t gone far because Route 1 falls under the jurisdiction of the state - it is not a town of Madison road under regulations of Madison laws.


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