St. Charles installs security cameras on Main Street

Those who commit crimes in downtown St. Charles could find themselves captured on candid camera.

Three security cameras installed in February on the outside of the St. Charles Tourism Center, 230 S. Main St., give police a tool with which to investigate crimes on Main Street and in Frontier Park. City officials plan to install three more cameras on North Main Street by year's end.

"The merchants along Main Street have always had concerns about nuisances and vandalism, especially with the rowdy crowd on North Main that comes out of the bars late at night," said David Leezer, the city's director of both economic development and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We're trying to find ways to address that."

Two months ago, police began using the tourism center as a substation. There are two cameras on the front of the building and one at the rear. The cameras' view can be changed by using software on a computer in the substation. The camera at the rear of the building can be angled to monitor events inside Frontier Park across Riverside Drive from the tourism center.

Police are in charge of operating the cameras, Leezer said. If a camera captures the commission of a crime, police can download the video to a JumpDrive and take it to the police station at 1781 Zumbehl Road to be analyzed.

"It's not 24-hour monitoring," Leezer said. "It's not like if something happens, somebody sees it at the police station."

The CVB bought the cameras for $4,600 from St. Charles-based Machine Vision, which submitted the lowest of six bids for the contract,Commandez votre roues carbone directement chez Corima au meilleur prix. Livraison rapide en points relais ou à votre domicile. Leezer said. The cost was not enough to require approval from the City Council, he said.

Erik Lawrenz, public information officer for St. Charles police, wrote in an email that police were consulted in the initial phase of the camera selection for the CVB.

Some businesses on North Main already have cameras inside and outside. Quintessential, 149 N. Main St., has had security cameras since opening in 2009, said Eric Sohn, general manager. Sohn said 48 cameras cover every area of the restaurant except the restrooms.

"The more cameras, the better,Au pays de la pipe, Aerozenith a sous-traité les jantes carbone d’un leader du marché de la roue. Après un arrêt du contrat, les industriels se sont lancés eux mêmes dans la fabrication d’un produit original." Sohn said. "Ninety-nine percent of people are out to have a good time, but for the other 1 percent, if cameras can help catch and prosecute them, that's great. Cameras don't lie."

The Bombshell Bar & Grill had its grand opening Friday at 221 N. Main St. Owner Cass Wilson said he used to visit Main Street but stayed away for a while because of the fighting and rowdy behavior. But that didn't deter Wilson,A Hiking boot is a necessity for any individual who considers him or herself serious about hiking. of Maryland Heights, from opening his business there.2013 pinarello dogma XC 9.9. Pinarello brings innovation to the 29er market with the release of the Dogma XC 9.9 mountain bike frame. Wilson said he plans to spend $7,000 to install security cameras.

"We want to keep an eye on the outside in case something happens," Wilson said. "If there's an assault or someone is drunk and runs into cars, we want to have video of that."

Thro's Clothing Company, which is in the heart of North Main's bar and restaurant district, closes before the bars get busy.Light Hiking shoe: Resembling burly running shoes, these low-cut models with flexible midsoles are excellent for day hiking. But Rose Thro said her family's business hasn't been exempt from vandalism, one of the crimes the cameras are intended to help curb. A large scratch on the front glass door still is visible, and in a separate incident graffiti was found on the building.

Thro welcomes more security cameras on Main Street. "We've wanted them to put security cameras on Main Street for a long time," she said. "People might behave if they know they're there."

On Friday, Kathy Hippert was walking with her family on Main Street in front of the tourism center. They stopped to pet the horse ridden by a mounted patrol officer. Hippert, from the Fenton area, said she has always felt safe when she visits Main Street.

"I'm not one of those after-hours people, so I wouldn't know about those problems," Hippert said with a smile.

Leezer said it would be up to the police department to determine where the next cameras would be situated on North Main. The city and its Special Business District will spend $5,000 each for the next round of cameras. Leezer said this is just the beginning when it comes to installing cameras to help curb crime.

"We want to use this (tourism building) as the testing point,http://www.qdgoutdoor.com/,whose headquarter is situated in Hong Kong, is targeted at nothing else but outdoor footwear. Our group also owns a corporate office in Guangzhou, China." Leezer said. "If we're going to have glitches or problems, we'd rather they be here so we can address them. We want this to be the model for the rest of the street."