Downtown surveillance cameras studied

Last summer, downtown Kalispell had problems with graffiti, scratched and broken business windows and a rash of flower-pot thefts.

The criminal mischief was apparent; witnesses and suspects were not.

As one of its longer-term projects, the Kalispell Business Improvement District has been looking for technology to help maintain a watchful eye in the downtown and exploring the idea of surveillance cameras.

“If you have vandalism going on in your community, thievery, we want to have any opportunity we can possibly have out there to help solve the crime,” said Pam Carbonari, the district coordinator.

“Being that we have a district that is kind of tight, if we can offer security cameras to downtown businesses and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got Main Street plugged in and First Avenues East and West,’ then it’s a tool for the police department to help solve the crime.”

Like a similarly long-term project considering the launch a free wireless Internet network for the Business Improvement District, the question has remained how to do it — and if it’s even a cost-feasible thing to do.

Carbonari on Tuesday shared some initial cost estimates from Alert Security with members of the business improvement district’s board.

The estimate for equipment and labor to install an expandable surveillance camera system was about $5,000 per block. That would set up a wireless outdoor mesh network with one wireless radio and two Internet protocol cameras per block plus recording gear.

Board members balked at the estimate. Installing a system to overlay the district at those prices would cost tens of thousands of dollars. They asked Carbonari to look for other options and report back in March.

The business improvement district could roll out a limited system focused on priority areas or look for cheaper equipment to contain costs. Or it could ask downtown businesses that have their own internal surveillance systems if the district can tie into those and add its outdoor cameras to their systems.

“I’ll follow through and try to gather some more information and then bring it back to the board next month,” Carbonari said after Tuesday’s board meeting. “From there we can make a determination if we will go out for a [request for qualifications] or [request for proposals] or bag it because it’s just too expensive.”

Alert Security had a rooftop surveillance camera trained on Main Street when the business was located downtown. The camera was a helpful investigative tool, Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset said.

“That assisted us in solving several crimes. It helped where a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle and it wasn’t clear what had happened. We don’t have that luxury or tool any more,” Nasset said.  

Kalispell doesn’t have enough police officers to keep one of them downtown all the time to maintain that watchful eye. Surveillance cameras downtown would certainly help police investigate crimes and other incidents that occur there, but costs associated with installing and maintaining that system would have to be borne by the business district, Nasset said.

“I expect it won’t be cheap and will be one of those things where they have to weigh the damage that’s being done as opposed to the cost of a system.”

The Kalispell Business Improvement District taxes the properties within its boundaries and was established to support the economic growth and vitality of downtown Kalispell and maintain and promote its unique character.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.