City Puts out RFP for Video Surveillance System to Remotely Monitor South End of New Rochelle

Written By: Robert Cox

Terminat Visio2The City of New Rochelle is in the RFP Process for a long-awaited deployment of video surveillance equipment, primarily in and around the downtown area of New Rochelle. There will be cameras in the downtown area at Main Street & Pintard Avenue, Main Street & North Avenue, North Avenue & and Huguenot Street, Centre Avenue and Huguenot Street, I-95 Ramp and Division Street, North Avenue and Burling Lane, Garden Street and Cottage Place and 40 Division Street.

Notably, there is not a single police surveillance video camera planned for the area north of Eastchester Road, an area which includes the newly realigned City Council District 5 and City Council District 6. Two police surveillance video cameras will be located in District 2 at the DPW Yard on East Main Street and the NRPD Harbor Unit in Hudson Park. All of the other cameras are located in the remaining three districts, City Council District 1, City Council District 3, and City Council District 4 with City Council District 4 having the most cameras.

There will be a police surveillance video camera at the Isaac E. Young Middle School but no police surveillance video camera at Albert Leonard Middle School. A police surveillance video camera on Eastchester Road and North Avenue may allow some coverage of New Rochelle High School. All three schools have video surveillance cameras inside the building which are not currently available the the New Rochelle Police Department.

NRCrimeMapJuly2011

This may cause some concern and accusations that North End residents do not want, and are not getting, cameras about the Eastchester Road divide. While true, it is also true that the South End is home to almost every NRPD Incident in New Rochelle (e.g. 117 of the 125 reported incidents in New Rochelle so far the month of July 2011 were South of Eastchester Road).

Talk of the Sound did not receive a reply from City Manager Charles B. Strome asking for comment on the “North-South Divide” in surveillance cameras.

Axis camerasThe RFP covers the installation of a “City Wide Multi-service secured private wireless mesh network that is capable of transporting digital video, network communications and I.P. traffic to and from designated locations as well as mobile vehicles.” The City is seeking to have installed a secure, private wireless mesh network capable of communicating with both fixed and mobile NRPD units. The City already has some systems in place, the new system would extend the City’s current data network to vehicles and substations throughout the City of New Rochelle for the purpose of obtaining and transmitting digital video.

You can read the entire RFP here: RFP-NR-4897 City Wide Surveillance System

There will be cameras at 16 locations in New Rochelle.

Camera Locations

  • DPW City Yard (224 Main Street)
  • NRPD Harbor Unit (100 Hudson Park Road)
  • Intersection of North Avenue and Pelham Road near Trinity School
  • Isaac E. Young Middle School (270 Centre Avenue)
  • Intersection of Main Street & Weyman Avenue near Home Depot
  • Intersection of Main Street & Pintard Avenue near the Civil War Statute
  • Intersection of Main Street & North Avenue near the Toy Store sign
  • Intersection of North Avenue & and Huguenot Street near Chase Bank Building
  • Intersection of Centre Avenue and Huguenot Street near Viva Ranch
  • Intersection of Second Street and Union Street near Paleteria
  • Intersection of I-95 Ramp and Division Street near Sound Shore Medical Center
  • Intersection of North Avenue and Burling Lane near I-95 Exit 16
  • Intersection of Garden Street and Cottage Place near I-95 Exit 16
  • Intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Brook Street near the Hartley Houses
  • Intersection of North Avenue & Eastchester Road near Beechmont Tavern
  • Attilios Barber Shop (40 Division Street)

There will be WiFi Nodes spread throughout the City, from North to South, to network together mobile vehicles and precincts.

WiFi Nodes

  • Avalon 2 (40 Memorial Highway)
  • George M. Davis Jr. Elementary School (80 Iselin Drive)
  • DPW City Yard (224 Main Street)
  • New Rochelle High School (265 Clove Road)
  • New Rochelle Train Station (1 Station Plaza)
  • Columbus Elementary School (275 Washington Avenue)
  • New Roc City (31 Lecount Place)
  • NRPD Harbor Unit (100 Hudson Park Road)
  • Flynn Burner Corporation (425 Fifth Avenue)
  • Isaac E. Young Middle School (270 Centre Avenue)
  • New Rochelle Fire Department Station House 4 (155 Drake Avenue)
  • Intersection of Main Street & Weyman Avenue near Home Depot
  • Intersection of North Avenue & Northfield Road near Beth El
  • Intersection of North Avenue & Eastchester Road near Beechmont Tavern
  • Intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Brook Street near the Hartley Houses

The company providing the main WiFI equipment is FireTide. They have provided examples of how their technology has worked elsewhere in the United States.

FireTide Case Study: Bethlehem, PA Police Department

Muggings, home break-ins, armed robberies, drug deals and even medical emergencies have been caught on Bethlehem, Pennsylvania’s police department’s wireless video surveillance system since it was first deployed in September 2009 and has dramatically helped improve the city’s safety. Police have identified criminals, recovered stolen cars, busted drug dealers and users, cracked long-standing investigations and saved at least one person during a medical emergency.

9 thoughts on “City Puts out RFP for Video Surveillance System to Remotely Monitor South End of New Rochelle”

  1. PBA, FFA and Local 663 beware
    This is a ploy to reduce the number of police officers on the street. The administration tried to reduce firefighters in the last budget which they will duplicate this budget because the SAFER Grant was denied now they are looking at ways to reduce police officers and don’t worry DPW is next when they privatize snow removal next year. The new broom (DPW Commissioner) sweeps clean and he started with Cotroneo. You heard it here first!

    1. Now NR police officers will
      Now NR police officers will have to find new couping locations away from the cameras. This is the real crime.

  2. petty crimes
    Ok – we get cameras to watch certain areas where potential crimes might occur.

    May I suggest we put in cameras in the offices of the City Manager and the Mayor.

    That is where the real crimes against our citizens are happening!!!

  3. RE: Cameras in downtown New Rochelle.
    I sincerely HOPE the cameras do help curb the crime and help alleviate the massive quality of life issues facing the downtown area. Despite the hilarious and futile attempts of the current Mayor to portray downtown New Rochelle as a ‘safe’ and ‘ family friendly” Norman Rockwellian paradise, we all know what is really is: a filthy, chaotic, dangerous 3rd world entity within the borders of New Rochelle. It is not the nerve center nor ‘great commercial hub’ it once was, it is a cancerous tumor devouring all the time, money, and effort of this horribly mismanaged, corrupt, bankrupt, little city. If the cameras can help salvage what little is left of Main street, so be it. However, remember, this is New Rochelle, and we all know that the cameras will not be installed in time and if they are, they will break down quickly and not be maintained at all, resulting in yet another ‘ cosmetic’ attempt to correct the serious problems of security faced by citizens of the south end also ridiculously known and marketed as ” SoNo”. On paper, it all seems like a great idea. In practice? Well, in other towns and cities it might work. But, kids, who are we KIDDING??? This is New Rochelle ! A place where logic, reason, and civilization totally break down. Good luck !!

  4. How can anyone continue to support Bramson?
    How can we afford the cost of this system? We’re broke, but I don’t get that impression from Chuck & Noam over at city hall, just more spending ideas. How about some cuts, Chuck & Noam?

    I just read on Patch that the city is voting soon to borrow $500,000 or so to pay tax certiorari cases. New Rochelle’s finacial people have made a mockery of its finances. How can anyone continue to support Bramson? New Rochelle’s on course for a financial train wreck. Homeowners, pull out your check books, another Noam initiative is going to cost big bucks.

    1. Amazing that New Rochelle would spend 20% to close a deal!
      I re-read the artilce and its worse than I originally thought. The shortfall is $500,000 but the city wants to borrow $600,000.

      My bet is that the extra $100,000 will be used to pay legal and brokers fees. Amazing that New Rochelle would spend 20% to close a deal or another $100,000 that it doesn’t have. No homeowner would ever consider borrowing at those rates. I wonder if and how much do the attorneys and brokers contribute to Noam’s re-election fund? We all know that Bennett Kielson (our supposedly outside, independant auditors) are big contributors to Noam so why wouldn’t the others?

      When will the spending binge end? City hall needs to get its priorities straight.

  5. I guess this means NR does in
    I guess this means NR does in fact have a crime problem despite the nonsense tossed around by Bramson and company.

  6. cameras
    If i’m not mistaken i thought camera’s were going to be installed at every entrance and exit way to the city. That would mean the hutch at north ave,quaker and weaver,or stratton and weaver,the hutch at pinebrook,pelham and pelhamdale,i kinda remember the city and the police comm. saying this at a city council meeting?

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