White Rock city councillors have balked at a pricey proposal that could have seen CCTV cameras installed in 30 busy locations.
Councillors rejected the plan, which carried a capital cost of more than $800,000, at a Monday meeting.
They voted instead to work with RCMP to identify five key areas to potentially install cameras and to have staff look into what that would cost.
The cameras would not be monitored in real-time and would be used both as a deterrent and to help RCMP collect evidence and solve crimes.
In November 2023, council voted to get quotes from potential vendors who could set up a CCTV pilot program in the city.
The city got four bids, ranging in price from $219,150 to $571,000 and with varying degrees of complexity.
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In a report to council Monday night, staff had recommended the $571,000 bid by Houle Electric which would have installed cameras at 30 locations along the Marine Drive strip and Uptown areas.
While the proposal was the most expensive the city received, staff found it represented the “best overall value and quality” and “demonstrates a better understanding of the scope of the work and the complexities it involves.”‘
The total capital costs of choosing the Houle bid would have actually worked out to $823,750. That figure included $100,000 to contract a project manager, $10,000 to hire a consultant to deal with freedom of information requests and privacy impact assessment applications, and a 25 per cent contingency on the Houle bid itself. The city estimated operating the system would cost about $60,000 a year.
As an alternative to the Houle bid, councillors had the option to work with Mounties to choose sevral high-impact locations for CCTV cameras, then assess their effectiveness to build out a broader implementation strategy.
The vote comes months after a pair of high-profile stabbings on the White Rock Promenade, one of which proved fatal.
The April attacks rattled the seaside community and sparked a debate about public safety.
Dimitri Nelson Hyacinth, 27, has been charged with aggravated assault and second-degree murder in the attacks.
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