Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Park Security topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident asks Davenport Parks for cameras at Vandiver Park; city says camera program under way
Summary
A resident requested video cameras at Vandiver Park during public comment; Parks director said the city has funding in place for park cameras, IT and parks staff are evaluating options, and legal counsel advised there is no expectation of privacy in public spaces outside restrooms and bathhouses.
A Davenport resident urged the Park and Recreation Advisory Board on Feb. 20 to install surveillance cameras at Vandiver Park after reporting concerning activity she had seen while walking there, including a person sitting on a bench, vehicles driving slowly past playgrounds, and discarded items such as a baseball bat and unused fireworks.
“My name is Dawn Anderson Rascher. My dog and I walk Vandiver Park every day,” Dawn Anderson Rascher told the advisory board during public comment. She asked whether the city could add cameras and offered to help write grants if money were a barrier.
Parks Director Chad answered later in the meeting that Parks has been working with Information Technology and Park Operations to identify camera options and that some funding exists for park cameras. He said the program originated because of repeated vandalism on the riverfront and other park amenities; Parks deployed temporary security contracts earlier this winter after an employee was assaulted, he said.
Regarding privacy, Chad said the city’s legal department advised there is no expectation of privacy in public spaces and that cameras can be used except in restrooms or bathhouse areas. He offered to follow up with Rascher about specifics once the department has more implementation details.
The transcript records no formal decision by the advisory board; staff described ongoing work to select camera technology, scope deployments and locate funding. Director Chad noted Parks has $30,000 funded in the proposed CIP for the park security program on an every-other-year basis, and that digital signage and other park development projects were also being planned.
Rascher said cameras would not capture every problem but would provide “eyes in the park and video to investigate some of the incidents.” She also said she had contacted her alderperson, Michelle Lynch, who planned to raise the issue with Parks and the police department.
The advisory board did not vote on the camera program during the meeting; staff said they would follow up once they have technical and deployment plans.
