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City plans fiber and cameras along waterfront; rangers, restrooms and enforcement discussed
Summary
Parks staff described work to lay fiber and add cameras along the waterfront to extend Wi‑Fi and improve event monitoring, said restrooms in the Harbor Master building are open when rangers are on duty, and the committee discussed potential constable authority and equipment for park rangers.
Parks staff told the advisory committee they have begun work to extend fiber and add cameras along the waterfront to improve coverage and event monitoring and to expand Wi‑Fi service along the promenade.
"We just ditched it out this week to lay fiber along to add cameras," the director said, describing a new conduit and radio‑unit plan to connect cameras from the fence line back toward Dock 5 and the compass‑rose area for consistent connectivity. Staff said existing waterfront Wi‑Fi is available for roughly two hours per user session and the extended fiber would allow broader coverage.
Staff said the Harbor Master building restrooms are now hooked up to water and will be open when a park ranger or the harbor master is on duty; park‑ranger hours were described as roughly 8:00 to 17:30 and staff said rangers have proved beneficial for outreach, trail checks and coordination with police and BCAT (community action team).
The committee discussed whether rangers should be sworn constables to give them limited ordinance‑enforcement authority; staff said the harbor master is already a sworn constable and that the city is evaluating the limits and implications of expanded authority.
Committee members also asked whether police would have live access to cameras; staff said the police department can see the cameras and that video retention is limited (staff estimated roughly three months based on current practice). Members suggested additional signage, emergency‑call options and improved camera coverage in remote tunnel and trail sections; staff said cameras will be added where feasible and that the rangers, police and public‑health teams coordinate on encampment outreach.
No formal decision on constable status was made; staff said they will continue evaluating authority, equipment and signage and will return with more information as plans progress.
