Loop Surveillance Cameras Should Be Up By June

The new surveillance camera system for the Delmar Loop should be operational by June.

The City of University City is negotiating with the vendor handling the camera, Rich Wilson told the Loop Special Business District at its February meeting. Wilson is the city's director of Public Works, Parks and Forestry.

"I know we want to rush, rush, rush," he said. "But we want to do this correctly."

Wilson said he would be organizing a meeting with Loop shareholders, city officials and the chief of police to organize camera placement. There is a master plan for the entire system but the first round of camera placement will be designed to get the best coverage for the budget.

"It might not end up being as many cameras as we think, but the system is expandable," Wilson told business owners.

The original outlay for the system is $160,000. KSDK reports the funding is coming from a sales tax designated for economic development. 

The cameras will be attached to buildings and will provide University City Police with a view of the street and public parking lots. While the cameras had been in the works for sometime, business owners really pushed for them after a particularly disruptive weekend last April in the Loop, which involved hundreds of unruly young people.