BUNNELL, Fla. – In the wake of the recent murders involving two Flagler County teenagers, police have been looking for solutions to curb crime in South Bunnell. Now, the city has come up with a plan to install security cameras in the area.
“If you’re doing nothing wrong, then you have nothing to be worried about,” Bunnell police Chief Dave Brannon said. “We want to catch the bad guys and usually, it’s going to be after the fact when something happens.”
[TRENDING: Florida’s Freedom Week: Here’s a list of what to buy tax-free | Think it’s hotter when you walk the dog at night than you’re used to? Here’s why | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
It’s a tool Brannon thinks will lower the crime rate in an area reeling from the murders of 16-year-olds Noah Smith and Keymarion Hall — both cases taking months to catch the suspects.
In addition, the chief said there’s also been a drive-by shooting, a stabbing and a series of robberies this year.
“Especially when witnesses or victims are unable to speak with us or uncooperative or in fear of further violence themselves, the video will tell us what happened,” he said.
The city installed security cameras in 2011, but Brannon said they stopped the service a few years later. Now, he said they’re going to upgrade and expand the system. He admits it is just one solution, though.
“It’s not the end-all-be-all to solving crime. We’re going to do this in combination with building community relationships, which we’re well underway doing,” he said.
There will be cameras in 13 locations in addition to 10 new license-plate readers in the city.
“We really need it. We’ve had some things going on in our neighborhood that we’re concerned about,” resident Bonita Robinson said.
Robinson and Calvin Grant live in the area and help operate The Carver Recreation Center on Drain Street. They welcome the extra security.
“Anything going on out here, which there’s also a lot of really great things going on, you want to make sure that the people who attend your facility feel safe,” Grant said.
The chief said now they’ll just need to get a final contract approved. He said the hope is to have them all installed by the end of the year.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: