Several instances of vandalism last year in Libby have caused the mayor and chief of police to explore the possibility of downtown security cameras, a move that at least one business owner is calling an invasion of privacy.
The idea is still in the initial phases, Mayor Doug Roll said, but it would involve putting multiple high-resolution cameras on Mineral Avenue. The cameras, which would be able to pick up on faces or license plate numbers, wouldn’t be used for enforcing traffic laws, Roll said, but as an eye-in-the-sky witness to help police if a problem occurs.
“I don’t agree with traffic cameras,” Roll said. “But for this, it’s just an investigative tool.”
Libby experienced two rashes of vandalism last year, once in the spring and another in the fall. In the most recent case, vandals drove up and down Mineral Avenue breaking the windows at various businesses with pellet guns, rocks and slingshots, according to Libby Police Chief Jim Smith. A large car dealership took the brunt of it, Smith said, leading to thousands of dollars in damage.
This cycle of vandalism happens every couple of years, Smith said, and he only has one officer to devote to nighttime patrol.
Working with Kalispell-based company Integrated Security Solutions, Roll said the total cost for the cameras could range from $40,000 to $70,000, depending on the camera system. Smith said while he would prefer to hire an additional officer, a one-time payment on cameras would be more cost-effective.
The idea of putting city cameras on Mineral Avenue, however, rubs Libby tax accountant Wayne Hirst the wrong way. Hirst, who has written letters to several newspapers in Northwest Montana on the subject, is concerned about the possibility of the government watching Libby residents.
“If a business has a problem they can put in their own cameras,” Hirst said in an interview last week. “Why does the mayor want to bring us all under surveillance by Big Brother?”
Hirst was concerned that the cameras would be used to monitor residents’ actions, especially those who may be imbibing at the bars downtown. He wondered what would stop the police from watching who goes into the bar and then pull them over when they leave.
Both Smith and Roll said something like this would not happen because the cameras would transmit their video to a hard drive kept at the police department. The images would only be called up to help with a criminal investigation about an incident that wasn’t witnessed, such as late-night vandalism. The video would also be on a loop, Smith said.
“If I wanted to know who was in the bar I would just walk in,” Smith said.
Hirst also questioned the reasoning behind the cameras, saying that crime was not rampant enough in Libby to warrant such a reaction.
“I’ve been down here 25 years. Where’s the crime problem? I haven’t seen it,” Hirst said.
Funding for the cameras would have to be divided between the city, downtown businesses and the county, Roll said. Since the idea is still in its naissance, he said he isn’t sure of how many businesses support it.
There will be at least one owner who does not, Hirst said. And as the president of Libby Downtown Association, Inc., formed in 2005 to battle a proposed downtown streetscape project, Hirst promised to spread his message to anyone who would listen.
Any action on the project is still probably months away, Roll said, but he is confident the county would contribute to the cost of the cameras. If the cameras do become a reality, Hirst said he would either move to Troy or sue the city.
“We’ll see the city in court if it comes to that,” Hirst said.