The Chatham-Kent Council has approved the motion to encourage Chatham-Kent police to expand its closed-circuit television (CCTV) program into downtown Wallaceburg.
The goal is for that to take place in the second or third quarter of 2024.
Ward 5 councillors Carmen McGregor and Aaron Hall introduced separate motions at the Council meeting to address the problem of crime in Wallaceburg.
Council also directed police to provide an update on the data gathered from the video surveillance pilot project in Chatham in February 2024.
Surveillance cameras went live in downtown Chatham on July 1, 2023.
Councillor Hall said the CCTV pilot project in Chatham intends to gather data for one year to justify expanding the security cameras to other communities across Chatham-Kent.
He said Wallaceburg is the next largest urban community within the municipality, and a healthy and safe community is an area of strategic focus for Chatham-Kent Council.
Councillor Carmen McGregor also asked for more action to prevent crime in downtown Wallaceburg.
She wants the administration to report back to the Council and the Wallaceburg BIA Board in six months with an update on the improvements recommended by police in a crime prevention audit.
Police said that the proper design, effective use, and maintenance and management of the built environment can reduce the incidence and fear of crime and improve the quality of life.
She said some of the audit recommendations relate to property owned by the municipality.