By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER MANHATTAN — The city has installed motion-sensitive cameras in a pair of Northern Manhattan parks in an attempt to deter late-night and early-morning crime.
The Parks Department placed two of its FlashCams last month at Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights and Isham Park in Inwood "to help deter crime where there had recently been muggings," said spokesman Phil Abramson.
Residents in both areas said they had mixed feelings about the cameras - weighing safety with privacy.
"I know there’ve been a lot of muggings in the area, but something about being watched all the time doesn’t sit well with me," said Washington Heights resident Bruce Nickels, 39, of the camera at 190th Street near Fort Tryon Park.
In Inwood, residents said they would rather see police patrol the area more closely instead of relying on the chance that suspects might be caught on the camera, situated just outside Isham Park.
"The chances of the camera picking up someone who's done something wrong is slim to none," Inwood resident Haley Roberts, 28, said.
Others said they were pleased to see the department doing something about areas that have had chronic problems over the years, but wanted to know more about how the department plans to use the footage.
The cameras are part of a citywide effort to combat crime in parks, including Central Park, which was reported the Daily News.
Cameras have been placed in the parks over the past two years with varying levels of acceptance from residents.
When the FlashCam was placed in Isham Park back in 2009, resident complaints ultimately caused the department to remove the camera.
