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Read the press release here.

17 High-Tech Police Cameras Coming to Queens

 Councilman James Gennaro allocated $600,000 for the cameras.
17 High Tech Police Cameras Coming to Queens
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QUEENS — More than a dozen high-tech police security cameras will be installed within the next three years in the 24 Council District — which includes Briarwood, Pomonok, parts of Forest Hills, Jamaica and Rego Park — more than tripling the number of cameras in the area, Councilman James Gennaro announced Thursday.

The total cost of the 17 cameras, most of which will be installed in Jamaica, will be $600,000, Gennaro said, and they will be placed throughout the district, depending on the needs. The locations are picked by the NYPD.

In Jamaica, many of the cameras will be installed along Jamaica Avenue, Sutphin Boulevard and Hillside Avenue. 

The first two cameras will be installed in Briarwood, where pockets struggle with car break-ins, according to Seymour Schwartz, president of the Briarwood Community Association,

“I’m proud to have been a strong supporter of the use of these cameras, which are an essential part of the NYPD’s crime-fighting and counterterrorism efforts,” said Gennaro, adding that the cameras will serve as a deterrent and help solve crimes.

Currently, the district, which also includes Fresh Meadows and Jamaica Estates, has only five NYPD cameras, Gennaro said.

Each "Argus" camera, Gennaro said, will have two fish-eye 360 degree lenses attached to a box that will be installed to a pole. The camera itself retains the recording but it also streams images to the Police Department, Gennaro said.

Gennaro who has been given a presentation about cameras, said they can catch distant images as well as zoom in, to capture details close up.