Barrington adds cameras at train station

Due to ongoing incidents of vandalism and theft at the Barrington commuter train station, village officials Monday approved the purchase of seven additional video cameras for $24,439.

The new cameras will supplement four already in place by improving video coverage inside the station and introducing it outside, Barrington Police Chief Jerry Libit said.

Crimes at the train station are not necessarily increasing or getting worse, but the presence of more cameras is believed to be beneficial as a deterrent as well as in the investigation and prosecution of the crimes that still do occur, Libit said.

Even with cameras inside the station, acts of vandalism were still occurring in areas not adequately covered. But that’s expected to change when the additional cameras are installed within the first quarter of the year, Libit said.

The chosen provider of the cameras is Camtronic Security Integration, which already includes such retailers as Safeway and Dominick’s among its clients.

The new system will simultaneously record all camera angles and store them on a hard drive for at least 30 days — and as long as necessary if they become evidence in an investigation.

Libit does not anticipate significant maintenance costs after the initial installation of the cameras.

“The only ongoing fee would be the monthly fee of wireless access,” he said.

The police department isn’t seeking more cameras for anywhere else in the village, but the commuter station is a particular target for certain types of crime as it’s a center of activity around the clock, Libit said.

The train isn’t an unusual mode of transportation for criminals to enter the village or make their escape after committing a crime, Libit reported to the village board.

Having cameras recording all activity at the station can help in the deterrence and investigation of many types of crime, he said.