COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the next six months, people who use some Columbus parks will notice a tall, orange pole with a white camera on top.
The cameras, at a cost of $1,275 each, are the latest tool the city is deploying in response to a series of shootings at city parks. City council approved $31,875 for cameras at 19 parks.
There have been five shootings at five parks since April 23: Saunders Park, Nafzger Park, Glenwood Park, Westgate Park and Weinland Park. The shootings have left four people dead and four injured.
Last year, a 16-year-old girl was shot and killed at Bicentennial Park.
"The tragedy of the young lady who was killed over there, as a matter of fact was she thought she was coming here to enjoy a party, that's it. And someone has to break out a gun and took someone's life away," said Commander Robert Strausbaugh who helped deploy the tower cameras.
"Right now, it's recording in color," he said.
Twenty-five camera towers are in place in 19 city parks. The parks were chosen based on input from the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, the community and Columbus police liaison officers. The parks chosen have had more violent crimes or had more calls for service, according to Strausbaugh.
10TV found some of the tower cameras at Berliner Park, Rhodes Park and Saunders Park.
Citing security reasons, the city declined to provide a complete list of parks where the camera towers are in use.
For Strausbaugh, who is set to retire in less than two weeks, he says his last mission to secure and deploy these cameras will hopefully deter another shooting from happening in a city park.
"We all care about safety, we all care about our kids. We want to make sure that Columbus is a place you can visit and feel safe," he said.
When Red, White and BOOM! is over, the police department will deploy some of the cameras to other city parks.