Butler Community Considering Heightening Security

As the River Place community, in Butler, is considering putting a video surveillance system in place, police said they could benefit from being able to monitor the videos should the community's homeowners' association allow them to do so.

Captain Ciro Chimento said he has been in communication with the association's President Clay Bonny about the community's consideration of installing the system and in providing the department access to the videos. Chimento said nothing has been decided yet, but that the community is considering heightening security as a result of some "isolated vandalism reports" and criminal mischief incidents.

"We've had two or three minor criminal mischief issues and what we would classify as disturbance in the area," Chimento said. One such incident was an alleged attempted knifepoint robbery outside

Bonny declined comment, but Chimento said the association is mostly concerned with quality of life issues, such as noise and curfews of minors. Thedoes have a curfew of 10 p.m. for minors, Chimento said, which is enforced, particularly on Main Street. But Chimento said the police department cannot prevent minors from simply hanging out around the area of the community before 10 p.m. 

Parikh Ashesh, owner of the River Place Food Store, said he thinks video surveillance would be good for the community and his store.

"It's good for looking at the crime and looking at what's going on," he said. Ashesh also said he would feel safer knowing someone is watching over the community through the security system.

Chimento said the department would like to take a proactive approach and work with the association to prevent crime in the area. 

"Generally, we do ramp up patrols [in the spring] in the downtown area throughout the entire length of Main Street because to us, every business is equal," he said.