New Petition: Install Surveillance Cameras At Waveny Park

NEW CANAAN, CT -- Nearly two weeks after New Canaan mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos disappeared, a petition drive has been launched for the town to install video surveillance cameras at Waveny Park, the 300-acre site where her SUV was found on May 24.

"There are have been a number of concerning and, frankly, scary incidents that have occurred in recent history, the two most prominent being the verbal assault of a young jogger which occurred on October 31, 2017, and now the presence of an abandoned car owned by a missing woman, both of which transpired at the Lapham Road entrance," the Change.org-based petition states. "In addition, at least six cars reportedly have been broken into in the past year at the Lapham Road entrance.

"We advocate that personal safety is a greater priority over any individual privacy concerns, for there should be no expectation of privacy in a public space."

As of June 6, more than 1,000 people had signed the petition toward a goal of collecting 1,500 supporters.

The potential cost of installing such equipment at the park is unknown, but First Selectman Kevin Moynihan told Patch Thursday that his understanding is that it would be an "expensive proposition."

Moynihan has not taken a side for or against installing cameras, but would like to see the initiative slow down.

"My only issue is the timing," Moynihan told Patch. "Right now, the police department doesn't need the distraction of this, because they're already very engaged with the [Dulos] case."

The issue of installing cameras at the park is not new, as the topic has been discussed by the Parks and Recreation Commission and others as recently as early 2018, Moynihan said.

"I think there should be a discussion about it, but it should take place at the right time."

The petition was started by resident Hilary Ormond, who writes that now is the time to act.

"We acknowledge that a taxpayer cost will arise from installing such security infrastructure, and we accept that cost as we know our Town officials will administer this project within reason.

There has been historical debate around which Town department would manage such cameras and their footage; specifically, whether the Parks & Recreation Department or the Police Department is the appropriate commission to manage this undertaking. We leave those decisions to our Town officials to determine in an expedited fashion."

Click here to view the petition on Change.org.