New York – In the horrific aftermath of Leiby Kletzky’s senseless and brutal murder, Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn), Assemblyman Peter Abbate (D-Brooklyn), and State Senator Diane Savino (D-Brooklyn/Staten Island) have joined together to give law enforcement every advantage in their efforts to quickly reunite a missing child with his or her family.
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Titled “The Leiby Initiative,” Hikind and Savino will introduce legislation which grants a $500 annual tax credit to New York City property owners who purchase, install, and maintain surveillance cameras around their property. It was because of surveillance cameras that authorities were able to track Leiby’s whereabouts in the final hours leading to his untimely death, and ultimately, to his vicious killer.
“This legislation could literally save lives,” noted Hikind. “If there had been even more cameras along the route that Leiby took when he got lost on his way home from day camp, perhaps we might have been able to find him sooner. While nothing can ever bring Leiby back to us, this legislation will give otherwise reluctant property owners a financial motivation to install these cameras, and in so doing, help police and law enforcement find other missing children even faster.”
Senator Diane Savino stated, “As we search for answers to this horrific tragedy, perhaps this bill will encourage property owners to have cameras that will assist the police and just maybe serve as a deterrent to the evil that sometimes lurks within our otherwise safe communities.”
Assemblyman Peter Abbate said, “This legislation is about saving lives. Assemblyman Hikind and I saw firsthand how important closed circuit video was to finding the man who abducted Leiby Kletzky. Now, by providing an incentive for property owners to have surveillance cameras, we hope to ensure that in the event of future kidnappings, the authorities can quickly locate and save the victim. We cannot bring Leiby back, but we must do everything possible to ensure that no other children suffer as he did. As legislators, our primary obligation is to the protection of our community, and I am proud to join Assemblyman Hikind in fighting to ensure that New York City stays vigilant and is always safe for our children.”
In the interest of promoting passenger safety on the subway, Hikind had previously allocated $1.2 million in 2005 in MTA capital reserve funds for the purchase and installation of 120 closed-circuit television cameras on nine subway stations on the N, D, and F lines in response to the train bombings in Madrid and London.
aside from the intial costs to install camaras. How will someone prove he’s maintaining his camaras. Sounds like another govt. program. I think a better plan would to use this money for the city to install these camras on light poles and traffic lights. These camras can then also be used as evidence in traffic accidents. And just like you pay for an accident report a small charge can be made if someone needs it for evidence.
very nice to hear but 500 will not cover for a complete system. the minimum you need to install a complete “cctv recording” system is about 2000
There are plenty of cameras in NYC but they didn’t save this child’s life. On the other hand, they did help catch this predator faster. But most of the credit should go to Shomrim, who proactively photographed the driver’s tags.
Had this info been acted upon quicker, the cops would have rescued the child a day sooner, and it would have been a kidnapping, not a murder – kidnapping (assuming Aron told the truth in his confession and didn’t kill the child right away).
#2 answers #1 ’s question. If the govt (or individual) installs a camera it costs a lot more than $500. However, by giving the individual that money, it may encourage him to cough up the rest from his own pocket. In effect, a cost sharing arrangement. If I’m thinking of putting up one anyway, this will be noteh me to one side.
This is an example of good intentions leading to a poor idea.
Come to Britain! Today, in central London, one cannot move more than 30 yards in any direction without being captured by one CCTV system or another.
I love the idea of giving grants to private citizens, because many, myself included, don’t want the government to have cctv cameras all over thus trampling our civil rights, but I do trust private people not to abuse that and only use it when it’s really needed to solve crimes. That’s not big brother just a smart initiative.
This will never happen. Just feels like too much of an encroachment on privacy (recognizing that no one would be forced to put up a camera, but the government would still be asking people to do it).
This is a smart idea!
Assemblyman Hikind the Leiby Bill, We the Citizens Propose the Leiby Law – THIS should be the Leiby Law – a metropolis that is densely populated with more than 30 children per 100 apartments per street shall be outfitted with surveillance cameras on each street light. These devices shall be maintained by the city’s law enforcement public safety division with equal access to archives indefinitely by all law enforcement officials.
I think this “initiative” has to come with a condition. If something g-d forbid like this happens, you need to take the recordings of that day and bring it to the police station. All those tapes can be seen simultaneously by volunteers, nypd, detectives etc.
Good idea.
#2. There is no reason to cover the entire cost. It is also in the interest of the property owner to have security cameras.
if it could be watchd from police station a plus
How about they change the law that the PD needs to wait 24 hrs until a serious search is underway?
It seems that heimishe guys went to HSBC to get the video footage to see if Leiby A”H went down 13th Ave. they then followed the route until they got to wheels to lease, then they pulled the video footage which was on an old legacy system and they called a private CCTV contractor who had to wok on the footage for over an hour.
All of this work is usually done by detectives, but unfortunately, they only begin after 24 hours which is way too long…
Every home should a CCTV system in place. It doesn’t cost more then 300 bucks. All you have to do is snake the wires that’s it. If you don’t know how to snake the wires just call someone or don’t do it professional. Just go to Costco and buy a good complete system for 249.00 or if you want a better system you can get it for 349.00 (With the monitor)
” many, myself included, don’t want the government to have cctv cameras all over thus trampling our civil rights”
What trampling of what rights? There is no right to not be seen if you are in a public place, and there is no right to not be seen if you are trespassing on someone else’s property!
you need to give him the death penelty asap with no trial he is not a sick person I personaly know him for twelve years I worked with him
empire state suply and he was a weard man sick he was not he needs to be put to death and forget it GOOD SHABOS
They should put these cameras in all the heimehse neighborhoods and include motion-activiated sensors to lengthen the period covered. Since they are being used for security purposes and possibly pikuach nefesh, any rav or posek will tell you that there is no inyan of being mechalllel shabbos if you walk by and activate the camera.
Hikind
want to safe life
propose a bill that yeshivas need to fingerprint and if any clergy rebbie or pastor priest who inhibits any parent to go to the police or cooperate with the police will be charged with accessory to any further acts of molestation.
that we save many children from abuse (even thought we are not sure if in this case there was any abuse)
What about the city putting up cameras on every corner and not asking people to do it it’ll be much easier or they should ask people if they can put up one on they’re house wherever they feel its necessary
I wld like to see a foundation name after Leiby that goes around and teach children and adult abt safety in various of situations (e.g. Stanger awareness, fire safety, and first aide) this way we will be more aware of need of safety.
If the cost of 120 cameras is $1.2 mil then its $20,000 a camera so that’s how much tax credit I want to install a camera. Otherwise u agree that a camera is way less so did u give the contract to some union thief?!
Even better, we now have face recognition which works exclusively visually and will soon be widely available. If cameras would be plugged in via internet to a central server which scans via face recognition, the location of a given face would theoretically be tracked not in a matter of hours, but seconds. This technology is not next generation: it is available right now and in use not only in airports but its a simple CNET download for any webcam. All that is needed is a website where anyone can plug in their camera to a central server with the software. Maybe its already out there?