The revival of downtown Fargo and its nightlife may warrant better security in city-owned parking lots, members of the city's Parking Commission said Thursday.
The Island Park ramp is the only city-owned lot with security cameras, said Bob Stein, senior city planner. Those cameras were installed after vandals emptied fire extinguishers in the stairwells.
The city tries to maintain good lighting in its other lots to deter vandals, Stein said, adding the NP Avenue lot now under construction will have new and improved lighting.
However, commission member Rick Engen said just the sight of a security camera seems to deter crime.
"I don't know why we don't have surveillance on every lot," said Engen, owner of Fort Noks Bar of Gold at 52 Broadway.
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The Broadway Streetscape project and the revitalization of downtown businesses and housing have drawn more activity to downtown, which also brings more trouble, said Dave Anderson, president of the Downtown Community Partnership. He noted that vandals recently ripped a metal shaft off one of the decorative stone columns on Broadway.
"We see the graffiti we didn't used to see and stuff like that."
Fargo Patrol Officer Todd Wahl, who is assigned to downtown, said he hasn't seen a dramatic increase in vandalism downtown. Officers check the city-owned lots during routine patrols, but they don't receive special attention, he said.
Putting cameras in city-owned lots may create the expectation and false sense of security that the cameras are being monitored, Stein said. Engen said technology allows for cameras that activate when they sense motion.
The city has an agreement with MeritCare Health System in which MeritCare monitors security cameras in the downtown skyway system.
The NP Avenue lot west of the Old Broadway already has connections for cameras at its entrance, Stein said. City staff will continue to study the possibility of adding cameras, he said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528
