Hawkeye cameras to monitor Intermodal

WILKES-BARRE — The citywide surveillance network will soon reach into the Intermodal Center along South Washington Street with the addition of more than 60 cameras.

Board members of Hawkeye Security Solutions, the nonprofit corporation established five years ago to oversee the network’s operations, received an update Wednesday on the progress of the $650,000 expansion.

Greg Barrouk, a city employee and board member, said the final design has yet to be completed. “We’re around 90 percent done with the actual planning,” he said in response to a question from Frank Sorick during the authority’s monthly meeting.

Sorick, president of the Wilkes-Barre City Taxpayers Association, raised the issue as a result of the recently reported theft of laptop computers from a vehicle parked in the center.

City Council last summer approved the deal with Schneider Electric, which was hired to design, install and maintain the network of nearly 260 cameras. Gambling revenues provided to the state as well as federal funds will pay for the project.

Cameras were placed throughout the center to obtain still photos to ensure there is complete coverage and no duplication of cameras, Barrouk said. “We want to alleviate change orders and all that,” he said.

The additional cameras will increase the number in the network to more than 300.

Board member Louis Lau, who also is a city employee, said the network is operating at about 90 percent of capacity.

Hawkeye was still awaiting payments from the Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority, for February, and the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Without them, Hawkeye reported a balance of $13,315. Hawkeye started the month with a balance of $26,987 and paid out $13,671 in expenses, including $10,080 to Legion Security for monitoring the system housed inside city police headquarters.