‘Tis the season! The decorations are up, but this holiday season is also about more than looking the part. Volunteers in Johnstown are making sure the downtown area and you are safe.
“Back in October we sponsored an event called “Scarecrows in the Park,” Melissa Radovanic says. The Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership president goes on to tell WTAJ that vandals destroyed multiple scarecrows.
“The reality of the situation is that downtown and the central business district is a very safe area, but we want to make sure that our visitors, our guests, our neighbors that come down to experience the holidays will feel safe.”
So to see who is being naughty or nice this holiday season, Santa won’t be the only one watching. The Johnstown Police Department can now watch the park through new surveillance cameras.
“I think with the installation of the cameras it’ll make people feel a little more comfortable knowing that there is some monitoring going on and if something should happen it would be captured,” interim police chief Jeff Janciga says.
Radovanic says the partnership reached out to a local company they work with and they were able to provide the nonprofit with the complimentary cameras.
Currently there are three above the Central Park gazebo and two by the AmeriServ building.
With the help of AT&T and their $2,500 donation they made the cameras live starting Wednesday morning.
“Not every “Grinch” has a change of heart so when they reached out and said is there anything you can do to help, we were anxious to help,” AT&T representative Jim Penna tells us.
Their efforts don’t stop here, according to Radovanic.
“We’re still fundraising for a newer, more modern camera system that we hope to install in the spring.”
Once installed that system will include up to 15 cameras around the park.