New Security Cameras Planned for Field of Dreams

Hopes of thwarting vandalism at West Deptford's Field of Dreams will get a huge boost soon as plans to install security cameras at the playground are in the works.

Recreation Advisory Committee chairman John DiCarlo talked to the committee members about the plan to install the cameras, pending township approval. Three cameras will be placed at Field of Dreams, the player development building and the Union Field parking lot to monitor suspicious activity. There will also be a DVR installed to allow authorities to go back and review the tape in the case of an incident taking place.

The cameras and DVR are being donated by Johnson Matthey. Each of the cameras will cost $5,000 and the cost of the DVR is about $9,000, resulting in a total value of approximately $24,000. Johnson Matthey made a total donation of $45,000 during the Field of Dreams' renovation last April. The cameras will be up and running around the clock and are said to be state of the art.

DiCarlo said that they hope the cameras will help prevent vandalism at the playground, which was just renovated last spring. DiCarlo said that the rubber ground at the park was damaged by vandals this past summer and will need to be repaired.

CORRECTION, 11:51 a.m., Jan. 17: An earlier version of this article said the cameras would be installed specifically because of vandalism at Field of Dreams. In fact, the cameras were always planned. DiCarlo clarified that there haven't been several incidents of vandalism there; the rubber ground was the only incident. The article has been updated; Patch apologizes for the error.